Contemplations

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) Christ did not come to congratulate the self-sufficient or to commend the righteous in their own eyes; He came for the sick—those wounded by sin, weary of guilt, and broken under the burden of...

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” (Hebrews 6:1) There is an urgency in the writer’s voice from our passage in Hebrews as he...

“And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were afraid. And he said unto them, Be not afraid: You seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here.” (Mark 16:5-6)...

“And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there also Nicodemus, which at...

“But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” (John 19:34) Jesus was crucified on Friday, the day commonly referred to in the Gospels as “Preparation Day” (Mark 15:42), the day before the Sabbath. The Jewish...

“And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” (Matthew 27:51) The sacrificial practices required by God from His people to atone for their sins prior to the death of Christ were originally established as the children of Israel...

“And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.” (Matthew 27:51-52) When the Son of God breathed His last,...

“And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.” (Luke 23:44) There are many instances recorded in Scripture where elements of nature responded to direct commands of God and God’s people contrary to their natural...

“And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.” (Luke 23:44-45) On more than one occasion during Christ’s earthly ministry the Pharisees...

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.” (Matthew 27:45) On this particular Friday, at the very hour when the sun is typically at its zenith, the world went dark. And for the next three hours creation itself recoiled as its...

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:30) There is no way for us to understand everything Christ was experiencing in that moment when He breathed His last words, “It is...

“They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.” (Matthew 27:34) When they brought Christ to Golgotha, the soldiers offered Him vinegar mingled with gall—a bitter draught meant to dull the pain and soften the...

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” (John 19:26-27) The...

“Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified.” (Matthew 26:2) The unfolding of Christ’s passion demonstrated the divine precision and fulfillment of God’s plan. For example, the Lamb was not slain on just...

“And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.” (Matthew 27:33-34) The place of Christ’s crucifixion was no serene hill or...

“And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) Christ was often found in the company of sinners, and the day He was crucified was no different. On Calvary’s hill Christ was flanked by two criminals – one on each side –...

“Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.” (Matthew 27:38) At the summit of Golgotha, Christ was not alone. On either side hung thieves, men judged by Roman law to be fit for death. The crucifixion scene became a...

“And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads.” (Matthew 27:39) Pity is a natural reflex of fallen humanity. Even in sin, men often soften when they see suffering. The beggar, the wounded, the outcast all evoke compassion simply by the marks of their...

“And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.” (Matthew 27:23) The cross, cherished by believers as a symbol of sacrificial love and redemption, was in Christ’s time the vilest instrument of execution,...

“And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, ‘They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.’” (Matthew 27:35) At the foot of the cross, Roman soldiers have no...

“And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.” (Luke 23:27) Crowds always seemed to gather around the Lord. Many would press in, hoping to witness His next miracle firsthand. The Pharisees and other religious...

“And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.” (John 19:17) There is no burden heavier than the cross, because it represents the sins of all the elect laid upon the back of the spotless Lamb....

“And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.” (Luke 23:22) How often are we backed into a position of choice between taking our stand alone with Christ or...

“And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas.” (Luke 23:18) No situation—fictional or otherwise—ever devised by man involves a choice more baffling than that of the crowd before Pilate. A man condemned for murder and...

“And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29) One of the most amazing and comforting truths surrounding the...

“And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29) The scene in this gospel narrative is one of blatant ridicule....

“And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29) When Adam and Eve fell to the temptation of the serpent, the...

“And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29) The same multitude that once paved His path with branches and...