GOOD FRIDAY

SCRUTATIO SCRIPTURAE

GOOD FRIDAY

Jesus was sent by the Sanhedrin before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate in the Antonian Fortress for Him to be Crucified... After personally scrutinizing Jesus, Pilate found no crime against Him deserving death, save for the so-called "blasphemy" that is used against Him by the Sanhedrin... 

So He asked them to take Jesus to Herod Antipas... After being mocked by Herod and even calling Jesus a mad man, He was sent backed to Pilate... 

As the custom of that time, a prisoner is given freedom by the people's choice for the Feast of the Passover... Pilate asked the crowd: "Who do you want me to release to you... Barabbas, the Criminal, or Jesus, who is called the King of the Jews?" ... 

The people, instigated by the chief priests shouted: "BARABBAS! GIVE US BARABBAS!" Pilate answered them: "What shall i do then with Jesus, who is called the Christ?"...

"CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!" ...

Pilate thought that if he will have Jesus flogged, the people will take pity on Him... 

But, to no avail, after presenting Jesus to them, mocked by the Roman soldiers, filled with wounds, crowned with thorns, and draped in purple rags... 

The people shouted all the more: "CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!"

The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God." ...

When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,  and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"

Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

Pilate washed his hands... "I am innocent of this man's blood, see to that yourselves..."

The People answered:

"BE HIS BLOOD ON US AND ON OUR CHILDREN!"...

It was already nine in the morning... Jesus is led, carrying His heavy cross to Calvary... 

He even collapsed because of exhaustion, lack of sleep, and because of massive blood loss that he has endured due to the endless beatings that He has endured... 

All of this He suffered because of His Great Love for us!

Mary, that lovely Maiden of Nazareth who was willing to accept Her LORD AND SAVIOR, not only in her heart, but also in her Virginal Womb, becoming the Blessed Mother of her LORD, was willing to follow Him in this Via Dolorosa, this Journey of Grief... Even if it breaks her heart... Even if she doesn't understand why is this happening to her BELOVED SON, LORD AND SAVIOR... She, together with John, Jesus' Beloved Friend, and with His Mother, Mary Salome (who is also the Mother of James, called "the Greater", one of the 12 closest friends of Jesus, and the Wife of Zebedee) Mary of Magdala and Mary of Cleopas (The Mother of James and Joseph-Matthew 13:55, 27:56 and Mark 15:40, who is also called Joses in Mark 6:3 and Mark 15:47), were willing to follow Jesus no matter how hard or confusing the circumstances are.

A stranger, Simon by name, a Jew from the town of Cyrene, Libya, was forced by the Soldiers to carry Jesus' Cross for He was already very weak and they fear that He will not be able to reach Calvary alive... 

That encounter with the CRUSHED AND PIERCED MESSIAH made an impact in Simon's life that he even followed Jesus later in life... His two sons, Alexander and Rufus were great missionaries to the Romans... 

Veronica Bernice, the woman healed of her hemorrhage by touching the hem of Jesus' cloak , was also present... as a sign of great gratitude, and perhaps of great love for her MESSIAH, she offered to wipe the bloodied face of Jesus with her veil, and in return, as a token of HIS SELFLESS LOVE, Jesus left the Image of His Face... HIS LOVING COUNTENANCE on Her Veil... She in turn received this Precious Image not only on her Veil... 

This Image of HER SAVIOR was also left imprinted in her heart...

The Daughters of Jerusalem, most probably followers of Jesus, were weeping bitterly for their Beloved Rabbi... Jesus turned to them and said:

"Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, 'FALL ON US,' AND TO THE HILLS, 'COVER US. For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

Jesus, GOD WHO IS LOVE ALONE WHO TOOK FORM OUR HUMAN, SINFUL NATURE, is still concerned about his enemies... Even amidst of the injustices that was done to Him by the Jewish Elders and Priests, He is still willing to LOVE THEM... EVEN IF THEY DON'T WANT HIM TO... 

Finally, they reached the Hill of Calvary... 

They stripped Jesus of His garments... 

His Dried wounds began to bleed again because of the forceful stripping of the Roman Soldiers... 

The Roman Soldiers even used Jesus' seamless Cloak for gambling... They gave Him wine mixed with gall, a sort of anesthesia... But Jesus refused, He was willing to endure everything Just to GIVE US HIS AWESOME AND SELFLESS LOVE...

We can now hear Hammer pounding...  Jesus is now Nailed on the Cross... His Arms outstretched as a gesture of an ETERNAL AND LOVING HIGH PRIEST... His Wrists and Feet are now in GREAT PAIN...

But in spite of such Great pain... Jesus said:

"FATHER... FORGIVE THEM... FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY ARE DO"

We really don't know the grave consequences of sin... 

How we are separated from the FATHER WHO IS THE FULLNESS OF LIFE... Therefore we don't really live life to its fullest and its FULLNESS! 

And how it breaks OUR FATHER'S HEART when we are FAR AWAY from HIM... 

Two thieves were there, Crucified with Jesus... On His Right, a man named Dismas... On His left... Gesmas...

Gesmas began to mock Jesus, saying: "If you are the MESSIAH... If you are who you say you are... Why not use your Power... Save yourself, and us as well from this cruel, lowest form of Death"

But Dismas replied... Rebuking Gesmas, saying: "Can't you see that we deserve this! ... But look at this Man... I heard Him speak before in Galilee... I even saw His Miracles... The Wonders GOD HAS DONE THROUGH HIM... HE IS RIGHTEOUS... HE DOES NOT DESERVE THIS"...

Jesus looked at Dismas... A look filled with DIVINE LOVE AND MERCY...

And because of this... Dismas asked Jesus: "Rabboni... Good Teacher... Master... MY LORD AND SAVIOR! ... JESUS... REMEMBER ME... WHEN YOU COME TO YOUR KINGDOM" ...

Jesus replied:

"TRULY... I SAY TO YOU... TODAY... YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE!"...

That PROMISE... That GOOD NEWS is not only for Dismas... That is also for Gesmas, for the Roman Soldiers... For the Jewish Elders and Priests... For Pilate... For Judas Iscariot... For you... and for me... All of this... He was willing to suffer and to endure... Because of His GREAT LOVE FOR US... That is why the letter to the Hebrews states that Jesus' Sacrifice is "PERFECT, ONCE FOR ALL!" ... In the Book of Revelations, we read that Jesus, the LAMB OF GOD THAT TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD, was "SLAIN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD"... The Salvation of the FATHER is already prepared for us since the very beginning of time...

Jesus then saw, at the foot of His cross His Beloved Mother... 

And even while in great, excruciating Pain, Jesus asks John to Take care of Her:

"WOMAN... BEHOLD... YOUR SON! ... SON! ... BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER..."

But there is more to this... Jesus gives Mary Her Church (represented by John, Mary of Magdala, Mary Cleopas and Mary Salome) as her children... And Jesus, gives us Mary, HIS 1ST DISCIPLE AS OUR LOVING MOTHER... Do you want to just fall much more deeper in love with Jesus? Then let us turn and learn from Mary... OUR MOTHER! ...

The Jewish Priests and Elders who were present even dared to mock Jesus... 

Jesus cried out:

"MY GOD! ... MY GOD! ... WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" ...

In the incarnation, when GOD entered our human history... When He took our wretched Humanity... He acquired everything that we are... except for our sin... He who knew no sin, became sin on that cross of Calvary so that we may become THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM! ... He even took part of our doubts and our fears... But, Jesus is also Reminding us of Psalm 22... That even if we may find ourselves in great difficulties in life... DON'T LOSE HOPE... GOD IS THERE FOR US... HE IS WITH US... NEVER TO LEAVE OR TO FORSAKE US...

Jesus said:

"I THIRST"...

He thirsts for what? ... He thirsts for your love... For my love... For the Love of the whole Human Race... 

"IT IS FINISHED!"

Jesus has already done the work... we are not only cleansed from our sins... We now have a NEW LIFE... BEING RECONCILED WITH OUR LOVING, ALMIGHTY FATHER...

"FATHER... INTO YOUR HANDS... I COMMIT MY SPIRIT!"

Our lives should manifest this character of Jesus...  In everything that He did... In every Word that proceeds from His mouth... And even in His very Life, it is all for the GREATER GLORY OF THE FATHER... And only through this kind of lifestyle can we have LIFE IN IT'S FULLNESS... IT SHOULD BE FOR, TO AND IN GOD OUR FATHER! THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! ... Into GOD'S HANDS, WE COMMEND EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE, EVERY FAILURE OR ACHIEVEMENT WE MAY HAVE IN LIFE, LET US JUST COMMEND IT TO GOD, OUR LOVING FATHER... 

It is now 3:00 in the Afternoon... Jesus expires... 

He is laid on a New tomb given (and owned by) Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin... He, together with Nicodemus protested against the unjust proceedings of the trial of Jesus... He even dared to risk his reputation and even his life just by going to Pilate and asking him for the Body of Jesus... But, because of His great Love for Jesus, he was willing, together with Nicodemus to expose themselves as Followers and Friends of Jesus...

Do we have the same conviction? Are We willing to stand up for JESUS no matter what? JESUS was willing to stand up for us... Are we willing to do the same in spite of the odds?

THIS IS THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S LOVE... REVEALED ON THAT CROSS OF CALVARY... BY HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS CHRIST... AND THAT CROSS, THAT WOOD OF EXECUTION THAT IS FIT FOR THE VILEST CRIMINAL, WAS TRANSFORMED ON THAT 1ST GOOD FRIDAY AS GOD'S THRONE OF DIVINE MERCY, GRACE AND LOVE...