Luke 23:47-56

Luke 23:47-56 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

The final scene of Jesus' death was an awful one, for even the observers beat their breasts and went away in sorrow knowing an innocent man had been put to death. However, in the midst of that dark day good things, holy things, also happened: A Roman centurion realized Jesus' righteousness: he praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man." Joseph, an upright man, a member of the Sanhedrin, blessed Jesus by taking his body from the cross and placing it in his own tomb. Dedicated women who followed Jesus throughout his ministry were ready to prepare Jesus' body for burial after the Sabbath. All of these people helped fulfill God's plan for that day. All of them witnessed his death, and all of them would realize in three days that Jesus had risen from the grave. Yes, a righteous man did die that day, one who needed a grave, one who needed his body prepared for burial, but God's highest plan for Jesus was not death but life. The centurion, Joseph, and the women were all intricately involved in God's plan of life eternal and victory over the grave.

In our lives God plans for life not death. We might think our inclinations, words, and actions lack eternal worth, but in God's hands they are worth much. The centurion expressed a few words about Jesus, but through the ages, millions have read those words to the glory of God. Joseph's care for Jesus' body might not seem highly significant, but God needed that stone placed at the mouth of the tomb, so that it could be rolled away as a sign of resurrection life. The women's intentions to prepare the body of Jesus were not fulfilled. However, when they came to perform their ministrations, they were the first to discover the empty tomb, ushering in the kingdom of God. God uses ordinary lives for his purposes. And He will use every part of us if we fully commit ourselves to him. This is one of the wonderful aspects of being a Christians, part of the body of Christ: we know He uses our lives for his glory as we yield to him. We know that even the thoughts we possess can be used for his glory as we meditate and prayer and act upon the leading of the Holy Spirit.

In the morning as I prepare these breakfasts, I sometimes stumble or hesitate in believing God has something to say for the many people who read these devotions. I wonder if I can prepare a meal to help people face a new day in the Lord. As I struggle with the words, ideas, and thoughts I desire to express, I might complain to God about my inability to hear him; then as I pause in my fretting or whining, I hear his words, "I have given you the words to write." Still, I will argue, saying, "No you haven't. I don't know what to say." His answer: "Just write." So in obedience I write, and God gives me food for the day. This is our lives in a nutshell. "Just do it." Don't complain, don't argue, just do it. Some of you have people to email or call, places to go share your faith, and people to visit. God would say to you, "Just do it." Share your gifts, speak praises and compliments, express God's love to the hungry. Jacob wrestled with God, wanting a blessing, a better life. He persevered and God said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” (Genesis 32:28) Overcomers are blessed, now and for eternity. THOSE THAT DO make it to the end because God is in the life-giving business. Out of Jacob came a great nation. As an obedient overcomer, out of you and your work, God will fulfill his will as He did on that awful day of Golgotha.