APRIL 30 READING…JOHN 19
Jesus is punished by Pilate. They have Him scourged, they mocked Him, and when He was brought out before the crowd they began to scream, “crucify Him”. Jesus did not try to defend Himself, and even Pilate did not understand, and told Him that he held the power of life and death over Jesus. Jesus clarified that Pilate had no power over Him, except that which was granted by God. Jesus is our Sovereign, and our government has no authority over us except that which is granted by God. They took Jesus to Calvary and there they crucified Him. They did not even know that they were carrying out prophecies from old. They did not know that this was the reason that Jesus came into the world. They could not know that all this was making it possible for sinful mankind to know the forgiveness of sin, and the promise of eternal life. There were several specific prophecies fulfilled on that fateful day, even though those doing the crucifixion did not know what part they were playing in God’s great plan of redemption. After they crucified Jesus, a member of the Sanhedrin, a man named Joseph, asked for the body of Jesus. Even in the high holy days, this man was nor worried about becoming unclean by touching a dead body…he was more concerned with taking care of the body of his Messiah and Savior. He took Jesus’ body and put it in his own family tomb. There was no preparation of the body of Jesus because of the Sabbath…all they could do was wrapped His body, and plan to come back after the Sabbath. Jesus came into this world wrapped in cloth…and He left this world wrapped in cloth.
Please share your thoughts.
TOMORROW’S READING…JOHN 20