Think on this. Try to grasp the beauty of this. Jesus is on his way to the cross. He has been flogged. Beaten. Stripped of his royal clothes. I can barely think about it. But we must. I am amazed at His strength, and I wonder what he is thinking on his way to the cross. He’s on the way to die. And not just to lay down and die. To suffer. To hang.
Yet as he goes toward the cross, his light is still shining. He thinks of others. To the end.
The night before, Jesus was fervently praying. His disciples, however, were sleeping. In Luke 22:46 he tells them to get up and pray so that THEY won’t give in to temptation. He’s thinking of them.
As he carries his cross to Golgotha he stops to address the daughters of Jerusalem and tells them “don’t weep for me, weep for yourselves”.
He’s always thinking of others. He cares deeply for us.
In Luke 22 verse 34, Jesus is hanging from the cross and what is his prayer? He prays for his father to forgive “them” for they don’t know what they are doing. He’s praying for others.
In verse 43, he addresses the criminal hanging on a cross next to Him and says “I assure you today you will be with me in paradise”. Yes, he still thinking of others as he’s dying for our sins. I’m amazed. Can you imagine? He’s praying for others even as he faces an imminent and cruel death.
Therein is His power. Therein is His deep love for us. His strength. His grace. His ability to connect to others regardless of the situation. He is always thinking and praying for us even as he dies on the cross and forgives all our sins.
Think on this. Be amazed. Give thanks and praise.
Godspeed.
God Speaks 