In his final hours, Jesus continued his life-long practise of putting others ahead of himself. He directs John to take care of his mother, offers hope to the thief beside him, and remains focused on his purpose sufficiently to ensure he fulfilled prophecy. His final hours convinced a centurion of the veracity of Jesus’ words, and inspired Joseph and Nicodemus to stand up for their beliefs.
The king of the Jews died a painful, protracted death in order for us to have hope of life everlasting. This paradox confounds the wise, leaving the way open for us, the weak of the world, to be part of God’s promises. The sacrifice offered once has destroyed the power of death. Let us hold fast with confidence to our hope, allowing it to become real and evident in our lives, that we might one day enter that sabbath rest to which we’ve been invited