A Day of Suffering

One of my favorite holy week memories is from college. Jim and I (dating at the time) spent spring break at a cabin in Western Colorado with eight or so other college friends. We took a break from our game playing, boat rowing, hiking, and other fun to spend Thursday evening together meditating together on the suffering of Christ. Jim played a few songs, we read scripture and prayed. It was so simple, yet powerful.

I look forward each year to being able to meditate on the suffering of Christ that was meant for me. I suppose it's easier today, knowing the whole story, the glory that was revealed. It would be incredible to see the faith that some had during Jesus' time on Earth. We aren't able to have the same feeling, anticipation or struggle that was present leading up to the first Easter. It's hard to spend the full three days in meditation and realize the depth of all that was planned for each of us when we don't exactly cut it out of our schedules. But that's going to be my challenge to myself this year, to turn my mind to that when I can.

Scripture is the most powerful thing to meditate upon, so I will leave you with this:

"And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, 'The King of the Jews.' And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, waging their heads and saying, 'Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!' So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another saying, 'He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the Kind of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.' Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' And some of the bystanders hearing it said, 'Behold, he is calling Elijah.' And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, 'Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.' And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, 'Truly this man was the Son of God!'"

(Mark 15:24-39 ESV)

Truly this man was the Son of God.