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They Thought They Were Finished with Him

Briefing: Police officers go on calls, like a family violence assault. These calls usually conclude with an arrest which brings an end to the situation.

Dispatch (Assignment): Read John 19:17-27.

On the Street: They were making final preparations for Jesus’ departure from this earth. The soldiers took Him and crucified Him, Pilate made a sign (taking a political shot at the Pharisees) to hang on Jesus’ cross, the soldiers took His clothes, and Jesus said His goodbyes. It looked like this was the end. Satan thought he had won.

Have you ever watched one of those law drama shows on TV? I love these kinds of shows. Officers get called to the scene of a bad incident. The detectives work the case and make the arrest. The case gets handed over to the district attorneys who put the bad guy on trial and he or she gets convicted. It only takes about an hour to clean up some very messy cases.

In reality, law enforcement officers know that once the arrest is made, they are far from being finished. There are reports to write, court dates to testify on and so on.

I am so glad that Jesus’ story did not end here. It’s true that His earthly ministry was finished but the outcome of what He did will last for eternity. You and I have the possibility of salvation because of what happened on that cross.

They were finished with the physical, human form of Jesus but not the redeeming work of Christ. Not only were they not finished with His work but Jesus made the way for the Holy Spirit to come into the world as a permanent fixture in our lives.

In John 12:24 Jesus told His disciples, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Jesus’ death provided salvation that humanity desperately needed.

Investigational Resources: For parallel gospel accounts, read Matthew 27:33-44, Mark 15:22-32, and Luke 23:33-43. Psalm 22 is an incredible prophesy of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Officer Safety Principle: Jesus came to earth for the purpose of defeating death and providing us a way of salvation. Have you accepted His free gift of salvation?

from The Gospel of John Through the Eyes of a Cop
©by Charles Gilliland. Used by permission.
Click here to check out the entire Through the Eyes of a Cop series!