for my garment. This was what the soldiers did. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister Mary, who was the wife of Cleophas, and Mary of whom he loved, he said to the mother, “Woman, this is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “This is your mother.” And from that moment the disciple took her to his own home. Jesus knew all was now finished and, in order to fulfill what was written in Scripture, he said, “I am thirsty.“ A jar full of bitter wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a twig of hyssop, they raised it to his lips. Jesus took the wine and said, “It is accomplished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up the spirit. (…)

Reflections
IT IS ACCOMPLISHED!
When we speak of accomplishment, we think of some grand project which we have conceived, begun, struggled for, and finally completed. When Jesus said: IT IS ACCOMPLISHED, there seems to be nothing that he had finished — just the end of suffering and torture. He had 12 followers, one betrayed him, one denied him, and everyone ran away except one. Is that accomplishment? Is that achievement? YES, IT IS. In the ordinary, day-to-day life of Christ, where there were no spectacular happenings and which had this tragic end, he redeemed the whole world and brought about our salvation. In one Scripture passage Christ asks: What does it profit you if you gain the whole world and suffer the loss of your own soul? In the life and death of Christ, he won for each and everyone of us the possibility of gaining our own souls, of vanquishing our spiritual enemies, of making our lives worthwhile and, at the time of our death, we can cry out: DEATH WHERE IS THY STING, WHERE IS THY VICTORY?

© Copyright Bible Diary 2018