The Jewish Council judges Jesus
In the morning, the members of the Jewish Great Council gathered again and agreed on how to get the Romans to confirm the death sentence. Then they sent the handcuffed Jesus to the Roman governor Pilate.
Judas Suicide
When Judas saw that Jesus had been sentenced to death, his conscience moved that he had betrayed him. He took the thirty silver coins he got for betraying and wanted to return them to the representatives of the council: ‘I have sinned, I have betrayed an innocent man!’ However, they answered indifferently: ‘We have nothing to do with it, that’s your business!’ Judas threw the money in the temple, ran outside and hanged himself. The high priests had the money collected and said to themselves: ‘What about it? They are not suitable for the temple treasury. Blood clings to them!’ So they agreed to buy a piece of land for them, where the potters used to dig dirt, and to bury foreigners who would die in Jerusalem. And so the place is still called ‘bloody field’. This fulfilled the old prophecy: ‘They took the thirty silver, the prize for the precious one, at which the children of Israel valued him, and gave them as God’s order as a potter’s field.’ (Zechariah 11:12–13)
Comment: This is a prophecy of 520 BC – more than 500 years before it happened!
Jesus is judged by Pilate
Jesus was brought before the Roman governor Pilate. He asked him, ‘So you are the king of the Jews?’ ‘You say it yourself,’ Jesus answered him. However, he did not respond to the lawsuits of the chief priests and elders at all.
Pilate gives Jesus to the Crucifixion
‘Can’t you hear what they are accusing you of?’ Pilate asked. But to his great astonishment, Jesus was silent, he did not defend himself.
It used to be the custom for the governor to release one prisoner on the Easter holidays according to the wishes of the people. At that time, the Romans had a particularly famous criminal named Barabáš in prison. When the people gathered in front of Pilate’s house in the morning, the governor asked them: ‘Who should I release to you – Barabbas, or Jesus Christ?’ he knew that Jesus was given by the high priests because they envied his popularity. At that moment, Pilate received a message from his wife in the judge’s chair: ‘Hands off the innocent person! Because of him, terrible dreams haunted me at night.’ So far, representatives of the council have convinced the people to ask for freedom for Barabbas and for Jesus death.
When Pilate asked again which of the two he was to release, a shout was heard: ‘Barabáš!’ ‘And what should I do with Jesus Christ?’ Pilate asked. The crowd shouted, ‘Crucify him!’ Pilate also objected: ‘For he did not commit anything evil.’ But the cry of the crowd escalated: ‘On the cross! On the cross!’
Pilate saw that his effort to save Jesus was futile and that the tension of the crowd was growing, he washed his hands in front of everyone and said: ‘I am pure from the blood of that person. He is innocent, the responsibility lies with you!’ Then the crowd called out: ‘His blood on us and our children!’ So Barabbas was released to them, He had Jesus whipped and allowed him to be crucified.
Roman soldiers mock Jesus
The Roman soldiers first took him to the government building and called the whole platoon to him. They undressed him and threw a red cloak over his shoulders. They knitted a crown from the thorns, hit it on his head and put a rod in his right hand instead of a scepter. then they knelt before him and They mockingly shouted: ‘Long live the king of the Jews!’ They spat on him and beat him on the head with that rod. When they had a lot of fun, they exchanged his cloak for his clothes and led him to the gallows.
Jesus is Crucified
On the way they grabbed a man and forced him to carry the cross of Jesus. It was Šimon from Cyrene. They reached the hill called Golgotha – skull. They gave Jesus a drink of mixed vinegar with bile. Once he got a taste of it, he didn’t want to drink it.
Comment: Filled the prophecy from Psalm 69:22 They gave me bile to taste, they gave me vinegar to drink when I was thirsty!
35 They crucified him and then drew lots for his clothes. This fulfilled one of the prophecies: ‘They took my clothes apart, they drew lots for my clothes.’ Then they sat down and kept guard. Above his head they attached an inscription indicating guilt: ‘Jesus, king of the Jews.’ At the same time, two criminals were crucified on both sides. Passers-by sneered and mocked Jesus: ‘So you wanted to demolish the temple and build it again in three days. Now show your power and save yourself. When you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!’ They were joined by the members of the great council: ‘Look at the savior! He cannot save himself. The Jewish king – hangs on the cross! Come down and we will believe you. He invoked God, he said that he was God’s son. So let God be him He will free!”
Comment: Luke 23:32-43 describes the next part in even more detail: Jesus prayed for his enemies: ‘Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing!’ Above his head was an inscription in Greek, Latin and Hebrew: ‘King of the Jews.’ (inri) Also one of the crucified criminals mocked Jesus: ‘What are you Messiah if you don’t help yourself or us!’ But the other one shouted at him. ‘Do you not fear God even at the moment of death? We deserve it all, but this person has certainly not done anything wrong and suffers innocently.’ Then he turned to Jesus and said: ‘Lord, remember me when you come to your kingdom.’
Comment: How great love Jesus had. Not only did he forgive his enemies, but also in torment on the cross, he received a man who asked him to do so. And he was still in heaven with him! This also means that everyone who accepted Jesus after his death goes directly to God’s arms and to his heavenly kingdom.
Jesus dies on the cross
At noon, it got dark over the entire region and the darkness lasted until three hours. Then Jesus cried out loudly, ‘Eli, Eli, Lema Sabachtani?’ Which means: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Some of those who stood nearby believed that he was calling the prophet Elijah. One of them ran to get a sponge, soaked it in that sour drink, put it on a rod and handed it to Jesus’ mouth. (A narcotic drink to alleviate suffering.) The others shouted at him: ‘Just let him see if Elijah comes to his aid!’ Then Jesus shouted again and died. At that moment, a curtain was torn in the temple halfway from top to bottom, covering the entrance to the sanctuary. Thus it was indicated that the role of worship is filled with Christ’s sacrifice and ends. The earth trembled, the rocks cracked, and the graves openedY and the bodies of many deceased saints rose. Then when Jesus rose from the dead, some In Jerusalem they testified that they saw the resurrected from those graves. They were a harbinger that Jesus had triumphed over death and would one day resurrect all his faithful. When the commander and the firing squad saw the earthquake and everything that was happening, they were horrified and said: ‘He was truly the Son of God!’
Commentary: So many things happened at the same time when Jesus died on the cross. Just before noon until three in the afternoon, it was suddenly completely dark. Then when Jesus released the ghost, the temple curtain, which was 10 cm thick and 18 meters high, tore. And how did it tear? – From top to bottom! That means it was a hit from the heights. What did it symbolize? – that God’s presence is now accessible to all. In Hebrews 6:19-20 it is written: Now we can boldly enter God’s presence, ‘in the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus entered for us, who preceded us’. The curtain was followed by an earthquake and rocks cracked. The graves even opened and many of the deceased rose from the dead, as evidenced by many witnesses. Even the Roman soldiers had to admit that Jesus was really the Son of God!
Many women also watched from a distance, who came with Jesus all the way from Galilee and cared for him and his disciples. Among them was Mary Magdalene, Marie – mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Jakub and Jan Zebede.
Comment: As we read in Matthew 13:55-56 After all, he is the carpenter’s son, his mother is Mary, and James, Joseph, Simon and Judas are his brothers! So who is Mary mentioned here in verse 56? Jakub and Joseph’s mother? – Yes, mother of Jesus!
Jesus is buried
When evening came, a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, one of Jesus’ followers came. He had himself announced at Pilate and begged him to give him the body of Jesus. Pilate complied. Josef swaddled Jesus’ body was placed in a clean cloth and placed in a grave that he had not long ago carved in the rock. He had the entrance to the tomb closed with a heavy boulder after the funeral. Then he left. Two Marys – one of them Mary Magdalene – watched the funeral.
A guard is placed to the grave
The next day, Saturday, the high priests and Pharisees went to Pilate and said: ‘Lord, we remembered that the deceiver of the time said: ‘On the third day I will rise again.’ So give at least three To guard the grave for days, or his disciples will come, steal it and then tell people that he has risen from the dead. And that would still be missing from the delusion!’ ‘Okay,’ said Pilate, ‘put a guard there as you think.’ They went, set up a guard there and even sealed the entrance stone.
Comment: More proof that this is a true record of events. Jesus’ enemies did everything to prevent resurrection.
