May we never forget.

John 19:23-30 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. ²⁴ So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” ²⁵ Therefore the soldiers did these things.

But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” ²⁷ Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. ³⁰ Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Twice in today’s text it says that things happened or were done to fulfill scripture….this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”  Therefore the soldiers did these things…  and later,  Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.”     Jesus is the fulfillment of scripture. From Genesis to Revelation scripture reveals God’s plan, man was created in the image of God to live and fellowship with Him, to walk with Him and have conversation with Him. Sin, man’s disobedience to God’s perfect will, His perfect design caused a separation between man and God. Scripture contains the journey that is the unfolding and the revelation, the working out of God’s plan for redemption, reconciliation and restoration. Jesus is the fulfillment of that. John 1:1-5,14 describes the connection between God’s word and Jesus, that they are the revelation of God’s perfect plan, His perfect will; His perfect love:    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. ⁵ The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.- And the Word became flesh, and welt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.     Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s word, His plan, His will. Jesus is the embodiment of the revelation of God and His perfect will, His perfect love. In John 3:16, Jesus says:  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

In today’s text Jesus, on the cross, as He is being crucified, as He is paying the price for the sins of all mankind says: “It is finished.” At that moment, on the cross, Jesus completed His mission and purpose for coming. At that moment the fulfillment of the revelation of God’s plan, His will, the demonstration of God’s love was complete. Romans 5:8 says: God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.      We need always to remember that the demonstration of God’s love included the cross of Christ. All that Jesus said, every teaching, every word of encouragement, exhortation and every word of discipline only reveal in part the love of God. All that Jesus did, the displays of love and compassion, the reaching out to the poor and outcasts, even all the miracles He did, only in part reveal the love of God. Only on the cross, a cruel instrument of death, was the revelation of God’s perfect love, His perfect plan for man fully revealed.

If we then would be like Jesus, if we would live as a representation and a revelation of God’s love for people, our lives too must be more than just what we do. It must be more than encouraging, exhorting and displaying compassion, mercy and grace to others. That is important and we must do it. If we would be a revelation of God’s plan, His will for man, we must be more that those who recite scripture, who challenge others with the word of God, that too is important. But we need to understand, to recognize that if what Jesus said and if what Jesus did as He lived was not enough to fully reveal the love of God to the world, than surly all that we say or do is not enough. We must never forget, never minimize or marginalize the cross of Christ. Only on the cross was the fulfillment of God’s plan and His love for man fulfilled. Only on the cross is the revelation of God’s love complete, only there, on the cross, “It is finished.”

1 Corinthians 1:18 says:  the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.    Later in that same letter to the Corinthians Paul says: I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.     We too, if we would truly love others, can never forget or neglect the word of the cross. Paul says that it is foolishness to some. In truth it is far beyond foolishness to many. The cross of Christ, the cruel instrument of His death and His sacrifice is offensive to many. It is much more palatable to the world, to have a message of inclusion, tolerance, compassion, of grace and mercy. It is easier and more acceptable to the world if we promote a gospel that comes with no cost. Yet  while the fulfillment of God’s perfect plan, the revelation of His perfect love, redemption, reconciliation and restoration are free to us, salvation is His free gift, it is not without cost. Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.     God’s love for us is free to us, but it came at a cost.

Just as yesterday our nation set aside a day to remember that the freedom we enjoy, the freedom we have and so often take for granted, the freedom that is for all was not free to all.  So too, must we never forget that the fulfillment of God’s plan, His will, the demonstration of the love of God, while it is free for all, was not free for all. What is free to us cost Jesus His life. Without the cross of Christ, without the offensiveness of His battered body sacrificed on the cruel instrument of His death, the will of God, the plan of God, the love of God would not be fulfilled. May we never forget.

Thank You Lord Jesus Christ for Your greatest act of love, for the demonstration of the love of God fulfilled and finished on the cross. May I never forget the price You paid for the free gift I have and may I faithfully share the word of the cross to the world.   Amen