Today, I’m pleased to introduce to you Alissa Wilkinson, who will be working with me as a writer and editor for this blog. Many of you will already be acquainted with Alissa through her writing. I first became aware of her when I saw her name popping up here and there as the author of thoughtful, well-written pieces on literature, culture, film, technology, and, well, you name it. Then, a couple of years ago, I had the privilege of meeting... Read more
2 Corinthians 5:14-17 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,... Read more
1 Corinthians 15:45-57 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 A month and a half ago, the season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday. Then, we were reminded, in the words of Genesis 3:19 that we were made from dust, and to dust we will return. Ash Wednesday confronted us with the... Read more
The Seventh Word: “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” (Luke 23:46) Copyright © 2007, Linda E. S. Roberts. For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark. Reflection Two of the last seven “words” of Jesus were quotations from the Psalms. Earlier, Jesus had quoted Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” to express his anguish. Later, he borrowed from Psalm 31, which comes to us from Luke as, “Father, I entrust my spirit... Read more
The Sixth Word: “It is finished!” (John 19:30) Another station from The Stations of the Cross at Serra Retreat Center, Malibu, California. Photo by Mark D. Roberts Reflection I never saw a more difficult film to watch than Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. For most of that movie I wanted to avert my eyes. It was horrible to watch even a cinematic version of a crucifixion. And it was beyond comprehension to think that this actually happened to... Read more
The Fifth Word: “I am thirsty.” (John 19:28) A painting of the Cruxifixion, from a church in Taormina, Italy. Photo by Mark Roberts No doubt Jesus experienced extreme thirst while being crucified. He would have lost a substantial quantity of bodily fluid, both blood and sweat, through what he had endured even prior to crucifixion. Thus his statement, “I am thirsty” was, on the most obvious level, a request for something to drink. In response, the soldiers gave Jesus “sour... Read more
The Fourth Word: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mark 15:34) The Eleventh Station of the The Stations of the Cross at Serra Retreat Center, Malibu, California. Photo by Mark Roberts Reflection As Jesus was dying on the cross, he echoed the beginning of Psalm 22, which reads: My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but... Read more
The Third Word: “Dear woman, here is your son.” (John 19:26) Copyright © 2007, Linda E. S. Roberts. For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark. As Jesus was dying, his mother was among those who had remained with him. Most of the male disciples had fled, with the exception of one whom the Fourth Gospel calls “the disciple he loved.” We can’t be exactly sure of the identity of this beloved disciple, though most interpreters believe he is... Read more
The Second Word: “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Copyright © 2007, Linda E. S. Roberts. For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark. Reflection As Jesus hung on the cross, he was mocked by the political and religious leaders, as well as by the soldiers who were crucifying him. One of the criminals being crucified along with him added his own measure of scorn. But the other crucified criminal sensed that... Read more
The First Word: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” (Luke 23:34) Copyright © 2007, Linda E. S. Roberts. For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark. Reflection It makes sense that the first word of Jesus from the cross is a word of forgiveness. That’s the point of the cross, after all. Jesus is dying so that we might be forgiven for our sins, so that we might be reconciled to God for eternity. But... Read more
Mark D. Roberts
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