#136 - Kyle Thompson // St. Patrick’s Breastplate: Through the strength of Christ with His baptism •#136 - Kyle Thompson // St. Patrick’s Breastplate: Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial

We explore St. Patrick's Breastplate (or the Deer's Cry), an ancient Irish prayer that speaks of rising through the strength of Christ's crucifixion and burial—a seemingly paradoxical concept that challenges our understanding of strength and victory.

• Reading from St. Patrick's Breastplate about rising through the strength of Christ
• Examining the Gospel of John's account of Jesus's crucifixion and burial
• Reflection on how crucifixion was designed for maximum pain and public shame
• Questioning why crucifixion and burial would be considered sources of strength
• Sharing the beautiful conclusion of St. Patrick's prayer that emphasizes Christ's presence in every aspect of life

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Amen.

If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review. Stay sharp.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to St. Patrick's Breastplate
• 1:00 Gospel of John: The Crucifixion
• 2:15 The Paradox of Strength Through Death
• 3:45 Closing Prayer and Reflection

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome to the Daily Blade. The Word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

Speaker 2: 0:20

Welcome back, guys. This week we're spending some time with an Irish prayer from St Patrick called St Patrick's Breastplate or the Deer's Cry. So let me read the beginning of it here. I rise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the threeness, through confession of the oneness of the creator of creation. I rise today through the strength of Christ with his baptism, through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial, through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension. So today we're going to key in on this line. I arise today through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial. So let's read about that in the gospel of John again.

Speaker 2: 1:00

John, the apostle of Jesus, who was an eyewitness of Jesus's crucifixion and burial. So let's go to John 19. We'll start in verse 16. So they took Jesus and he went out bearing his own cross to the place called the place of a skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him and with him two others, one on either side and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. Now verse 28,.

Speaker 2: 1:26

After this, jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said to fulfill the scripture, I thirst. A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Since it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath for that Sabbath was a high day the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness. His testimony is true and he knows that he is telling the truth that you also may believe, for these things took place, that the scripture might be fulfilled. Not one of his bones will be broken. And again another scripture says they will look on him. Who they had pierced will be broken, and again another scripture says they will look on him, who they had pierced After these things.

Speaker 2: 2:31

Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he may take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus, by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now, in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So, because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Speaker 2: 3:05

Now St Patrick's breastplate says that we are to arise today through the strength of his crucifixion and his burial. But this line shouldn't make any sense, you see, because the Romans, while having not invented crucifixion, by this time they had perfected it. By this time they had perfected it, which means they were literal experts at inflicting the maximum amount of pain for the longest period of time before someone would finally succumb and die. And the process of crucifixion and you know the flogging and the nails included was meant to bring forth a maximum amount of public shame as well. So why would the crucifixion of Jesus and his burial be a source of strength? More on that tomorrow.

Speaker 2: 3:48

I'll leave you with the end of St Patrick's breastplate. May it guide you today. Christ with me, christ before me. Christ behind me. Christ in me. Christ beneath me. Christ above me. Christ on my right. Christ on my left. Christ when I lie down. Christ when I sit down. Christ when I right. Christ on my left. Christ when I lie down. Christ when I sit down. Christ when I arise. Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me. Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me. Christ in every eye that sees me. Christ in every ear that hears me. Amen.

Speaker 1: 4:17

Thank you for listening to today's episode Before you go. If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review. Stay sharp.