Friday (Luke 22v54-71, 23v1-56)
This is where it is useful to have a map/diagram of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. Although we are looking at these events through the narrative of Luke, all the gospel writers describe these events. Jesus has been arrested In Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, now he is hustled to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. While here, Peter, on his own and under pressure denies that he even knows Jesus and just as quickly regrets it. Jesus is then taken to the fortress of Antonia to get Pilates permission to have Jesus executed, because Israel was under Roman occupation. Pilate tries to pass the buck by sending Jesus to Herod, who is responsible for Galilee, where Jesus was from. Herod mocks Jesus, then sends him back to Pilate.
Pilate can see no reason to execute Jesus, so he tries to have him released. At Passover it was the custom to release a prisoner, Barabbas was in prison for murder and revolt. By this time a crowd has gathered and Pilate gives the crowd the choice of who to release, Jesus or Barabbas. Whipped up by voices planted amongst them, the crowd shout for Barabbas. Pilate washes his hands of the situation, has Jesus beaten and sends him off with a detachment of Roman soldiers for crucifixion. From arrest in Gethsemane to crucifixion at Golgotha, Jesus has walked around three miles, being beaten and ill-treated along the way and just before being crucified, receives the thirty-nine lashes. His last food and drink was at the Passover meal the night before, and we are now at about nine in the morning. Jesus will to finish the task was kept alive by the love he has for us.
Two criminals were crucified on either side of Jesus and to one of these, Jesus offers a place in paradise. Even in such extreme circumstances, Jesus offers salvation to the undeserving. Soon after this, Jesus dies and at that moment, the curtain in the Temple, separating the most holy place, is ripped in half from top to bottom. This meant that the way to God was symbolically and actually open, no sacrifices, no keeping rules anymore, no divisions.
The women and the disciples take Jesus from the cross and place him in a tomb given by a man named Joseph, from Arimathea.
Selah: We can never appreciate all that Jesus suffered in order to deal with sin and we often underestimate the seriousness of sin. We can however, accept Jesus gift of salvation and rejoice that sin, death and hell are defeated and the way to heaven is open to all.