Thurs.’s Devo - The Crucifixion

Read: Mark 15:21-41; Matthew 27:32-56; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-39
It is thought-provoking to see how the different gospel writers tell what they saw. All but John tell about the man, Simon, who carried the cross for Jesus. John completely leaves him out and writes, “He, bearing his cross, went to the place called the place of the skull.” When I went to Israel I saw the rock they call Golgotha and it resembles a skull.
Jesus was crucified at nine in the morning which was the time when the priests began sacrificing the people’s Passover lambs. Amid much railing and angry accusations, Jesus looked out over the people and said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they are dong.” Next we have the conversation between the men crucified with him. One of them mocks Jesus and the other cries out for mercy. They represent the two types of people on the earth. When confronted with the Good News of the gospel, some mock it because they don’t understand it and can only see with natural eyes. Others don’t understand it but embrace it by faith and repent. One will be condemned eternally and the other will be rewarded eternally.
Four hours from when he had been nailed to the cross, darkness covered the earth for four hours. When the light came on Jesus cried out to the Lord, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” Jesus was referring to Psalms 22. In Jesus’ day, Psalms were named by the first line of the Psalms. If you read the whole Psalm you will see the picture of the cross. Jesus was not saying God had abandoned him, he was telling them to read that Psalm because it talked about this very moment. God never turned from Jesus because he became sin. God looks at sin every day. God would never abandon Jesus! He promises never to leave us or forsake us and he would never do that to his beloved son. If you want to know what happened in that darkness, read Psalms 18 and 2 Samuel 22.
Every prophecy about Jesus death was fulfilled and just like the passover lamb, his bones were not broken and they looked upon the one that they themselves pierced. It says in Luke that the people that were there went home in deep sorrow after watching the signs and wonders God brought that day.
Lord, help us not to miss what you are doing. We don’t want to look back in sorrow because we didn’t understand, we want to participate with joy in what you are doing no matter how bad it looks like at the time.