Heart Scan: Good Friday

English Standard Version Chapter 23

32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

The Heart of the Crucified King

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Luke Emphasizes Public Humiliation

Hung with two criminals

They cast lots over his clothes

Publicly humiliated

Hearts of the Rulers Scoffing him

2nd time we’ve come across this word in this sermon series

Only 2 times in Luke, both refer to the Pharisees…

“Bloody nose”

While Jesus was literally bleeding internally and externally, the Pharisees stick up their noses...

Luke 16:14 :The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.

“He saved others!”

“Let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”

Hearts of the Soldiers Mocked him:

Offering sour wine, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!!”

Heart of Pilot with Sign Mocking Him:

Mocked: derived from ‘child’. “act like a child.” “Playing around.”

“This is the King of the Jews.”

Heart of One Criminal

“Railed” at him: “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

Railed: Blasphemy…

Verbal Abuse...

Jesus’ response:

“Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.”

My heart is gentle and lowly...

His character shines through even though his physical heart is failing.

No other moment shows his gentle and lowly heart than this. In the moment of death, where anger or resentment, rage and revenge should be at it’s most intense, Jesus gentle and lowly heart comes through:

“Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing...”

In this moment of suffering and death, in this moment of cosmic-sized injustice, the creator desires to extend forgiveness...

Reflect on this moment on the Heart of Jesus…

This is our gentle and lowly King...

If we were to do a physical heart scan of Jesus, science gives us a good idea as to what happened:

The body is trying to do anything and everything it can do to preserve oxygen. Every time Jesus needs to breath he has to pull up his body. The heart starts beating faster and faster to try to replace the carbon dioxide with oxygen.

The lack of oxygen causes the heart to go into cardiac arrest...

Jesus character shines through while his physical heart stopped beating.

While he extends forgiveness, his heart flatline...