Today’s events are the crux of the Christian faith. Meditate on them deeply.
Timeline of Events
Jesus is betrayed and arrested
Jesus stands trial before Annas and Caiaphas, the high priests, before being turned over to Pilate
Jesus appears before Pilate, is sent to Herod, and then back to Pilate where he receives his sentence; crucifixion
Christ carries His cross to Golgotha
Jesus is crucified
Jesus speaks to the thieves at his sides; the repentant thief asks that Jesus would remember Him; Jesus responds, “today, you will be with me in paradise.”
A three-hour darkness descends on the land. The earth quakes, and the curtain in the temple is torn.
Jesus dies.
That evening, Jesus is buried.
There is far too much happening here to comment on each event, but I like the Heritage Reformation Study Bible’s notes on these chapters:
“Christ’s suffering at the hands of men was terrible. Being forsaken by His Father, however, was the worst part of Christ’s sufferings. He bore the iniquity of His people and He did so as a public person, as the representative and head of all His people. He was made a curse that the blessing might flow to all who believe, both Jews and Gentiles (Gal. 3:10–14). How do Christ’s sufferings in this chapter reveal what our sins deserve? How do they show the love of God?
Scripture had prophesied many aspects of Christ’s sufferings. His death was an amazing confirmation of the faithfulness of God to His promises (Rom. 15:8). Nature itself testified to the great significance of this event. Yet, most people present at the time were blind to anything other than a man suffering on a cross. Has the Spirit opened your eyes to see what you deserve as you look at Christ’s suffering and death? Have you seen by faith that the veil has been rent (v.51) between God and sinners, so that sinners now have access to God through Christ’s blood?”
You’ve probably heard the story a thousand times. Jesus dies, Jesus rises, we eat candy and we go about our day. But I’d encourage you this year to really let it sink in. Read of these events in the gospels, and truly consider what happened on that day at Calvary.
Our entire faith revolves around this one historical event, the death, burial, and resurrection of the sinless Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do you know him? Have you put your faith in Him? He truly is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
One thing you can do for Good Friday is set alarms on your phone to go off throughout the day to remind you of when each of these events happened. The actual hour-by-hour timeline is easy to find.
May your Holy Week be a time of repentance, faith, meditation, and prayer.
In Christ,
LC
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