THE PASSION AND DEATH OF JESUS
PREPARING FOR THE PASSOVER
When the day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread arrived, the day for sacrificing the Passover lamb, Jesus sent out Peter and John, instructing them, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”LUKE 22:7
Prior to Good Friday, there is Holy Thursday, celebration of the New Passover. At Passover, deliverance from the slavery of the Egyptians is remembered. At this Passover meal, Jesus, the lamb of God, proclaims a new Passover, the deliverance from sin and death.
TAKE AND EAT; THIS IS MY BODY MATTHEW 26:26-30
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. Then, after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN
In the Garden in Eden, our first parents fell into sin. Now there is a second Garden, Gethsemane, in the Mount of Olives. Soon, mankind will be delivered from their sins.
Jesus says to his apostles, “ Remain here and keep watch. My soul is sorrowful even to death; Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test”. Jesus goes apart a little to pray to His heavenly Father. Every time Jesus returned from prayer he found his apostles asleep…Can you not watch with me!
Jesus returns to prayer, comforted by angels sent by the Father. Jesus accepts His Mission from His Father, “not my will but thy will be done.” Jesus our Savior and Redeemer will deliver us from sin and death
.They came out to arrest Jesus like he was a robber, led by Judas his betrayer who betrayed him with a kiss. Jesus showed no animosity to Judas but called him friend. In chains they brought Jesus before the high priest where he was mocked, struck and spat upon
Meanwhile in the high priest’s courtyard Peter denied he even knew Jesus three times before the cock crowed. Peter repented and wept bitterly. The chief priests and elders condemned Jesus to death.
The Jewish leaders took Jesus before Pilate the Roman Governor because under Roman law the Jews had no right to carry out the death penalty.
The Roman Governor, Pilate, found no guilt in Jesus and tried to trade Jesus for another horrific revolutionary and murderer, Barabbas. Incited by the chief priests, the crowd cried out release Barabbas. Pilate feared the crowds, so he had Jesus scourged.
Meanwhile, Pilates’s wife had a dream that advised Pilate to have nothing to do with the fate of this innocent man. But Pilate unlike St. Joseph foster father of Jesus ignored the inspiration of God to protect Jesus as Joseph had in his flight into Egypt.
Once more, Pilate went out and said to crowd, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and a purple cloak. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the man!” The chief priests and the guards cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!”
ECCE HOMO! BEHOLD THE MAN!
JOHN 19:1-6
Still fearful of the crowd, but not wanting the blame, Pilate chose the ritual of washing his hands of this affair. They cried out “let his blood be on us and our children” and so it was…
There are many examples of irony here. Jews are often accused of being “Christ killers” and have suffered the consequences for centuries. We, of course know that while Jewish religious leaders may have been the occaision for Jesus’ death warrant, Jesus died to atone for the sins of the whole world. Jesus redeems all of us. His sacrificial blood washes over all…Jesus Christ Redeemer of the world!
Jesus is led out to be crucified, carrying the crossbeam of the cross himself. Because of the severe scourging at the pillar, Jesus soon falters and the soldiers force Simon who had just come into town from the country to assist.
At the place of the skulls (Calvary) where executions were frequently carried out, Jesus was stripped of his clothes, tearing the scourging wounds apart only increasing the pain. The soldiers nailed his hands to the cross beam, attached the cross beam to the vertical beam already in place then nailed his precious feet recently washed with tears and hair of Mary of Bethany sister to Martha and Lazarus. The soldiers then cast lots for His discarded garments.
Jesus is mocked by those executed with him, the crowd, chief priests and elders. “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Mark 15:29-39. Jesus overcomes hate with love, death with his own life. In some of His last words He continued to comfort and console his followers and us who follow Him today.
“Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:31; To the Good Thief who converted on the cross, “, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:40.
Before His death on the cross, Jesus looked on His mother and the disciple He loved and said, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” John 19:25-27
Bowing His head Jesus exspired, “it is finished, and giving a loud cry, Father into your hands, I commend my spirit.” When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:37-39.
The veil in the temple that divided the holy of holies from the people was torn in two; Jesus is the new temple of New Jerusalem. God in the person of Jesus is now revealed to the whole world!
“They will look upon whom they have pierced…when I am lifted up, I will draw all things to me…who ever looks upon me and believes will be saved”
JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS AND BURIED
Joseph of Arimathea, a distinguished member of the council, went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Having bought a linen cloth, Joseph took Jesus down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid. Jesus descended to the dead to announce the good news…that soon they will join Him in the exodus to eternal life…neither the tomb nor death will hold Jesus…He has conquered sin, and its sting, death…soon Jesus will rise in glory…!
In CHAPTER SIX of THE STORY OF SALVATION I will take up JESUS KING OF GLORY