Thoughts on the readings for March 31st (Numbers 14, Proverbs 10,Luke 23)

Luke chapter 23 commences with Jesus before the Roman Governor Pilate, who wants nothing to do with the trumped up charges levelled against our Lord. Pilate pronounces Jesus innocent and hearing he was from Galilee felt he could evade any responsibility by sending him to Herod. Herod had been curious about Jesus for some time. Upon questioning him, without an answer from Jesus, Pilate reverts to allowing his soldiers to mock and brutalise our Lord. Having found no fault in our Lord Jesus, Herod returns him to Pilate – a partial reconciliation occurs between the two potentates. Pilate once again declares Jesus innocent, but allows him to be brutally scourged (scourging was sometimes called the intermediate death – and many a man died under the barbaric scourge). Even this failed to evoke any pity. For the third time Jesus was pronounced innocent. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to bay for Jesus blood. and badgered Pilate into a decision that he did not want to make. Our Lord was delivered to be crucified and Barbaras was released. Jesus was so weak that the Romans pressed Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross. This man and his two sons became disciples. The women on the road to Calvary wept as they beheld our Lord, but Jesus told them to weep not for him, but for the miseries that would fall on them. Jesus was crucified between two thieves, who could have been Barabbas’ followers. The place of his crucifixion was that of a skull; again in all probability that of Goliath’s skull. The soldiers gambled for his clothes, as had been prophesied. Jesus, himself implored his Father to forgive them as they knew not what they were doing. One of the two thieves crucified with our Lord railed upon Jesus The other thief turned in repentance to Jesus and asked for Jesus to remember him when Jesus would come in his kingdom. Very likely the second thief understood the Gospel of the Kingdom. He was given the assurance of a place in that Kingdom. Jesus’ words were that the thief would be with the Lord in that day. Neither were in paradise that day for Jesus spent the next three days in the tomb. Our Lord suffered the taunting of sinners, by masterfully controlling himself and as such our Lord was the Victor. Jesus died calmly at about 3pm and seeing that demeanour a hardened centurion exclaimed that surely this man was the Son of God. For six hours the Almighty veiled the scene with darkness, as a sign of His indignation at their doings. When Jesus died there was a great earthquake and the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom – showing God’s displeasure. The law was now finished and Christ had opened of a new and living way. Two counsellors – Joseph and Nicodemas – from the Sanhedrin secured the body of Jesus from Pilate and took it to Joseph’s unused garden tomb. The women, who followed our Lord and had just witnessed his crucifixion, now followed Joseph and Nicodemas to see where Jesus’ body was laid and where they would later need to come with the spices they would purchase for his burial. The women then rested on the Sabbath day.