Jesus’ longest day.His life was draining out of Him.His breathing was hard and heavy.He pushed up with His feet nailed to the cross in order to simply take another breath.Distraught family and friends looked on with horror, grief, and confusion, wondering How much longer can Jesus live?
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That afternoon, the whole earth was covered with darkness for three hours, from noon until three o’clock.
About three o’clock, Jesus shouted, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine and put it on a stick and held it up to him to drink. But the rest said, “Leave him alone. Let’s see whether Elijah will come and save him.”Matthew 27:45 TLB
The light from the sun was gone—and suddenly the thick veil hanging in the Temple split apart.Luke 23:45
When Jesus had tasted it, he said, It is finished, and bowed his head and dismissed his spirit.John 19: 30
Then Jesus shouted, Father, I commit my spirit to you, and with those words, he died.
When the captain of the Roman military unit handling the executions saw what had happened, he was stricken with awe before God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.”
And when the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw that Jesus was dead, they went home in deep sorrow. Meanwhile, Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him down from Galilee, stood in the distance watching.Luke 23:46 – 49
When evening came, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, one of Jesus’ followers, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, placed it in his own new rock-hewn tomb, and rolled a great stone across the entrance as he left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting nearby watching.Matthew 27:57-61
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ImagineYou have followed Jesus in the crowd up the hill, watched Him drop the cross then climb onto it as they nailed Him to it.Hear the ring of the hammer on the nails as the people grow silent.What runs through your mind?
Ask JesusHelp me whisper Father, I commit my spirit to you each time I find myself exhausted and at wit’s end.
ActionAs I close my eyes, help me meditate on the truth that I will never be separated from God again.
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