Today's Passage - John 19:31-37

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english John 19:31-37    Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.  But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.....                  When Jesus Christ was crucified, under common sense, death would only come after going through a long painful struggle. Since the Sabbath was near, the Jews wished to take down the bodies before the Sabbath, so they wanted to break those people's legs to hasten their death. But when the soldiers came to Jesus, they found that he was already dead, so they pierced his side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water to verify Jesus was already dead. Yet the death of Jesus Christ is very extraordinary.                  Luke 23 has this description: "... for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last." Jesus Christ said there, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." once he said that he breathed his last; in other words, Jesus Christ is willing to entrust his life to God with his death, once he gave himself in God's hands, the soul left the body, and he breathed his last.                  And it says in Luke 23:47, "The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."" When the centurion saw the dying scene of Jesus, and heard Him said, "Into your hands I commit my spirit", the centurion realized that Jesus is a righteous man, a man of God; he has such an intimate relationship with God. Even the centurion is very convinced that the death of Jesus is a very extraordinary death.                  Brothers and sisters, when we think of how Jesus Christ was crucified for us, we really need to think once again how great and loving God is! He is willing to bear for us all the shame and suffering of the world, even died on the cross for us. Hallelujah, we cannot fathom this love, let us give thanks and praise him from the depth of our souls.                                  Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, thank you, because you are willing to experience all the suffering of the world for us, even died on the cross. May the lord's spirit help us once again, because you died for us, let us live for your every day. We pray and give thanks in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!