Dr LM Murry
Retd Surgeon & Director,
Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland
Some of us may think the topic is blasphemous. But this is what happened for God to redeem mankind.
We will not try to see in detail what happened in the Jewish Sanhedrin and the Roman Court. Just in passing, the religious leaders of the day mobilised the entire people in their support. A death sentence requires two witnesses according to Jewish law. Caiaphas, the cunning High Priest of the year was determined to eliminate Jesus for his own selfishness. Failing to find any plausible evidence, he tried his last card carefully. He asked Jesus if He was the Christ, God’s anointed one. Jesus replied, “if I tell you, you will not believe and if I asked you, you will not answer or ever let me go”. He asked Him again “Are you really claiming to be the Son of God.” Jesus just replied “you have said it”. In fake anguish Caiaphas, the High Priest crabbed his ornate garment and tore it apart. He did not realise that what he did was the symbol that he would be the last old human High Priest. The one standing in front of him would now be the new High Priest of God for all men and for all time. Jesus was condemned to die with the unanimous verdict of the Sanhedrin. But it had no power to execute a man to death. Since the advent of Roman rule, death penalty had been invested to the Roman Governor only.
When Jesus was brought to Pilate, to confirm their verdict, the Governor asked them. “What charges do you bring against the man?” They replied that He was claiming Himself as a King. Pilate was surely amused. Pilate had many informers and if a single charge they had brought was true, certainly he would have known already. However, if he refused their charges, there would be a riot that will damage his reputation. In order to save his skin, Pilate gave Him to them.
God on a cross! He had no protection from Roman justice. Jesus carried His own cross, walked the Via Dolorosa under the weight of the cross. People milling around spat on Him. The other two criminals were also carrying their own cross. Why, was the weight of Jesus was so heavy? He was carrying not only the wooden beam but He was carrying the intolerable weight of the World wickedness. The rough battle hardened soldier, seized a big black man and forced him to carry the cross. He was filled with compassion and was glad to do it gladly. Jesus turned to the weeping crowd and told them “Do not weep for me, weep for yourself”. At Golgotha, He was nailed to the cross and planted it up. The Son of God hanged, stretched out on the cross beams. God’s Passover Lamb was there for everyone to see. An incredible cry was heard “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do”. Such forgiveness, such generosity, such greatness and magnificence had never been seen before. This was no mere man on the cross. This was God in all His grandeur. Even the steel plated Roman soldier acknowledged the divinity of Jesus “surely this man is the Son of God”. It was a pagan who declared first that indeed Jesus is what He claimed to be.
The groans of the three could not stir their sensual soul. They were still looking for some last scrap to pounce upon. What they did, precisely accomplished the prophecy made by David more than a thousand years earlier. “They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture”. Ps.22:18.
While they were waiting for the death of the victims, Pilate put up a notice “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews”. The words were inscribed in Greek, the lingua franca of the whole civilised World and in Hebrew, the language of the Jews. The religious leader saw it and complained to Pilate that the insignia be changed. Pilate crudely told them “what I have written, I have written”. Those who passed by, wagged their heads mocking and jeering. “If you are the Son of God, who can demolish and rebuild the Temple in three days, free yourself, come down from the cross. The religious leaders chided “He saved others, Himself He cannot save”. Little they realised at that time that millions would look up to this one and be saved. For their sake, He would not and could not save Himself. One of the criminals saw the strength, serenity and generosity, repented and he received full forgiveness.
Suddenly the entire World was enveloped by darkness. Modern generation would attribute it to “Total Solar Eclipse”. But this happened during the Passover. The feast was observed on a new moon, so it could not be “Total Solar Eclipse”
The depth of the suffering of the Son of God cannot be understood by finite men. The Titanic transaction was taking place in the unseen World. God was dying for men and men cannot fathom it. Jesus cried out “I thirst”. It was a thirst for righteousness. He was drained out of moral death. No human remedy can be found for an anguish of His Spirit. Then the anguish cry, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” The sin of the World was laid on Him, alienating Him from His Father God. Those onlookers, like many of us could not understand what was going on. Some trusted Him, May be Elijah would come and rescue Him.
The Devil was dancing around, how successfully he had manipulated and stage-managed everything. What a dead man can do to him now! In fact he did not know that what he was doing was helping God to accomplish His purpose. Suddenly, he heard “It is finished”. The Devil went round and asked the people “what did He say?” Did He say,” I am finished?” They all told him, no He said, “It is finished”. That very moment, the Devil realised that he was finished and not Jesus. What was finished? The enormous transaction had taken place and was finished or completed. All that He entered in to human history to achieve had been accomplished. Nothing more is left to be done. Everything is done and paid to the last penny and sealed. God’s rescue operation was complete. The head of the Lord gently bowed “Father into your hand I commit My Spirit”. It was the end of His role as God’s incarnate, the suffering Servant, God in men and Heaven’s sacrifice. He quietly dismissed His own Spirit of its earthly residence. We will see His triumphant victory by rising from the death as we stepped into the Easter celebration. Amen.
