Just as He Said | Day XXII

The following reading is part of a larger Easter reading plan. If you would like to download the full, free Easter reading plan, you can do so here. 

Zechariah 12:10

 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

 

John 19:34

But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.

 

Reflect

Sometimes I wonder if we miss the reality of Christ’s death. He died. He really died. He sunk into the frightening dark of death. He exhaled a final breath of life, and He died. He really died.

Death is scary to me. It is the great unknown that we all persist towards every day. Should Christ tarry, it is the physical reality that we will all experience. We will die. I will die. We will really die. Just like our Jesus.

Jesus’ full and very real death was absolutely necessary to gain our salvation. He had to die to pay the debt of our sin, and only once fully dead could He powerfully and miraculously rise from dead. Jesus sunk into the reality of death that He might put death itself in the grave. He went all the way into the tomb that He might be the victor over the grave. Through His blood He gained for us eternal life. And this is the very real hope of the Christian life! Though we will die a physical death, our sure hope and very real future is resurrection. Just like His. Just like He said.

 

Pray

The separation of blood of water signifies the finality of physical death. Thank Jesus that He died – fully and bodily. Praise Him that He went all the way to the grave that death might be defeated.