The Crucifixion of Jesus (cont’d)
[John 19.23] – The soldiers took His garments and divided them four ways but the under garment which was woven in a continuous piece with no seams they drew lots for. [John 19.26] When Jesus saw His mother standing nearby and the disciple whom He loved He said, ‘Dear Woman here is your son’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother’, from that time on she lived with John. From time to time when Jesus said He thirsted the soldiers raised a sponge dipped in sour wine bitter myrrh or gall on a spear or stick but when He tasted it He refused to drink. God was merciful and Jesus died before sundown that day.
The Centurion prepared to break the legs of the three on the crosses to hasten death but when he came to Jesus he saw that He was already dead and merely plunged his short sword, the gladius, into His side where blood and fluid came out. Close by observing these proceedings was a righteous man called Joseph of Arimathea, a village in Judea, a follower of Jesus who had abstained from voting for the death sentence. He hurried to Pilate in the fortress and asked for Jesus’ body that he might bury Him before the Sabbath. Pilate expressed surprise that Jesus was dead so soon and enquired if this was so, on being assured it was he gave permission for the body to be taken down and handed over for burial. John 19.19 – states Joseph was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who had visited Jesus secretly at night. Nicodemus brought spices with him, a mixture of myrrh and aloes, and hurriedly the two men wrapped the body in clean linen. There was a garden nearby with a rock cut tomb which had never been used before and Jesus’ body was placed in there and the stone rolled across the opening. The Jewish leaders, fearful His disciples would steal the body, asked Pilate to place a guard at it – [Matt21 .62].
Faithful to the: end Mary Magdalene and other women followed the two men to see where they laid Jesus then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes to dress the body. They then rested because the sun had set and the Sabbath had begun.
Early on Sunday when Sabbath had ended and while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb, and finding it empty burst into a frenzy of weeping and moaning. Jesus stood before her but so distraught was Mary she failed to recognise Him and thinking Him a gardener asked if he knew where they had taken her master. Then Jesus said ‘Mary’ and her eyes were opened. She must have made a movement towards Him because He said ‘Touch me not because I have not yet ascended to the Father’. The other women arrived at the tomb and found it empty but an angel told them Jesus had risen and gone ahead of them into Galilee. Meanwhile some of the guards ran into the city and reported to the Chief Priests all that had happened. [Matt 28. 11] When the elders met they gave a great deal of money to the guards and told them to say ‘in the night while we slept His disciples came and stole His body away’.
The disciples did not believe the women because it sounded like nonsense to them but finally Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb and found it as the women had said. They still did not understand from scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead – [John 20.3]
Lilian Apr 2012
