Week Five Prayer
Guide:
Walking With the
King to the Cross
The King’s Words from the Cross
Read:
In their context, read the words
of Jesus spoken from the cross:
“Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34
“Truly, I say to
you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke
23:43
“Woman, behold,
your son! . . . Behold, your mother!” John 19:26–27
“Eli, Eli, lema
sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34
“I thirst.” John
19:28
“It is finished.” John 19:30
“It is finished.” John 19:30
“Father, into
your hands I commit my spirit!” Luke 23:46
Consider:
After
seeing Jesus die some walked away from Golgotha that day, happy that He was
finally gone. Some probably walked away
from yet another public execution unfazed by what they saw. Some
walked away beating their breasts( a sign of grief (Mark 23:48) At least two were forever changed by what
they saw and heard. (Lk 23:39-43 &
Mark 15:39)
So much
went on in Jesus’ earthly life and ministry during the last eighteen hours of
his life (John 13–19) As you have walked
with Jesus to the cross over the past few weeks what have you seen and heard that
has changed you? How has what you’ve
seen and heard deepened you love for Christ and grown your faith in Him?
Pray:
Focus on
one of Jesus’ statements from the cross and use it as your focus for prayer and
fasting.
My focus
will be from Matthew 27:46: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me?” Here is the mystery
of mysteries. The deepest pain felt by
Jesus on the cross, deeper than the lashes that tore his flesh away, deeper
than the thorns that dug into his brow, deeper than the nails that pierced his
hands and feet, was the pain of a broken heart – the pain of a forsaken soul as
He experienced the wrath of God and the darkness of hell that I deserved. “Jesus, the Maker of the world, was being unmade. Why? Jesus was
experiencing our judgment day. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
wasn’t a rhetorical question. And the
answer is: For you, for me, for us. Jesus was forsaken by God so that we would
never have to be. The judgment that
should have fallen on us fell instead on Jesus.” (Tim Keller)
My heart is filled with thankfulness
to
Him who bore my pain;
Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace,
and gave me life again;
Who crushed my curse of sinfulness,
and
clothed me with His light;
And wrote His law of righteousness
with
pow'r upon my heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment