Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into
the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around
him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and 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. They spit on him, and took the staff
and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the
robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness
came over all the land. About the ninth
hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?" And when Jesus had cried out again in a
loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of
the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
From Matthew 27
Good Friday.
All I can think about is that he knew what was coming. He knew his friends would betray him. He knew they would leave him all alone in the garden of Gethsemane. He knew the crowd would strip him, spit on him, strike him. He knew there would be a crown of thorns on his head, nails in his hands, pain, pain, so much pain.
Hours of pain.
He walked toward it. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t falter. He knew what was coming and he went there to die.
He knew God’s will and he fulfilled it.
He was the perfect lamb, without blemish. The perfect man completing the perfect plan. And he hung on that cross in my place, and in yours.
Good Friday.
Grace Friday.
Grace . . .
Thank you, Jesus.
