Christian Reflection and Prayer

According to the New Testament, Jesus was
arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane by the
Temple Guards through the guidance of his
disciple, Judas Iscariot. Judas received money
for betraying Jesus and told the guards that
whomever he kisses is the one they are to
arrest. Jesus is brought to the house of Annas,
who is the father-in-law of the current high priest,

Conflicting testimony against Jesus is brought
forth by many witnesses, to which Jesus answers
nothing. Finally the high priest adjures Jesus to
respond under solemn oath, saying "I adjure you,
by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed
One, the Son of God?" Jesus testifies in the affirmative,
"You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of
Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming
on the clouds of Heaven." The high priest condemns
Jesus for blasphemy, and the Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus
concurs with a sentence of death (Matthew 26:57-66).
Peter also denies Jesus three times during the interrogations.
Jesus already knew that Peter would deny him three times.
See the article Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus regarding the two
trials, one at night, the other in the morning and how
their timing may affect the day of Good Friday.
A Good Friday procession in Bombay by Indian
Roman Catholics, depicting the Way of the Cross

In the morning, the whole assembly brings Jesus
to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, under charges
of subverting the nation, opposing taxes to Caesar,
and making himself a king (Luke 23:1-2). Pilate
authorizes the Jewish leaders to judge Jesus
according to their own Law and execute sentencing,
however the Jewish leaders reply that they are not
allowed by the Romans to carry out a sentence
of death (John 18:31).

Pilate questions Jesus, and tells the assembly
that there is no basis for sentencing. Upon
learning that Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate refers
the case to the ruler of Galilee, King Herod, who
was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Herod
questions Jesus but receives no answer; Herod
sends Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate tells the
assembly that neither he nor Herod have found
guilt in Jesus; Pilate resolves to have Jesus
whipped and released (Luke 23:3-16).

It was a custom during the feast of Passover
for the Romans to release one prisoner as
requested by the Jews. Pilate asks the crowd
who they would like to be released. Under the
guidance of the chief priests, the crowd asks for
Barabbas, who had been imprisoned for
committing murder during an insurrection.
Pilate asks what they would have him do with
Jesus, and they demand, "Crucify him" (Mark 15:6-14).
Pilate's wife had seen Jesus in a dream earlier that day;
she forewarns Pilate to "have nothing to do with this
righteous man" (Matthew 27:19).

Pilate has Jesus flogged, then brings him out to the
crowd to release him. The chief priests inform Pilate
of a new charge, demanding Jesus be sentenced to
death "because he claimed to be God's son." This
possibility filled Pilate with fear, and he brought Jesus
back inside the palace and demanded to know from
where he came (John 19:1-9).
Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Ecce Homo with Jesus
and Pontius Pilate, 19th century.

Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declares
Jesus innocent, washing his own hands in water to show
he has no part in this condemnation. Nevertheless, Pilate
hands Jesus over to be crucified in order to forestall a riot (
Matthew 27:24-26). The sentence written is
"Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus carries
his cross to the site of execution (assisted by Simon of Cyrene),
called the place of the Skull, or "Golgotha" in Hebrew and
in Latin "Calvary". There he is crucified along with two
criminals (John 19:17-22).

Jesus agonizes on the cross for six hours. During his
last 3 hours on the cross,from noon to 3pm, there is
darkness over the whole land.[7] With a loud cry, Jesus
gives up his spirit. There is an earthquake, tombs break
open, and the curtain in the Temple is torn from top to
bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion
declares, "Truly this was God's Son!" (Matthew 27:45-54)

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and
secret follower of Jesus, who had not consented to his
condemnation, goes to Pilate to request the body of
Jesus (Luke 23:50-52). Pilate asks confirmation from
the centurion whether Jesus is dead (Mark 15:44).
A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance
causing blood and water to flow out (John 19:34),
and the centurion informs Pilate that Jesus is dead (Mark 15:45).

Joseph of Arimathea takes the body of Jesus, wraps
it in a clean linen shroud, and places it in his own new
tomb that had been carved in the rock (Matthew 27:59-60)
in a garden near the site of crucifixion. Another secret
follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named
Nicodemus (John 3:1) also came bringing 75 pounds
of myrrh and aloes, and places them in the linen with
the body of Jesus, according to Jewish burial customs
(John 19:39-40). They rolled a large rock over the entrance
of the tomb (Matthew 27:60). Then they returned home
and rested, because at sunset began Shabbat (Luke 23:54-56).
On the third day, Sunday, which is now known as
Easter Sunday (or Pascha), Jesus rose from the dead.

Were You There?

Scripture:

As his body was taken away, the
women from Galilee followed and
saw the tomb where they placed
his body. Then they went home
and prepared spices and ointments
to embalm him. But by the time
they were finished it was the Sabbath,
so they rested all that day as required
by the law. Luke 23:55-56 NLT

Hymn:

Were you there when they crucified
my Lord? Were you there when they
crucified my Lord? O! Sometimes it
causes me to tremble, tremble,
tremble! Were you there when they
crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they laid Him
in the tomb? Were you there when they
laid Him in the tomb? O! Sometimes it
causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble!
Were you there when they laid Him in
the tomb?
Were You There? Traditional spiritual

Reflection:

Experience the "tremble"

This favorite hymn comes from the
rich American spiritual tradition,
probably developed in the early 1800s
by African-American slaves. As in
most spirituals, the words are simple,
seizing on one central theme or concept.

Spirituals tend to have a lot of emotional
appeal. As a result, this hymn, like few
others, puts the singer there. We
experience the "tremble" as we sing it.
And in the triumphant final stanza, we
experience the glory of a risen Lord.
We are called out of the cold analysis
of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection
into the moment of living it. We are called
out of the theological debate and into the
stark reality. We hear the nails pounded
into the cross, we see the onlookers
wagging their heads, we smell the burial
spices, and we feel the rumble of the stone
rolling away. And we tremble… tremble…
tremble.

Our Holy Week readings are adapted from
The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark
Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House
Publishers (1995). Today's is taken from
the entry for March 21.

MAUNDAY THURSDAY

Go to Dark Gethsemane

Scripture:

Then Jesus brought them into an olive
grove called Gethsemane, and he said,
"Sit here while I go on ahead to pray."…
He went on a little farther and fell face
down on the ground, praying, "My
Father! If it is possible, let this cup
of suffering be taken away from me.
Yet I want your will, not mine."
Matthew 26:36-39 NLT

Hymn:

Go to dark Gethsemane, ye that feel
the tempter's power; your Redeemer's
conflict see; watch Him one bitter hour;
turn not from His grief away; learn of
Jesus Christ to pray.

See Him at the judgment hall, beaten,
bound, reviled, arraigned; see Him
meekly bearing all! Love to man His
soul sustained. Shun not suffering,
shame or loss; learn of Christ to bear
the cross.
Go to Dark Gethsemane
James Montgomery (1771-1854)

Reflection:

Learning from Christ's passion

Step by step James Montgomery takes
us through Christ's passion. We go with
our Lord to the Garden of Gethsemane,
where those troublesome thoughts of
death assailed Him. While His trusted
friends drifted off to sleep, Jesus fought
off the temptation to avoid the Cross.
It was difficult time, and in Montgomery's
simple text we feel drops of sweat.

At Jesus' trial—a shabby excuse for
justice if ever there was one—He bore
the beating and badgering without
speaking a word. He was carrying our
sins with Him to the Cross. At the
Cross we can only fall at His feet to
worship.

At each point of this journey we have
much to learn from our Savior. We
can learn to pray when tempted and
to endure suffering with patience.
And Christ teaches us to rise in
newness of life, to live in a way
that honors Him, and ultimately
to join Him in glory.

Our Holy Week readings are
adapted from The One Year®
Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and
Robert Brown, Tyndale House
Publishers (1995). Today's is
taken from the entry for April 1.