Luke 23:44-49

Luke 23:44-49

1. Let us observe the miraculous signs which accompanied our Lord's death on the cross.
2. Let us observe the remarkable words which our Lord spoke when He died.
3. Let us observe the power of conscience in the case of the centurion and the people who saw Christ die.

"It was proper and right that the attention of all those around Jerusalem should be arrested in a marked way when the great sacrifice for sin was being offered and the Son of God was dying! There were signs and wonders wrought in the sight of all Israel when the law was given on Sinai. There were signs and wonders in like manner when the atoning blood of Christ was shed on Calvary."

"Christ died not as we die, when our hour has come, not because He was compelled and could not help dying, but He died voluntarily and of His own free will."

"He who desires inward peace must beware of quarreling with his conscience. Let him rather use it well, guard it jealously, hear what it has to say, and treat it as his friend. Above all, let him pray daily that his conscience may be enlightened by the Holy Spirit and cleansed by the blood of Christ."

Questions:

1. Ryle points out a remarkable truth regarding the death of Jesus, namely that even though He was hanging on a cross, His death was voluntary and of His own free will. This is so because He is God and He couldn't die. I don't know about you, but that really elevates the divinity of Christ, and the love of Christ. He knew going to Jerusalem would lead to being arrested and nailed to a cross, and yet He went. He knew He couldn't die and so, He gives up His life only after He hung in agony for hours. Doesn't this make you love Him more?
2. Although our deaths will be vastly different in the way we have seen earlier, Ryle points out that we should nonetheless, as Christians, be able to face the king of terrors with calmness and patience, and that when we die, our souls will be in good keeping. What does this do to our hearts as we think of death?
3. We are given an example of the power of conscience in these verses. Ryle exhorts us to use, guard, listen, and befriend our conscience, and especially to pray that it may be enlightened by the Holy Spirit and cleansed by the blood of Christ. Do we tend to ignore our conscience? Do we use, guard, listen, and befriend it? To better understand the conscience, there is a great little book called Conscience by Naselli and J.D. Crowley you can find HERE if you want to learn more!