Today and Sunday we celebrate what I consider to be the holiest of days because we are commemorating the reason Jesus came to earth (to die in our place) and then His Resurrection when He defeated death and Satan.

Here is part of Matthew 27 describing the torture and crucifixion of Jesus (NIV):

24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

25All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”

26Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.[b] 36And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”
41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42″He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi,[c] lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[d]

I have highlighted verses 29-31 because it gives you a small idea of what Jesus went through.

It is not thorough, though. There was more than mocking and a crown of thorns and spitting. Jesus was physically flogged 39 times. Each whip contained 9 pieces of sharp metal or some other object designed to rip the flesh.

Jesus spoke not a word of protest, and that’s important to remember.

39 hits with the flogs with 9 weapons on each equals 351 cuts on His flesh, which was torn from his body and bled mightily. Yet, Jesus uttered not one word of protest.

Most people, I suspect, would have died from the flogging alone, but not Jesus. He was not to get out of it that easily.

He was then ordered to carry the cross that would be used for his crucifixion. If you have an idea this was a nice smooth piece of wood please disabuse yourself of that idea right now. It was rough wood. The Bible refers to it as a tree. You can be sure it was heavy and had plenty of splinters in it, and yet He struggled without a word to carry that cross for you and for me.

He fell twice before Simon was told to help Him with the cross.

When they got to Golgotha He willingly lay down on this rough, splintered wood and willingly allowed the Roman soldiers to nail His wrists and feet to that cross.

Then the cross was lifted by rope with the help of the soldiers, and when it was upright it was dropped unceremoniously into the hole in the ground.

All the while He still had the crown of thorns on His wonderful head.

Because He was man and God it meant the man side of Him suffered just as any other human would have suffered under the same circumstances.

Yet He spoke not a word of complaint, and asked God the Father to forgive them for they knew not what they did.

I have highlighted verse 46 because it has been a verse on my heart all this week.

Now go back and check verse 46, and you will hear the first sign of despair from Our Savior. For the first time in eternity Jesus was not in fellowship with the Father. He became sin for all of us and the Father couldn’t stand to look upon Him. For the first time in eternity He was out of Fellowship with the Father.

Think about that and let it sink in. This is what has been on my heart all this week. For the first time in eternity.

Thankfully, God did not make Him suffer as long as He could have, since it was Passover and the people wanted it over so they could celebrate. It was a holy day for them and they didn’t want to have to bury a Man on the holiday.

But, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy not a bone in His body was broken. Instead, since He appeared to be dead the soldiers pierced His side, also fulfilling prophecy.

Many times I see people wearing crosses around their necks. I have one. The difference between mine and the crucifixes I have seen is mine has no body on that cross. He came off the cross, was buried, resurrected and ascended into Heaven where He is today!

And while He suffered in agony I am convinced He looked down through the ages and saw me. When He was on the cross I was on His mind. And you, and you, and everyone in this world.

All you have to do is pray and ask Him to forgive your sins and to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior. He did the hard part.

Thank you, Jesus, for remembering me in your hours of agony. Thank you Father, Son and Holy Ghost for loving this sinner enough to provide a way of redemption.

If I got what I deserve I’d go to hell, but due to the very death, burial, resurrection and ascention of Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of the Only God, I will share eternity walking in fellowship with You.

You knew me before I was born. You knew me in my mother’s womb, and though my earthly father didn’t want anything to do with me until I was 54 years old, my Heavenly Father has the hairs on my head numbered.

Jesus could have called a band of angels to stop the crucifixion, but He knew if He did so mankind would be lost forever.

Thank you, Jesus, for your merciful love for me and all mankind.