Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: John 19 and Psalm 35

It’s Good Friday, and Christians in every corner of the globe will spend the day today reflecting on the events recorded in John 19 (also Matthew 27, Mark 15 and Luke 23)

I invite you to set aside about an hour some time during the day today to sit quietly with your Bible and with the Lord. Pray, asking the Holy Spirit to guide your reflection. Quiet your heart and mind and become still. Read each account slowly and prayerfully. Intentionally capture the flow of the events in your memory.

Then set your Bible aside and use your imagination to enter prayerfully into the events as if you were there that day as a witness. In your mind’s eye, conjour up the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch-sensations of each moment you remember as you follow Jesus from Pilate to the Cross and then to His agonising death and burial. Enter as deeply as possible into the scene and allow yourself to be conscious of the emotions and thoughts that you experience.

At the end of the exercise, remain silent and still, and ask the Holy Spirit what he wants you to recognise, to realise and to remember. And finally, after a few minutes of silent listening, write down what you have sensed and experienced through this exercise.

The Word of God is alive and active. May it come to you with new reality today.

LORD JESUS, in dying for us You accomplished our eternal salvation and demonstrated the perfect love of God in unspeakable ways. Help us to see Your love in a new way today. Amen.