Three times Jesus prayed to the Father in the Garden, First that the cup would pass from Him, if possible, nevertheless that His Fathers will be done. This was the way it had to be done, that Jesus would be the final sacrifice for everyone’s sins, for all who would choose to follow and believe in Him.
As I’ve been studying the Crucifixion of Jesus, it’s just so gruesome; to know and get a picture of all that Jesus had to suffer for us. Yet such amazing grace and sacrificial love that Jesus went through the painful process, God became man and we killed Him. But Jesus had to die and He had to be resurrected, so that we may have life and have our sins forgiven.
The Kangaroo Court
There were six different “trials” which took place, three with the Jews, two with Pontius Pilate, and one with Herod Antipus. The first of which was at 1am or 2am, after Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. When Jesus was arrested He was first taken to Annas, who was the son-in-law to the High Priest Caiaphas. Where they questioned Him, then Jesus was taken to Caiaphas and part of the Sanhedrin, from there the rest of the Sanhedrin heard Him. These trials with the Jews was completely illegal, as well as goes completely against the Law and the specific way a court trial had to take place.
Just some of the illegitimacy of the arrest and trial was that Jesus was arrested at night for a capital crime, the Jewish trials were held at night, the false witnesses didn’t agree, not all the Sanhedrin were present for the first two trials, the trials and decision was on in eve of the Sabbath and the Passover. The trial, decision, and execution all happened in less than a day. These were just some of the illegal actions which took place. All of which goes completely against the Law they “upheld”.
But Jesus was not a victim of circumstances; it was all in His control. They had an accusation of blasphemy to take Him to Pontius Pilate, the governor. But they didn’t crucify Jesus because He “blasphemed” by calling Himself the Son of God, they Crucified Jesus (which was a Capital Punishment, meant for the vilest of criminals) because of Sedition, saying that He is the King of the Jews. This is high treason against Rome. Pilate and Herod both said that Jesus was innocent, even Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”(Matthew 27:4). Jesus was innocent, yet He had to die in our place for our sins. Jesus had to fulfill all the prophecies about Him (which He did, fulfilling over 360 prophecies).
During the trials Jesus was beaten, mocked, humiliated, scourged, then led to the the Place of the Skull, Golgotha, to be crucified on a cross, slowly suffocating to death. All for US!!! Let that sink in. Jesus took our place, the final sacrifice for our sins.
Prophesied 700 years before Jesus, “Just as there were many who were appalled at him his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness” (Isaiah 52:14).
Jesus was beaten so badly, scourged near the point of death, covered in blood, that his body didn’t even look human. It’s so gruesome and the pain unimaginable what He had to go through, and the truth be told that SHOULD HAVE BEEN US. That’s what we deserve for all the sins we have committed against God, all the times we have done wrong and hurt other people. And we can’t do enough good works to make ourselves right with God. GRACE IS THE ANSWER!!!
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8)
IN NO OTHER RELIGION did God become man, dwelt among us, and died for our punishment and our sins, no other!! Jesus is the way, as we remember all He had to go through for us, let us give Jesus praise and worship, and never take lightly the price He paid for everyone and anyone who chooses to believe in Him.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)
“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.”(Isaiah 53: 10)
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”(2 Cor. 5:21)
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrew 12:2)
