After the Last Passover Supper with the 12 disciples, Jesus and 11 of them went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, as He had done many times before. (John 18:1-2). Judas Iscariot had already left to betray Him into the hands of the chief priests, elders, and scribes. "Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I AM HE. And Judas also, which betrayed Him, stood with them. As soon as He had said unto them, I am He, they went BACKWARD, AND FELL TO THE GROUND." Notice the first two words Jesus responded with- I AM. This IS THE NAME OF JEHOVAH GOD, and it was not by accident that He answered them this way. This was a providentially timed question HE ASKED THEM, so that one more time, He could proclaim to them who He was! He said it with such power and authority, that it scared the life out of these men! They had seen Him in the Temple and heard Him preach. These even may have been the same officers that told the chief priests and Pharisees that "Never man spake like this man." (John 7:46). Jesus spoke the Word to the people and "taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes, " (Matthew 7:29). God's voice IS POWER AND AUTHORITY, and these men heard it thunder through them like they had never heard Him before!
Even after Jesus' declaration to be the Great I AM, "..the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound Him." (John 18:12). Jesus was then led before Annas the priest, Caiaphas the high priest (John 18:13-14),Herod (Luke 23:15) and then before Pontius Pilate. Pilate was the ruler that sentenced Jesus to death, even though he proclaimed, "...I find in Him NO FAULT AT ALL." (John 18:38). "Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and smote Him with their hands." (John 19:1-3). This was the second time that day that Jesus had been smote upon with their hands. The first time was by the Jewish Leaders themselves, (Matthew 26:66-68). The very hands that the Creator had formed were now being used to smite the One who had given them. Instead of using those hands to raise in praise to the Lord in true worship, they were used to mockingly bow and press the crown of thorns into His brow. They also plucked the beard from our Lord's face, (Isaiah 50:6). Isaiah 52:14 even tells us that His visage, or face, was so marred that He didn't even look like a man anymore. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. BUT HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES..." Isaiah 53:5. How do you use your hands for the Saviour? Are they used in praise and thanks given to Him for the strikes He received for us? Or, are they used to slap Him as well in disregard for His Word and rejection of It?
They mocked the Lord, and put His own rainment back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. Golgotha, or the place of a skull, is where they led Him. On the way there, Simon a Cyrenian, was compelled to help the Lord carry the cross behind Him. (Mark 15:21 & Luke 23:26).They had beaten the Lord so, that His human side was weak in carrying the cross. The verse says that Simon passed by. He was not there to see the Crucifixion. The soldiers chose him providentially to help carry the cross. He was at the RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME and the Lord wanted Him there. This ultimately lead to Simon's salvation, as he is named the father of Alexander and Rufus, saints later mentioned in Paul's epistles. No doubt he went home that day forever changed and told his family the story of the Saviour and the cross. What better heritage to leave our children than the Message of Salvation and how Jesus changed our life the day WE met Him at the Cross?
"Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin." (John 19:19.) This was done in accusation of Jesus' supposed crime in claiming to be King, but also in Pilate's declaration of Who Jesus was, (vs 21&22). It was written in the language of every nation present at Calvary, so that they were all aware of Who He was and are without excuse.(Romans 1:19&20). The soldiers nailed Him to the cross, parted His garment into four pieces and cast lots for it. They also took His coat, that was without seam, and left it whole, and cast lots for it as well to fulfill scripture. (Psalm 22:18). "Now the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." Matthew. 27:45 This darkness was the sin curse the Lord was bearing for us there on the cross. Isaiah 52:4 says, the Father had to turn His back on Him because He was made sin for us, and the Lord cannot look upon sin. ( II Corinthians 5:21). "..My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt.27:46) Jesus bore our sin and separation from God the Father so that we would NEVER HAVE TO! We can be a child of the King and He will NEVER LEAVE US, NOR FORSAKE US (Heb. 13:5), because Jesus become our curse! (Galatians 3:13). Jesus then yielded up the Ghost, of His own accord, and cried with a loud voice, "It is finished." (Matthew 27:50.)
The veil of the Temple was rent in half from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the graves were opened. The centurion and those that were with him, after seeing all that was done, feared greatly and said "Truly this was the Son of God." (Matthew 27:54).
What do you say when you look upon the cross? Can you with say with the Roman centurion that truly Jesus is the Son of God? Or, do you say that if Jesus was the Son of God that He could have saved Himself, just as the scribes and thief cast in His teeth? Friend, JESUS came for THIS REASON! TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY! (MATTHEW 20:28). "For God SO LOVED THE WORLD, that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELEIVETH IN HIM, SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE!" JOHN 3:16. How can we look upon the cross and NOT SAY THANK YOU? What will you say when You look upon the cross?
Amen!
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