Important Details

September 29, 2016

Important Details

So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did.

John  19:24

John doesn’t supply just incidental details about Jesus. John’s account of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial is full of specific details that point to the fulfillment of scripture that Jesus is God’s Messiah. As you read John 19, pay close attention to the details and ponder the significance John wants you to see. Here are two of the details that stand out to me.

First, when Jesus was crucified, Pilate placed a sign on the cross proclaiming Jesus as King of the Jews. John tells us the sign was in three languages: Hebrew, Latin and Greek. These languages covered a vast part of the known world, fulfilling the prophecy that Israel’s Messiah would be proclaimed to the entire world.

Secondly, the soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothes. This was prophesied in Psalm 22:18. According to both Matthew’s and Mark’s Gospels, Jesus prayed from Psalm 22:1 when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” It is not just Jesus’ cry of anguish or the soldiers gambling for his clothes that connects Psalm 22 to the crucifixion of Jesus. The psalmist also mentions the people gathered around Jesus, the crowd scorning Jesus, and his thirsting. 

By connecting the crucifixion to Psalm 22, John want us to know that Jesus, who was crucified, dead and buried, was the Messiah of God: the One the scriptures promised would come and save Israel, save the world. Psalm 22 also points to the coming again of Jesus in final victory. (Psalm 22:27-28) As followers of Jesus, it is important for us to always be mindful that Jesus isn’t finished with His work. He will complete the restoration of God’s Kingdom on earth, and we get to be co-laborers with him in that work.

We all experience times of trial, suffering and distress in our lives. Jesus is our model for responding to these difficult times. As we yield ourselves to him, he will empower us to follow his path. Like Jesus, we can turn to scriptures like Psalm 22 for guidance and comfort. We can openly acknowledge to God our sense of despair, to remember God’s past care for our lives, to embrace the reality of our circumstances, and to trust that as God comes to us, we can experience Him as “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.