At The Foot Of The Cross.

The foot of the Cross on that hillside outside Jerusalem was a messy place. Golgotha, as it was known, was a place of execution. A grissly place. Roman soldiers where everywhere. Condemned prisoners. Families and friends of the prisoners lamenting their executions. Victims of the prisoners gloating and wanting to see revenge. Street gamblers. Sightseers. It was a hustling, bustling, messy place.

At the centre of it all on that Friday morning was a man. He was beaten up. Bloodied. Exhausted. And in agony. His back, arms and legs were a criss-cross of whip marks and lashes. The rough wood of the cross against these open wounds would have been sheer agony. He was innocent. And His name was Jesus.

He was so weak that He wasn't able to carry His own cross to the site of execution. At some point along the way Jesus stumbled and fell. He was so weak, tired and in pain that He was unable to lift the cross again. The task was given to Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross behind Jesus.And so the gory procession made it’s way along the road and out of the city walls.

On the ground at the bottom of Golgotha everyone came to a stop. This was the place where the crosses were to be erected and stood upright. Jesus’ cross was laid down on the ground then He was pushed onto the ground beside it. His clothes were removed from Him and some Roman soldiers started gambling over who was to get which item of clothing.

Then, with little regard for his pain or injuries, Jesus was shoved onto the cross lying down and His hands and feet were nailed onto it.

The opening verses of John chapter one and Hebrews chapter one tell us  Jesus was “The Word”. He was God from the beginning. And it was He who created this world and everything in it. And now we see this same Jesus being nailed to a tree.

The man who made all things from the beginning of time was nailed to a tree just like one that He himself had created.

John Ch1 (3)All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

At some point during these events a sign was made reading “Jesus. King Of The Jews” and a crown was roughly fashioned from a thorn bush and placed in His head.

The shouting and noise would have been loud from the crowds. Some yelling “crucify Him”. Others yelling at each other to try and get a better view. Even the two thieves beside Him started arguing between each other about Jesus. “Are you God? If so, call down the armies from heaven and save yourself”, said one. “What are you shouting at him for? Do you not know that this man is innocent?” shouted the other.

Then Jesus’ cross, his tired and bloodied body scarred and wracked with pain, was hoisted aloft. I can almost hear Jesus’ enemies cheering and jeering as the Cross appeared above them all. Only John The Beloved, Mary the Magdalene, Mary, Jesus’ earthly mother and her sister were there to grieve. Only they knew the horror when they saw Jesus’ body wretch even more in pain as His body hung from the Cross.

Jesus’ wounds are very significant for us as Christians.

His feet were pierced. That tells me that Jesus died so that we would be covered wherever we walked.
His hands were pierced. That tells me that Jesus died so that we would be covered in everything we did.
His side was pierced. That tells me that the blood that poured out from His body covered me forever.

And so after several eventful hours, Jesus’ body was removed and prepared for burial according to Hebrew ritual.

Matthew Ch27 v59 tells us…

(59) When Joseph (of Arimathea) had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, (60) and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. (61) And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary (Jesus’ earthly mother), sitting opposite the tomb.

Jesus was laid in a tomb that had never been used before, having been purchased by Joseph of Arimathea. Guards were placed on the doorway to watch over it. And Jesus’ friends family and supporters mourned at His death.

He, who was totally innocent, became guilty and died so that we, who are totally guilty, could be proclaimed totally innocent.

To be continued in my next blog…..

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