Day 39: Praying at the Cross
Thursday Rhythm
Bible Reading
Guided Prayer
Devotional
Bible Reading: Matthew 27:1–66
Jesus Delivered to Pilate
1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2 And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.
Judas Hangs Himself
3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”
Jesus Before Pilate
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
The Crowd Chooses Barabbas
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Jesus Is Mocked
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 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?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 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. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 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!”
55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Jesus Is Buried
57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
Devotional
Praying at the Cross
Matthew 27:54 ESV
“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!’”
Some passages ask us to slow down before they ask us to respond. Matthew 27 contains betrayal, remorse, political calculation, public manipulation, mockery, violence, darkness, death, and burial. It should not be hurried into a lesson that allows us to keep emotional distance.
Judas returns the silver after seeing that Jesus has been condemned. He recognizes that he betrayed innocent blood, but his remorse turns inward toward despair rather than outward toward the mercy of God. The religious leaders refuse responsibility while continuing the process they helped create. They are concerned about what can lawfully be done with the money while remaining unmoved by the innocent life their decisions are destroying.
This is hypocrisy in one of its most dangerous forms: careful attention to religious procedure alongside indifference to justice. The chapter warns us that people can protect the appearance of righteousness while participating in harm.
Jesus is brought before Pilate. The governor recognizes that envy has motivated the leaders, and his wife warns him about the righteous man standing before him. Yet Pilate values political stability more than truth. He symbolically washes his hands while handing Jesus over to be crucified.
We cannot make ourselves innocent through symbolic distance when our choices continue enabling harm. There are moments when neutrality protects the powerful and abandons the vulnerable. Pilate’s refusal to act justly is still an action.
The soldiers take Jesus, strip Him, place a scarlet robe on Him, press a crown of thorns onto His head, and mock Him as king. They kneel in false homage, spit on Him, strike Him, and lead Him away. Human cruelty turns suffering into entertainment.
At Golgotha, Jesus is crucified between two criminals. The charge above His head identifies Him as King of the Jews. Passersby mock Him, religious leaders ridicule Him, and even those crucified beside Him revile Him. The One who saved others appears unwilling to save Himself.
Their accusation misunderstands the cross. Jesus does not remain because He lacks power. He remains because saving others requires that He give Himself. The King’s authority is revealed through sacrificial love.
From noon until three, darkness covers the land. Jesus cries out with the opening words of Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The cry gives language to the depth of His suffering. Jesus enters the place of abandonment and bears the weight of sin.
The words should not be treated lightly or explained away. They reveal real anguish. Yet Psalm 22 moves from lament toward trust and vindication. Even in the darkness, Jesus addresses God as “my God.” His cry holds grief and relationship together.
When Jesus dies, the curtain of the temple is torn from top to bottom. The barrier marking the Most Holy Place is opened by an act of God. Access to His presence is no longer guarded through the old system. The earth shakes, rocks split, and the centurion confesses that Jesus truly was the Son of God.
The cross exposes the seriousness of sin and the depth of divine mercy. Sin is not only private failure. It appears through betrayal, injustice, manipulation, cowardice, cruelty, indifference, and systems that protect themselves. At the same time, Jesus gives Himself for people who could not repair what sin had broken.
We come to the cross with confession, but not with the belief that shame can save us. Confession tells the truth and receives mercy. Shame turns attention endlessly toward the self and insists that failure must have the final word. The cross says sin is more serious than our excuses and grace is greater than our condemnation.
We also come with lament. Because God enters suffering, Christians do not need to call suffering good. The cross allows us to name violence, abuse, war, prejudice, wrongful accusation, grief, and abandonment without pretending they are harmless. God is not distant from those realities, and He will not leave evil unjudged.
The cross also confronts revenge. We can ask God for justice without surrendering our hearts to the desire to destroy another person. Forgiveness does not prevent reporting abuse, seeking protection, establishing boundaries, or cooperating with rightful consequences. It releases personal vengeance to the Judge who sees completely.
After Jesus dies, Joseph of Arimathea asks for the body, wraps it in clean linen, and places it in a new tomb. A stone is rolled across the entrance. The women remain nearby. The religious leaders arrange for the tomb to be guarded.
Matthew 27 ends before resurrection morning. The body is buried, the stone is sealed, and hope is not yet visible. Some forms of obedience occur in that space. We wait without resolution, grieve without an answer, and continue entrusting ourselves to God while the story appears closed.
Name the place where you are waiting. It may involve health, a relationship, a decision, grief, justice, or a prayer that remains unanswered. Do not manufacture optimism. Ask for grace to remain faithful in the silence between loss and visible hope.
The cross is not the end of Matthew, but we should not rush past it. Stay long enough to confess, give thanks, lament, release revenge, and bring your waiting to Jesus. Death will not have the final word, but today we remember the price through which life was given.
Guided Prayer
Praying the Way
Matthew 27 should be approached slowly. We do not pray at the cross as detached observers. We come with confession, gratitude, lament, and hope.
Be Still Before the Cross
Read Matthew 27:27-54 slowly. Sit in silence for two minutes. Resist the urge to explain everything immediately.
Confess Sin Without Hiding
Name the ways pride, fear, self-protection, contempt, dishonesty, or indifference have shaped you. The cross shows the seriousness of sin and the depth of God’s mercy.
Jesus, I will not hide behind comparison or excuses. I confess what Your Spirit brings to mind. Thank You that Your mercy meets the truth.
Give Thanks for Redemption
Thank Jesus that He gives His life as a ransom, pours out covenant blood for forgiveness, and bears what you could not repair. Receive grace as a gift rather than a reward for spiritual effort.
Jesus, thank You for remaining when You could have called for rescue. Thank You for giving Yourself for my forgiveness and opening the way to God.
Lament Suffering and Injustice
Pray for people experiencing violence, abuse, war, prejudice, grief, wrongful accusation, and abandonment. The cross does not make suffering good; it reveals that God has entered human suffering and will judge evil.
Jesus, draw near to people who suffer. Protect the vulnerable, expose what is hidden, strengthen those seeking safety, and bring justice where power has been abused.
Release Retaliation
Bring the person or situation that has stirred anger in you. Ask for justice without surrendering your heart to revenge. Forgiveness may coexist with boundaries, reporting harm, and seeking protection.
Jesus, I place judgment in Your hands. Keep bitterness from shaping me. Give me wisdom for boundaries, courage for truth, and freedom from the desire to retaliate.
Wait in Hope
Jesus is buried, and the chapter ends before resurrection morning. Name the place where you are waiting without resolution. Ask for grace to remain faithful in the silence between loss and visible hope.
Jesus, meet me in the place that still feels sealed. I will not pretend the waiting is easy. Hold me here and keep hope alive until I can see what You are doing.
Closing Prayer
Jesus, I stand before the cross with nothing to prove. Thank You for giving Yourself for the forgiveness of sins. Meet those who suffer, confront what is evil, and keep my heart from revenge. Hold me in the places where I am still waiting. I trust that death will not have the final word. Amen.