Day 12

Challenge: Last Breath

Jesus breathes his last breath before going into a borrowed tomb. Christ’s Challenge comes to a close. We see a response both in the natural and supernatural. We see that the sky went dark, the Earth shook, and the rocks were split. We see the supernatural in the veil being torn from the Holy of Holies. This was significant because now the Spirit of God would not be in a place, but with Christ’s last breath would be released into the people.

Matthew responds to the witnesses who were there at the cross. The events that occurred that afternoon shook them to their very core. When we meet Jesus it should shake us to our very core. People should notice that we have seen something, heard something, experienced something that has changed us. Unfortunately, we have too many people who claim to be following Jesus, but they don’t look that different than people who have never met Jesus.

Matthew 27:45–56
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

REFLECTION
When you read that Jesus yields up His spirit, what do you think that means?

Why do you think the Roman soldiers responded the way they did after Jesus breathes His last breath?

How has Christ shaken you to your very core in what you have seen, learned or experienced in the Gospel?

PRAYER
Spend some time today to thanking the Lord that he accepted as you were, but didn't leave you that way. Ask Him to continue to shake you in order to remember that He is God and you aren't.