John 19:17-30
Reflect
Have you ever noticed that in John’s account of the crucifixion, the other two men beside him are not identified as either robbers or criminals? Matthew, Mark and Luke share the identity of those to Jesus’ left and right, but John’s focus is entirely different – the stage is solely set on Jesus in the middle.
Good Friday.
In our contemporary Christianity, we sometimes look past Good Friday and into Easter Sunday. After all, we have every reason to celebrate and rejoice that Jesus has resurrected! But I wonder if the crucifixion would have greater impact on us if we sat in the sorrow of His death a little longer, that we would not look ahead to Easter Sunday yet, and have the broken and battered body of Jesus take centre stage. I believe that the more we sit in the historical and spiritual reality of His death, the further we can appreciate not only His resurrection, but our future resurrection.
Apply
Read slowly this part of Christina Rosetti’s poem, and pray about anything that surfaces:
Am I a stone, and not a sheep,
That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross,
To number drop by drop Thy blood’s slow loss,
And yet not weep?
Not so those women loved
Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee;
Not so fallen Peter, weeping bitterly;
Not so the thief was moved...
Pastor Nathanael
Pray
- Pray for our childcare team, the children and their families this week. Pray for a new Director.
- Pray for our Audio/Visual Director, Grant Mix.
- Pray for our Lead Team Pastor, Terry Okken and his family.