March 27, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in our Lenten readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Day 38 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Week Jesus Dies
Read Sections 5.55 through 5.57 (pages 181-183)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
Day 37 5:55-5:57
Darkness lasted for about 3 hours, then after Jesus shouted “Father, I put my life in your hands” the temple curtain tore from top to bottom, the earth shook and rocks were broken. The graves opened and many of God’s people who had died were raised from death and after Jesus was raised they went into the Holy city where many people saw them. I wonder what those leaders thought after witnessing all of that, it says the army officers and guards had figured out He was the son of Man. Scripture had been fulfilled that day.
Joseph of Arimathaea is in each gospel. There is more to this man, I think. He did not consent to the multitudes calling for crucifixion. When one stands up to the many, comes to his own conclusions, solid in conviction, regardless of consequences, that is the godly character we all should seek! He went boldly to Pilate, requested the body, took it, and prepared it for an honorable burial. Joseph believed in the Kingdom of God and Jesus. With him was Nicodemus, both handling the body and anointing it.
Whether either man believed in the resurrection, who can say. They did their Jewish duty, however grim. I am reminded of I Corinthians, where Paul says a seed can’t grow until it dies, then grows into something not expected. Seed in our hand has no form, but when sown in the earth, becomes a marvelous living plant or tree, completely unlike the seed. These men had no clue, in life, who Jesus really was, no one really did. Just a tiny seed. A body. But it was buried, and it grew to something bigger than it was, Jesus Christ. Resurrected!
I thank those men, because in a way, through Christ, they planted me too, some two millenium later. We are all crucified, buried, and raised with Jesus, and we are not the seed we once were! New creatures, are we not? -gy
Yes we certainly are!
My God why have a forsaken me. This is the reason for all of Jesus agony. We all know to think the first time in all time God turns his back on Jesus. He’s all alone. Hanging on a tree. Body completely beaten. And every sin has been hurled upon him. And it’s God dying in flesh with my sins. No more words
The Life of Jesus 5.55-5.57
30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
”And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.“
John 19:35 KJV
John “breaks the fourth wall” and addresses the reader directly, clarifying that he is the one who witnessed this himself and that it is true. Why does he do this? That we might believe. We are saved by faith, but that doesn’t mean that it is blind faith. There are supporting witnesses and evidence for our belief.
Great reflections, Gordon, Mark and Amy – thanks!
5.55 Jesus Dies (Matt 27:45-47, John 19:28-30, Luke 23:46, Matt 27:51-54, John 19:31-37)
Matt 27:50 “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and YIELDED up His Spirit.” A willful act, where Jesus completes the work set before Him. And immediately…the curtain is torn in two…the barrier of sin between God and His people is demolished, and the final atoning sacrifice is finished, for all eternity!
“But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.” Hebrews 10:12
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us THROUGH THE CURTAIN, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us DRAW NEAR with a true heart in FULL ASSURANCE of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed clean with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22
5.56 Jesus is Buried (John 19:38-40, Matt 27:60, Mark 15:47, Luke 23:56)
5.57 The Tomb of Jesus is Guarded (Matt 27:62-66) Setting the stage for the greatest day in all eternity…if only they knew what was coming 🙂
The Life of Jesus 5.55-5.57; John 9
After Jesus died two members of the Sanhedrin took the body and prepared it and laid Jesus in a tomb that Joseph of Arimathea had prepared for himself. The other was Nicodemus. It says clearly that Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus. John 19:38. In Matthew 27: 57 it says that he was a disciple of Jesus. In Mark 15: 43 and Luke 23:50, he is called honorable counseller and counseller. Luke adds that he was a good and just man, while Mark adds that he waited for the kingdom of God. It is also believed that Nicodemus was a secret believer. He did say right things about Jesus to the other Pharisees but both of them were never bold about them believing in Jesus as the Messiah. They were both cowards about that but they both finally realized that they should had been bold about who Christ was. Thank God they came to their senses and begged for the body of Jesus. This fulfilled scripture. Isa. 53:9 { And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.} Actually Isaiah 52:13- 53:12 gives a very detail description of Christ`s crucifixion. God bless.
Some of the saddest and yet most powerful words spoken here: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Now Jesus does not say this (cries out in fact, challenging when suffering crucifixion) because He doesn’t know the answer, but rather because He wants everyone to know what had happened in the three hours of darkness. He was suffering the separation/spiritual death that our sins deserved. If Jesus were not separated, than we would have to be. And when this great work of salvation was finished, Jesus let everyone know. And once complete, there was no reason for Him to remain alive and suffering, and so He gives up His spirit to His Father whom He had glorified in all He did. It is interesting that He dies sooner than the other 2…maybe from the greater beatings, but regardless His bones would not be broken because He was the spotless, perfect lamb of God.
And just in case people missed the significance of what was accomplished through Jesus, God puts on a bit of a show. The curtain is torn to show there was nothing that would prevent access to His person but Jesus from now on…and people were raised to signify the power of resurrection that Jesus’ death makes possible, as well as a precursor to what will happen on Sunday. And isn’t it good that the enemies do exactly what will be helpful to prove the resurrection is true. They put witnesses right at the tomb and secure it so the body couldn’t be stolen. So now when Jesus is not there, there is only one explanation: He has risen!!!!
Lenten 2024 – Day 38
Lenten Day 38