When God Says …
“And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: (the same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathæa, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.” (Luke 23:50-52 KJV).
These passages introduced Joseph of Arimathea described as a good and just man, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the tribunal that sent our Lord to the cross, but did not consent to their action. There are several lessons we can learn from these verses in context with our Lord’s New Covenant of Grace.
In the Gospel accounts of John 19:38-42, it is noted that Joseph of Arimathea was a "secret disciple" because he feared the religious leaders. In this instance, our Lord’s amazing work of grace at the cross is manifest. When the public disciples fled, it was the secret, fearful disciples (Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus) who suddenly stepped forward with bold faith. Seeing the ultimate demonstration of God's love on the cross transformed Joseph from a man hiding in fear into a man bold enough to look Pontius Pilate in the eye and claim the body of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is, therefore, our cue to step forward with faith and boldly enter into the realm of the Lord’s grace. Many today are fearful of stepping out from being held hostage by worldly and religious systems for fear of being treated with contempt, deprived of acceptance into their circles and hedonic pursuits. Scriptures warn about this, as it is written: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15-17 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
Friday, October 2, 2026
Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Gospel of Luke 23:47-49 When God Says...I Say, AMEN!
When God Says …
“Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.” (Luke 23:47-49 KJV).
These passages described the confused scene at the crucifixion site in Golgotha, after our Lord commended and gave up His Spirit to the Father. The Roman centurion supervising the Lord’s execution was a tough soldier. Yet, after seeing the darkness over the land, the shaking of the earth, and how our Lord Jesus died with a prayer of forgiveness for His crucifier, he was awed by His innocence and righteousness.
Our Lord Jesus Christ didn't die as a defeated victim. He shouted with a loud voice, and willingly gave up His spirit. This showed the centurion that our Lord was in complete control of His fate.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only truly righteous man to ever live. At the cross, a divine exchange happened. He took our sins, and gave us His righteousness. The centurion’s utterance of our Lord’s righteous aura, reminds us of the very gift that is now given to every believer. And the crowds who had mocked our Lord Jesus Christ during His agonizing journey walked away beating their chests. This was a display of deep sorrow, guilt, and regret.
Let this, therefore, be a warning that the “thief of the past," uses old mistakes and guilt to steal your joy. The crowds felt the heavy weight of their sins because they did not yet understand the Lord’s gospel of grace or His resurrection. You do not need to live in guilt or beat your chest like them. Now, we have the knowledge. Because of the cross, you and I have a clean slate. All our sins—past, present, and future—have been completely washed away by the blood of Christ Jesus. By believing, we don’t walk away in guilt. As believers, we look at the cross in faith and walk with joy and peace in eternity.
Our Lord’s followers and the faithful women stood at a distance, with their eyes fixed on Him. The boundless nature of grace transcends space and time. It covers us no matter how distant, weak, or broken we feel. Even though they were standing far away and felt helpless, the Lord’s sacrifice was already working for them and for us who believe. This reassures you and I as we rest in His grace by faith. This is our powerful reminder that the cross changes everything. We no longer have to live in the fear or guilt of the crowd. Because the righteous Savior died for us, we can now live with the absolute certainty that we are completely loved, totally forgiven, and highly favored by God!
Let us keep these words alive in our hearts, as Scriptures declare: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
“Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.” (Luke 23:47-49 KJV).
These passages described the confused scene at the crucifixion site in Golgotha, after our Lord commended and gave up His Spirit to the Father. The Roman centurion supervising the Lord’s execution was a tough soldier. Yet, after seeing the darkness over the land, the shaking of the earth, and how our Lord Jesus died with a prayer of forgiveness for His crucifier, he was awed by His innocence and righteousness.
Our Lord Jesus Christ didn't die as a defeated victim. He shouted with a loud voice, and willingly gave up His spirit. This showed the centurion that our Lord was in complete control of His fate.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only truly righteous man to ever live. At the cross, a divine exchange happened. He took our sins, and gave us His righteousness. The centurion’s utterance of our Lord’s righteous aura, reminds us of the very gift that is now given to every believer. And the crowds who had mocked our Lord Jesus Christ during His agonizing journey walked away beating their chests. This was a display of deep sorrow, guilt, and regret.
Let this, therefore, be a warning that the “thief of the past," uses old mistakes and guilt to steal your joy. The crowds felt the heavy weight of their sins because they did not yet understand the Lord’s gospel of grace or His resurrection. You do not need to live in guilt or beat your chest like them. Now, we have the knowledge. Because of the cross, you and I have a clean slate. All our sins—past, present, and future—have been completely washed away by the blood of Christ Jesus. By believing, we don’t walk away in guilt. As believers, we look at the cross in faith and walk with joy and peace in eternity.
Our Lord’s followers and the faithful women stood at a distance, with their eyes fixed on Him. The boundless nature of grace transcends space and time. It covers us no matter how distant, weak, or broken we feel. Even though they were standing far away and felt helpless, the Lord’s sacrifice was already working for them and for us who believe. This reassures you and I as we rest in His grace by faith. This is our powerful reminder that the cross changes everything. We no longer have to live in the fear or guilt of the crowd. Because the righteous Savior died for us, we can now live with the absolute certainty that we are completely loved, totally forgiven, and highly favored by God!
Let us keep these words alive in our hearts, as Scriptures declare: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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