Stone Mountain Park, Stone Mountain, Georgia
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed His last. ~ Mark 15:37
Once again, I’m faced with so much information, I hardly know where to start. Today’s events include six trials (before the High Priest Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, the King of Israel Herod and then back to Pilate again, who gave in and let the people decide the outcome), the severe mocking, the flogging punishment, the arguments between Rome and Israel, the crucifixion itself and all the things that transpired during that time, and the burial.
In all of those things, there’s confirmation that God was in it. Dozens of prophecies were fulfilled. There were also events that happened at the time that proved it as well.
And there were many things what “went wrong” – things that happened that shouldn’t have. Like the first trial.
1. The Jewish ruling body at the time, the Sanhedrin, never should have held a trial. They’d already been plotting to kill him. They certainly weren’t in a position to hold a fair trial. And the supreme ruler, the High Priest, the one who was supposed to ensure a fair trial, was the one most after Jesus’ head.
2. It was illegal to try capital cases at night. The Sanhedrin broke their own law by holding the first trial on the night Jesus was arrested – Thursday night/Friday’s wee hours of the morning.
3. They shouldn’t have been looking for witnesses after the trial already started. Under Jewish law, a trial starts when witnesses come forward to testify. Not the other way around. And not only that, they went looking for false witnesses. People who testified to things they made up. (I believe that’s #9 in the list of the Ten Commandments, and it’s pretty specific – Thou shalt not bear false witness.)
4. Since there were false witnesses and the Sanhedrin were aware of that fact, those men should have been punished. They weren’t, at least as far as we know. And they couldn’t have, because if it got out that Jesus was convicted on the evidence of false witnesses, the Sanhedrin would have been in a lot of trouble – maybe punished themselves.
5. The actual ruling should have waited until the next day. That was the law. That fact that they pronounced judgment immediately is another illegality.
6. It was also illegal to try someone on the day before the Sabbath or before any holy day, precisely because they weren’t to pass judgement until the next day, so legally, there were no trials that day. Which adds yet another illegal aspect to Jesus’ trial. They should have waited.
7. In a trial, half of the 71 members of the Sanhedrin were supposed to argue for the defendant, and half against. (the one remaining was the High Priest) This didn’t happen. Furthermore, the defendant does not need to speak on his behalf. The High Priest, Caiaphas asked Jesus questions, but Jesus was not under any obligation to answer, until he said, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus was then legally obligated to reply. “Yes, it is as you say . . .” At that time, the priest threw a hissy fit and said Jesus was blaspheming God, and there was no more need of witnesses. Jesus was convicted by His own words, which was also illegal.
8. Although Jesus said He was the Christ (same as Messiah, remember?), the Sanhedrin did nothing to question His claim. They never considered His testimony. Also illegal.
Jesus, Pilate and rightfully convicted murderer Barabbas.
“Whom shall I release to you?”, Pilate asks the crowd.
Jumping ahead, we come to the events that occurred at the moment Jesus died. Those things that served to prove once again (just in case there was doubt), that Jesus is the Son of God and bore the sins of the world. You can read about these things in Matthew 27, verses 25-53.
1. Darkness reigned from noon to three pm. Even the natural world bore witness to the greatest of grief.
2. The temple veil that separated the people from the presence of God, tore in two from top to bottom, enabling the people access to God without the intervention of the Jewish leadership. Oh. And this veil wasn’t some thin filmy thing. It was 60’ tall and 4” thick. And it tore from top to bottom. No human could have done that.
3. There was an earthquake which split the rocks where Jesus was crucified.
4. Graves opened up and the saints (God-believers) came out. After the resurrection of Jesus (on Sunday), they appeared to many people.
5. Witnesses to these events had their lives changed – even the Roman soldiers who crucified Him now believed Jesus to be God!
In the end, beyond the physical torture, beyond the physical death, it was the unfathomable weight of the sin of the world and the further consequence of being separated from God the Father, that caused the darkest day.
The perfect, sinless Son of God bore the weight and punishment for my sin. For your sin. There is nothing we can do to repay Him. Nothing. Which is why Ephesians 2:8 tells us that it is by faith we are saved, not by works.
When we actually consider what our Lord and Savior endured for us, it should cause us heart-felt sorrow and at the same time, immeasurable joy. And it’s the reason today is called Good Friday.
It’s raining. It’s pouring. But at least it’s not storming, and the old man doesn’t snore because he uses his CPAP. 😊
And it really did pour!
By 2:30pm, it let up a bit so we went for a short walk, returning home just before it started again.
Later, after dinner, Blaine really wanted a fire, so we went to all that work building a wonderful one. It lasted for about an hour – – and then the rain started again.
It was a quiet day for us. Appropriate for remembering the darkest day in history.