From the time Jesus was kissed in betrayal by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemene, Jesus was treated brutally. Those who arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest where the teachers and lawyers had assembled.
Although the chief priests tried to pin false evidence against Jesus, they could not find witnesses against him. The High Priest finally said, "I charge you under oath by the living God; tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!" And Jesus answered, "Yes, it is as you say." Then the High Priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy." They proceeded to spit in his face and strike him with their fists, taking turns hitting him. They finally ended it, saying, "He is worthy of death."
Early on Friday morning, after deciding Jesus must be put to death and knowing it was against their own laws, the Chief Priests handed him over to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.
Meantime, two disciples had their own struggles on different occasions. Judas, who had betrayed Jesus with a kiss, had received 30 pieces of silver for his betrayal. Today, he was having second thoughts. He was feeling much guilt and sorrow for he knew he had done wrong. At the same time, Peter was being questioned as to whether he knew Jesus, and he denied knowing Him three times!His heart, too, was sad at his betrayal. Two men. Where did their betrayal lead them? Peter asked Jesus later for forgiveness. Judas committed suicide.
Pilate the governor had a custom during the Passover seasons to release a prisoner. So he set about asking the crowd, "Who do you want released to you?" Pilate expected them to ask for Jesus. But they did not. They asked for the notorious criminal, Barabbas.
"Barabbas, Barabbas, Barabbas," the crown roared Barabbas' name over and over.
Then, Pilate asked, "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Christ?" And they all answered, "Crucify him! Crucify him! Crucify him!
The governor's soldiers then took Jesus with them and the whole company stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him along with a crown of thorns they created for his head. They spit upon him, mocked him, and struck him repeatedly. After putting his clothes back on him, they led him away to be crucified.
Having been beaten badly, Jesus stumbled as he carried his own cross. Simon, a man from Cyrene, was forced to carry Jesus' cross to the Place of the Skull.
When they had crucified Jesus, they fought over His clothes and made a sign to place above His head which read, THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Those who passed by hurled insults at Jesus, "If you are the son of God, come down from the cross."
From the 6th hour to the 9th hour darkness came over the land. And Jesus, about the 9th hour, cried out loudly, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.?"
And when Jesus again cried out, He gave up His spirit.
At that moment, the curtain of the temple was ripped from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split open. Those who had guarded Jesus saw an earthquake, were terrified and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
Joseph of Arimathea, who himself had become Jesus' disciple, came forward to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. He wrapped Jesus in a clean linen cloth and placed him in Joseph's own new tomb that he had cut out of rock. After rolling a big stone in front of its entrance, Joseph went away.
The next day being past the Sabbath, the Jews returned to ask Pilate to secure the tomb until the 3rd day. They were afraid Jesus' disciples would try to steal Jesus' body. And so the tomb was guarded.
But Jesus' disciples rested Saturday in sadness and sorrow. The women, separate from the men, looked for comfort in one another as they also spent the day and night together. All hearts felt empty without Jesus. And they wondered each to themselves, "What shall become of us now?
Yes, what shall become of us without Jesus? That is what we, also, must ask ourselves.
Jo of MN, loving Christ who died for me.
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