Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn - for he has done it. Psalm 22:30-31
Have you ever wondered what Jesus was thinking about when He was on that cross? Although crucifixion is a drawn out form of torture, Jesus died in about three hours. This is a relatively short time. But three hours when your body is wracked with pain can feel like three days! Ask anyone who has waited in an emergency room.
When I think of men who have shared stories of torture, I often remember the prisoners of war in Vietnam. When I was a child, many POW's returned with horrific tales of things no human should ever endure. One of the most amazing aspects of these stories is how God so often met them in their times of greatest need. The Holy Spirit brought to mind scriptures that had long since been forgotten. Many were blessed in the midst of the most excruciating circumstance by the very Word of God.
These men were not like Jesus. He knew the scriptures well enough to rebuke the enemy and humble the proud. He knew the Author. He was the Author. There is no doubt in my mind that He was comforted on the cross by His Father's words - the Holy Scripture.
I believe the 22nd Psalm is most likely the scripture that filled his thoughts on that horrible afternoon. This Messianic song describes the painful horror that He experienced. How could He not think of it?
I am also certain that He clung to the final words: "They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn." This promise - a promise that we, two thousand years later, would still proclaim the sacrifice He made - must have given Him the courage and the stamina to face the most brutal of deaths.
Jesus, thank You for thinking of me on that cross. Help me to live a life that is worthy of Your sacrifice.