A
Short Passover/Easter Meditation
Just as
at Golgotha, mockers passed the Saviour jeering and wagging their
heads, so today those who despise the mystery of Divine love find
fault and blindly scoff at the richest treasure of all.
Yet the
4 Gospels together present a flawless tapestry of witness to the glory
of Jehoshua the Messiah, each writer like a string player in quartet
contributing a sweet theme to the whole.
Here are
the seven priceless jewels which fell from the Messiah’s lips as he
died. How important His last words are, simple, terse, but each
extraordinarily profound.
1.
“Father,
forgive them; for they know not what they do” Luke 23.34
Words
spoken in the fire of suffering often unmask our inner thoughts. Here
in the white hot furnace of agony, Christ’s reveal His kindness and
goodness. Meekness is often mistaken for weakness, but which saint or
prophet ever showed strength like this? Even at the execution of
violent hatred, with nails driven into his limbs, not afterwards or on
reflection, even then, Jesus shows unique dignity by praying for mercy
for His haters.
This
first word like a headline exhibits the character of the cross – a
priestly work, intercession for the undeserving and the hateful, mercy
for God’s bitterest enemies. Jesus' blood speaks better things than Abel's, despite all the wickedness and horror perpetrated in His name.
2.
“Woman,
behold thy son!”....,“Behold thy mother!”
John 19.25-6
How
horribly real now were old Simeon’s words about the infant to Mary, ‘a
sword will pierce your own soul’ (Lk.2.35).
With what tenderness Jesus entrusts His dear mother, not to His still
unbelieving brothers (Jn.7.5, Ps.69.8), but to His beloved disciple,
whom He knew would best pour consolation and kindness into her wounded
heart.
3.
“Verily
I say to you, To day you shall be with
me in paradise”. Luke 23.43
One
guilty thief knew he thoroughly deserved death, but what amazing
insight changed him from just another scoffer to a loyal subject of
the Crucified, as he intensely watched Jesus’ extraordinary behaviour.
How much more surprised he is to hear an immediate, emphatic
declaration of pardon and of glory - verily is ‘Amen’ in the original.
Here is the Gospel’s full glory- free mercy and grace even to a vile
sinner who repents.
4.
“My
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matt. 27.46, Mark 15.34
Three facts emphasise
the importance of this climactic cry: it is the only saying quoted by
both Matthew and Mark, it is the only one to occur in more than one in
Gospel, it only is given in Jesus’ heart language, Aramaic, then
translated.
What is the meaning
of this mysterious wail? Even the Omniscient Son cries, ‘Why?’
Here is the heart of
the cross – sinless Jesus made sin for sinners that they might be made
sinless in Him. The cross is a substitution of forsaken sin-bearer for
His people, the true Scapegoat, the innocent Passover Lamb slain for
redemption from our sin’s cursedness.
King David wrote 1000
years before, seeing the scene by the Spirit of prophecy, Psalm 22.1.
5.
“I thirst” John 19.28
Fully
man, fully God, Jesus began His ministry with intense hunger and ended
with intense thirst. He has tasted all our woes and
frailties to the dregs!
6.
“It is finished!” John 19.30
Hear His
final triumph cry, given in a loud voice. His work is perfect and all
our spiritual barrenness and famine
is met in Christ and Him alone. Now, as one holy
prophet saw 700 years before, He will see the fruit of the travail of
His soul and be satisfied (Isaiah 53.11).
7.
“Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit”. Luke 23.46
Face to face with the
last enemy, death, Jesus ‘deposits’ His life and spirit in the
Father’s hands with peace. No terror of judgement
or of Hell for Him, for sin has no
foothold for accusation at all in Him.
He alone is a safe refuge from certain judgement for those who trust solely in Him, like the penitent thief, and follow Him.
Who
else is worthy to hold the keys of death and Hell?
Seek the Messiah and find peace with God in His wounds, by the
free gift of His life.
