How do you stand with those who mourn and bear witness? Join Rev. Rob McPherson in exploring Rubens’ The Descent from the Cross and the courage it calls forth in us. Discover where God is inviting you to serve in faith and love today.

John 19:38-42

Use this guide for prayer and contemplation. Read slowly, pausing as needed for silence and reflection.

Opening

Find a comfortable position. Let your shoulders soften. Unclench your jaw. Rest your hands.

Take a slow breath in. And a slow breath out.

God of compassion, meet us here. Draw us into your love.

Reflection on Contemplative Prayer

As you prepare for prayer, let the artwork become a place to meet God. Gaze gently. Take your time. Be open to whatever God has for you through this experience.

In this holy and horrible moment, we watch love act with courage. Joseph of Arimathea dares to ask for Jesus’ body. He goes to the very person who condemned Jesus. Then he goes to the cross—public, exposed—choosing compassion where there can be no pretending.

Scripture

John 19:38–42 (The Inclusive Bible)

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the temple authorities, asked Pilate for permission to remove the body of Jesus, and Pilate granted it. So Joseph came and took it away. Nicodemus came as well,
the same one who had first come to Jesus by night, and he brought about 100 pounds of spices, a mixture of myrrh and aloes. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the Jewish burial custom.

There was a garden in the place where Jesus had been crucified, and in the garden was a new tomb where no one had ever been buried. Since it was the day before the Sabbath,
and the tomb was nearby, they buried Jesus there.

As these words settle in you, listen for God’s soft voice beyond them.

Spirit of the living God, draw near. As we behold tender hands and costly love, teach us how to respond.

Artwork for Prayerful Reflection

The Descent from the Cross — Peter Paul Rubens

Jesus is lowered from the cross by grieving friends.
His head dangles; his body is limp and lifeless. Against his body, a sweeping white shroud is ready to wrap him. Behind them, dark clouds billow—light and darkness held together in one scene.

This painting was meant to hang above an altar. Below it, communion would be given with words echoing: “His body broken for us.” “His blood shed for us.”

Reflection Questions

As you first look at the painting, what rises up in you—thoughts, memories, bodily sensations, prayer?

What emotions does this scene evoke as you stay with the reality of Jesus’ death?

Where do you find yourself in the scene—near the ladder, among the mourners, at a distance, or somewhere else?

Which figure do you connect with right now, and what in your life draws you toward that person?

How would you want to participate in this act of care—holding, waiting, grieving, watching, praying?

Where are you being invited into a courage like Joseph’s—choosing compassion where there can be no pretending?

How does this image speak to you of Jesus’ offering of himself, and what response begins to form in you?

What area of your life feels near the cross today—an obligation, a relationship, a grief, a decision, a ministry waiting to be named?

What specific task or next step is emerging, and how might it become a way of serving Christ?

As you listen in silence, what words, images, or gentle instructions do you sense God giving you?

Closing

God of the cross and the garden tomb, stay near as we leave this scene. Receive our grief, strengthen our courage, and guide us into the task of love you place before us. You are always available to us. Amen.