Christ suffered for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Peter 3:18).

This morning I reread yesterday and today's New Testament Lesson (Luke 23:13-49) so I could hear the bookend judgments of Pilate and the Centurion:

• "I have found no basis for your charges against him" (Pilate).
• "Surely this was a righteous man" (the Centurion). 

The righteous One died for the unrighteous. The innocent Jesus died instead of the guilty Barabbas. The righteous Savior died for us, the guilty who deserve death. 

I also noticed the focus on the words of the Savior. When we think of the crucifixion or see it depicted in a movie, the focus is on the horrible physical pain that Jesus endured. 

Luke is a doctor. Paul calls Luke "our dear friend, Luke the doctor" in Colossians 4:14. The doctor doesn't focus on the physical pain Jesus' endured. Instead I hear Luke, the careful historian who interviewed the witnesses (Luke 1:1-4) focus on the Savior's words:

• "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me..."
• "Father, forgive them..."
• "Today, you will be with me in paradise..."
• "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

Recall that Luke is the Gospel writer who mentions the women who traveled with the disciples and provided for their needs (Luke 8:1-3). Only Luke mentions Joanna (Luke 8 and 24). 

My daily Bible reading is my daily effort to find certainty - certainty in the death of Jesus and his resurrection. 

Today I find more certainty as I can envision Luke, the doctor, spending two years in Palestine while Paul is imprisoned at Caesarea Maritime. It is thirty years after the events of Good Friday and Easter morning. He is listening to elderly women like Joanna tell a fantastic story. Sadly, they have lived long enough to see the Romans carry out quite a few crucifixions. The focus of their story to Luke is not blood and the agony... that is a given. The focus is on the powerful words of the Savior that make this crucifixion unique. The words of the One judged righteous by his judge Pilate and his executioner the centurion... 

• a word of warning of the coming judgment,
• a word of prayer for sinners,
• a word offering hope for one about to die
• a word of confidence and peace in death.  

As these elderly women face the reality of their own death, they share with Luke the events that changed their lives and these words that gave them hope in the face of death. 

Yes, today I became "Theophilus," the man for whom Luke first wrote his gospel. "Theophilus" means "Lover of God." Like that first Theophilus I come with questions and doubts and appreciate the time Luke the Historian took to put my doubts to rest. 

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, ² just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. ³ With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught (Luke 1:1-4). 

Our Old Testament Reading of Psalms 79-83

All are written by Asaph who wrote 12 psalms, all but one of them in this third book of the Psalms (73-89). Asaph was a contemporary of King David, a leader of the temple worship (see all references to Asaph here). 

The challenge as we read Asaph's psalms is that they seem to refer to events long after Asaph's time. Prof. Brug in his commentary on the psalms suggests two possible explanations:

• Some of the psalms are written by a descendant of the original Asaph who was also named Asaph, or
• The Asaph of King David's day wrote these prophetic psalms about events yet to come, possible by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The songs would prepare God's people for the judgment that was to come, and when the judgment came, they could see that the LORD had foretold it. The second half of Isaiah is written in that same way... by inspiration Isaiah wrote to comfort the people who would endure the Babylonian captivity... an event that occurred 100 years after Isaiah died. 

Highlights from today’s psalms:

• Psalm 79 – How long? When God's church and God's people are afflicted, we ask, "How long?" Save us, LORD, that your name might be honored. 
• Psalm 80 – When we are asking, "How long?" because of the suffering, may we hear in the benediction that the LORD does, for Jesus' same, make his face shine or smile on us.
• Psalm 81 – The LORD wants to satisfy us. "Open your mouth wide." He wants to give us "honey from the rock." Notice the repeated call to "listen."
• Psalm 82 – Jesus quoted this psalm in John 10. The leaders of God's people are called "gods." We are God's representatives. This is a warning for any leader of God's people... a leader in the church, in your family, or in your area of influence, not to misuse your authority.  
• Psalm 83 – When I am frightened by the enemies God’s church faces today, I can find comfort in the great victories of the past. Review again Deborah's victory over Sisera and Jabin in Judges 4 and Gideon's victory over Oreb and Zeeb in Judges 7.