Throughout the season of Lent our daily devotions have been written by members of the Faith Lutheran community. Our theme this Lent is “Jesus Our Healer.” Today’s devotion comes from Pastor Junfeng Tan.
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” Mark 15:33-39
Darkness covered the land and it was noon. Did the disciples know they had abandoned the Lord of the Universe? Did Judas know that his betrayal of the Master was the most despicable act? Did Peter know that his triple denial of Jesus was the most shameful thing he had ever done? They did not because they were acting in total darkness.
Did the Jewish religious authorities and Roman governor Pontius Pilate know that they sentenced the true Messiah to death, that their verdict on Jesus was a perversion of justice? They did not because they were acting in total darkness.
Did those Roman soldiers know that they mocked, tortured and crucified the Son of God? They did not because they were acting in the darkness.
How could they truly know the nature of their actions when Jesus himself appeared to be forsaken and abandoned by God? When Jesus himself seemed to be a total failure, a Messianic pretender? It was only after the death of Jesus that the Roman centurion confessed the truth: “Truly this man was God’s Son.”
Yes, Jesus had to die in order to fulfill the Messianic mission that the Father assigned to him. It is a mystery that no human mind can penetrate. Let all be silent when we consider the words of Isaiah, “He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
Let us pray, My God, my God, where was I when they crucified my Lord? Where was I when they nailed him to the Cross? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, to tremble. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Devotions 
April 5, 2015 at 5:57 am |
We are so fortunate that we can relive Christ’s death on the Cross for our salvation “in the light” of today. We have the knowledge of Jesus as the Son of God who was made man to die for our sins, to reunite us with God, and provide for our Salvation. Jesus was resurrected with God the Father as God the Son, and with the Holy Spirit become the one Triune God. Thank the Lord for this greatest of gifts, our healing, our Salvation. Hear the good news: “He is risen!” He lives in us and with us forever and ever. Amen.
April 5, 2015 at 3:57 pm |
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