March to the Cross: The Crucified King
Focus: Jesus, the night before, had been taken into custody and put on trial; the verdict: death by crucifixion. Meanwhile, Peter denies knowing Jesus.
Today’s verses:
John 18:3, Judas then, having received the Roman cohort, and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons…
Mark 14:71-72, But Peter began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talk-ing about!” And immediately a cock crowed a second time.
John 19:1-3 & 5–6, Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted to-gether a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face… Jesus then came out (again), wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pi-late said to them, “Behold, the Man!” So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying,“Crucify, crucify!”
Isaiah 53:5, He was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniqui-ties; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
John 15:13, Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
John 19:30, Jesus said, “It is finished!”
Question: Visualize all the events that took place in John 18 and 19 and choose a character to identify with. What would have been your thoughts and responses to the cruci-fixion of the King of kings?
When I was young, I remember being terribly confused by the label "Good" Friday. I grew up in church, so I knew what Easter Friday was, and I couldn't figure out why it would be called good.
If I'm honest, there are still times when I struggle with the goodness of this Friday. Maybe my struggle isn't necessarily with calling the sacrifice God made through Jesus' death on the cross good, but I often wonder why there couldn't have been a better way.
The events that we've read in scripture aren't good by our human standards. The scriptures describe hatred, torture, brutality, death, and uncertainty. However, we've also seen that King Jesus came into our world, our comforts, and our standards and turned it all upside down. His chose a different way all the way to death.
Can you imagine being in the crowd and watching the One on whom you'd pinned all your hopes stand quietly in trial, without a single fight for Himself?
Can you imagine seeing Him beaten beyond recognition and waiting for God to end the madness before the cross goes up and Jesus is nailed to it?
Can you imagine waiting with expectation for the miraculous rescue of Jesus when you hear "it is finished," the world goes dark, and your Savior breathes His last breath?
What in the world? Why did every ounce of hope have to die in the person of Jesus Christ? Of course, over 2,000 years later, we know the answer to that question. But, they didn't know Sunday's story yet. On Friday, they wept and mourned the loss of hope, because God chose that the ultimate act of good would come from the terrible.
As you ponder the details of the Good Friday story, put yourself in one of the character's position. What would the details have felt like in that position? How can that perspective apply to your life today? Is there a situation where you've watched your own hope struggle, fail, and die? Is it possible, God is working in an upside-down way in your scenario too?
Since we get to experience today with the knowledge that Sunday is coming, we can use our understanding of and trust in God's ways to remind us that death always leads to life even in the darkest of circumstances. And, that is very good.
For further reading: (a longer reading) Luke 22:39-71; Luke 23
Enjoy this song as you reflect on God's goodness in Christ's crucifixion.
Jesus, thank you for the cross! I can't imagine being part of the scenes of this day. The weight of it all would have been so much to take in. On any given day, we just don't get the way You work things together. We want "good" to mean zero pain, difficulty, or discomfort. Good Friday teaches us that You aren't limited by these boundaries. The darkest of circumstances can bring about the most beautiful outcomes. Help us to trust! Give us the courage to hold on to Your faith and hope no matter what. Because we are believers, the death of a dream, a relationship, or even a life is the gateway to new life. So, today, speak life into our darkness by reminding us that Sunday is coming.