Till the End

Good Friday is the most solemn day in the Christian calendar. It is a time for us as disciples of Christ to remember the suffering and death of our Saviour. On this Good Friday, I would like to take you back 2000 years ago to Jerusalem, where the suffering and crucifixion of our Master happened.

For the past 2 weeks, we have been studying and observing Jesus’s final moments with His disciples. Once Judas reappeared on the scene, the betrayal was complete. Jesus was arrested in the night by the Jewish authorities. All of His disciples forsook Him and ran away. He was then taken to be tried by the Jewish authorities before being handed over to the Romans. While waiting for the trials to happen, Jesus witnessed Peter denying Him. Did Jesus feel any disappointment in His disciples? Did He feel let down?

Scripture then tells us that Jesus had about 2-3 trials, all of which were illegal as they were conducted at night. He was first tried by the Jewish authorities. There were 5 parts to these trials - the trial before Annas (the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the High Priest), the trial before the former High Priest (Caiaphas), the trial before the current High Priest, and finally, the trial before the Sanhedrin. He was then tried by the Roman governor - Pontious Pilate, by King Herod, and finally by Pilate again. All in all, Jesus went through about 8 trials through the night leading to the daytime. Imagine the exhaustion and emotional turmoil He went through for being falsely accused, spat at, and struck by the religious leaders as he went through trial after trial without any sleep.

Pilate then sent him to be flogged. Jesus was placed between two Roman soldiers that carried out the scourging. Each of them held a Roman scourge, consisting of 2-3 leather ropes connected to the handle. Each rope was knotted with a number of small pieces of metal (usually zinc and iron or animal bones) attached at various intervals. This was designed to remove the skin of the one being punished quickly. Each time Jesus was flogged, 10-20 pieces of his skin and flesh would be torn out. Imagine the pain and torture he felt.

Pilate then condemned Jesus to be crucified. He carried His cross to Calvary with the help of Simon of Cyrene. Along the way, He was cursed at and spat at by the Jews who were watching. At Calvary, He was nailed to the cross naked and lifted up for all to see His shame. The ridicule did not stop there as the Jews and the Roman soldiers continued their mocking of Him.

Here was the Son of God - humiliated, suffering with pain, and having emotional turmoil due to the mockery and rejection of Him not just from the Jews and Romans but from His very own disciples as well. At that very moment, Jesus, with whatever little strength and breath He had left in His body, says 2 significant things. Firstly, He tells Mary, His mother, “Mum, this is now your son…” (John 19:26, paraphrased) as He glanced at John. At His final moments, the very thing that was on His heart was the well-being of His mother. He needed to ensure that she was well taken care of. And secondly, He did the unthinkable. Being the Son of God, He could have executed judgment on the Jews and still paid the penalty of sin. Yet, He uttered these words - “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). At this moment, you can either conclude that Christ was a delusional man. Or, you can conclude that He never wavered in His love for His children in spite of all that the Jews and Romans have done to Him. “...having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1). Such love is not human. It can only be divine.

Jesus demonstrated what love should look like at His final moments on the cross. Therefore, we must love as He did - sacrificially, faithfully, and steadfastly. This is the love of Christ for us, and we have been appointed to show this love to the world. On this Good Friday, let us make a commitment to continue this work that Christ has started and bring glory to our Father in heaven.

Reflection

• Imagine yourself in Jesus’s place. What do you think your posture will be on the cross? What do you think your life’s response should be in light of the example set by Christ on the cross?
• Think about 2-3 individuals that you really dislike. What are some of the struggles you face in order to posture yourself like Christ on the cross? What needs to be surrendered to the Lord?

Application

Take some time to thank the Lord for the example He set for us on the cross. Through the pain and suffering, He indeed loved all of us to the end.