Daily Devotions
John
John 19:16-42 "FACING DEATH WITH GREAT COURAGE"
Day 315 – John 19
FACING DEATH WITH GREAT COURAGE
How courageously Jesus faced His suffering and death. There is no question about the fact that He had to endure horrendous pain! Whipping combined with crucifixion couldn’t have been more terrifying a prospect to ponder over! To a lesser man, the mere thought of such suffering would have broken his spirit and mind!
The Gospel accounts recorded a total of seven statements Jesus uttered as He gave His life on the cross at Calvary.
1. The prayer of forgiveness for His tormentors
“Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.”
Luke 23:34
2. The gracious concern for the soul of the repentant thief
“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Luke 23:43
3. The tender words to his mother and His disciple John
“Woman, behold your son!”
“Behold, your mother!”
John 19:26-27
4. The heartfelt prayer to His Father
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Matthew 27:46 (Mark 15:34)
5. The cry of thirst
“I thirst!”
John 19:28b
6. The cry of victory
“It is finished!”
John 19:30
7. The Entrusting of the Spirit
“Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.”
Luke 23:46
We stand humbled and awed at how Jesus faced His suffering and death! How could He endure such pain and suffering? How could He still pray for others? How could He have expressed such love and concern? Let us take time to ponder these words once again, “But We See Jesus …”
THE DEEP KNOWLEDGE JESUS HAD OF THE SCRIPTURES
Let us take time to learn how Jesus was able to face His suffering and death so courageously. The first clue may well be found in this text.
“After this Jesus, knowing that all things
were now accomplished, that the Scripture
might be fulfilled …”
John 19:28
1. Knowledge of the Scriptures
Jesus’ knowledge of the Scriptures stood Him in good stead! How did He see the Scriptures? We recognize the following things that Jesus evidenced in His understanding and application of the Scriptures.
a) The Scriptures foretold His birth, life, suffering, death and resurrection!
Jesus cited the Old Testament text again and again. The knowledge that He had concerning the Scriptures well prepared Him for this eventuality – of His suffering and death! Obviously, Jesus knew the Scriptures thoroughly. The depth of His knowledge of the Scriptures strengthened Him considerably.
b) His acceptance of the Will of God as revealed in the Scriptures.
Jesus did not just have a deep comprehension of the Scriptures, He believed and accepted that the Scriptures revealed God’s Will for Him. In humble and contrite prayer, Jesus accepted that He must be lifted up on the cross to die as the Lamb of God for the sin of the world. Knowledge of the Scriptures is vital, but acceptance of the will of God revealed in the Word of God is another. Jesus sought to embrace both.
c) Daily Jesus practised conscious obedience to the revealed will of God.
Jesus spoke to His disciples time and again concerning His suffering and death. Even as He taught His Disciples, He was mentally and spiritually reinforcing His belief that He would have to suffer and die on the Cross. Wisely, Jesus sought to put into practice the Word of God in His life. To know, to believe and to practise what He believed was from God’s Word made Jesus truly courageous in His hour of suffering.
2. Focus of the heart and mind
If we were to study the way Jesus conducted Himself even when He was suffering excruciating pain, we realize an important truth. He refused to dwell on His pain and suffering.
This does not mean that the pain He had to endure was lesser. Pain is pain. He had to endure whatever pain the whipping brought to Him. There was great pain too as the nails were driven into His hands and His feet. It must have been terrible to bear the throbbing pain that must have been there as He waited for death to come!
What was in Jesus’ heart and mind as He drew closer to His hour of death? John wrote,
“… knowing that all things were now accomplished,
that the Scripture might be fulfilled …”
John 19:28
This text might arguably be presented as the most representative of what was in Jesus’ mind as He hung on the Cross. He thought about fulfilling the Scriptures. His heart and mind were totally focused on fulfilling all that His Father had said to Him.
Somehow, courage and strength came to Jesus, because His heart and mind were dwelling on fulfilling the Scriptures. He determined that He would bear anything and everything that was required by His Father. In this frame of mind, He confronted death!