The Pursuit - 12 WeeksSample

Psalm 22 spoke of pierced hands and mocked suffering. Isaiah 53 described a Servant crushed for our sins and silent before His accusers. Centuries later, every word came true on a Roman cross outside Jerusalem.

Matthew’s Gospel captures both the agony and the irony of that day. The religious leaders mocked Jesus: “He saved others, but He can’t save Himself!” They didn’t realize they were proving His mission. He could have saved Himself—or He could save us. The sky grew dark, the earth shook, and the temple curtain tore in two. The world itself seemed to cry out that something cosmic was happening.

Everything about that scene fulfilled what God had promised long ago. The Lamb of God was taking away the sins of the world. The King of kings was wearing a crown of thorns. The righteous One was dying for the unrighteous. Even the centurion at the foot of the cross could see it: “Surely this was the Son of God.”

When Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He wasn’t losing faith—He was quoting Psalm 22, identifying Himself as the suffering Savior David had foretold. And when He gave up His spirit, He wasn’t defeated. He was completing the plan of redemption that had been in motion since the beginning of time.

This moment is where prophecy meets reality, and it compels us to trust the Bible.

Reflection:

As you read Matthew 27, imagine standing in the crowd that day. Would you have recognized the King on the cross? What does His sacrifice mean for you now?