Wednesday 1st February - Luke 23
Today’s chapter is Luke 23
Tom writes:
As the gospel reaches boiling point we find a single message emerging from the flames. The essence of Jesus, the central claim about this extraordinary individual is that he is king. The assembly accuses him of it, Pilate grills him on it and Jesus confesses it. What the assembly just can’t accept and Pilate can’t grasp is that Jesus is not just king with a small ‘k’ but King of the New Creation that is dawning on the earth. This King’s reign and dominion has arrived and it will know no end. Jesus is King. But, just in case we presume the New Creation King is like the current earthly kings, Luke conjoins Jesus’ greatest declaration of his Kingship with Jesus’ greatest demonstration of his love. In this chapter we gaze with wonder upon the unfathomable depths of his love. Every paragraph is buckling under the weight of Jesus’ compassion and care. Jesus has been tortured and ridiculed, put through agony and humiliation and yet he turns to the women - He turns to them! - and desperate to see them saved he urges them to weep and prepare for the coming troubles.
Surely He should have been fixed on saving himself from his own troubles? But love showed him another way and he chose it. As they batter the metal through his flesh he asks his Father not to spare himself the pain but to spare the hammer-bearers the agony of their own actions. When nobodies claim superiority over him he doesn’t vilify them or curse them but ignores them. And when a criminal submits to Him He promises him the greatest future anyone could ever desire. And that is not even to mention the actual act of dying. Greater love have no King than this; that he lay down his life for his subjects. Whoever we are, whatever we have done Jesus - the King - responds to us with monstrous volumes of love. His rule longs to see us do well, his throne is turned towards us and his aspect is open wide. He is the King of Kings but, my goodness does he love his subjects. He loves us and he loves us and he loves us till days have no end.
Question for reflection
What does it feel like to be loved so much by Jesus?