Good Friday Narrative

 

 

I was there. I wish I wasn’t, but I was there. I saw it all. What they did to my Jesus. My Jesus. The Jesus who was gentle, and humble, and so full of love. I can’t believe what they did to my Jesus. They scourged him. They whipped him, over and over, and over again. I thought they would never stop. He didn’t deserve that. Do you believe me? He didn’t deserve that. They cast lots for his clothes. They smiled and laughed and mocked him. They were told to punish him but he didn’t deserve that. They nearly killed him then but they were told to stop.

They could have saved him you know. Pilot asked who we wanted to save. 'Do you want me to set free for you the king of the Jews?' He would let one of the prisoners free without charge. It was his chance. I wanted to say, ‘Free Jesus’. I wanted to shout out, but words just wouldn’t come out of my mouth. Everyone else was shouting, ‘Free Barabbas! Free Barabbas!’ How could they want that man freed? That murderer. Jesus deserved to be set free.’  Pilot asked again, what did they want him to do with Jesus.  ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ I can’t believe they did that to my Jesus.

The guards were so cruel they mocked him, and spat on him. They laughed at him. My Jesus didn’t deserve that. They placed a crown of thorns on his head and called him King of the Jews. They mocked him. He didn’t deserve that.

They made him carry his own cross. He was so weak he couldn’t carry it all the way on his own. He kept falling over. It was so hard to watch. I felt so helpless. They got someone to help him. Insisted on it. I was thankful for that help. Jesus was so weak.

When we got there to that awful place. The place of the skull they called Golgotha. They took a nail and drove it though his right hand into the wood. Then they took his left hand and drove a nail right through into the wooden cross behind. Then they hammered the nail through his foot and the other. I can’t get the sound out of my head. I can still hear it now that thud, thud, thud sound. The cries of pain will hound me for the rest of my life. They raised him up on the cross and we watched. I can’t believe they did that to my Jesus. To the right and to the left of him were two others. They deserved to die. They had done wrong. But my Jesus he didn’t deserve to die. He didn’t deserve it. 

I watched. I didn’t want to, but I watched. I needed to be there. I didn’t want to be but I needed to be there. Why had God forsaken him? Why had God forsaken us? What was this about? Why Lord? Why? 

I will never forget that look in his eyes as he called out to his Father and said, ‘Eloi, Eloi, Lema sabachthani. My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?’ He was all alone on that cross. There was nothing we could do. There was nothing I could do but weep. I can’t believe they did this to my Jesus! 

He cried out, ‘Into your hands I commit my Spirit’. And then he went. Died on that cross. We watched, I didn’t want to but I had to. 

Why did he let them do this to him? 

He let them do it so that we might have a personal relationship with God. He did it so that our sins might be forgiven. He died because he loves us, you and me. Friends if you don’t know Jesus you need to find out more. If you do know him as your Lord and Saviour then rejoice. It’s Friday now, but Sunday is coming!