I finally found the courage to watch it about a year ago. "The Passion of Christ" is graphic, and likely much too close to reality. While famous artwork of the crucifixion depicts blood trickling from miniscule punctures, "The Passion of Christ" overwhelms us with massive blood loss and gore from the most extreme physical abuse.
The culmination of all that our Lord suffered was crucifixion. Many of us have read a physician's account of the agonizing experience of one subjected to the brutality of this form of capital punishment. Surely there is no more painful or prolonged way to die.
We are told that "It was the third hour when they crucified Him" (Mark 15:25). The horrible ordeal began at nine o-clock in the morning. "When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour" (Mark 15:33). From noon until three in the afternoon - the brightest time of day - thick darkness enshrouded the land. Perhaps this midday spectacle was God's visible sorrow over the outrageous injustice done to His sinless Son.
At three in the afternoon, on an uncharacteristically dark day in Israel, "Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last" (Mark 15:37). At that precise moment, "the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Mark 15:38), and a Roman centurion, "who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God !" (Mark 15:39).
Everything changed one dark day at three in the afternoon, after six tortuous hours of indescribable agony. For most who were present, hope had literally died that afternoon. Those feelings are summarized well in a brief description of a man named Joseph who claimed the body for burial: "Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God" (Mark 15:43). The key word to notice is the word "was" (past tense). He WAS waiting for the kingdom of God, but now no longer. The best he could do was provide a fitting burial for this Man who exemplified hope.
We know the rest of the story. The hope of the kingdom of God could not be contained in a stone grave, and was destined to burst forth into the brightest dawn the world has ever seen - a sharp contrast to the three o-clock darkness that He died in.
All that would defeat us was buried with Him in a borrowed grave late one afternoon over two thousand years ago. The One whom death could not hold burst forth into glorious new life, appeared to and instructed His faithful followers, ascended to the right hand of His Father, and has poured out the dynamic Spirit of God that envelopes this world today as never before in history. We are literally encircled by the realm of resurrection life, destined one day to burst forth and flood our so-called reality.
The agony of Christ is more agonizing than our minds and emotions can absorb, but it has become the doorway to life in the fullest sense. May his agony overwhelm ours and usher is into the true realm of life today.
Steve
The culmination of all that our Lord suffered was crucifixion. Many of us have read a physician's account of the agonizing experience of one subjected to the brutality of this form of capital punishment. Surely there is no more painful or prolonged way to die.
We are told that "It was the third hour when they crucified Him" (Mark 15:25). The horrible ordeal began at nine o-clock in the morning. "When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour" (Mark 15:33). From noon until three in the afternoon - the brightest time of day - thick darkness enshrouded the land. Perhaps this midday spectacle was God's visible sorrow over the outrageous injustice done to His sinless Son.
At three in the afternoon, on an uncharacteristically dark day in Israel, "Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last" (Mark 15:37). At that precise moment, "the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" (Mark 15:38), and a Roman centurion, "who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God !" (Mark 15:39).
Everything changed one dark day at three in the afternoon, after six tortuous hours of indescribable agony. For most who were present, hope had literally died that afternoon. Those feelings are summarized well in a brief description of a man named Joseph who claimed the body for burial: "Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God" (Mark 15:43). The key word to notice is the word "was" (past tense). He WAS waiting for the kingdom of God, but now no longer. The best he could do was provide a fitting burial for this Man who exemplified hope.
We know the rest of the story. The hope of the kingdom of God could not be contained in a stone grave, and was destined to burst forth into the brightest dawn the world has ever seen - a sharp contrast to the three o-clock darkness that He died in.
All that would defeat us was buried with Him in a borrowed grave late one afternoon over two thousand years ago. The One whom death could not hold burst forth into glorious new life, appeared to and instructed His faithful followers, ascended to the right hand of His Father, and has poured out the dynamic Spirit of God that envelopes this world today as never before in history. We are literally encircled by the realm of resurrection life, destined one day to burst forth and flood our so-called reality.
The agony of Christ is more agonizing than our minds and emotions can absorb, but it has become the doorway to life in the fullest sense. May his agony overwhelm ours and usher is into the true realm of life today.
Steve
posted by steve @ 8:48 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home