It is Holy Week, and many eloquent writers have penned beautiful prose concerning the beauty of what we remember this week. Here are my humble musings, what my heart is breathing on this Good Friday. Not only is this Good Friday for the body of Christ, it is also Passover for the Jews, beginning at sundown. I love when Passover falls at the same time as Easter; the two are more connected than appears on the surface {I will elaborate on this in a moment}. Let’s begin at Good Friday. Good Friday is a solemn day—or should be in proper reflection. Before Jesus made His way to the cross, He had a battle to overcome in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is where Jesus had an intense spiritual battle, and through His struggle, he remained obedient to God and submitted Himself to the will of the Father. He agonized as He pondered what was to come and prayed for the cup to pass. Through His love for us, He remained obedient; He saw beyond the cross to those He loved and desired to redeem. He chose to obey the Father's will and endure His impending suffering. Jesus chose obedience, and the Lord sent an angel to minister to Him.
“And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.’ Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him” {Luke 22: 41-43 NASB}.
Jesus received His strength from the Lord. When the Lord sent the angel unto Him, the Father strengthened Him and enabled Him to remain obedient until death. Jesus suffered immensely on our behalf, and it is important to remember that He not only died for us, but He also died in our place and on our behalf. The brutality that Jesus experienced absorbed God’s wrath and reconciled us to the Father. He exhibited the grace and mercy of God on behalf of sinners and conquered death. He was the last and perfect sin offering.
“This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before the Lord. It is most holy” {Leviticus 6:25 NASB}.
Christ—the holiness of God—is beautifully prophesied in the Old Testament. Just as the high priest was adorned with the words holiness unto the Lord, Christ was holiness in the deepest and fullest sense of the word. The Old Testament tells the story that Jesus completes in the New Testament. We would not have the New Testament without the Old Testament. Leviticus chapter four details the requirements for the sin offering. I encourage you to read it; it is too lengthy for this space. Below is a brief summary;
The sacrifice for the sin offering offered at the Tabernacle had to be the first-born male, without spot or blemish. The sacrifice was required to be inspected by the priests to ensure the sacrifice satisfied God’s requirements. In the New Testament, Jesus fulfilled this requirement, as He, upon inspection seven times, was found to be without fault:
1. Pilate: John 19:4; Pilate came out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him” {NASB}.
2. Herod: Luke 23: 14-15; “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him” {NASB}.
3. The High Priest: John 18 says that after Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas, he could find no fault with Jesus.
4. Caiaphas: Matt. 26:57-75; Could not get the witnesses to agree on any wrongdoing by Jesus.
5. Judas: Matt. 27:4; “I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood” {NASB}.
6. The Centurion: Matt. 27: 54; “Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’” {NASB}.
7. The thief on the cross: Luke 23:40-41; “But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” {NASB}.
Jesus is not only our sin offering, He is also our Passover Lamb. It is no accident that Christ was crucified on Passover. He was not only crucified on the day, but also at the same hour.
“With this many lambs, it was necessary for the Jews to prepare them for sacrifice at nine o’clock in the morning…they then killed them at three o’clock that afternoon so that the Passover could be completed before six o’clock, which would begin a new day.”[1]
As Israel was slaughtering the lambs with knives, spikes were driven into the flesh of our Lord, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy…He was wounded for our transgressions….
“Then at three o’clock as the people were praising God and slaughtering the lambs, Jesus died. Mark was careful to note the time and wrote that it was the ninth hour (three o’clock Jewish time) when Jesus breathed His last breath (see Mark 15:33-37).”[2]
On Passover, the Israelites were to take hyssop and apply the lamb's blood on the doorway's lintel and each side post. Now, as Christ hanged on the cross dead, His blood is applied to humanity, and the destroyer has to passover in the presence of the Blood.
The only way to the Father is to believe that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead for our sin; to attempt any other passageway is to negate the cross. In the Tabernacle, there was only one door;
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” {John 14:6 NASB}.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it… And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” {John 1: 1-5, 14 NASB}.
“Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement” {1 John 5:5-8 NASB}.
“And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament. They which are called might receive the promises of eternal inheritance” {Hebrews 9: 15 NASB}. Dear Jesus, thank you for being the perfect sacrifice for sin. Thank you for loving the world so much that you died to redeem it. Father, I thank You for bringing forth the birth of Your Son. I acknowledge Jesus Christ as my only mediator and propitiation for my sin and give you all the glory, honor, and praise. Jesus, You are our Paschal Lamb. Thank You for Your shed blood that marks us for You and sends the destroyer on his way. In Your precious Name, Amen.
The Bible contains a plethora of
prophecies over hundreds of years concerning the Messiah. These prophecies were
fulfilled completely in the thirty-year precious life span of Jesus of Nazareth; many being fulfilled in one
day. These prophecies truly accomplish the purpose of the Lord for the earth
and mankind. These prophecies carefully pointed to the person, words, and works
of Christ.
The following Old Testament
prophecies deal with events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ
including His betrayal, trial, death and burial. They were uttered by many
different prophets over a period of 500 years, yet they were all fulfilled
within twenty-four hours on the day that He died for the sins of the world (Bible.org).
Prophecies
Relating to Christ’s Crucifixion
SOLD FOR THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER
Prophecy:
And I said to them, “If it is
good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!” So
they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages {Zechariah
11:12}.
Fulfillment: Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to
the chief priests, 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me to
deliver Him up to you?” And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver {Matthew
26:14-15}.
BETRAYED BY A FRIEND
Prophecy:
For it is not an enemy who
reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has
exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him. 13 But
it is you, a man my equal, My companion and my familiar friend. 14 We
who had sweet fellowship together, Walked in the house of God in the throng {Psalm
55:12-14 See also Psalm
41:9; Zechariah
13:6}.
Fulfillment:And
immediately he went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed
Him. 50 And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have
come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him {Matthew
26:49-50}.
THE MONEY CAST TO THE POTTER
Prophecy:
Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it
to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.”
So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter
in the house of the LORD { Zechariah
11:13}.
Fulfillment:
And he threw the pieces of
silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged
himself. 6 And the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said,
“It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price
of blood.” 7 And they counseled together and with the money bought
the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers {Matthew
27:5-7}.
THE DISCIPLES FORSOOK HIM
Prophecy:
“Awake, O sword, against My
Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate,” Declares the LORD of hosts. “Strike
the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against
the little ones” {Zechariah
13:7}.
Fulfillment:
“But all this has taken place
that the Scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples
left Him and fled {Matthew
26:56; See also Mark
14:27}.
ACCUSED BY FALSE WITNESSES
Prophecy:
Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know {Psalm
35:11}.
Fulfillment:
Now the chief priests and the
whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order
that they might put Him to death; and they did not find any, even
though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward {Matthew
26:59-60}.
SMITTEN AND SPIT UPON
Prophecy:
I gave My back to those who
strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not
cover My face from humiliation and spitting {Isaiah
50:6}.
Fulfillment:
And they spat on Him, and took the
reed and began to beat Him on the head {Matthew
27:30}.
DUMB BEFORE HIS ACCUSERS
Prophecy:
He was oppressed and He was
afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His
mouth {Isaiah
53:7}.
Fulfillment:
And while He was being accused by
the chief priests and elders, He made no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Do
You not hear how many things they testify against You?” And He did not answer
him with regard to even a single charge, so that the governor was
quite amazed{Matthew
27:12-14 }.
WOUNDED AND BRUISED
Prophecy:
But He was pierced through for our
transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our
well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed {Isaiah
53:5 }. Fulfillment:
Then he released Barabbas for them;
but after having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified. . . . And
after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His
right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail,
King of the Jews!” {Matthew
27:26, 29}.
CARRYING THE CROSS
Prophecy:
My knees are weak from fasting; And
my flesh has grown lean, without fatness {Psalm
109:24}.
Fulfillment:
They took Jesus therefore, and
He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull,
which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha {John
19:17}.
And when they led Him away,
they laid hold of one Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed
on him the cross to carry behind Jesus {Luke
23:26}.
HANDS AND FEET PIERCED
Prophecy:
For dogs have surrounded me; A band
of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet {Psalm
22:16}.
Fulfillment:
And when they came to the place
called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right
and the other on the left {Luke
23:33}.
CRUCIFIED WITH THIEVES
Prophecy:
Therefore, I will allot Him a
portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because
He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He
Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors {Isaiah
53:12}.
Fulfillment:
And they crucified two robbers with
Him, one on His right and one on His left. (And the Scripture was fulfilled
which says, “And He was numbered with transgressors.”) {Mark
15:27-28}
PRAYED FOR HIS PERSECUTORS
Prophecy:
Isaiah
53:12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He
will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of
many, And interceded for the transgressors {Isaiah
53:12}.
Fulfillment:
But Jesus was saying, “Father,
forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots,
dividing up His garments among themselves {Luke
23:34}.
PEOPLE SHOOK THEIR HEADS
Prophecy:
I also have become a reproach to
them; When they see me, they wag their head {Psalm
109:25}.
Fulfillment:
And those passing by were hurling
abuse at Him, wagging their heads {Matthew
27:39}.
PEOPLE RIDICULED HIM
Prophecy:
“Commit yourself to
the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him”
{Psalm
22:8}
Fulfillment:
In the same way the chief
priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were
mocking Him, and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save
Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we
shall believe in Him. “He trusts in God; let Him
deliver Him now, if He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, ‘I am the
Son of God’” {Matthew
27:41-43}.
PEOPLE ASTONISHED
Prophecy:
I can count all my bones. They
look, they stare at me {Psalm
22:17}
Fulfillment:
And the people stood by,
looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others;
let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One” {Luke
23:35}.
GARMENTS PARTED AND LOTS CAST
Prophecy:
They divide my garments among
them, And for my clothing they cast lots {Psalm
22:18}.
Fulfillment:
The soldiers therefore, when they
had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to
every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven
in one piece. 24 They said therefore to one another, “Let us not tear
it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; that the
Scripture might be fulfilled, “They divided My outer garments among them, and for
My clothing they cast lots” {John
19:23-24}.
BEING FORSAKEN
Prophecy:
For the choir director; upon
Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken
me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning {Psalm
22:1}.
Fulfillment:
And about the ninth hour Jesus
cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? “that is, “
My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” {Matthew
27:46}.
GALL AND VINEGAR
Prophecy:
They also gave me gall for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink {Psalm
69:21 }.
Fulfillment:
After this, Jesus, knowing
that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture
might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine
was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a
branch of hyssop, and brought it up to His mouth {John
19:28-29}.
COMMITTED HIS SPIRIT TO GOD
Prophecy:
Into Thy hand I commit my
spirit; Thou hast ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth {Psalm
31:5}.
Fulfillment:
And Jesus, crying out with a loud
voice, said, “Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit.” And having said this,
He breathed His last {Luke
23:46}.
FRIENDS STOOD AFAR OFF
Prophecy:
My loved ones and my friends
stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off {Psalm
38:11}.
Fulfillment:
And all His acquaintances and the
women who accompanied Him from Galilee, were standing at a distance, seeing
these things {Luke
23:49}.
BONES NOT BROKEN
Prophecy:
He keeps all his bones; Not one of
them is broken {Psalm
34:20}.
Fulfillment:
But coming to Jesus, when they saw
that He was already dead, they did not break His legs; . . For these things
came to pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled,” Not a bone of Him shall
be broken {John
19:33, 36}.
HEART BROKEN
Prophecy:
I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me
{Psalm
22:14}.
Fulfillment:
but one of the soldiers
pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water {John
19:34}.
HIS SIDE PIERCED
Prophecy:
“And I will pour out on the
house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of
supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they
will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly
over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born {Zechariah
12:10}.
Fulfillment: But one of the soldiers
pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water. And
he who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that
he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things
came to pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled,” Not a bone of Him shall
be broken. “And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they
pierced” {John
19:34-37}.
DARKNESS OVER THE LAND
Prophecy:
“And it will come about in
that day,” declares the Lord GOD, “That I shall make the sun go down at noon
And make the earth dark in broad daylight {Amos
8:9}.
Fulfillment:
Now from the sixth hour
darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour {Matthew
27:45}.
BURIED IN A RICH MAN’S TOMB
Prophecy:
His grave was assigned with wicked
men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth {Isaiah
53:9}.
Fulfillment:
And when it was evening, there came
a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple
of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then
Pilate ordered it to be given over to him. And Joseph took
the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new
tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against
the entrance of the tomb and went away {Matthew
27:57-60 }.
Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and
the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!” {John 19:5
NASB}.
Stations of the Cross: Station
XII Jesus Dies on the Cross.
Therefore, it says, When He ascended on high, He led
captive a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. (Now this expression, “He
ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower
parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above
all the heavens, so that He might fill all things) {Ephesians 4: 8-10 NASB}.
For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the
belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights
in the heart of the earth {Matthew 12: 40 NASB}.
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and
blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through
death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is,
the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to
slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to
angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. Therefore,
He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become
a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted
in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are
tempted {Hebrews 2:14-18 NASB}.
When Jesus died, His work went beyond the grave. Jesus
descended into hell, and took back the keys to death, hell, and the grave. He
preached to those in hell, and He set them free! After He defeated the devil, He
ascended into heaven. He ascended to
the Father and presented Himself, a perfect sacrifice for sin. The debt for sin
was paid and He sat down at the right hand of the Father.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the
prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has
spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through
whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His
glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all
things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat
down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much
better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than
they {Hebrews 1: 1-4 NASB}.
This is important for two reasons. 1) His work for our sin
is finished. He is the High Priest forever. In the Tabernacle there were no
chairs, the high priest could not sit down, because the work of the priest
never ended; Jesus finished and fulfilled the works of the law and is seated at
the right hand of the Father. 2) Jesus is the only advocate to the Father. The
only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us that anyone who
tries to approach the Father by any other way than Jesus is a robber and a
thief. (See John
10:1-2).
Therefore, He is able also to save forever
those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make
intercession for them. For it was fitting for us to have such a high
priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted
above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer
up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of
the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up
Himself {Hebrews 7: 25-27}.
He was the perfect sacrifice for all. Everything He
completed on the cross accomplished all that was needed to free us from the
power of sin and death. You are free.
Stations of the Cross: Station
XIII— Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross
I often wonder how Mary and the others felt when they held
Jesus’ lifeless body. The body that once walked Israel, healing the sick and
touching hurting people, is now motionless.
It has been dark since noon, and a major earthquake has
caused the dead to rise; literally. It is raining and cold, and they weep over
His wet, beaten, and torn body. Lifeless.
Many times it seems that our dreams have died and our destiny with it. Even
though Jesus body was dead, we know He was working behind the scenes, defeating
the devil and death. We can rest in
Jesus and know even though it looks as if our dreams are dead; Jesus is working
for us behind the scenes. Though it looks dim, do not be deceived by
circumstance, Jesus is working everything for good.
Mary His mother and the others must have been devastated;
their world turned upside down. Mary knew this would happen, maybe not exactly
how it unfolded, but she knew. This is
why Jesus was born; Mary had pondered many things in her heart over the years
only to see them come to this end. I imagine Mary’s mind replays all the
memories of watching Jesus grow up. After all, she is His mother; I cannot
imagine her pain. Nothing will prepare you to lose a child. He is the Messiah,
but she birthed and raised Him; nurtured and cared for Him. Everything she has
poured into this life—is dead—or so it would seem.
Those that helped remove Jesus body from the Cross do not
realize that in three short days, all they believe to be dead is already
resurrected. All that seems dead to you has already come to life.
Stations of the Cross: XIV
Jesus Laid in the Tomb
His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a
rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth {Isaiah
53:9 NASB}.
When it was evening, there came a rich man from
Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This
man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to
be given to him. And Joseph took the
body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb,
which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the
entrance of the tomb and went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other
Mary, sitting opposite the grave {Matthew
27: 57-61}.
Joseph of Arimathea
and Nicodemus buried Jesus and kept it secret. They both were believers, but not
openly for fear of the Sanhedrin. These secret disciples wanted Jesus to receive
a proper burial. Joseph and Nicodemus
both risked their lives to secure the body of Jesus; should they be found out, they
probably would have paid a heavy price—perhaps losing their position and
probably ostracized. This was no small feat.
What have we done to
sacrifice our positions or importance for Jesus? Are we willing to risk our
lives for Him? Are we willing to put everything we have on the line for Him?
Can we sell all that we have and give it to the poor and follow Him? What is in
our lives and hearts that would keep any part of us from Him? Jesus needs every part. When we give Him our
whole heart, we gain so much:
For to me to live
is Christ, and to die is gain {Philippians 1:21}.
