Station 5: Jesus dies on the cross | Reflection by Daniel Garcia

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.”
Philippians 1:29, ESV

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds...”
‭James 1:2, ESV‬

‭Joy and suffering often seem to be the two areas that draw quite a bit of confusion in the people of God. Both are biblically ensured as an inevitability in the life of those who believe in Christ and yet it is often that I see a misunderstanding of the two that leaves most either experiencing a superficial happiness that is confused for joy or a joyless angst that leaves some at the brink of giving up. ‬

‭What I think is crucial for the believer to see in order to fully experience what, as Paul would say, is granted to us and see what James says should produce joy in the believer, is to view the two as somehow working in sync with one another rather than them being mutually exclusive as is the common case.‬

‭It is difficult to imagine that Christ had any sense of joy in his final moments. As is the common Lenten reflection, we are drawn to remember the sufferings that Christ endured. What if those sufferings, though extreme as the Gospel writers record, had an underlying joy that would make Jesus’ last words on the cross, “It is finished,” more than mere rhetoric but an announcement that included expectant, assured, and even joyful implications?

‭What would be even more of a controversy to our expectations is that these sentiments of joy and strength in no way minimized what he was enduring in the lowest point of his life. See, it is not that joy reduces, disqualifies, or even replaces our sufferings; rather it empowers, qualifies, and strives side by side with our sufferings to form in us a character that James would claim is “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jas. 1:4, ESV). It’s hard to imagine the crucified Christ breathing his last breaths with a smile on his face, since chances are that he didn’t, but what is described in the text of Scripture is much more than that. It is a type of joyful steadfastness that was certain to even leave some of the Roman guards trembling at the knees. It was certainly a connection with telos, or the things, purposes, and finalizing that was to come.‬

Escapism, elated optimism, and even cynical pessimism are never presented in the Scriptures as appropriate responses or remedies for suffering. Joy is not something experienced only when we get away from our sufferings. Nor are we to muscle a smile on our faces to convince ourselves and others that we have joy in the Lord. And certainly giving up on the notion of joy does not seem to be the answer either.

Though seemingly contradictory, joy remains the means by which the church should embrace difficulties. If we can learn to suffer well, then, and only then, will we be able to be "perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

It may be that joy is an attitude that finds itself outside the frame of time. It may have an eschatological nature that ties us into the fabric of not only what was and is, but what will be.

Joy is the product of surrendering from the tyranny of our wants. Our desires can be so cunning that we become blinded in them, not seeing that they are in fact not what we want (Rom. 7; 2 Cor. 4:3-6).

H‭aving even our deepest wants be so manipulated by sin and deviation, it is up to God to present us to what our hearts truly long for. Him. Christ. This I have been not only the witness to in small fraction in my own life, but in those who have come before and around me. There is a certain confidence in the believer who has come to realize what it is that truly matters having had suffered “various trials.” It is a kind of maturity that would be so bold as to be willing to endure and even boast in their sufferings simply because it in some mysterious way is setting them free to see the very depths of the Kingdom of God. Let’s face it, it’s either the apostles were crazy for boasting in and embracing hardship or truly they were seeing something that we have yet to see.‬

Station 5: Jesus dies on the cross | "A Word from the Cross: Luke 23:44-49" - by Jordan Jarvis

The sky was dark. It should have been light, but the sun's light failed. I could see him... or more I could see a limp, mangled body clothed in blood. The centurion, the crowd, people who praised him only days before now threw their insults and mockery in his beaten face. Three hours passed, and he still hung there. Why? I thought. Why would they do this to you? Don't they know who you are? A knot twisted in my stomach. Hot tears stung my eyes. I closed them, no longer able to look at all that surrounded me.

Stillness.

Darkness.

A loud noise pierced the air. The curtain of the temple was torn in two. I looked to the cross.

"Abba," he said. I could hear him.

He cried, "Into your hands I commit my spirit!"

And he was gone.

I could see the centurion and all the crowd wail in realization at what just happened. They beat their breasts and went home.

The guards pierced his side. I flinched at the flow of blood that rushed from his body. "Rabboni," I breathed. We stood at a distance, all his acquaintances and my fellow women who followed him from Galilee, and we watched the death of Yeshua.



"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

"Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." (Hebrews 12:1-4, ESV)

Let us not grow weary. Let us not grow fainthearted. Some days life seems more than we can bear. Our burdens weigh heavy on our hearts and minds. The enemy of our soul whispers lies designed to discourage and destroy. Yet Jesus showed us the beauty of persevering through tribulation. He gives us a promise to be our strength. Our part is simply to keep our eyes on Him. When life would bow our heads in shame, Christ lifts our heads and says, "Do not grow weary, I am here."

Yeshua did not consider the shame of the cross, but for the joy set before him he endured, and he is risen. Therefore, let us look to the cross today. Go into a quiet space, just you and the Spirit, and enter a time of reflection and prayer. Consider what Christ endured, what his disciples witnessed, and how his final hours changed your life.

Station 5: Jesus dies on the cross

Matthew 27:45-54 (ESV)

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, "This man is calling Elijah." And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him." And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

Station 4: Jesus is stripped of his clothes | "The Sound of Pure Grace" - by Janet Calhoun

The first Christian music I purchased was Sandi Patti’s Finest Moments. It was the first time I heard the song "Via Dolorosa." After listening to it, I wept. I wept because I felt true sacrificial love for the first time. After nearly twenty years, Ms. Patti’s anointed voice can still transport me to the streets of Old Jerusalem where I was blessed to walk that same road.

Down the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem that day
The soldiers tried to clear the narrow street
But the crowd pressed in to see
The man condemned to die on Calvary

Those narrow streets are so very narrow and the stone so hard and cold. I can feel the angry crowd and the tension of the soldiers trying to clear the road so the three condemned men can reach the city gate.

He was bleeding from a beating
There were stripes upon his back
And he wore a crown of thorns upon his head
And he bore with every step
The scorn of those who cried out for his death

Stumbling to the ground, the cross he is dragging falls to the side. Unable to pick it up again, the soldiers force a man from Cyrene to carry the cross to the top of the hill.

The blood that would cleanse the souls of all men
Made its way through the heart of Jerusalem

Lamenting women following the drops of blood, crying tears of pity, are stunned as this broken man, even now, speaks truth to their souls.

Down the Via Dolorosa called the way of suffering
Like a lamb came the Messiah, Christ the King
And he chose to walk that road

He chose this? He chose to walk down this road...why would someone do this?

Out of his love for you—and me
Down the Via Dolorosa all the way to Calvary

And I weep all over again. No one has ever loved me to the point of such sacrifice. No one except God. That love is overwhelming; it is consuming, and it draws me in so close. My heart breaks when I can hear the scorns, see the clenched fists, feel the sin. The sin He is taking on for me...for us.

He is stripped and I turn away unable to endure any more. The sound of hammering wood penetrates my core before the silence. And then, the sound of pure grace…

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Lk. 23:34, KJV).

Selah.


⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
"Via Dolorosa" was written by Billy Sprague and Niles Borop and published by Meadowgreen Music Company/Word Music, LLC. Sandy Patti first released her version of the song in her album Songs from the Heart (1984).

Source for lyrics used here: “Via Dolorosa Chords and Lyrics.” Kidung.com, 25 Mar. 2010, www.kidung.com/2010/03/25/via-dolorosa-chords-and-lyrics/.

Station 4: Jesus is stripped of his clothes | Reflection by Paul Stebner

John 19:23-24 (NIV)

²³ When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

²⁴ “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them

     and cast lots for my garment.”

So this is what the soldiers did.

The irony of human existence...We apply our forces to build skyscrapers, fly into space and cure diseases, yet in a moment's time we can be outlived by the mere clothes on our backs.

My wife's grandmother, who is affectionately known as “Grandma Brockie,” used to enjoy making quilts. We have a leopard printed quilt that she made which we cherish. It’s super cozy and has many holes in it. Now Grandma Brockie was one of the sweetest, most encouraging Jesus-lovers you could ever meet. She loved music, children, family, people...and all of these loves flowed from her deep friendship with Jesus Christ.

About a decade ago, she passed away very unexpectedly from pneumonia, and I honestly felt like she was snatched from us. What just happened? Where did she go? We didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye! Sometimes I look at the quilt she made, and I'm perplexed that she is gone and we are left with the quilt.

How do these things outlive us?

There are many temporary, temporal, and circumstantial components to human life:

This earth, life, the old nature, seasons, passions, possessions, pain, happiness.

The Bible states many things that are permanent per God’s design!*

Isaiah 40:8    “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” 

Matthew 24:35    “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” 

1 Peter 1:3-4    “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” 

1 Corinthians 13:8    “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” 

1 John 2:17    “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 

1 Peter 5:4    “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

Back to our Scripture in the book of John...In the case with Jesus Christ, we are left with much more than his garments.

We are left with him because he came back.

We were blessed and left with his Holy Spirit when he went to be by his Father’s side.

We are also left with the Word of God, which will never pass away.

Personally, I’m comforted by the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:20 (ASV):

“I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Amen!

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
* All verses in this section are taken from the NIV, emphasis added.

Station 4: Jesus is stripped of his clothes | Reflection by Kathy Lenz

Jesus on the cross: mocked, spit upon, soldiers casting lots for his garment. I always struggle reading this part of the Scripture, overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness and sorrow. In my absent-mindedness I always ask the Lord, “Why? Why did you have to suffer and die?” “Why were they such fools?” … I know, it’s silly. I know better. He came to fulfill the Scripture. He came to fulfill the Father’s plan. But so often I forget.

Next to this Bible verse, there is a reference to go back to Psalm 22, where the exact verses appeared. Have you read Psalm 22? Take a moment now to go back and read it.

Psalm 22 was written by King David; it begins with the cry, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Verse 14 continues, “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint…” Verses 15 and following: “My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment” (NIV).

Wait a minute. Who is suffering in Psalm 22? David? Or Jesus?

Put on a different lens; see the mystery and the revelation of God.

In my Christian life, I have seen the Father leaving trails of evidence throughout time, life events, people, dreams, or visions to reveal His plan. And I am never the one to “get it” the first time. In fact, I keep asking Him, “Why?”, “How could this happen?”, “What is the meaning of all this?” I used to get really stuck by asking these questions. But now, having understood the purpose of the Scripture, and having seen how He reveals His plan through His workmanship, created for His good purpose, I rest a lot more easily in the unknown, and I walk confidently in knowing that He has already seen it all and is not surprised by anything that we (the persecuted and the persecutor) do, say, or choose.

So what does it have to do with the soldiers casting lots for Jesus’ garment?

As we are in the thick of any battle, watching the humiliation, the scoffing, the suffering taking place and grieving for ourselves or with others, I want to remind us that what we see isn’t what it’s about. There is a bigger plan in all these.

What is the plan?

That His glory prevails. That His children have Salvation, and His name be praised.

In Luke 24, Jesus said to the disciples who did not recognize Him after His resurrection, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26, NIV). I often forget God’s promises that He is with us and will be with us until the end of time. This passage is a sober reminder that I am a fool who so often forgets what He said He was and is going to do. The gift of Scripture is that it reminds me time and time again that I can rest in His words, and in doing so, I have His peace, and I can have forbearance towards chaos, the unknown, and injustice. My job is simple – believing that He is intimately involved in my life; nothing escapes Him; He is good, and His love endures forever. Those who wish to cast lots can cast lots; my purpose is to be obedient, remember what He says about suffering, remember I am His workmanship created to do His work, and do good.

I invite you to do the same – Let the world cast its lots. Take a step back always, remember His Words, trust Him, and keep doing good.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Matt. 11:15, NIV). I pray for wisdom, faithfulness, patience and endurance for us – your people. May we search your heart and the Scripture so that we may have understanding, have our peace in times of trouble, and be the salt, be the light, be the city on a hill, to bring the hope of Glory to a lost world.