The Gospel Gives Us Hope
Scripture Passage: John 19:31-37 (NASB)
31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
SUMMARY
The Jews asked Pilate if they can take the bodies down from the cross to prepare for the Sabbath day. The soldiers broke the legs of the men next to Jesus first, but did not break the legs of Jesus because He was already dead. One of the soldiers stuck his spear into Jesus’ body, and blood and water came out. Jesus’ legs were not broken as the Scripture said, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken” (v. 35).
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
Psalm 34:20 says, “He keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken.” John highlighted the truth about Jesus fulfilling the prophecy in the Scripture. The fact that the prophecy was fulfilled shows that God is sovereign and will fulfill His mission no matter what. This is comforting because there is no reason for me to be anxious when I take care COVID positive patients at work.
Also, these verses illustrate the pain that Jesus had to go through to forgive our sins. I sometimes take God’s love and His crucifixion for granted and forget that we are called to share what Christ has done for us. I hope that I can confidently talk about the gospel to non-believing coworkers and patients.
APPLICATION
I am so thankful for what Jesus has done for us on the cross on behalf of our sin. Jesus came to this earth knowing that He was going to suffer and die. He still came to save us because He loves us dearly. The cross is the sign of God’s mercy, His forgiveness, and the assurance of Hope. I have been receiving a lot of beautiful hand-written letters for healthcare workers and COVID-positive patients from our HW family. It has been a great joy sharing encouraging letters with Bible verses to my patients. The letters were amazing because most of my COVID-positive patients are critically ill and emotionally unstable. Whether they believe in God or not, they were very happy to read the messages and expressed their appreciation. Some patients were so touched and cried reading the letters. I am so thankful because I was afraid to share my faith with my coworkers and patients because I didn’t know what to say. The letters were a perfect way to share the Gospel, especially for my vulnerable patients who are suffering alone in the isolation rooms without their family. I remember when God first revealed Himself to me in a miraculous way. My life changed completely and dramatically and I wanted to tell the whole world what God has done for me. I want to go back to the time when I first accepted Jesus in my heart and share my testimony passionately to others again. I believe this is our privilege, to tell others how great He is and the great things He has done in our lives.
PRAYER
I pray that God will fill me with the Spirit everyday so that I can have more patience and compassion for my patients. I pray that I would remember God is always present with me and He will help me overcome all anxiety. I pray that I would have the ability to treat each person with the same love God has for me.
Please share your personal meditations on this Scripture passage with the HolyWave community in the comments section below. (We reserve the right to moderate comments.)