This week our walk with Jesus to the
cross takes us to “the place called The Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is
called Golgotha.” (Jn 19:15) We have walked with Jesus through
His arrest and His trials. This Sunday
we walk with Him to Calvary and there see Him crucified.
For
Romans crucifixion was the cruelest form of capital punishment, never intended
for its own citizens, but reserved only for the worst of the criminals from
within the empire’s colonies. “The idea
of the cross should never come near the bodies of Romans citizens, it should
never pass through their thoughts, eyes or ears.”[1] For the Jews the cross was scandalous and
shameful, a sure sign of God’s eternal curse on the one who had broken God’s
law and had offended Him (Deut 21:22).
The cross was proof to the Jews that Jesus could not be the Messiah.
Yet John
has continually reminded us that Jesus (and His Heavenly Father) saw the cross
as the means of His exaltation and the place of His ultimate
glorification. “The Crucified One is the
true King, the kingliest King of all; because it is He who is stretched out on
the cross, He turns an obscene instrument of torture into a throne of glory and
reigns from the tree.” [2]
As you
prepare for worship I encourage you to read all of John 18 and 19, focusing on
this week’s text: John 19: 16-24. I also
encourage you to read Isaiah 52: 13-53:12.
Prayerfully consider Isaiah and
John together.
In this
passage we see Jesus carrying the weight of his own cross. Consider that in that heavy cross is the
weight of all our sin. “He has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
(Is 53: 4&6)
We also
see Jesus’ arms stretched out and nailed to the cross and see Him crucified
between two criminals. One ridiculed Him
and one reached out to Him in faith.
Again, consider Isaiah: “he poured out his soul to
death and was numbered with the transgressors” (Is 53:12)
In John 19 we see Pilate, against
the wishes of the Jews, fix a sign on Jesus’ cross declaring in the prominent
languages of that day that Jesus is the King of the Jews. Again the enemies of Jesus are unwittingly
used to accomplish God’s purposes and declare God’s truth. And again Isaiah declared it would be so: My servant shall act wisely; He shall be high and lifted up, and shall be
exalted. (Is 52:13)
As you
prepare for worship ask God to open the eyes of your heart to see Jesus in this
week’s passage; to see His grace, love and all-sufficient sacrifice.
As you
prepare for worship consider the love of God that sent His Son to die for you
and me. Charles Spurgeon said it well: “We never should have known Christ's love in all its height and depth if
He had not died. We could never have
guessed the Father's deep affection if He had not given His Son to die. The common mercies we enjoy all sing of love,
just as the seashell that we put it to our ear whispers of the ocean. Yet if we desire to hear the ocean itself we
must not look at every day blessings but at the transaction of the
crucifixion. If you want to know love,
go to Calvary and see the Man of sorrows die.”[3]
Again this week we will observe the Lord’s
Supper. What will be different this week
is way it will be served. After the
sermon the time of response and invitation will be open for prayer, praise,
confession and communion. Tables holding the bread and juice will be
available in various places for you to come forward and take as the Lord leads
you to do so.
This week as a part of our worship we will sing a
new song. Lead Me To the Cross is
a fitting prayer for us to pray as we prepare for worship.
Saviour I come quiet my soul
Remember redemption's hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Ev’rything I once held dear
I count it all as loss
Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Oh lead me lead me to the cross
You were as I tempted and tried human
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now You're risen
(Bridge)
To Your heart
To Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
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