David Sulcer
Passage: Luke 23:27-43
Prayer: Father, the green tree, so alive and fruitful, was cut down in its prime of life! Jesus, our Savior, was crucified in the midst of his years. And amidst the cries of “rescue yourself,” he was doing the hard work of rescuing us! Indeed, a rescuing king, hanging on Skull Tree, was secretly but surely being enthroned between Heaven and Earth. He would come into his kingdom and bring a repentant brigand with him, with the power of his forgiveness. And yet he was surrounded by men who would one day be burned up in the fires of destruction, like a dry tree ready to go up in flames, because of their own brigand hearts. Their rebel hearts would become their own destruction bringing down the wrath of God through the boots of Rome. Their conspiracy with their enemies, to crucify Jesus, would blow back on them a few decades later, and they would not be rescued from its blaze. The daughters of Jerusalem would no longer be employed for others to mourn over, but would themselves become stricken with their own loss and grief when their sons become the objects of Roman wrath. And yet, dear Savior, you took on our rebellious heart. You bore our warlike spirit in your bones. The punishments reserved for a nation fell on your back. The sins that stained the world besmirched your body! And in that violent battering of bones, back, and body, you secured our redemption with prayers of forgiveness and promises of paradise. So help us to bend our knee in submission, instead of standing our ground in revolt. The consequences of both have eternal ramifications! In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Ponder: How can you take the horror of this event and allow its mysterious holiness to penetrate your own heart? Let Christ’s gracious love flood your soul as you view his passion again.
Fresh Air 