Reference no: EM133680283

Discussion Post: Love Incarnate, Love Divine

Getting Started

Consider the following passage from John, Chapter 19:

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."

Upon successful completion of the course material, you will be able to:

Share what it is like for you to read about the crucifixion of Jesus.

Background Information

You decide to go back to town. It is Preparation day, the day of the Passover, the day commemorating the time when Moses took the lead over thousands of Israelites fleeing from the evil pharaoh in Egypt. Passover. Preparation. The Last Supper . . . the Passover meal. Your mind flashes back over the generations. Eating the Passover meal, sharing the Passover cup, and now learning that Jesus did say "Do this in remembrance of me." What does this mean?

Is Jesus our Passover Lamb? Did Jesus come to not only fulfill prophecy but to fulfill tradition and to actually embody the symbolic rituals put in place long ago? Perhaps he is the Messiah! Perhaps he is love incarnate. Perhaps he is love in the purest form, the most divine existence.

Instructions

A. Read the devotional on this page, "Love Incarnate, Love Divine."

B. Navigate to the discussion topic and respond to the following:

1. Return to your place of quiet and silence. Get out your Bible and read aloud about the crucifixion of Jesus. Read it for yourself. Read it to yourself. Allow yourself to hear your voice and to take in the spoken word.

2. Share what it was like for you to read the crucifixion of Jesus.

C. Your postings should also:

1. Be well developed by providing clear answers with evidence of critical thinking.

2. Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas.

3. Provide clarification to classmates' questions and insight into the discussion.