From Bedlam to Stillness

FROM BEDLAM TO STILLNESS

I have never thought much about the chaos surrounding Jesus that day. His path, His Crucifixion always stood above all for me—and it still does.

This time through though the chaos of those around him is getting my attention. There is Simon of Cyrene pressed into service, how must he have felt, I wonder if he knew (of) Jesus? Then there is the unnamed great multitude crowding the streets and lamenting. Then there are the criminals. No doubt they carried their crosses. It seems almost like bedlam…that is until we get to his death.

I suggest you not only read it, but pray as you go…

The Crucifixion

²⁶ And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷ And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. ²⁸ But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ 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!’ ³⁰ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’, and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ ³¹ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

³² Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³ And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴ And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. ³⁵ And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine³⁷ and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸ There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

³⁹ One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³ And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁴ It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵ while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. ⁴⁷ Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” ⁴⁸ And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. ⁴⁹ And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

I am always struck by the Centurion, the Roman, the gentile…the non-Jew…who points out that this Jewish Messiah was innocent. Simultaneously, in the Temple, and the hour that Jesus cried out to the Father, the priest was drawing a knife across an unblemished lamb’s throat…at that very moment. Jesus’ cry shatters the time-space continuum and the curtain, a curtain apparently as thick as a man’s hand, was torn in two. This curtain separated the most-holy of places in the Temple, where God dwells, from the people, including the priests. It communicated that we cannot be in the presence of the Holy God…Jesus has destroyed not only sin, not only death, but he has made communion with God possible…but at such a price.