The Hours of Prayer and Christ's Death by Greg Gordon

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It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. - Mark 15:25

The death of Jesus Christ is the most important day in the history of the world and for humanity. We recognize this day in our modern calendar by stating events are after the death of Christ or before the death of Christ. For eternity this was a timeless event where God dwells, it was an eternal sacrifice that was given once for all in time. We are trapped in time as mortal human beings, our days are few (Psalm 90:10). The significance of the death of Jesus Christ has been foreshadowed in the history of God's dealing with men. It also is the focal point of Christian worship in Holy Communion (1 Corinthians 11:26), Baptism of Water speaks of identifying with his death (Romans 6:3). The earliest Apostles Creed of the Church speaks of the death of Christ. The early Church choose the cross as one of the main symbols to represent their belief. In heaven we will be worshipping the Lord at the throne of God and thanking him for His death on the cross (Revelation 5:9). Sometimes we think little and do not mediate enough on the very death of our Lord which bought us to God and changed everything. In the Lord's Supper we "proclaim the Lord’s death" it is perhaps strange not the resurrection? It was in the death of Christ that the mystery of redemption was actuated. This focus on the death of Christ does not minimize the importance of the resurrection (Romans 10:9).

What is fascinating is the hours of prayer which Early believers practiced, followed the actual events of the death of Christ. He was crucified in the third hour (Mark 15:25) Darkness covered the land at the sixth hour (Mark 15:33) At the ninth hour Jesus cried out and "breathed his last" (Mark 15:34). Some early believers saw great significance in this and through the hours of the prayer were reminded of the Lord's death and suffering. It is for us as believers to mediate upon and dwell on this death of Christ that gives us eternal life. There is an eternal richness to everything the son of God did especially his death on the cross. Hippolytus in the Apostolic Tradition, says, "For at that hour Christ was displayed nailed to the tree. Pray likewise at the time of the sixth hour. For as Christ was fixed on the wood of the cross that day was divided, and a great darkness descended. Therefore you should pray a powerful prayer at that hour. And they should pray at the ninth hour also a great prayer and give great praise. For at that hour Christ, pierced in the side, poured forth water and blood and lit up the rest of that day and brought it so to the evening." It was believed that "elders who handed on the tradition" practiced these times of prayer, what a sobering thought that we should as God's creation still ourselves during the time when the Lord was wounded for our transgressions. In eternity we will be praising and glorifying the Lord, honouring him forever for the great price he paid, may we start to do this now in our few days here on earth.