The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Leawood, Kansas, United States Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Wednesday, 1 April 2015 - "A day’s business for Roman soldiers"
Daily Scripture: John 19:1 Pilate then took Yeshua and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted thorn-branches into a crown and placed it on his head, put a purple robe on him, 3 and went up to him, saying over and over, “Hail, ‘king of the Jews’!” and hitting him in the face.
16 Then Pilate handed Yeshua over to them to have him put to death on the stake.
So they took charge of Yeshua. 17 Carrying the stake himself he went out to the place called Skull (in Aramaic, Gulgolta). 18 There they nailed him to the stake along with two others, one on either side, with Yeshua in the middle.
23 When the soldiers had nailed Yeshua to the stake, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier, with the under-robe left over. Now the under-robe was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom; 24 so they said to one another, “We shouldn’t tear it in pieces; let’s draw for it.” This happened in order to fulfill the words from the Tanakh,
“They divided my clothes among themselves
and gambled for my robe.”[a]
This is why the soldiers did these things.[Footnotes:
John 19:24 Psalm 22:19(18)]
31 It was Preparation Day, and the Judeans did not want the bodies to remain on the stake on Shabbat, since it was an especially important Shabbat. So they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed. 32 The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been put on a stake beside Yeshua, then the legs of the other one; 33 but when they got to Yeshua and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break his legs. 34 However, one of the soldiers stabbed his side with a spear, and at once blood and water flowed out. 35 The man who saw it has testified about it, and his testimony is true. And he knows that he tells the truth, so you too can trust. 36 For these things happened in order to fulfill this passage of the Tanakh:
“Not one of his bones will be broken.”[a]
37 And again, another passage says,
“They will look at him whom they have pierced.”[b][Footnotes:
John 19:36 Psalm 34:21(20); Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12
John 19:37 Zechariah 12:10]
Reflection Questions
Most of the Roman soldiers at Jesus' cross, like soldiers in a foreign lands through the ages, went about their work, unpleasant or not. They likely weren’t personally hostile to Jesus—they mocked most criminals before they crucified them. They split up his clothes, ended the lives of the other two crucified men by breaking their legs, and made sure Jesus was dead. It was just another cruel, bloody day’s work.
- John used pointed irony in verse 31. The religious leaders, eager to protect the purity of the special Passover Sabbath, shockingly concluded that the best way to worship and honor life’s Creator was to finish killing three of his unfit children before the holy hours began! (One of the lives they insisted on ending was, of course, the life of Jesus, God himself in the flesh.) Their choice was extreme. But how can you avoid slipping into evil unaware as you try to protect and promote what is good?
- As we read about Jesus' crucifixion this week, we will find that phrases and images from Psalm 22 run through the gospel accounts like a thread. John quoted Psalm 22:18 as foreshadowing how the soldiers disposed of Jesus’ clothing. We know they just did what soldiers typically did at executions. In what ways did Jesus' suffering show him as one who experienced to the full the kinds of pain and suffering all of us humans suffer (cf. Hebrews 2:10-18)?
Today's Prayer
Lord Jesus, John wrote, “The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light.” Help me, like a sunflower, to keep my face always turned toward your life-giving light. Amen.
Insights from Steven Blair Rev. Steven Blair is the Congregational Care Pastor of Live Forward and Live Well Emotional Wellness Ministry. www.cor.org/liveforward
Rome ruled its Empire with violence and threats of violence. People in power will do whatever they can to stay in power. Tiberius, the Caesar during Jesus’ adulthood, employed Pilate to
Jesus was different. He responded to the violence of Rome with the words, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” His love clashed against the Roman armor.
Why did the clash
Who do you call your King? Caesar or Jesus?
You see, who you choose to be your king will Who you call your king will determine how you sit in your office chair, your desk at
Call Jesus your King, then let your faith form the way you sit.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
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