Today’s Reading: John 19:28 – 20:2

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” – Matthew 27:45-46

Do not stay so far from me,
for trouble is near,
and no one else can help me.
My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls;
fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!
Like lions they open their jaws against me,
roaring and tearing into their prey.
My life is poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
melting within me.
My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.
My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;
an evil gang closes in on me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
I can count all my bones.
My enemies stare at me and gloat.
They divide my garments among themselves
and throw dice for my clothing. – Psalm 22:11-18

Many of the Old Testament scriptures took on new meaning after this day. The words of the psalmist were mirrored in all of the horrible things that happened to Jesus on the day he was crucified. He was God’s Son and yet he felt all of the pain that any human would have felt on that day. He was spared neither the emotional nor physical anguish. The One who was without sin willingly died to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind.

He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all. – Isaiah 53:3-6

Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. – John 19:28-30

It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. – John 19:31-33

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the instructions for the festival of Passover…Each Passover lamb must be eaten in one house. Do not carry any of its meat outside, and do not break any of its bones.” – Exodus 12:43-46

One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe. These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and “They will look on the one they pierced.” – John 19:34-37

“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.” – Zechariah 12:10

I imagine there was not much conversation between Joseph and Nicodemus on the day they took Jesus’ body down from the cross. I can picture them quietly going about the work that needed to be done, grieving the death of Jesus while tenderly caring for his body. They had lost their teacher; they had lost their friend. While others had gone back to their homes, these two devoted followers of Jesus were working diligently on this Friday afternoon to lay the Messiah down to rest.

Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” – John 20:1-2

Tracing the story of Jesus from the Old Testament to the New Testament builds our understanding of God’s plan of salvation. In January, we will begin back in Genesis as we study the beauty of Creation and the devastation of the Fall. How fitting that we spend this month looking at both the birth and death of the Messiah. May God open our hearts in new ways to His story, revealing the love and grace of the God who is faithful from start to finish!