³² Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. ³³ When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  ³⁵ The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”  ³⁶ The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar ³⁷ and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”  ³⁸ There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.  ³⁹ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”  ⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”  ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  ⁴³ Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  (Luke 23:32 – 43, New International Version, Emphasis added)

³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).  (Mark 15:33 – 34, New International Version, Emphasis added)

⁴⁴ It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, ⁴⁵ for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.  (Luke 23:44 – 46, New International Version, Emphasis added)

Theme:  Discipleship

Context:

Thanks for your comments yesterday.  You highlighted Jesus’ love and compassion for His exhausted disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane.  An even more historic act of love is what we celebrate today.  As He hung on the cross, Jesus demonstrated God’s love for the whole world.     

For our final consideration of the prayers that Jesus prayed during Passion Week, we turn our eyes to the cross.  The seven sayings of Jesus on the cross have been studied extensively.  Included in Jesus’ sayings are three very short prayers.  Thousands of pages have been written about the meaning of these prayers and not surprisingly, the views expressed vary significantly.   We will not attempt to engage in the theological debates because doing so is not necessary for our purposes.  Instead, we will summarize some important points relevant to our theme of discipleship.  A few thoughts on Jesus’ three prayers on the cross are provided below:

• “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Consistent with his teaching to love our enemies and pray for them, Jesus asks His father to forgive those who have played a part in His unjust crucifixion.
• “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  Using the words of Psalm 22:2, Jesus was transparent about His suffering and He expressed the sense of abandonment He experienced on the cross.
• “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”  Using the words of Psalm 31:5, Jesus declares His faith in His Father and His declaration of the ultimate act of sacrifice. 

Throughout our journey over 39 days so far, repeatedly we have seen how important Scripture and prayer were to Jesus’ ministry.  In the pivotal moment of His crucifixion, again we see Jesus using Scripture and praying.  The example set by Jesus on the cross is an emphatic confirmation that His disciples must be committed to Bible study and praying!

The most profound message in the three prayers though, is a message of love.  In fact, the prayers bring to mind John 3:16.   The compassion in the first prayer echoes, “For God so loved the world.”  The sacrifice and suffering in the second prayer echoes, “that he gave his one and only Son.”  Finally, the faith and confidence in the last prayer echoes, “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

We are disciples of a God of love, and we love Him because He first loved us!     

Bible Passages:

Jesus’ prayers on the cross are captured in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  The only prayer not captured in the passages above is from Matthew 27:46, which is essentially the same as Mark 15:34.  Please prayerfully read the passages and respond to the request and question below.          

Request/Question:

Please spend some time this Good Friday in prayerful reflection on the privilege we have to be disciples of a God who loves us infinitely.  Based on your reflections, what do you feel compelled to do more of as a disciple of Jesus?

Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else.  Please leave a comment on the blog.