Lamentations 1 and 2 lament the state of Jerusalem and Judah after the people have been exiled to Babylon. Jerusalem remembers her sin and mourns the punishment she is enduring. Judah and Israel also mourn their fate. They exhort Jerusalem to cry out to God and turn to the Lord.

John 19 opens with Pilate dealing with Jesus. When he hears that Jesus has claimed to be the Son of God he becomes frightened. He tells Jesus that he has the power to save Him, but Jesus says that his power to do this comes from God. He would not be able to proceed if it were not in God’s plan. Pilate tries to release him but is stopped by the priests insist.

Jesus is crucified in the way that the scriptures had attested. He was buried in a new tomb.

It is hard for us to consider that Jesus had to go through all of this for us but he did. It was all part of God’s plan for our salvation. The Lamb of God willingly sacrificed himself to remove our sins from us. He had the power to change it all if he wished but he knew that this was the plan from the very beginning. Our relationship with the Father was finally restored.