Key Thought

Have you ever caught yourself doing something awful and wrong just so you could carry out your sense of religious ritual? Most of us have! I can remember the time I came upon a car full of young Christian women who had run out of gas on the way to church. Hundreds had passed them, but none had offered to stop and help them. Ironically, they were all going to teach children's Bible classes, and most likely, some who passed them by were irritated that their child's teacher was late. Or how about the service staff at places where Christians eat on Sunday? Did you know that Sunday is the day most servers hate to work because "church people's" tips are low and they tend to be rude and demanding? While comparing those two things with advice to speed up death for criminals is a stretch, these events do remind us that we have huge blind spots about the confession of our faith and our living it. Jesus was adamant that we live our faith better than we talk it. How are you doing on that score? What one thing can you do to live the Gospel more fully today, and the days ahead?

Today's Prayer

Today's Verses in Context

Later, Jesus knew that everything had been done. To make the Scriptures happen he said, "I am thirsty." There was a jar full of vinegar there. So the soldiers soaked a sponge in it. They put the sponge on a branch of a hyssop plant. Then they lifted it to Jesus' mouth. Jesus tasted the vinegar. Then he said, "It is finished." Jesus bowed his head and died. This day was Preparation day. The next day was a special Sabbath day. The Jewish leaders did not want the bodies to stay on the cross on the Sabbath day. So they asked Pilate to order that the legs of the men be broken {to make them die sooner}. And they asked that the bodies of the men be taken down from the crosses. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man on the cross beside Jesus. Then they broke the legs of the other man on the cross beside Jesus. But when the soldiers came close to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead. So they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus' side. Blood and water came out. (The one who saw this happen has told about it. He told about it so that you also can believe. The things he says are true. He knows that he tells the truth.) These things happened to give full meaning to the Scriptures that said: "None of his bones will be broken" and, "People will look at the one they stuck {with the spear}." Later, a man named Joseph from Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. (Joseph was a follower of Jesus. But he did not tell people, because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders.) Pilate said that Joseph could take the body of Jesus. So Joseph came and took Jesus' body away. Nicodemus went with Joseph. Nicodemus was the man who had come to Jesus before and talked to him at night. Nicodemus brought about 100 pounds of spices. This was a mixture of myrrh and aloes. These two men took Jesus' body. They wrapped it in pieces of linen cloth with the spices. (This is how the Jews bury people.) In the place where Jesus was killed on thecross, there was a garden. In the garden there was a new tomb. No person had ever been buried there before. The men put Jesus in that tomb because it was near, and the Jews were preparing to start their Sabbath day.

— John 19:28-42 (ERV)

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