GOOD FRIDAY

On Thursday night, Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples for 30 pieces of silver; sold down the river for what amounted to the price of a slave. The Jews seized Jesus and bound him. He was first taken to the high priest, Caiaphas, who questioned him, asking if he was the Messiah. Jesus did not answer the question directly, but allowed his interrogators to conclude that he had said yes. He did not respond to other questions. His silence infuriated them. From the priests’ point of view, Jesus had caused enough trouble for the Council of Priests. Had he not chased the moneychangers out of the Temple? His heretic teachings must cease. Witnesses were brought forth to testify that Jesus said he would tear down the Temple and rebuild it in 3 days. This amounted to a blasphemous statement because the Temple was the most holy of structure in all of Jerusalem. The witnesses contradicted each other and could not get their stories straight. Jesus remained silent throughout this proceeding. Caiaphas was angered to the point that he tore his clothes in frustration and pronounced Jesus a heretic. With the consent of his fellow priests, he sentenced Jesus to death.

The following day, the Council of High Priests met again. They viewed Jesus as a threat to their power so they were determined to rid themselves of him. The decision was made to take Jesus to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Jews were not allowed to carry out capital punishment without confirmation from the Roman governor. They thought Pilate would have no reluctance to use his power to deliver the death sentence they sought. Pilate examined Jesus and asked him if he was the King of the Jews. Jesus simply responded, “You say that I am.” Pilot was puzzled by Jesus and told the assembled throng of people he could not find fault with him. The crowd was furious and called for the crucifixion of Jesus. Since it was Passover, Pilate reminded the crowd that he could release a prisoner of their choice. The answer was not what Pilate expected. The crowd called for the release of Barabbas, a murderer. Pilate, still not convinced Jesus must die, had him taken away and whipped, hoping this action would satisfy the crowd. After the beating, Pilate presented a beaten Jesus to the crowd, but they continued to call for his crucifixion. With a threat to the order of his Roman rule, Pilate stood facing this angry, unruly crowd. Bowing to the pressure of the crowd, and wanting to keep the peace, Pilate sent Jesus off to be executed, telling the Jews that he washed his hands of the entire matter. Because Jesus was a threat to their religious authority, the Jews took responsibility for what was about to occur.
Here it is, Good Friday; the Friday before Easter Sunday. Many people are off work today, taking a holiday. But, this was not a good day for Jesus. Jesus was crucified on that Friday. After three hours on the cross, Jesus died. His body was placed in a borrowed tomb, wrapped with grave linens and 75 pounds of ointment. Praise God that the story does not end there. Jesus did not stay in the tomb, but rose from the dead. He is still alive today!

I share this particular blog today to remind you of the sacrifice Jesus made. Neither you nor I have any idea of the physical pain involved in crucifixion. What a horrible way to died. It amounts to torture. And we must not forget about the beatings Jesus endured during his trials. Jesus wasn’t crucified because he did anything wrong; far from it. Jesus upset the status quo and threatened the position of the religious leaders. Jesus was crucified because of their fear. A lot of people are not willing to let God into their lives because of fear. They fear many things – the unknown, losing control, missing out on fun, being different. Satan is the author of fear. If you will refuse to allow Satan to scare you away, Jesus will give you the sweetest life you can ever imagine having; a life full of peace and contentment, even in times of strife and trouble. Christians are not promised a problem-free life. Better yet, we are promised a God who will never leave us or forsake us.

Before you bite off the ears on the chocolate bunny this year, stop and think that Easter is not about bunnies or chocolate at all. Easter is about new life. You can have a new life, an everlasting life, if you will simply trust in the Jesus whose sacrifice and life we celebrate this weekend.

I hope you know how very much God loves YOU!!
Candy