The darkest day in human history
Yesterday was an interesting day.
Having had a nasty panic attack the day before, I was still pretty tired and really wanted to sleep, but I had errands to run. I knew my Little had had precious little sleep the night before, so Mouse and I decided to stop at Starbucks and get her something, as well as ourselves. After bringing Little her specially made frap, Mouse and I took off to get what needed to be done, done.
When we returned, Hubby was pretty much on our heels, getting home from work within about a half an hour after us. Once all of the niceties were done, I began to get ready for my evening.
I came out all dressed in black, mumbling that I look like Morticia. Hubby looked up about that time, mentioned that I looked fine, but that I looked as if I were going to a funeral. In a sense, I was.
Good Friday, if you're not familiar with it, is the day that we as Christians remember Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross. All four of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) give a recount of the crucifixion. As a Sunday School teacher, I also taught this to my High School class, giving them the gory details as well.
On that day, two thousand years ago, Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross. This punishment was meant for only the vilest of offenders, something the Son of Man was not. Prior to this act, Jesus was subjected to the worst of torture. The Sanhedrin gave him over to soldiers who beat and tortured Him, they blindfolded Him, spat on Him and demanded that He tell them who hit Him. In the morning, He was brought before Pilate, who initially found no fault in him, but when pressure from the chief priests and elders became overwhelming, he stood, washed his hands and proclaimed that Jesus' blood would not be on his hands. After having Him scourged, he then gave Him back up to the soldiers.
The soldiers were expert in torture. They beat Him with a flagrum, a whip with many thongs on it. Attached to each thong at the end would have been small balls of lead. Jewish law held that a prisoner may not have more than forty lashes, however, it is often believed that the Roman soldiers dismissed this and flogged Jesus until His back was shredded.
The soldiers, finding humor in a supposed King of the Jews being beaten, found a purple robe and placed it on His profusely bleeding back, twist thorns into a crown and shoved it on His head, making sure the thorns were deep within the skin and scalp. They give Him a stick to make the mockery complete, then surrounding Him, mocked Him. They slapped Him, pulled his beard out and then tiring of the mockery, they took the stick from Him and beat Him over the head with it, driving the thorns even deeper into the scalp. Finally, they ripped the robe from His back. The bleeding, which would have been clotting and drying by that time, stuck to His back. When they tore the robe from His back, it reopened the wounds, causing the bleeding to begin again. By this time, the soldiers become tired from the beating and decide to march Jesus to Golgotha.
The soldiers returned His garments to Him, then tied the heavy cross beam across His shoulders. It is said that the beam would have weighed in excess of 100 pounds, and on The Man who is having His blood pour out of Him and had had no sleep, this was beyond inhumane.
Despite His efforts to stay upright, He was unable to and Simon of Cyrene was selected to finish carrying the beam up the hill. Sweating, in shock from the beating and the loss of blood, Jesus is forced to walk the remaining 650 feet to the crest of the hill, where He was laid on the cross beam. The soldier felt for the space in His wrists and then ran a square, wrought iron nail through each wrist. The beam then was raised to the vertical beam where it was secured. The feet of Christ were then forced together, toes down and a nailwas run through both.
At this point the One who was crucified must push up on His feet to get even a small amount of air. The excruciating pain combined with the small amounts of oxygen was tiring. When Jesus cried out (translated), "My God! Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" the soldiers again mock Him. When He cried "It is finished" and dies, the skies darken and the veil in the Temple was torn in two.
When Jesus is removed from the cross, Joseph of Arimathea placed him in an unused tomb and a stone is rolled to the mouth of it. A seal is placed on the rock to assure that none may enter it. On the third day, according to the Scriptures, the stone had been rolled away and Jesus was no longer in the tomb.
Many have said that the Apostles had taken Him, or that the Sanhedrin had relocated His body, but there have been numerous writings, specifically from non-Christian sources, that show that Jesus was seen by hundredds for forty days after the Crucifixion.
So, in answer to my Husband's statement, yes, I did in a sense go to a Memorial, but I did not mourn. Instead, I sang of His sacrifice on the cross...to take away my sins; past, present and future, and I sang of the glorious resurrection that was to take place three days later. Am I perfect? Ask anyone and they will tell you with a resounding no. As much as I try, I can never be perfect, but that doesn't mean I continue to sin. Do I have times that one cannot tell me from those who are not followers? Yes, but I strive to love those around me, to give of my abundance when I can and to treat others as I would want to be treated.
As a result of my salvation, I rejoice in the fact that when I pass from this life that I will be perfected and will join those who have gone before me...and I will see the risen Christ face to face.
Having had a nasty panic attack the day before, I was still pretty tired and really wanted to sleep, but I had errands to run. I knew my Little had had precious little sleep the night before, so Mouse and I decided to stop at Starbucks and get her something, as well as ourselves. After bringing Little her specially made frap, Mouse and I took off to get what needed to be done, done.
When we returned, Hubby was pretty much on our heels, getting home from work within about a half an hour after us. Once all of the niceties were done, I began to get ready for my evening.
I came out all dressed in black, mumbling that I look like Morticia. Hubby looked up about that time, mentioned that I looked fine, but that I looked as if I were going to a funeral. In a sense, I was.
Good Friday, if you're not familiar with it, is the day that we as Christians remember Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross. All four of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) give a recount of the crucifixion. As a Sunday School teacher, I also taught this to my High School class, giving them the gory details as well.
On that day, two thousand years ago, Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross. This punishment was meant for only the vilest of offenders, something the Son of Man was not. Prior to this act, Jesus was subjected to the worst of torture. The Sanhedrin gave him over to soldiers who beat and tortured Him, they blindfolded Him, spat on Him and demanded that He tell them who hit Him. In the morning, He was brought before Pilate, who initially found no fault in him, but when pressure from the chief priests and elders became overwhelming, he stood, washed his hands and proclaimed that Jesus' blood would not be on his hands. After having Him scourged, he then gave Him back up to the soldiers.
The soldiers were expert in torture. They beat Him with a flagrum, a whip with many thongs on it. Attached to each thong at the end would have been small balls of lead. Jewish law held that a prisoner may not have more than forty lashes, however, it is often believed that the Roman soldiers dismissed this and flogged Jesus until His back was shredded.
The soldiers, finding humor in a supposed King of the Jews being beaten, found a purple robe and placed it on His profusely bleeding back, twist thorns into a crown and shoved it on His head, making sure the thorns were deep within the skin and scalp. They give Him a stick to make the mockery complete, then surrounding Him, mocked Him. They slapped Him, pulled his beard out and then tiring of the mockery, they took the stick from Him and beat Him over the head with it, driving the thorns even deeper into the scalp. Finally, they ripped the robe from His back. The bleeding, which would have been clotting and drying by that time, stuck to His back. When they tore the robe from His back, it reopened the wounds, causing the bleeding to begin again. By this time, the soldiers become tired from the beating and decide to march Jesus to Golgotha.
The soldiers returned His garments to Him, then tied the heavy cross beam across His shoulders. It is said that the beam would have weighed in excess of 100 pounds, and on The Man who is having His blood pour out of Him and had had no sleep, this was beyond inhumane.
Despite His efforts to stay upright, He was unable to and Simon of Cyrene was selected to finish carrying the beam up the hill. Sweating, in shock from the beating and the loss of blood, Jesus is forced to walk the remaining 650 feet to the crest of the hill, where He was laid on the cross beam. The soldier felt for the space in His wrists and then ran a square, wrought iron nail through each wrist. The beam then was raised to the vertical beam where it was secured. The feet of Christ were then forced together, toes down and a nailwas run through both.
At this point the One who was crucified must push up on His feet to get even a small amount of air. The excruciating pain combined with the small amounts of oxygen was tiring. When Jesus cried out (translated), "My God! Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" the soldiers again mock Him. When He cried "It is finished" and dies, the skies darken and the veil in the Temple was torn in two.
When Jesus is removed from the cross, Joseph of Arimathea placed him in an unused tomb and a stone is rolled to the mouth of it. A seal is placed on the rock to assure that none may enter it. On the third day, according to the Scriptures, the stone had been rolled away and Jesus was no longer in the tomb.
Many have said that the Apostles had taken Him, or that the Sanhedrin had relocated His body, but there have been numerous writings, specifically from non-Christian sources, that show that Jesus was seen by hundredds for forty days after the Crucifixion.
So, in answer to my Husband's statement, yes, I did in a sense go to a Memorial, but I did not mourn. Instead, I sang of His sacrifice on the cross...to take away my sins; past, present and future, and I sang of the glorious resurrection that was to take place three days later. Am I perfect? Ask anyone and they will tell you with a resounding no. As much as I try, I can never be perfect, but that doesn't mean I continue to sin. Do I have times that one cannot tell me from those who are not followers? Yes, but I strive to love those around me, to give of my abundance when I can and to treat others as I would want to be treated.
As a result of my salvation, I rejoice in the fact that when I pass from this life that I will be perfected and will join those who have gone before me...and I will see the risen Christ face to face.
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