Text: Isaiah 53:4-11, John 19:16b-37, John 3:16
Good morning, precious sisters. I wish I could greet each one of you with a quiet hug on this day of mourning. It is perhaps the most bittersweet day of the year, but somehow, in the darkness, the sweetness is harder to find.
Have you read through today’s passages yet? If you haven’t, I’d love if you’d do that first. Today we’ll sit quietly in John’s account of Christ’s crucifixion – chapter nineteen. Go ahead and read now, I’ll wait. Read the other gospel accounts too, if you like (Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:21-41, Luke 23:26-49). Allow your heart to enter into the text and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet your heart.
Do you feel the weight of what you just read? It’s hard to read without deep sighs and even tears, isn’t it? The reality of a real man – my God – enduring what He did. It makes me so painfully uncomfortable and yet, picturing it all, I’ve never felt so deeply loved.
I appreciate that John is careful to write historically, but that so much of what he writes has profound underlying spiritual meaning. The way he references fulfilled Old Testament prophecies is good and practical, but there is so much more to it than that. With each prophetic reference, John is showing us God’s hand at work across the ages.
In a sham of a trial with an unjust verdict, He shows us that this is how God intended for His only Son to be sentenced. What they meant for evil, God meant for good. John shows us God – working out His purposes in this poor, fallen world. In a situation where God seems to be completely absent, He has been present for ages.
And when Christ breathes His final words before His death, “It is finished,” He not only indicates that the worst ordeal – bearing the wrath of God against sin in the place of His people (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34) – is literally over, He has also completed the work of salvation for His people.
It is finished. Complete.
And hear this today, sisters – really hear it: Because it is finished, there is nothing that any one of us can contribute to His work on the cross to bring us any closer to salvation.
He did it all.
“He was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5, ESV)
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Wow Carolynmimi! It would be such a blessing to participate in something like that. Thanks for sharing.
Several years ago, I researched the Gospel accounts of the passion of Jesus, trying to map out hour by
hour, his arrest, trial, crucifixion, death and burial. I summarized the events from sunset on Thursday
(the beginning of Friday for Jews) to sunset on Friday. In part I did this for my own understanding, but
also for the church my husband was serving as pastor.
That year and for many after it, rather than have a special “Good Friday” service, a raw beamed wooden
cross was carried into the sanctuary. Communion was prepared and blessed. For Lent that year, each
member of the congregation had received a nail, with a purple ribbon on it. I wore “my nail” as a pin
throughout Lent. On that Good Friday, at each individual or family’s convenience, they came to the
sanctuary. Each person received a summary of the hours of Jesus final day with the time of their arrival
written on it.
The time spent in the Sanctuary was a private time of prayer, reflection, Communion—if they chose—
and with a hammer provided, a time to drive their nail into the cross. [Colossians 2:13-14] One man
drove his nail so deep it could not be removed. Some people arrived early, some mid morning, others
on their lunch time, but they came, not just our congregation but some from the community. If they
arrived at 7 am, they read of the brutalization of Jesus, at 8 am of the long walk to Golgotha, Jesus, so
broken, that he stumbled under the weight of the Cross and Simon of Cyrene, a father of two young
boys forced to bear Jesus cross to the hill. Hour by hour, these worshippers came, some 2000 years
after Christ’s death entered the sanctuary and bore witness to His sacrifice.
At the end of the day, my husband and I entered the sanctuary to reflect, pray, and pound our nails into
the Cross. In that sacred moment, the presence of all visitors that day, indeed, all believers, pressed
against us and in a profound way, the power of the Holy Spirit filled that tiny Sanctuary. We wept
openly and without abandon. My hands trembled as I positioned my nail on the wooden cross, realizing
Romans, Jews were not the only murderers of Christ. I KILLED JESUS! My sinful dedication to SELF, put
the hammer in my hand.
Sorry for the length of this, SRT Sisters, but after this week’s journey , it was on my mind.
Blessings and REMEMBER EASTER IS COMING!!!
Incredible, Carolyn. I always think about the timing of these days, and must admit that it confuses me. I love what you and your husband did, and would have loved to have been a part of it. :)
That was amazing Carolyn, what an experience that must have been for you and your church!
Powerful. Carolynmimi, Thank you for sharing. I can only imagine how powerful this was to each individual member of your church that participated. I know how just reading this affected my heart.
I have tears now, Carolyn!! Thank you for sharing such a powerful message!!!
I, like many others, have never fully understood Holy Week. Thank you, Raechel, for these devotions this week– how enlightening! I have learned so much through the thoughtfully pieced scriptures and everyone's comments. I look forward to learning from you all in future devotion plans.
On a side note- a facebook friend posted this yesterday and I thought it was truly great. I had never before made the connection he makes (Mike Donehey from Tenth AvenueNorth). If you have a few minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embe…
Have a blessed Good Friday and weekend.
Wow! That was awesome! Thanks for sharing! :)
Charle Lynn, thanks for this. He wants our joy! Junebug, you speak my heart. I think, Jesus shouldn’t have had to pay the price for me. I feel like it can never be repaid and it makes me feel so powerless and undeserving. But it doesn’t keep me from accepting the gift. Part of me feels like I shouldn’t because I am so undeserving and I should be punished. But that is Satan. I need to accept the grace of God and realize itwould grieve Him if I chose not to out ofsome needfor self-punishment. So I do.
Reading the accounts in the Gospels always brings me to tears; reading in Isaiah that it had been prophesied that Jesus would go through such brutality takes me breath away, humbles me, and brings me to my knees.
I am always so amazed that He endured all of that so that I, and everyone around me, could enter into His presence someday. I am amazed.
I am so thankful for this devotion this morning, and reminding me to see the sweetness amidst the dark bitterness.
<3
And hear this today, sisters – really hear it: Because it is finished, there is nothing that any one of us can contribute to His work on the cross to bring us any closer to salvation.
And all I can say is: wow! Amen!
Like many of you sisters, I share the same feelings and emotions this morning, as I quietly reflect on the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior. This study has blessed me deeply, and brought deeper meaning and understanding. Thank you, Rachel for your time and energy put into this Holy Week study.
Candacejo, thank you for explaining the meaning of the curtain of the temple being torn. I didn't know the significance of that passage.
That is another thing I have loved about study with SRT sisters. Each one if your comments has blessed me, enlightened me, and convicted me of my own truths; truly The Lord working through each one of you. I look forward to growing and studying with all of you SRT sisters in the future.
By his wounds we are healed! Precious Lord, thank you.
You are very welcome Margie…one scripture reference in the New Testament is "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT)
The magnificence of the veil being perfectly torn in two is quite astonishing given its size. It was as thick as a man's hand and was so large that if it became soiled it took 300 men to wash it! So when Jesus said "It is finished!" the veil was torn in two, from top to bottom, perfectly, signifying the entrance for all people into the Holy of Holies!! We are no more under the Law, but under Grace, so we do not need a High Priest but can boldly approach the "throne" and go straight to Jesus ourselves! Blessings to SRT sisters!
Amen!
I feel the same way…I was pretty depressed, or just convicted this morning. But coming out of it as its a lot to take in. And I think that's ok. ;)