The Response of Mourning – Confession

Matthew 27: 45-56

Take some time to read this passage, and then reread it. Jesus could have chosen to take upon our sins all alone, he cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Through this experience, Jesus doesn’t choose to take a different route, but follows through with what God has planned for him, and dies for our sins. He chose to continue to obey God despite knowing how much pain and suffering he would have to endure. As we look at this passage, there are two mourners. One is God mourning the death of his son, symbolized by nature’s response.

The landscape reacts to God mourning, darkness passes over the land, and the earthquake shakes the ground. The curtain of the temple is torn, symbolizing a chetonet, which is something that people in ancient times would rip off from their clothes to mourn for someone who has passed away. And when Adam and Eve sinned, they were closed by God; they were wrapped in a chetonet, a veil separating them from God and each other. The chetonet being ripped into two shows how we can now be in community with God and that we are no longer separated from God. The mourning of God is shown through nature, and the significance of it is even noticed by the non-Christians, the centurion and the others watching of Jesus said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Take some time to reflect on Christ’s sacrifice for us, and what it means for us.

The other mourners of Jesus were the women, specifically the Marys. The women were with Jesus through the whole crucifixion, and were there after it; they helped bury him, and were the mourners of Jesus on Earth.

Just as how Jesus was mourned for, take some time to reflect on how you have mourned for Christ’s sacrifice for us.

Now take some time to pray:
Dear God, we confess that we don’t always live for Jesus and don’t always show that we love him. We get distracted and stray away from you sometimes. We pray that you would continue to remind us of Christ’s sacrifice for us and that you would instill in us a desire to continue following you. Amen.