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14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" 15 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 handed him over to them to be crucified. 17 So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Gol'gotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." 20 Many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews then said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'" 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written." 23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and made four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom; 24 so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfil the scripture, "They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." 25 So the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Mag'dalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), "I thirst." 29 A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 31 Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining 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 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been 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 at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth--that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of him shall be broken." 37 And again another scripture says, "They shall look on him whom they have pierced." 38 After this Joseph of Arimathe'a, who was 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 leave. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicode'mus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds' weight. 40 They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:14-42 Revised Standard Version)
Friend, I don't know about you, but I have held the hammer, the actual hammer that drove the nails into Jesus' heart. My hands are covered in my Savior's blood because I am guilty of having betrayed Him and His love. I also have a sore throat from having screamed on Sunday, Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! But what made it more sore were the words I yelled today, Friday, with anger, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" And I'm also guilty of blindly following the crowd, praising and welcoming Him one day, and shortly thereafter, yelling for His death. And now I weep because I realize He never hated me for the stupid things I have done - He loved me all the more. He even prayed for me asking that God forgive me for not knowing any better. How could He have done that??
I now know that this Friday is truly good because of He who died on this day, for you and for me. The world that does not know, nor love, Jesus mocks this day being called Good. We know better. This was the day long foretold in the scriptures, on this day, fulfilled. God's love set in motion from the first days of The Garden of Eden until this day, fulfilled. A loving Father, through His Son, calling us home, fulfilled. Yet, still many to reach before it is too late.
You know the story and John has done a good job of recording and sharing it. John lists the persons present and their role. John lists the places, like "the place of the skull," Gol-gotha. John notes that there were two others crucified with Him; I know I should have been one of them. John also shares how the title on Jesus' cross is also shared, that in languages common to the area, it read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews," only to have the Jews say, "Not my king!" John also saw how Jesus was stripped of His clothing, and how the soldiers gambled with them; just to fulfill the scriptures. Jesus' Mom, His aunt, and two Mary's where there. Jesus gave the care and responsibility of His mother to John.
I was also one of the first to run away when i saw that Jesus was dead. I had to find a place to wash my hands...
