Peth

Q4. (Mark 15:34) What does Jesus' Fourth Word from the Cross teach us about faith? About commitment? About love? What effect should this understanding have on our lives? About faith I recall the godly men of God Noah, Abraham, Moses, Job and numerous others, who had faith in God in times unimaginable. We mortal sinners cry out to an almighty God in our sinfulness of sin. I believe God did not forsake Jesus, but He forsook our sin that He saw upon Jesus. We need to have faith in God like Jesus did. We Christians believe in the three Persons of the Trinity. Christ was 'with God' and 'was God' and was equal with God. John 1:1, Phil. 2:6 'I had glory with Thee before the world began'. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning. John 17:5 About commitment: We Christians who started well must finish well by the grace of God. 'Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ'. 2 Peter 3:18. 'Christ is all' Col. 3:11. 'to me to live is Christ', ' I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me,' Phil.1:21; Gal. 2:20. Jesus fulfilled in every detail what the Father had set before Him. About love: 'For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life' John 3:16. 'Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends'. John 15:13 If we are true Christians, true worshipers who worship in spirit and truth, we must remember what Christ did for us on the Cross, as an eternal legacy for generations to come, when we will rejoice His return when the fullness of time has come. Let us praise and worship Christ and our Father always. May the Holy Spirit guide us to overcome our suffering. Indrajith

Q3. (John 19:26-27) Why does Jesus make St. John responsible for His mother Mary? What does this tell us about Jesus? How should we apply this in our own lives? From all the other disciples of Jesus, He loved St. John most. We see in the Cenaculum or the Upper Room during the most sacred supper ever served, Jesus' beloved disciple was seated close to Him. Once when His mother and brothers came looking for Him, He asked the people gathered "who is my mother and who are my brothers? All this shows that there was no other person Jesus had utmost confidence to care for His mother than St. John. This clearly tells us that Jesus loved and cared for His mother with great concern for her welfare. It is said in the ten commandments to "honour your father and your mother ", so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." First we should love the Lord and then love our parents, brothers and sisters. Our love must be true and genuine because God loved us first. Praise and glory to God forever. Indrajith

Q2. (Luke 23:39-43) Why is the thief's faith so astounding in this situation? What did the thief receive that day? What do you think this meant to Jesus? "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things unseen" Through God's divine compassion grace and mercy, this criminal had greater faith than the disciples who had little faith and fled with despair and hopelessness, not to be seen anywhere near the Cross. In spite of all the abuse hurled by the Roman soldiers and the other thief, this thief knew that Jesus was the Messiah. He confessed his sin and repented and wanted forgiveness in the words he uttered, while dying on the Cross. He rejoiced though in agony the prospect of eternal life and to be with Jesus in Paradise. He believed in the prospect of a joyful life eternally with God. When God turned His face away from Jesus who was carrying the sin of all humankind, even in utmost agony no human being can bear, He rejoiced like the angels in heaven the redemption of one more sinner to His Kingdom in heaven. Praise and glory to God in the highest. Indrajith

Q1. (Luke 23:34) Who was most responsible for killing Jesus? What responsibility do you and I bear in this? In what sense was Jesus praying for us? Since the fall of man from the sin of the first Adam, man has been a sinful creature beyond redemption and traveling towards hell. He was unable to save himself without the help of a Redeemer. After a period of 400 years from the time of the prophet Malachi, God in His mercy, compassion and love sent us a Redeemer to save us from the path of destruction and eternal damnation. The Scribes, Pharisees, Saducees were most responsible for crucifying Christ, because they never believed Jesus Christ was the Saviour of all human kind. We the fallen adams are responsible for killing Christ as sinners. Jesus was praying not only for those who believed in Him, but also for all humankind, for their redemption, salvation and eternal life with God. Indrajith