Jesus is Crucified

Today is called "Good Friday." Why is the day when our King died called "good?" Because he died for us. Today people all over the world took time together to remember Jesus. To remember his gift of love to us that cost him everything. To remember the story. This story can be found in the Bible, in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, or John 19. You can also find the "Jesus film" (1979) in hundreds of languages, and watch a dramatized version if that helps you to imagine. (This account is mostly from the Jesus Storybook Bible.)

The Roman soldiers mocked Jesus. "So, you're a King, huh?" They said. "Here's a crown, and a robe!" they laughed, giving him a crown made out of thorns and putting a purple robe on him. Then they whipped him, and spat on him, in his face. They didn't know who he really was. They made a sign that said, "Our King," and nailed it to a wooden cross. They made Jesus carry his cross to the place where criminals were killed.

Jesus had done nothing wrong, and yet he willingly took our place.
They nailed Jesus' hands and feet to the cross, all the way through. Jesus cried out: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." People mocked him: "You said you came to save us, and now look at you! You can't even save yourself!"

 But of course it wasn't true. Jesus stayed on that cross out of love. Out of obedience to his Father. Out of love for you and me.
Jesus cried out to his Father: "Papa?" He looked at the sky. But for the first time in his life, nothing happened. God had turned his face away from his Beloved Son. His Son experienced separation from God to the fullest. Tears streamed down his face, but he stayed on the cross.

Darkness covered the earth, even though it was the middle of the day. The earth trembled and shook. It seemed that creation itself would tear apart.

The full force of the storm of God's anger at sin was coming down. His anger that should have come down on us, on his people. It came down on his Son.

Jesus shouted, "It is finished!" and it was. He had done it. He had rescued the whole world. "Father, I give you my life," he said, and breathed his last breath.

Jesus' friends carried his body and laid it in a new tomb. They were so confused. "How could Jesus die? He was the rescuer... what went wrong? They didn't know anything anymore, except that their hearts were breaking.

"That's the end of Jesus" said the leaders. But, just in case, they had soldiers guard the tomb. And they put a huge stone and rolled it to seal the entrance. So that no one could get in. Or out.

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Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
Amazing love, now flowing down
From hands and feet
That were nailed to the tree
As grace flows down and covers me
It covers me
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such love, I cannot understand
why you would give your only son for me
to die, to die a criminal's death, in utter shame
but my heart knows this is how
you took away all my shame
such love has never been seen before or since