OUR FATHER WHOSE SON DIED AND ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD

The book of John chapter 20 verses 1 -  10 records the early morning hours that changed human history forever.

1 Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

The devoted Mary Magdalene visited the tomb that Jesusˋ body was placed in early but found that the large stone that blocked the entrance had been moved aside and the body of Jesus was not there. She raced to see the disciples to alert them that Jesusˋ tomb had been tampered with.

3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 

8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.

The disciples scrambled back to the tomb and found that the tomb was open as Mary Magdalene had said. 

They looked in the tomb and saw the linens that had wrapped Jesusˋ body ( along with the separate one that was on His head ) were laying in the tomb.

They now believed that Jesus was not there as Mary had said but they did not put that fact together with the prophetic scripture that foretold that the Messiah would rise from the dead.

Amen.

2

OUR FATHER WHOSE SON WAS REJECTED

The book of John chapter 19 descibes the actions that were taken after Jesus had died on the cross. 

Because it was a high Sabbath approaching the next day, the customs of the Jews was to remove bodies from the cross so that there were no bodies left hanging during the sabbath.

This meant that anyone who was still alive that afternooon needed to have their death hastened so that they could be removed and as such, any who were alive would have their legs broken which would prevent them from being able to push themselves up to breath and they would die quickly.

They did this to other people around Jesus but when they came to Jesus, they found that He was already dead and to ascertain this, one of the soldiers pierced His ribcage with a spear and water and blood pour out of His chest cavity and thus they did  not break His legs. 

31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

Two prophecies were directly fulfilled by this event. 

1) Zachariah 12 verse 10 which says; “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

2) Psalm 34 verse 20 which says;  The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.

One of Jesusˋ followers named ,Joseph of Arimathea, asked Pilate for permission to remove Jesusˋ body from the cross for burial and when permission was granted, Joseph and Nicodemus (a pharisee who had believed that Jesus was from God) took  Jesusˋ body down  and treated it with myrrh and aloes and covered it with linen.

The men then took the body to a nearby tomb that had recently been hewn out of the stone and had no one buried in it yet. They placed Jesusˋ body in the tomb and completed this before the end of the day of preparation.

Amen.

2

 OUR FATHER WHO

The book of John chapter 19 verses 23 - 30 says this;

23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:

“They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”

Therefore the soldiers did these things.

25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

The Lord Jesusˋ clothes were divided by the soldiers but there was a seamless tunic that He was wearing that the soldiers decidet and to keep intact rather than tear it into four sections. They played a game of chance for it and this detail was captured in the prophetic record in Psalm 22 verse 18 that foretold it this way;

They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

There were four women recorded in this passage who had travelled to the crucifiction site. Mary the mother of Jesus, Jesusˋ aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene.

John the writer of the book was also there. Jesus, getting close to the end of His strength, speaks to His mother and says to her that John was her now her son and then to John he said that Mary was now his mother.  Knowing that He had finished the mission that He had been sent to accomplish, He finalised His earthly business by handing His mother into the care of His trusted disciple.

He asked for a drink to slake His thirst and they gave Him a sip of vinegar and once He took it, He was able to declare, ˋIt is finishedˋ and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

4

OUR FATHER WHOSE PERFECT SON WAS CRUCIFIED AMONG CRIMINALS

The book of John chapter 19 verses 17 - 22 says this;

17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:

JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.” ’ ”

22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

The Lord Jesus, now in a weakened state, was now to carry a wooden cross to the location of His crucifixion. Mathew chapter 27 verse 32 records that a man called Simon the Cyrenian (Lybia) was shanghaied into carrying the cross for Jesus at least part of the way to the crucifixion site.

Jesus was nailed to a cross and lifted up between two men who were being crucified for their crimes.

Pilate ordered that a plaque with the words, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" be placed on the cross above Jesus' head.

This title was objected to by the chief priests and they tried to get Pontius Pilate to change it from a title plaque to a indictment plaque where it would reflect that Jesus made the claim that He was the king of the Jews.

Pilate, in a repudiation to the priests, refused to change the plaque saying, " What I have written, I have written".

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHOSE SON WAS WOUNDED IN OUR PLACE

The book of John chapter 19 verses 1 - 16 records the continuation of Pontius Pilateˋs interaction with Jesus who had been brought to him for trial.

Pilate could not find any fault in anything Jesus had said or done. In an unjust but prophesied manuever,  Pilate tried to avoid having Jesus put to death by having Him scourged and then presenting Him as having been punished to show Jesusˋaccusers that Jesus was harmless to them. Pilate was hoping to placate the religious leaders  by doing this and then he would release Him.

Jesus was brought out so the crowd could see Him and Pilate again declared that He found no fault in Jesus but seeing Jesus in a bloodied condition galvanized the religious leaders all the more to call for His crucifiction.

The route of scourging that Jesus endured was foretold in the book of Isaiah chapter 53 verse 5 as a costly provision of God that was made to exchange our injuries and physical afflictions for Jesusˋ health and thus the passage says;

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

Jesus, after being flogged by the Roman scourges, was now going into deep shock in response to the physical trauma that had been inflicted on Him. In this state, a person goes in and out of lucidity and pain from injuries fades in and out as the body tries to make it possible to defend against or escape the circumstance.

Jesusˋ enemies pressured Pilate to crucify Him saying that Jesusˋ crime of equating Himself with God was a capital offence.

Pilate was agitated because the Jewish leaders were so commited to having Jesus killed that they were willingly abandoning their own national identity and strongly aligning with their foreign occupier and declaring they had no king but Ceasar.

Pilate went back to Jesus and asked Him where He was from (probably to refer the matter to that region's district magistrates) but Jesus refused to answer Pilate. Pilate, in effect, said to Jesus, ˋCanˋt you see I am trying to help you? Refusing to answer my questions is not helping your causeˋ.

1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”

5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”

6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”

7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”

8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.

10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”

11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”

13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”

16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.

Jesus, in response to Pilatesˋ claim to being  Jesusˋ only hope, told Him that the only power that Pilate had over Him was power given to him from above and those (the chief priests) who had handed Him over to Pilate was guilty of a graver sin than the sin of putting an innocent man to death. 

Pilate recognized that there was a great moral infraction being engineered under his watch and he desperately did not want to have any part of it but with the unrelenting political pressure being applied by the leaders of Judea, Pilate ultimately washed his hands of the matter ( recorded in Matthew chapter 27 verse 24 ) and at around noon, surrendered a badly injured and innocent man to be executed by Roman crucifiction.

Have mercy on us O God.

2

 OUR FATHER WHOSE SINLESS SON WAS EXCHANGED FOR A ROBBER

The book of John chapter 18 verses 39 - 40 records the exchange that Pontius Pilate offered to the religious leaders who were calling for the death of Jesus. 

In view of the custom where the Roman rulers released one prisoner of their choice during the feast of Passover, he proposed an option where the people could have Jesus released to them. 

39 “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

The incensed crowd of the leaders of Israel loudly rejected Pilateˋs offer and demanded that the robber Barabbas be released to them rather than Jesus.

This encapsulated the concept of an innocent man being exchanged for a guilty man. A criminal worthy of death is set free while a sinless man is condemned to death.

That is what the Lord Jesus did for each of us. In our condemned state, we were on the way to death but Jesusˋ was condemned and put to death so that we could go free.

Have mercy on us O God.

2

 OUR FATHER WHOSE SON WAS FAULTLESS AND DID NO WRONG

The book of John chapter 18 verses 28 - 38 records the transfer of Jesus from the religious leaders to the Roman authorities. The religious establishment wanted to put Jesus to death but Roman law did not permit the local governments to impose the death penalty and so the priests began pressuring the Roman procurator of the region ( Pontius Pilate) to sentence Jesus to death on a vague charge of  ˋbeing an evildoerˋ.

Pilate was not persuaded that their indictment against Jesus was legitimate under Roman law. He told the priests and religious leaders to judge Jesus under their own law but they objected to his proposition because they would not be able to execute Jesus as they had pre-determined was the fitting sentence upon Him.

28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

Pontius Pilate decided to ask Jesus directly about whether He was indeed claiming to be  the king of the Jews.

The Lord Jesus asked Pilate whether this question was out of his own belief or if it was just what he  had heard others say about Him.

Pilate responded rhetorically that he was not a Jew (implying that he had no stakes in the circumstance ) but that it was Jesusˋ own people who had handed Him over and so Pilate asked Jesus to explain to him what He had done to prompt His own people to try to get a foreign power to execute Him.

Jesus told Pilate that His kingdom was not an earthly kingdom and the proof that Jesus presented to verify this was that His servants did not fight to protect him from arrest.

Jesus was saying that if He was indeed attempting to create a rival kingdom to the displace the ruling establishment of Judea, He would have set up a military structure to protet himself and engage in trying to topple the existing Jewish regime. But there was was no such activity and therefore what was the religious leaders were claiming was baseless.

Pilate, understanding the absurdity of the charges against Jesus in view of the fact that that Jesus was of no military or political threat to the establishment, asked Jesus if He was a indeed king to which Jesus replied that He was a King who was born into the world to bear witness to the truth and any person who was inclined to the truth would reognized His voice. 

The procurator of Judea, himself a man from Rome, would have been familiar with the roiling debates about the nature of realiy and the pursuit of truth that would have been constantly debated in the streets and gathering places of Rome. The emergence of philosophers and preachers who claimed to have a new insight into the truth was common in Rome and their assertions were certainly not illegal.

Pilate was surprised to find that in this remote province of Rome was a man named Jesus who was taking a principled stand on what He believed to be true and he recognized that the religious leaders was probably resisting Jesus because His new philosophy was a threat to the established undertsanding of reality in the region. 

He went out to those who brought the accusations against jesus and declared that he found no fault in Him at all.

Amen.

1

OUR FATHER WHOSE SON FACED CONDEMNATION ALONE IN THE WORLD

The book of John chapter 8 verses 25 - 27 records the second and third moments that the disciple Peter denied being associated with Jesus when he was pressed by some of  the soldiers and then again by one of the servants who was present during Jesusˋ arrest in the garden of Gethsemene. 

Peter had bravely confronted the arresting party on the garden and was ready to fight but once Jesus was arrested, all the disciples fled the scene and once Jesus was in custody, a couple of disciples including Peter trailed behind to watvh what was happening to their leader.

It was at this point that the Peter, no longer charged with adrenalin, was not ready to be associated with Jesus now that Jesus was now a socially toxic brand.

25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”

He denied it and said, “I am not!”

26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

Jesus had warned Peter that this very thing would happen but Peter was sure that he would be unwavering in his loyalty to Jesus when the authorities were in control but Peter, upon seeing the cold-blooded violence being exerted on his Lord with impunity and with the charges of a crime that carried the death penalty being floated by the chief priests, Peter lost confidence and evaded the attempts by various people to identify him with Jesus.

At the third denial, a rooster crowed that Jesus had indicated would be the marker that Peter would have denied Him three times. 

Peter was aghast at his own almost involuntary self-preservation when people inquired about his identity and he was emotionally devastated to find out that his own courage that he had believed, in turned out to be flimsy in the face of a threat to his life.

Have mercy on us all.

Amen.

1