Holy Week Good Friday

After the arrest of Jesus, he was tried first by the Jewish elders. Even with false witnesses testifying and beatings, they could not prove him guilty. The High Priest was getting frustrated with the events and sought an immediate and direct answer from Jesus. He had already prophesied that one man should die for the people. (John 11:45-53, 18:14) Even he didn't understand the profound truth of that statement. As they continued to try and build a case, Jesus remained silent.

Finally, the High Priest demanded, "In the name of the living God, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?"

This was a question that had to be answered. Jesus said, "Yes. And in the future you will see me sitting at God's right hand in the place of power coming back on clouds of heaven."

The High Priest tore his clothes in disgust and declared the statement to be blasphemy. They beat him and spat on him. He was declared guilty and condemned to death. (Matthew 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:66-71; John 18:19-24)

The High Priest demanded to know the truth, but then promptly ignored it. The religious leaders were so completely under the control of Satan that they could not even recognize their God standing in front of them. They had seen the miracles, heard the testimonies and listened to the teachings of Jesus in the Temple, and still they did not believe. But that is why Jesus was able to forgive them. They were spiritually dead men. As he said, the religious leaders were like the blind leading the blind. (Matthew 15:14) He had also given them the Parable of the evil farmers, who sought to kill the son and take control of the vineyard for themselves. (Luke 20:9-19) The religious leaders knew this was about them and they were angry. But actually, it was more of a reference to Satan, their spiritual father. They could have rejected his control, but instead they continued to be his instruments.

Now we come to a moment in the story that illustrates the absurdity of religion. I define religion as everything man dreams up to try and impress God. The religious leaders took Jesus to Pontius Pilate to demand that he be executed. As they reached the palace, they refused to go inside because they feared they would be ceremonially defiled for the Passover feast. It was alright to beat and condemn an innocent man to death, but entering the home of a Gentile was against their religion. (John 18:28) Religion will make you do some really stupid things.

Pilate has gotten a bad rap through the centuries, but his story fascinates me. He saw right away that Jesus was innocent and it was only jealousy that brought the religious leaders out against him. He sought ways to legally release Jesus. He had a habit of releasing one criminal at the Passover celebration, but the religious leaders demanded Barabbas, a notorious criminal.

Before he offered to release Jesus to the crowd, he asked if Jesus was the King of the Jews. Jesus explained that his kingdom was not of this world. Otherwise, his followers would have fought for him. During this little interview you almost get the sense that Pilate was at the very least curious about this man that was standing in front of him.

After Pilate agreed that he was a king, Jesus said, "I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth, recognize that what I say is true."

Pilate replied, "What is truth?"

Jesus had told his disciples that he was the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6). There are two realities in this world, Jesus and the father of lies. (John 8:42-47) Once you understand the difference between the two, everything else in life gets so much easier.

For a brief moment, Pilate was in the presence of truth. He knew what was the right thing to do. But he was also a politician that needed to keep the peace to secure his future with Rome. He had Jesus flogged and then brought him back out to the crowd. He told them that he found him not guilty. The religious leaders said that he claimed to be the Son of God and deserved to die. This made Pilate even more uncomfortable with the situation. Even his wife sent him a note saying to have nothing to do with that innocent man. She had experienced a nightmare about Jesus. Both Pilate and his wife knew there was something not right about the whole situation.

Pilate brought Jesus back inside. He begged Jesus to help find a way to release him saying, "Don't you know I have the power to release or crucify you?"

Jesus reassured him. Pilate had no power over Jesus unless it came from above. And then Jesus said, "the greater guilt is on the one that brought me to you."

Pilate tried one last time to release Jesus, but the religious leaders gave a veiled threat that if Pilate released him, he was no friend of Caesar. Pilate washed his hands in public view of the people and said that he was not guilty of this innocent man's blood. The crowd shouted back that his blood would be on them. Jesus was released to the Roman guards to be crucified. (Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 18 & 19)

The mob, many of which had proclaimed him their king just a few days earlier, now demanded his death. Pilate caught between the mob and his own political future, gave in to the pressure. He recognized that this was wrong, but he did not stop it. In one final rebellious act, Pilate had a sign created and placed it on the cross above Jesus. It was written in three common languages of the time. It read:

Jesus, King of the Jews

The religious leaders demanded that the sign be changed. But Pilate said that what is written, stays written.

Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, "Listen, we're going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Romans,and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again." But they didn't understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about. Luke 18:31-34 NLT

This was just before the triumphant entry on Palm Sunday. Jesus knew to the smallest detail what was going to take place. He knew each blow. He was expecting the crown of thorns. Every punch, insult and even what was in the heart of each person that spit on him. Their Covenant God was here on earth with them. But they would reject him and treat him worse than any criminal. Men, spiritually under the control of Satan, are capable of the most barbaric of crimes.

Man needed a savior. It could not be a man or an angel. It had to be God himself. Jesus had walked the earth as the perfect man, like Adam before the fall. Satan could not touch him. He was victorious over sickness, lack, nature, demons and even death. When Jesus allowed the mob to arrest him, endured the violent treatment, and was hung on the cross, no doubt that Satan and his demonic hordes rejoiced. They thought that Jesus had sinned. They did not realize he did this willingly, for you.

Judgment was coming on the prince of the earth and he did not even know it. Before, there was only one man on the earth that defied his authority, Jesus. But in less than a month, there would be an ever expanding Church with both the authority and power through the Holy Spirit and the Name of Jesus to overcome all the power of the enemy.

"These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed." Mark 16:17-18 NLT

Through the centuries Satan has fought this revelation. He hid the Word in monasteries. He divided believers into sects and denominations and had them fight over trivial matters of ceremony and dogma. But those days are gone. That power and authority is still available to you. Pick up your Bible every day and read the Word. Let the words of Jesus come alive in your spirit. Let the Holy Spirit reveal God's will for your life and direct your steps. Let the Name of Jesus have its proper place of preeminence.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 NLT

The Bible can be either a blessing or a curse. If you read it expecting to find doubt, unbelief or excuses for failure, you will find it. But if you read it in faith, expecting to experience the glory of God, you will definitely find it and much more! This is one of those verses that people sometimes find something negative. They focus on the first few verses where Jesus gave up his Godly power to become a man. The thinking goes that you should somehow be even more miserable than you already are. Heavens no! Christ became a man, so that you could be more like God! That is the Good News! The victory that Jesus won is YOUR victory too!

When you reject the sinful nature and receive the free gift of salvation, the glory of God is yours. You are part of the family of God and a new creation. Jesus endured it all so that you could reign as a king in life. You should be an imitator of Christ and be a blessing to the world as he was during his time on the earth. (Matthew 17:20; Mark 9:23; Romans 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 3:29; Ephesians 3:14-21, 4:15-16; Colossians 1:18-23, 2:13-15)

After criminals were beaten and mocked in whatever way seemed appropriate to the Roman guards, they had to carry their cross to the execution place. This was one more way to torture the accused and also an excellent warning to anyone else who broke the law.

Jesus had been beaten for most of the morning and was already at the point of death. The blood loss and pain from the lash, along with severe dehydration had taken their toll. There was also the physical exhaustion of being kept awake for 24 hours. As the execution party made their way to Golgotha (Skull Hill), they found Simon, a man from Cyrene, and forced him to carry the cross for Jesus. This would be a small relief in a exceptionally tortuous day.

Along the path were many grief-stricken women. Jesus turned to them and said,

"Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then "'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"' For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" Luke 23:28-31 NIV

Jesus knew what was going to happen to the Jewish nation. In just a few short years, a Roman army would destroy Jerusalem and disperse the Jews throughout the world.

But there was a deeper meaning to the words of Jesus. Jesus tells us that he is the vine and we are the branches. The branch is the fruit bearing part of the plant. But you cannot bear any fruit if you are not connected to the vine. You stay connected by reading the Word and letting the Holy Spirit direct your life. In this way, you have God's love life flowing through you. You will bear much good fruit and be a blessing to the world. (John 15:1-17)

The opposite is true as well. If you are cut off from God's love life. Your life will be barren and under the control of the evil one. Unless you turn your life over to Jesus, you will spend eternity separated from God's love.

There were two criminals crucified with Jesus, one on his left and one on his right. Even though all three were under the same judgment, facing the same punishment and death, one decided to turn his anger on Jesus.

The first one scoffed, "If you are the Messiah, prove it by saving yourself and us too!"

The second rebuked the first by saying, "Don't you fear God? We deserve our punishment, but this man is innocent."

Take a moment and consider the words of both criminals. Jesus would prove to the first that he is the Messiah. He would save himself and everyone that believes in him. And look at the words of the second. He recognizes that something is not right about the situation. They deserved their punshment, but Jesus did not. That little spark was enough to ask the most important question.

"Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."

That little bit of faith was all that was needed. There was no ceremony or religious hoopla needed, just simple faith in Jesus as his Savior. Salavation is a free gift. You believe that Jesus died and was raised back to life. And that he paid the entire penalty of sin on your behalf. If you believe that in your heart, and declare Jesus as your Lord, at that very moment you are spiritually reborn into God's family. Religion, and Satan working even in religious circles, likes to create all sorts of stumbling blocks. But the actions of Jesus and the criminal should be reassuring. Jesus is eagerly waiting for you to simply believe in him. There is no other way to God except through Jesus. And it is by faith in Jesus and nothing else. (John 3:16, 10; 14; Acts 2:21, 4:8-12, 15:1-11; Romans 3:21-31, 10:5-13; Ephesians 2:1-10)

Jesus heard the words of faith from the second criminal. He assured him that, "He would be in paradise."

Remember, spirits do not cease to exist. Under the Old Covenant, the spirits of the righteous dead went to a place called Paradise, also known as Abraham's bosom, to wait for the final sacrifice by Jesus. The spirits of the evil dead went to Hell where they were tormented. See the story of the beggar Lazarus and the rich man at Luke 16:19-31 for more understanding. After the resurrection, the righteous joined Jesus in Heaven. For Christians that die now, their spirits are immediately with Christ in Heaven. These are comforting words to you and to those that have lost loved ones. (John 12:23-26; 14:1-14; 17:20-26; Romans 6:5-11; 8:31-39; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Philippians 1:20-26)

There is one more important lesson we can learn from the criminals that were crucified with Jesus. The second criminal had lived a life of crime. He even admitted that he deserved the punishment he was receiving. There was nothing he could have done at that point to earn salvation. The game was over for him so to speak. But, Jesus still had mercy on him. Jesus loves you. And no matter how bad you think you have been, Jesus can make it right. Satan will try and remind you of every bad thing you have ever done. He wants you to feel condemned and unworthy of the free gift of salvation. Whatever mess you have made of your life, God can come in and turn it around. It all starts with simple faith in Jesus, who gave everything he had FOR YOU.

God forgives all my sins and heals my diseases. He surrounds me with love. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle's! He has removed my rebellious acts as far away as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:3-4, 12)

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:1-2 NLT)

While the condemned hung on the cross, the family would gather around and helplessly watch the final moments of their loved ones. Being crucified was considered a great scandal to the Jews. As we are told in both Deuteronomy 21:23 and Galatians 3:13, whoever is hung on a tree is cursed. Jesus endured this willingly, taking on the entire curse on your behalf.

According to John, the only people who were at the cross were his mother Mary, her sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene and his disciple John. Presumably, the rest of the disciples fled and hid themselves since that is where we find them after the crucifixion. It is also interesting to note that none of Mary's other children were there. Jesus had an interesting relationship with his family. His brothers would later become active in the early church, but while Jesus was on the earth, his family and community weren't sure what to think. See Matthew 12:46-50, 13:53-58; Mark 3:31-35, 6:1-6; Luke 4:14-30; and especially John 7:1-9 where John explains that his brothers did not believe him.

No doubt his mother had the same doubts as all his disciples, but she loved him as only a mother could. And you have to know that Jesus loved her too. Hanging from the cross and in excruciating pain, Jesus turned to his mother and told her that John would look after her. And then asked John to look after his mother. John tells us from that moment on, he took her into his home. It seems like a very insignificant moment in the entire saga, but it is critical to understand the nature of God. He cares about everyone - widows, orphans, lonely or poor. No matter how difficult or insignificant your problems may seem, Jesus has the solution. He cares about every single detail of your life.

I have one final thought on this exchange. Not only was Jesus providing for his mother, he was changing their relationship. Mary had always seen Jesus as her son, which he was naturally. But Mary needed to now see Jesus as her Savior and Lord. In order to be spiritually reborn and receive the Holy Spirit, she, like everyone else, would have to accept him as her Savior and declare Jesus her Lord. Nobody can earn their salvation. It is only by faith that we receive the new birth. (John 3:16, 10; 14; Acts 2:21, 4:8-12, 15:1-11; Romans 3:21-31, 10:5-13; Ephesians 2:1-10)

There are many prophecies and visions that are recorded in the Old Testament. The ones that have always had the biggest impact on me were the ones concerning Christ. In Psalms 22, David quite skillfully described the events that would transpire on Good Friday several centuries later. Crucifixion would not even be commonly practiced for several hundred years, but God revealed it to him in great detail.

My God, my God! Why have You forsaken me? Psalm 22:1

Jesus quotes this verse on the cross. It is very important that you understand that Jesus willingly went to the cross. And although the physical anguish was tremendous, being separated from God and the sinful nature that came with that spiritual death, was much more traumatic. Jesus had lived in daily fellowship with God. As Adam and Eve were before the fall, Jesus was a perfect man. He lived a life free from sin. And filled with the full power of the Holy Spirit, he was able to overcome all the power of the enemy. Spiritual death had to come first before sickness and death (the curse) could come upon Jesus. Remember, spirits don't cease to exist. Spiritual death is a disconnection from the life of God caused by sin. The spiritual anguish of being separated from his Father brought out these words of despair.

I am worm and not a man. Psalm 22:6

This is a reference to the Tola worm, whose blood was used for scarlet dye. In fact, the word Tola is translated as either scarlet or worm. An interesting characteristic of this worm is that it climbs a tree and clings to the spot where it lays its eggs. When the larvae hatch, they devour the adult worm. In death, the Tola worm gives life to its young. See the speech Jesus gave in John 6:51-57 - "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood, have eternal life."

The blood of the worm does not coagulate or change colors and is a highly valued substance. In similar fashion, the precious blood of Jesus is always available to you. (1 Peter 1:19)

All who see me laugh at me and mock me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted and rolled himself on the Lord, that He would deliver him. Let Him deliver him, seeing that He delights in him. Psalm 22:7-8

An accurate description of the scene around the cross and an almost a direct quote of what the crowd would say. The religious leaders and crowd mocked Jesus while he was on the cross. (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23) It wasn't enough just to kill Jesus. The religious leaders were so driven by jealousy and hatred that they persisted in mocking their Savior. But even facing death, Jesus acted in love and forgave them.

My enemies surround me like a pack of wild dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count every bone in my body. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice for my garments. Psalm 22:16-18 NLT

You must realize that this verse is not only referring to the actual people - the religious leaders, Roman guards and others that abused him. This is being directed to the forces of darkness that are controlling these people. Remember Paul's words, we fight against evil forces in the spiritual world, not flesh. (Ephesians 6:10-18) Jesus loved his tormentors and forgave them on the cross. That is what love does. He knew that these were spiritually dead men and under the control of the evil one. When you understand this truth, it is much easier to forgive people who hurt you. You overcome all the forces of darkness by your shield of faith and your sword of the spirit, the Word of God.

As partial payment for their work in crucifying and crowd control, whatever valuables (usually garments) that the condemned brought with them were given to the guards. They would split the clothes between them. Jesus had a very expensive seamless robe. They did not want to tear this into pieces so they threw dice for it, fulfilling the prophecy. If you think that Jesus was poor, consider this scene. How many condemned men have garments that anybody would want, much less would gamble to take possession? All Jesus' needs were supplied abundantly. God is a good and loving God. He does not want any of his children suffering in poverty. (Psalm 23, Luke 12:22-33, John 10:10)

On the cross, death would come usually by suffocation. But this was a long process. As the convicts tired, they could no longer lift with their legs and fill their lungs with oxygen. To speed things up, the guards would break their legs, preventing them from lifting themselves. Death would come quickly. The religious leaders did not want the bodies to remain on the cross overnight, so they requested the guards break their legs. Both criminals crucified with Jesus had this done. But Jesus had already released his spirit and was dead. There was no need to break any of his bones. This fulfilled the prophecy that none of his bones would be broken.

As Jesus hung on the cross, darkness covered the earth for three hours. Unlike movie portrayals of clouds or an eclipse, this was a supernatural darkness. Remember, God is light. As Jesus became sin, God withheld His light. We have to go back to Isaiah to shed some light on what happened during this three hour darkness.

But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. Isaiah 52:14 NLT

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 NLT

I would encourage you to read all of Isaiah 53.

Towards the end of the three hours of darkness (from approximately noon to 3 pm), Jesus said, "I thirst." The guards took a sponge soaked in vinegar and held it up to his lips. That line has always intrigued me. I'm sure after all the beatings and suffering on the cross, he was experiencing severe dehydration. Asking for a drink should not be surprising. But Jesus did not throw words around. He only spoke the words of his Father. (John 14:10) Remember his words in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness." At this moment on the cross, he was cut off from God. But by faith, he desired to be back in right standing with his Father. And in three days, he would be.

It is difficult not to focus on the physical suffering of Jesus. We are unfortunately, more aware of our physical body and less so of the spiritual world. The moment darkness fell on the earth, Jesus became sin. He had to "die" spiritually before he could die physically.

Notice the words of Jesus, "My God, why has thou forsaken me?" He was a quoting from Psalm 22. It was a plea of spiritual anguish at being cut off from God. Just like Adam in the Garden, Jesus had died spiritually. He had become our subsitute. The entire curse was laid on him. One can only imagine the spiritual torment of experiencing all fear, doubt, worry, hate, sickness, violence and even death for the first time. Just as the High Priest confessed all the sins of the Jews onto the scapegoat, Jesus bore all sin for mankind.

Notice the parallel between the High Priest's actions with the scapegoat and one of Jesus' last statements on the cross, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." (Leviticus 16:7-22; Luke 23:46) The High Priest would place his hands on the head of the scapegoat and confess all of Israel's sins onto it. Then, they would take the scapegoat out into the wilderness and release it. Remember Abraham's confession that "God would provide himself a lamb." Jesus is known as the head of the Church. God confessed all sin on Jesus, and after physical death, his spirit suffered the penalty of sin, which is death (separation from God), for three horrifying days in hell. Remember, Jesus told them that he, like Jonah, would be in the "heart of the earth" three days and the would rise. (Matthew 12:40)

For further reading on the three days that Jesus endured, see the following: Job 30; Psalm 31, 88; Isaiah 53; Mark 3:22-29; Luke 11:14-22; Acts 2:22-35; Jonah 2; Colossians 2; Hebrews 2:11-18; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Revelation 1:17-18 - Space limitations do not permit an exhaustive study on the victory Jesus won over the forces of darkness. But a careful study of the preceding verses will get you started. The important thing to note is that the Jesus was much more than a martyr. He won a tremendous spiritual victory over all evil. As a Christian, you share that victory with him. (Romans 8:31-39)

It was now about 3 pm. Jesus had accomplished everything that God sent him to do as a man. He said, "It is finished." He dismissed his spirit from his body and died. There was an earthquake at this very moment. Matthew tells us that the veil to the Holy of Holies, where God's presence had dwelt on earth, was torn from top to bottom. The Old Covenant had ended. Jesus was the final sacrifice. In just over a month, the Holy Spirit would be released to the earth allowing every Christian to be the Temple of God. The Jewish Temple would be left desolate. (Matthew 23:38) Its not surprising looking back why Jesus was so tough on the religious leaders. They clinged to their traditions, titles and ceremonies and completely missed God in their presence. Just a few years later, the Temple would be destroyed and the Jewish nation scattered throughout the world. But God would bring them back. (Matthew 27; 1 Corinthians 3:16)

Joseph of Arimathea, a secret follower of Jesus, went before Pilate to demand the body. Pilate was surprised that he was already dead, but released the body. Joseph along with Nicodemus, who had visited Jesus at night, were two that disagreed with the decision of the religious leaders. They took the body wrapped it and buried it in Joseph's own tomb. They then sealed it with a large stone.

In the natural, it seemed like that was the end. The disciples ran off and hid. Nobody knew there was a mighty battle being waged in the spiritual world. The Psalmist caught a glimpse of the struggle. Read Psalm 88 carefully. Also, Isaiah saw it Isaiah 53. Sin is a spiritual problem. It has to be defeated by a spiritual sacrifice.

Jesus was in the heart of the earth as he promised, suffering for all mankind. It wasn't until the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit that they started to see the whole picture. Starting with Acts 2, Peter, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, starts to explain what happened.

And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:15 KJV

Jesus defeated Satan and took away his authority! See all of Hebrews 2, but especially verses 14 & 15:

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Hebrews 2:14-15 KJV

Jesus was once the only begotten son. But now, he is the first-begotten of the dead and the firstborn among many brethren. (Psalm 2:1-7; Acts 13:30-34; Romans 8:29; Hebrews 1:4-5, 2:6-9, 5:5; Revelation 1:4-5)

And now you have your marching orders. You are to make disciple of the world - healing the sick and overcoming all the power of the enemy in the name of Jesus!

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:18 KJV

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mark 16:15-18 KJV