The high priests and elders have been plotting to get Jesus out of the way for some time now. And they finally have him, accused of blasphemy, in front of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate actually could find no guilt in Jesus after questioning him. However, for fear of upsetting the crowds, he allowed them to decide Jesus' fate. And many of us know that scene, the chants of "Crucify him!", and "Give us Barabbas!" (the prisoner subsequently released instead of Jesus). These same crowds who earlier in the week had praised him shouting Hosanna, now wanted him dead.
Jesus was then mocked, beaten, and ridiculed by the soldiers. I can't even try to describe the details of that beating but you can read the accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. The soldiers placed a crown of thorns on Jesus' head, stripped him, beat him, and the forced him to attempt to carry his own cross to Golgotha. However, his body was too weak and Simon of Cyrene was forced to help carry it a portion of the way.
Now at Golgotha, The Place of the Skull, they drove nail-like stakes through Jesus' wrists and feet to attach him to the cross where he would be crucified between two convicted criminals. The mocking continued as they placed a sign above his head that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus then hung on the cross for six hours in agony while soldiers cast lots for clothes, and others passed by continuing to shout insults at him. Then, as life continues to fade from Jesus, he cries out in a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" and cries out loudly again before taking his last breath. The Roman centurion standing there immediately began to praise God and realized Jesus' innocence.
And in that moment, there was darkness over the land, along with a great earthquake, and the temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom. Matthew even records that some holy saints were raised from the dead that way. Since the Sabbath was approaching, they did not want anyone still hanging on the cross for it so the soldiers went to break the legs of the men. But they noticed that Jesus was already dead and pierced his side to make sure. Upon doing so, an outflow of blood and water came out, further confirming that Jesus was in fact dead. After all of this, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus came and took Jesus' body and placed him in a tomb following Jewish customs.
Thoughts:
- Christianity has long been based on sacrifices. And Jesus came to be the perfect lamb of God, and perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins. Some writers believer that his death was so violent in order to draw our attention to it more, versus the humane killing of lambs, birds, and other sacrifices. It is the shedding of his pure, innocent blood that cleanses us from the sin in our lives.
- The temple veil, which had previously separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, was torn. Formerly, only the high priest could enter the presence of God there to pray but Jesus had opened up the communication lines to everyone at anytime!
As we read this story and hear about the death of a perfect man, how can we consider this day good? "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit" - 1 Peter 3:18. Was Jesus' death good? No. But the results of it were. He paid a sin debt that you and I could never repay. God loved us so much, even before we were born, even while we live a life of rebellion to Him, that He gave us His son Jesus Christ to die for us.
I had someone say to me this week, "You're a Christian, huh." I was slightly caught off guard because we had not been talking much, but I responded to him that yes I am, and I asked if he was. He said that he was working on it. He felt that because I had a Jesus background or picture up and claimed to be a Christian that I was saying I was good or perfect, and that he had to keep working until he got there. Christians are not perfect, we are sinners saved by grace. Jesus' death is why I can have salvation! I'm thankful that my Lord loves me enough to forgive me for my sins and that he paid the price of sin that I could never afford to pay.
I don't know where anyone reading this is in your life, your faith, or your walk with the Lord. But if you have never believed, please consider doing so. Message me or talk to someone who is a Christian that you know about God and His son Jesus, and what they can do for your life. If you have believed, maybe you just need to think back on the good God has done in your life, and rededicate your life to serving Him. In the events of Jesus' crucifixion it's hard to see the "good" in Friday, but hindsight is 20/20 and the resurrection is coming!
Jesus was then mocked, beaten, and ridiculed by the soldiers. I can't even try to describe the details of that beating but you can read the accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. The soldiers placed a crown of thorns on Jesus' head, stripped him, beat him, and the forced him to attempt to carry his own cross to Golgotha. However, his body was too weak and Simon of Cyrene was forced to help carry it a portion of the way.
Now at Golgotha, The Place of the Skull, they drove nail-like stakes through Jesus' wrists and feet to attach him to the cross where he would be crucified between two convicted criminals. The mocking continued as they placed a sign above his head that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus then hung on the cross for six hours in agony while soldiers cast lots for clothes, and others passed by continuing to shout insults at him. Then, as life continues to fade from Jesus, he cries out in a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" and cries out loudly again before taking his last breath. The Roman centurion standing there immediately began to praise God and realized Jesus' innocence.
And in that moment, there was darkness over the land, along with a great earthquake, and the temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom. Matthew even records that some holy saints were raised from the dead that way. Since the Sabbath was approaching, they did not want anyone still hanging on the cross for it so the soldiers went to break the legs of the men. But they noticed that Jesus was already dead and pierced his side to make sure. Upon doing so, an outflow of blood and water came out, further confirming that Jesus was in fact dead. After all of this, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus came and took Jesus' body and placed him in a tomb following Jewish customs.
Thoughts:
- Christianity has long been based on sacrifices. And Jesus came to be the perfect lamb of God, and perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins. Some writers believer that his death was so violent in order to draw our attention to it more, versus the humane killing of lambs, birds, and other sacrifices. It is the shedding of his pure, innocent blood that cleanses us from the sin in our lives.
- The temple veil, which had previously separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, was torn. Formerly, only the high priest could enter the presence of God there to pray but Jesus had opened up the communication lines to everyone at anytime!
As we read this story and hear about the death of a perfect man, how can we consider this day good? "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit" - 1 Peter 3:18. Was Jesus' death good? No. But the results of it were. He paid a sin debt that you and I could never repay. God loved us so much, even before we were born, even while we live a life of rebellion to Him, that He gave us His son Jesus Christ to die for us.
I had someone say to me this week, "You're a Christian, huh." I was slightly caught off guard because we had not been talking much, but I responded to him that yes I am, and I asked if he was. He said that he was working on it. He felt that because I had a Jesus background or picture up and claimed to be a Christian that I was saying I was good or perfect, and that he had to keep working until he got there. Christians are not perfect, we are sinners saved by grace. Jesus' death is why I can have salvation! I'm thankful that my Lord loves me enough to forgive me for my sins and that he paid the price of sin that I could never afford to pay.
I don't know where anyone reading this is in your life, your faith, or your walk with the Lord. But if you have never believed, please consider doing so. Message me or talk to someone who is a Christian that you know about God and His son Jesus, and what they can do for your life. If you have believed, maybe you just need to think back on the good God has done in your life, and rededicate your life to serving Him. In the events of Jesus' crucifixion it's hard to see the "good" in Friday, but hindsight is 20/20 and the resurrection is coming!
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