Divine Dining April 3, 2026 Devotional

LUKE 23:18, 20-23, 32-33, 36-37 | ¹⁸ Then they all shouted out together, “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!”

²⁰ Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, ²¹ but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” ²² A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.” ²³ But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified, and their voices prevailed.

³² Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³ When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine ³⁷ and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

From celebration to trauma, Jesus enters into the full range of our experience, into its great extremes, in holy week. The laughter and joy of His entrance begins the week. A celebration in which          thousands of people give voice to their praises, exulting in the long awaited arrival of their Messiah, who had taught truth and done wonderful deeds of kindness and mercy.

But Friday is a day of dark trauma. Here is the underside of human life. Here there are false accusations by unholy leaders, vile plotting, underhand political maneuvering, callous public officials, fickle crowds, and unfaithful disciples. Here too, there is trauma; unjust judgements and public humiliation, torture and cruel punishment, culminating in horrible suffering, ridicule, and agonizing death. This Friday we discover a God whose greatness is seen in weakness, whose glory is shown in pain, whose victory is won by sacrifice.

Have you, or anyone close to you experienced trauma?

Gracious God,

We carry the marks of hurt, the wounds of a broken heart, the trauma of life in a world of tragedy. But You entered in, carrying our sin, breaking the hold of evil and death, overcoming the trauma with new life. Thank You.

Amen.