Scripture

John 19:16–30‍

So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier, also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing, they cast lots.

So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Prayer

Our true King of the Jews,We stand in awe of the anguish you endured on Calvary, Suffering meant for us.

Humiliation in place of honor. Thorns instead of a crown. Hands that once worked miracles, pierced by nails. Garments that were used to heal, torn, divided into shreds. Eyes that first opened in a manger, closed on the cross.

The bitter jar, though our due, drained on our behalf. Death itself, drank to the dregs, endured by Christ so that our thirst should be eternally quenched by living water.

No other King could be made weak enough to suffer for his people.

O that the weight of these truths might inspire repentance, reverence, and devotion. With this prayer in our hearts and our eyes on the cross, we know that this is not the end of the story, but a beautiful beginning. O Lord, may we keep your sacrifice ever in sight as we press on to Sunday.

Amen.