Key Thought

Jesus had promised that the Cross on which he would be lifted up would be the power that would draw all sorts of people to him in faith. (John 12:32) For Nicodemus, the Cross was the deciding moment. On the human side of things, the Cross was the worst possible time for Nicodemus to identify with Jesus. After all, Jesus was a criminal in the eyes of Roman and Jewish authorities, a false messiah rejected by the Jews, and a dead body that could only make Nicodemus unclean. Yet Nicodemus stepped forward and helped do the loving work of burial preparation -- something only a family member normally did. It was also political suicide. It rendered Nicodemus unclean for the Passover ritual that began that evening. It identified him as one of Jesus' disciples when he could possibly be put into prison, or worse. Yet the Cross has such power! Power enough to melt the heart and build the courage of one man who had everything to lose, yet he stepped out of the shadows to find his Light.

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)

Comments on "At the Worst Time Possible":

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.