(Mark 15:1-47)

 Very early in the morning Jesus was handed over to Pilate. Accusations were hurled against Him, but He did not respond to any of them. Pilate was left with no choice but to give the crowd an option to grant clemency either to Jesus the King of the Jews or Barabbas (“son of the father”) the murderer on death row. The crowd chose Barabbas and condemned Jesus to the cross! In a very subtle way, God used this “exchange of prisoners” incident to symbolize the essence of Good Friday—a  “son of man” condemned was set free when the innocent Son of God was sent to the cross. By the hands of God, man’s hope of deliverance from sin was initiated while the agony of Jesus in the hands of man begun. 

Jesus was scourged before being sent out for crucifixion. Scourging was a very cruel punishment concocted by man. It used a whip with “metal or bone tips” at the end, with the intention of ripping off the flesh. It would cause massive blood loss and hasten death on the cross. Crucifixion on the other hand was meant to kill by asphyxiation. If the loss of blood from scourging does not kill, the inability of the body to carry its weight on the cross would cause loss of breath.

The Roman soldiers mocked Him. Then a purple clothed was robed on him and a crown of thorns shoved deep in his head. They struck him on the head and spat on him as they mockingly paid homage to Him.

As Jesus was led out carrying the cross, Simon, the Cyrene, was forced to help him all the way to Golgotha. Upon reaching the place , around 9AM, the soldiers crucified Him and casted lots to divide His clothes. Two robbers were crucified with Jesus, one on each side. People mocked Jesus while He hung on the cross. By 12 noon, darkness came over the whole place. By 3PM Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And when Jesus breathed His last, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’”

From a distance, some women who followed and cared for Jesus witnessed what transpired. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses was there too. When evening came, Joseph of Arimathea went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. When Pilate had confirmed that Jesus was dead, he agreed to Joseph’s request. So Joseph took down Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock.

As we remember the agony of Jesus on the cross, let us not miss the details of how he suffered. Imagine His cries of anguish every time the end of the whip ripped off His flesh—not once or twice but repeatedly. The grimace on His face as the barbs of thorns penetrated his head—blood gushed and flowed out. The insults He received when He was spit upon, kicked, punched, and ridiculed by people. The effort He exerted to carry the weight of the cross on the rugged road. The shouts of pain as the nails where hammered on His hands and feet. And the weight He bore as He was raised on the cross!

Jesus did not deserve any of this! And yet for your sake and mine, He willingly bore all the sins of the world so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. We were condemned to die, but the innocent Son of God took our place on the cross! “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

“Lord, I recognize that I am a sinner destined to be eternally condemned. But thank You for sending your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to take my place. I believe with all my heart that He died to pay for my sins I can never repay.  I surrender and commit my life to You today! I pray, from this day forward, as I remember what Christ went through on that first Good Friday, it will make a big difference in the way I live my life for Your honor and glory!”