Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 302
290
IMMERSE
•
MESSIAH
15:26–16:1
morning when they crucified him. A sign announced the charge against
him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” Two revolutionaries were crucified
with him, one on his right and one on his left.
The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery.
“Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to
destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, save yourself
and come down from the cross!”
The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He
saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah,
this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe
him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.
At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. Then
at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for
the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine,
holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said.
“Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”
Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died,
he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary
Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and
Salome. They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he
was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem
were also there.
This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the
Sabbath. As evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and
went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. ( Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to
come.) Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called
for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. The officer confirmed
that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. Joseph
bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from
the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved
out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. Mary
Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.
Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the
mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they
could anoint Jesus’ body.
