December 22

19 – Pilate is perplexed. He wants to let Jesus go free.  Pilate perceives correctly in announcing that he sees no fault in Jesus.  By then Annas and Caiphas had pumped up the crowd with the fake news that Jesus was the one who’s going to cause the country to be overrun by Romans if they don’t kill Him immediately.  Pilate surmises that a whipping will satisfy the crowd; the mob that has been manipulated and is manic by now. Their demanding the death of Jesus is a tidal wave of emotion that had inundated the city.  Jesus returned from being punched by the bone crushing fists of crazed mercenary torture specialists. He has been beaten with lead studded whips and is bruised and bleeding to the point that killed many men by now.  His face is so swollen it was grotesque to see Him [Isaiah 52:14 prophesied this]. Some thought, “Jesus? is that still you?”  Pilate’s hopes are deterred as the crowd is still demanding Him to be crucified. Can you believe the comments that Jesus has for Pilate even during his ‘walk’ through such a cauldron of betrayal and pain?!  It had to have made Pilate’s blood run cold. And still … Pilate tries to release Him. He truly wants Jesus to go free.  And this isn’t because Pilate is a docile man.  He was given this assignment by Rome to ‘play Senator of sorts’ over Judea because he was quite comfortable with violence. But Jesus’ condemnation unto death grated against whatever sense of justice Pilate possessed. The people still are screaming for Jesus to be crucified. They threaten Pilate to be seen as an enemy of Rome if he frees Jesus.  Pilate was already in a jeopardized position because Rome had read him the riot act if any more rebellions broke out.  So this possible threat stung him at the heart level.  The Jewish crowd is in such hysteria that they declare Caesar is their only king. <– can you believe they were so crazed as to make this statement?  Pilate’s resolve was gone by then.  Annas and Caiphas manipulation of the crowd had worked.  The “courts” had been pushed to the brink and Jesus is handed over to be crucified by Roman soldiers.  It was illegal to have any other entity mete out death on a criminal.                We have taken the painful walk through Jesus’ death for the fourth time this year.  It was in Matthew 27 on April 07, Mark 15 on June 09, and in Luke 23 on September 22. The most pivotal event in history takes place as we read it again today.  Remember as He suffers crucifixion, He is dying so that those of us who follow Him don’t have to die. “The King of The Jews” sign is put over his head in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Jesus knew all these languages as well as Aramaic.  A criminal is also crucified on either side of Him to further illustrate the insult.  His clothing is dealt with as prophesied in Psalm 22 1,000 years ago.  He shares a heart-breaking word to His mother and to John.  It’s a touching reminder.  It’s also unreal that Jesus has the wherewithall to remind others to take good care of eachother in the days ahead!  Jesus is offered a drink from a sponge right before He dies. When He says, “it is finished” it was and he breathed his last.   He seemed to die in an unnoticed manner because the soldiers make the rounds to break legs so that the condemned hurry up and die and can be taken down before the sabbath begins that evening.  I say “unnoticed” because when they reach Jesus after breaking the criminals’ legs, “they saw that Jesus was dead…”  The spear in his side confirmed what medics will say even today.  Jesus was suffocating on the Cross – up to the point of death.  His burial is lead by Joseph of Arimathea.  Some research indicates that this may well have been Mary’s brother; Jesus’ uncle. Nicodemus also joined the process.  Can you somehow imagine the agony, the passion, the puzzlement and the grief of carrying Jesus from Golgotha to the Garden Tomb?!  Jesus the Messiah, the Healer, the Savior, the marvelous, the Rabbi, the King, … Jesus …. is now dead.  Covering Him with spices and wrapping Him in grave clothes had to be something that left Joseph and Nicodemus empassioned and breathless and weeping to exhaustion.

The job was soon done. The stone was rolled over the opening. And the world went silent.    Legend says the angels bowed their heads.  Legend says hell gasped, as they knew the guilt of man’s sin would then fall upon them. They had been killing guilty men all through history. This time an innocent man died, so guilt now is transferred to them and is irreversible.  Legend says that the dogwood trees were white the world over until Jesus died. Upon His resurrection they took on a range of hues between white and pink and red.     The discussions about Christ’s death will never be complete. The compulsion for artists, no matter their beliefs, is that they all want to do a crucifixion scene at least once in their career. This draw to the Cross – what is it? No event has put more musicians to flight than Jesus’ death. It’s the most popular scene ever gazed upon. The place of Golgotha/Calvary and the tomb can be visited today and you are encouraged to do so.   Embrace His death.  This must happen for us to rise again with Him.