Holy Week
Passion Friday
THE PASSION OF CHRIST
INTRODUCTION
Christ’s passion, from his agony in the
garden to his death, was the most torturous suffering a person could
undergo. Jesus fulfilled his words, “The Son of Man has come not to be
served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark
10:45). Jesus and his mother Mary fulfilled God’s promise of the woman
and her son who would destroy the serpent that led to the fall of
mankind. When Jesus accomplished his mission on the cross, he drank the
fourth cup of Passover and said, “It is finished.” It was not words of
relief but an expression of accomplishment, like the words of a military
captain at the end of a victorious war. Let us join Jesus in carrying
our crosses and say with him, “Father, into your hands I commend my
spirit.” (Luke 23:46).
INTERPRETATION
The following is the sequence of events
during Christ’s passion, according to the gospels:
2. The betrayal and arrest of Jesus
1.
The Agony in the Garden (Matthew
26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46)
Comfort from the Father alone
During the time of anguish, dear ones’
presence could be a relief. When all deserted Jesus, he gained strength
from his Father because the Father sent an angel from heaven to
strengthen him (Luke 22:43). “Though my father and mother forsake me,
yet the LORD will receive me.” (Psalm 27:10). Let us never forsake our
faith in God. We always have the companionship and comfort from God in
our distress and solitude.
Subjecting to the Father’s Will
Isaac was a prototype of Jesus. Scholars
believe that Isaac was in his thirties, like Jesus, when his father
Abraham took him to sacrifice on Mount Moriah. Centuries later, Jesus
offered his sacrifice through crucifixion on the same location. Isaac
could escape from the sacrifice by overtaking his aged father. However,
he subjected himself to his father for sacrifice. Though God saved
Isaac’s life, He wanted His son Jesus to fulfill the mission. So God
strengthened Jesus by sending an angel showing the heavenly presence and
support.
2. The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
(Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-52, Luke 22:47-53, John 18:1-14)
Kiss of love altered to a kiss of
betrayal.
Mismanagement of wealth or greed for money
caused the downfall of many people and conflict in their relationship
with others and with God throughout history. God might entrust more
wealth than needed to some people, not for self-indulgence, but to test
them whether they share it with others. Let us remember that the faith
in Jesus and our implementation of what he taught are our treasure in
this world and in heaven.
Peter, a brave defender
We must defend Christianity and church assets
by love and not by war. Often, our quick response in times of crisis is
to take sword like Peter. Self-acceptance of failure in this world was
the gateway to the glory for Jesus. And he set that as an example for
us.
3. The
Investigation before Annas (John
18:19-24)
John the Evangelist reports that the soldiers
brought Jesus in front of Annas, the former High Priest and
father-in-law of the High Priest Caiaphas. Annas was a corrupt person
and had bribed the Romans to get the position as High Priest He had
business alliance with the merchants who were money changers and sellers
of sacrificial livestock in the Temple. Since the merchants occupied the
Court of the Gentiles for business and were exploiting pilgrims in God’s
name, Jesus had wiped them out. That ignited the fury of Annas against
Jesus and caused his arrest.
Jesus questioned the trial by Annas because
he was violating the Jewish procedure of trial. The accusers had to
bring two independent witnesses against the accused. The judge should
not ask leading questions to the suspect. When Jesus questioned these,
the Temple guard struck Jesus. He questioned that as well.
We might also face challenging situations and
false accusations, even when we are right. Jesus showed how we can
defend ourselves. We do not have to agree with falsehood.
4. Peter’s Denial
of Jesus (Matthew
26:69-75, Mark 14:66-72, Luke 22:54-65, John 18:15-18, 25-27)
While Jesus was on trial, Peter went to the
High Priest’s courtyard. This was with the help of another disciple who
accompanied him to witness the hearing of Jesus. According to the
scholars, it could be John the Evangelist, who accompanied Jesus and
Mary to Calvary. John’s father Zebedee had the fresh and salted fish
business. He used to sell salted fish to the High Priest’s palace. John
might have been delivering that before he followed Jesus. That helped
John to get inside the courtyard with Peter influencing the High
Priest’s staff, who were familiar with John.
Peter’s denial of Jesus three times was to
fulfill what Jesus had told him before. It was not as grave as what
Judas did. Peter was enthusiastic to defend Jesus by striking with a
sword the High Priest’s servant and to accompany Jesus during his trial.
No other apostle was bold enough to do these, except John, who also
loved the Lord passionately. Peter’s denial of his companionship with
Jesus was necessary to protect his life, to lead the church later. St.
Luke reports that Peter “went out and began to weep bitterly.” (Luke
22:62).
Mistakes happen even when we follow Jesus.
Repentance is the best remedy, and God cannot ignore a repentant soul.
5. Jesus Before
the Sanhedrin (Matthew
26:57-68, Mark 14:53-65, Luke 22:66-71)
According to the Jewish law and practices,
there were violations in Jesus’ trial.
(1) Trial at night was illegal: The
Jews trialed Jesus illegally at night in front of the High Priests and
their favorable Sanhedrin members. Caiaphas was the official High Priest
during the trial. Annas, who was the former High Priest and
father-in-law of Caiaphas, was the president of the Sanhedrin. Though
Sanhedrin should not meet at night, the High Priests went out of the way
because they were in a hurry to crucify Jesus.
(2) The trial location was wrong: The
Sanhedrin met for the trial of Jesus at the High Priest’s house (Matthew
26:58), instead of the usual chamber in the inner court of the Temple.
The Sanhedrin had to pass the death sentence at the Temple near the
altar to assure justice and to affirm that the decision was acceptable
to God.
(3) The prejudiced Sanhedrin had only
false witnesses: Most members of the Sanhedrin had in mind the
capital punishment for Jesus before the trial. They were struggling to
get enough proof to justify their false accusations against Jesus. They
failed to get two witnesses that would agree in the testimony. When they
failed, “The high priest put a second question to him, ‘Are you the
Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ Then Jesus answered, ‘I am, and you
will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty and
coming with the clouds of heaven around him.’” (Mark 14:61-62). Only
based on this statement, the Sanhedrin accused blasphemy on Jesus. Such
questioning of the culprit in the Sanhedrin was illegal.
(4) Crucifixion was not the punishment for
blasphemy: The punishment for blasphemy was stoning to death
(Leviticus 24:10-16). However, the Sanhedrin wanted the most torturing
and humiliating crucifixion for Jesus. This was to fulfill the Old
Testament symbol of a bronze serpent raised on a pole for saving
sinners’ lives and to fulfill Jesus’ prophecy that God would exalt him
(John 3:14, 12:32–33). Hence, the crucifixion judgement was false, even
if Jesus was guilty of blasphemy.
(5) Sanhedrin did not take enough time for
the judgment: Death sentence within a day was illegal. The Sanhedrin
must sleep over it one night and reconsider the decision before
completing the sentence. This did not happen in Jesus’s case.
So, the time, place, trial procedure, and the
punishment were illegal. The hatred and prejudice can lead us to unjust
decisions and judgment against others in the family or in the community.
Like Jesus, who came not to judge but to save, let us be saviors of
others in trouble. The second coming of Christ will be only for judgment
and reward for the righteous.
6. Jesus Before
Pilate (Matthew
27:1-2, 11-14 Mark 15:1-5, Luke 23:1-5, John 18:28-38)
Though the Sanhedrin accused Jesus of
blasphemy, they did not bring up that to Pilate. Instead, they raised
three accusations that could be of concern for the Roman authorities: “We
found this man misleading our people; he opposes the payment of taxes to
Caesar and maintains that he is the Messiah, a king.” (Luke 23:2).
Pilate did not find any truth in these, nor any serious offense for
crucifixion.
If Jesus was misleading people, it was a
religious issue and not Pilate’s concern. When asked on the payment of
tax to the Roman government, Jesus’ reply was: “Give to Caesar what
belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.” (Matthew 22:21).
Pilate could consider the accusation that Jesus claimed himself to be
the king of Jews as a treason against the Roman emperor and against his
position. He was the governor replacing the king of Jews for the
provinces of Judea, Samaria, and Idumaea. But Pilate knew that Jesus
never challenged Roman authorities, including him. When questioned,
Jesus clarified that his kingdom was not of this world. Pilate’s
conclusion was that Jesus was not guilty. But he was not bold to free
Jesus because of his insecurity and selfish motive.
7. Jesus Before
Herod (Luke
23:6-12)
Herod Antipas was the king in Galilee from 4
B.C. to 39 A.D. He had beheaded John the Baptist. He came to Jerusalem
for the Passover feast. Since Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate found an
excuse from sentencing Jesus by sending him to his neighboring king and
enemy, Herod. He also did not want to sentence Jesus in the territory of
Pilate, though he had planned earlier to kill Jesus (Luke 13:31). Herod
was curious to see Jesus and to see him perform some miracle. Though
Herod’s soldiers mocked and tortured Jesus, he did not answer to King
Herod’s interrogations. So, Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.
The curiosity to understand Jesus will not
save a person. Salvation requires faith in Jesus and following his
teachings. Because of the referral of Jesus for trial to one another,
Pilate and Herod, who had been enemies, became friends. Thus, even
during trial, Jesus became a means of reconciliation between Herod and
Pilate.
8. The Death of
Judas (Matthew
27:3-10)
Joseph’s brothers sold him for 20 shekels of
silver to Midianite merchants who were going to Egypt. History repeated
with Jesus when Judas sold him for 30 pieces of silver, which was the
price of a slave. When Judas realized that Pilate condemned Jesus, he
regretted on what he had done (Matthew 27:3). He might have assumed that
Jesus would escape from the enemies as he had done several other
occasions. However, Jesus’s time had arrived. Judas’ attempt to return
the money to the High Priests and elders did not help to release Jesus.
The Satan that entered Judas did not allow him to turn towards his
master for forgiveness. His depression was so deep that he committed
suicide. The Temple authorities found that it was unlawful to deposit
the money in the Temple treasury. So, they bought a potter’s field as a
burial place for foreigners.
If we delay in turning back to Jesus for
forgiveness and change of life, there might come a time of no return.
Jesus had warned Judas, but he failed to correct himself on time. As
humans, we might fail and ignore the God-given warnings. Like Peter, let
us find rescue in Jesus and compensate for our mistakes by our
commitment to God.
9. The Death
Sentence (Matthew
27: 15-26, Mark 15:6-15, Luke 23:18-25, John 18:39-40, 19:1-16)
When the Jews brought back Jesus from Herod
to Pilate, he had to make a tough decision. He was in conflict between
justice and pressure tactics of the Jewish leaders. He also had a
message from his wife: “Have nothing to do with that holy man. Last
night I had a terrible dream about him.” (Matthew 27:19). So, Pilate
found excuses to avoid the crucifixion for Jesus.
Pilate’s tactics
to release Jesus
Pilate thought of releasing Jesus as the
prisoner whom he could set free during the Feast of Passover. But people
had the right to select that prisoner (Matthew 27:15). He presented the
choice to the public between Jesus and a notorious criminal Barabbas who
committed murder during a rebellion. People after comparing the murderer
and the Son of God, under the influence of the chief priests and the
elders (Matthew 27:20), selected the criminal for freedom and the
innocent Lamb of God for sacrifice.
Pilate’s next tactic was to scourge Jesus and
present him in a sympathetic appearance to satisfy his enemies and
influence them to request his release. Pilate’s soldiers scourged Jesus
39 times as per practice of the time, hard-pressed a crown of thorns on
his head, clothed him in a purple cloak, and beat him, mocking him as
the “King of the Jews.” The Pilate brought the tortured Jesus in front
of the people for their sympathy towards the pathetic Jesus. However,
the enemies repeated saying, “Crucify him!”
Pressure tactics of the Jews
The second issue Pilate had with the Jews was
that he raided the Temple treasury to meet the expenses of an aqueduct
he reconstructed to supply enough water to Jerusalem. The aqueduct was
helpful for the Temple that needed much water for sacrifices and
cleaning. However, the Jews objected to taking money from the Temple
treasury because it was only for religious purposes. So, Pilate seized
money from the Temple treasury that caused Jewish riots on the street.
Pilate mingled his soldiers in civil clothes with the rioters and at a
signal, the soldiers attacked and killed many rioters. Because of the
complaint of Jews, Pilate had to answer to Roman Emperor Tiberius for
his action.
A third incident was that when Pilate was in
Jerusalem, he used to stay in Herod’s ancient palace. He had made
shields with the name of the emperor inscribed on them, acknowledging
the emperor as god of the Roman empire. Pilate displayed the shields for
reverence in the Holy City to please the emperor and to irritate the
Jews. Though they objected to it because of religious reasons, Pilate
refused to remove the shields. At the request of the Jews, Emperor
Tiberius asked Pilate to delete the inscriptions. Thus, Pilate had many
downfalls in his relationship with the Jews and had warning from the
emperor to avoid upsetting them. The emperor was favoring the Jews to
prevent problems. So, Pilate knew that the release of Jesus could be
another setback for him from the Jews who would complain to the emperor
against him.
Pilate, who was bold on many earlier
occasions, found it better to be free from trouble and to sustain his
power. He ignored his wife’s warning that she received through a dream.
Sometimes, we also fall into the situation of Pilate. Our past might
haunt us and prevent us from doing the right. Our concern for the
worldly ambitions might influence us to do injustice.
Pilate washing hands
Two mistakes of the Jews
The second mistake of Jews was that when
Pilate could not convince them to release Jesus and they were at the
verge of rioting, Pilate washed his hands in public and said, “‘I am
innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves.’ And all the people
answered, ‘Let his blood be upon us and upon our children.’” (Matthew
27:24-25).
Jesus’ blood stands for his life and
sacrifice. He shed it for the forgiveness of the sins of all humanity.
However, the entire crowd gathered at Jesus’ trial were so much taken up
by the influence of the Sanhedrin that they, out of their emotion, took
up the curse of the innocent blood on them and their future generations.
The Jews believed that the guilt of innocent blood shall fall upon the
false witnesses and their children to the end of the world. Some
interpreters view that the Rome’s attack of Jerusalem after 40 years in
70 A.D., the destruction of the Temple and its sacrifices, the
assassination of many Jews, and the exile and dispersion of the Jews
were results of the above pledge they made. The Catholic Church does not
hold this view and attributes them to the Temple aristocracy and the
supporters of Barabbas.
10. The Soldiers
Mockery (Matthew
27:27-31, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:1-5)
The soldiers normally scourge the condemned
before crucifixion. They were Roman gentiles arrived from Caesarea
Maritima on the Mediterranean coast along with Pilate. Since they heard
that the Jews accused Jesus of claiming to be the king of Jews, they
mocked him as if he was a lunatic.
The scourging and mockery were physically and
mentally torturing. The soldiers took Jesus to the praetorium which was
the old palace of Herod and the temporary residence of the Roman
governor when he visited Jerusalem. Pilot used to go to Jerusalem during
the major feasts to assure prevention of any nationalistic riot against
Rome during the enormous gatherings of the Jewish pilgrims.
Matthew records that the whole cohort
gathered around Jesus (Matthew 27:27). The cohort was six hundred
soldiers. They stripped off Jesus’ clothes and dressed him with a royal
purple cloth. They weaved a crown out of long straight thorns and placed
on his head, gave a reed in his right hand, spat on him, and kept
striking on his head with the reed. This was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s
prophecy in 50:6 “I offered my back to those who strike me, my cheeks to
those who pulled out my beard; I did not shield my face from insults and
spittle.” After mocking and torturing, they stripped him of the cloak
and dressed in his own clothes and led him for crucifixion.
The soldiers had adorned Jesus with a royal
attire as the actual king of the universe, though Jesus never dressed up
like that because his kingdom is not of this world. However, it became a
symbol of his spiritual kingship. Jesus is the king of Jews, as Pilate
wrote, and the king of the universe. Let us follow that king and honor
him.
When we suffer for justice and for Jesus, our
suffering will be an honor and a norm for reward in front of God. Jesus
told his disciples, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the cause
of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you, when
people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against
you because you are my followers. Be happy and glad, for a great reward
is kept for you in heaven. This is how they persecuted the prophets who
lived before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12).
11. The Way of the
Cross (Matthew
27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-32)
Out of the 14 stations of the Way of the
Cross we do as a devotion, the Bible does not document the three falls
of Jesus, Jesus meeting his mother Mary, and Veronica wiping the face of
Jesus. Mary’s meeting of Jesus on the way of the cross might have
happened because she was also at the foot of the cross. That meeting
might have been heartbreaking for Mary, though she knew that he was
fulfilling his mission. Mary is an outstanding role model for mothers
sending their children to the missions.
Veronica wiping the face of Jesus
Simon helped Jesus to carry the cross
Cyrenaica was the capital of a Roman province
on the north coast of Africa. Cyrene was its capital city. It had an
enormous population of Greek-speaking Jews. Simon was one among them,
who might have migrated to Palestine. “When they led Jesus away, they
seized a certain Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the fields, and
laid the cross on him to carry it behind Jesus.” (Luke 23:26). Simon was
fulfilling Jesus’ teaching, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him
deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24). Jesus
wants us to share his cross in our lifetime, to continue his mission in
this world.
Mark 15:21 presents Simon as “father of
Alexander and Rufus.” They must have been prominent followers of Jesus
and well-known leaders of the early church. That is why the evangelist
gives their names. It is not just cursing that passes down to
generations, but blessings as well. The excellent works we do for Jesus
and his church will have its lasting effects in our coming generations.
Women devotees pacifying Jesus
Jesus’ message for Passion Friday is the same
that Jesus gave to these devoted women. Let us take care of our
spiritual wellbeing and of our future generations, even amid
tribulations of this world.
12. The
Crucifixion (Matthew
27:33-44, Mark 15:22-32, Luke 23:33-43, John 19:17-27)
The Place of Skull
Some scholars associate Golgotha with Mount
Moriah. That was the place that God assigned to Abraham to sacrifice his
son Isaac (Genesis 22:2). Solomon built the Temple at the same location
(2 Chronicles 3:1) known as Temple Mount. Later, Zerubbabel and Herod
the Great rebuilt the Temple at the same location. Golgotha has the same
height of the Temple Mount and both are facing each other at a distance
of only 300 meters. Jesus was the Lamb that Abraham told his son, “God
himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice, my son.” (Genesis
22:8).
Wine mixed with gall
Forgiving enemies
Soldiers divided his garments
Jesus the Nazarian, the King of Jews
Two Revolutionaries crucified on the sides
of Jesus
The Bible does not give the names of the two
rebels. However, a fourth century non-canonical book, “The Gospel of
Nicodemus” gives their names as Dismas and Gestas.
Gestas commented to Jesus, “So you are the Messiah? Save yourself and us
as well!” (Luke 23:39). Dismas was the criminal who beseeched, “Jesus,
remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Truly I
tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43). The
Catholic Church considers Dismas as a saint and celebrates his feast on
March 25th.
Mockery by the public
Entrusting Mother to John
Mary was a widow and would be with no family
member to support her. Jesus felt confidence in entrusting her care to
his most beloved and youngest apostle, John. He whole-heartedly accepted
her as his mother and took care of her until her death, along with his
busy evangelization ministry. Jesus blessed John with a long life.
According to tradition, God rescued John from the emperor’s attempt to
kill him in boiling oil while he was in Rome. Jesus kept the commandment
of God, “Honor your father and your mother.” (Genesis 20:12). Let us
continue honoring our parents, whether living or deceased.
13. The Death of
Jesus (Matthew
27:45-56, Mark 15:33-41, Luke 23:44-49, John 19:28-37)
The Time of Crucifixion to Death
The time of Jesus’ crucifixion and death
correspond to the daily Perpetual Sacrifice (Tamid) in the Temple at
9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. Along with an unblemished male lamb they used to
offer flour and wine (Exodus 29:38-39, Numbers 28:1-8). This would
represent the bread and wine we offer for Holy Mass, which becomes the
“Lamb of God.” During the Tamid sacrifice, people used to pray for
redemption from their sins. So, timing of Jesus’ sacrifice, its
beginning and end at 9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M., coincided with the Temple
sacrifice for the redemption of sins. The sacrifice of Jesus replaced
the Tamid sacrifice in the Temple, which ended when Romans destroyed the
Temple in 70 A.D.
“Why have you forsaken me?”
The Last Cup of Passover Wine
Jesus’ crucifixion was his unfinished fourth
cup at the Last Supper. Towards the end of his suffering, Jesus
expressed his thirst to finish his Passover observance by drinking the
last cup of wine. Hyssop was a small plant used to dip in the basin
containing the blood of the Pascal lamb and to apply the blood to the
lintel and the two doorposts before Israelites left Egypt (Exodus
12:22). Jesus said, “It is fulfilled” to mean the fulfillment of his
earthly task, like a military commander used to say at the end of a
victorious battle.
Extraordinary
events at the death of Jesus
Some unusual events happened at the
crucifixion of Jesus:
1. Solar eclipse happened for three
hours with darkness felt from noon to 3:00 P.M. (Mark 15:33, Luke
23:14). This was the fulfillment of Amos 8:9, “The LORD GOD says this,
‘On that day I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in
broad daylight.’”
2. The curtain of the Temple sanctuary was
torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27: 51). According to God’s
design, the tabernacle and later the Temple had two curtains. The outer
veil was at the Holy Place’s entrance and the inner one was in front of
the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:31–36). It represented the seat of God and
so heaven. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and that
only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1–18). The
scholars’ interpretation on the ripping of the sanctuary veil is that
Jesus, the perfect High Priest, opened the third heaven, the Holy of
Holies, by his self-sacrifice, giving access to all who follow him.
3. There was an earthquake and
resurrection of the dead. “The earth quaked, rocks were split, Tombs
were opened, and several holy people who had died were raised to life.
They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they entered
the Holy City and appeared to many.” (Matthew 27:52-53). These signaled
the coming of the last or Messianic age.
The last words of Jesus were, “‘Father, into
your hands, I commend my spirit.’ And saying that, he gave up his
spirit.” (Luke 23:46). Only a person in communion with God could say
that. Let this be our last words at the end of our lives.
Jesus attracted many to him at the Cross
Ladies witnessed the death of Jesus
Jesus’ bones were not broken.
The Blood and Water
According to the
Jewish concept, the blood stands for the life of a person. Jesus shed
even his last drop, separating his body and blood as the priests did for
the sacrificial lamb in the Temple. A soldier thrust a spear in Jesus’
chest, breaking his heart to assure that he was dead. The blood, from
the heart along with the fluid of the pericardium that surrounds the
heart, flowed down. John presents this as fulfilling the prophecy in
Zechariah 12:10, “They will look on me, the one they have pierced.” The
water stands for baptism and the blood for Holy Eucharist; both are the
last gifts of Jesus for our salvation. Later he also gave us the Holy
Spirit on the day of Pentecost. We receive these three as Sacraments of
Initiation to take full membership in the Holy Catholic Church headed by
Christ.
14. The Burial of
Jesus (Matthew
27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42)
The Romans did not
bury the dead body of the crucified criminals. They would leave the
bodies on the ground and let animals and birds eat them. The Jewish law
demanded the burial of the body on the same day (Deut. 21:22-23). So,
Jesus’ supporters needed permission from Pilate to bury his body. Since
Jesus was from Galilee and the disciples were hiding and could not
afford to pay a fitting burial within a few hours, two secret admirers
of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea
and Nicodemus, offered generous contributions. They were not supporting
Jesus in public before, to keep their membership in the Sanhedrin and to
save their reputation among the Jewish leaders. Often, we do not help a
person in need when alive. However, the prompt contributions of these
two are praiseworthy.
Joseph of Arimathea contributed his own
valuable tomb that no one had used. That could help to prove Jesus’
resurrection. If anyone had found the remains of a dead body in Jesus’
tomb after his resurrection, that could have caused doubts on his
resurrection. Nicodemus donated spices for the customary embalming of
Jesus’ body and helped Joseph for the burial.
Mary Magdalene and other ladies who came on
the third day after Sabbath was a proof that they knew the tomb of Jesus
and they found that same tomb empty when they returned. “So the women
who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how
his body was being placed.” (Luke 23:55). Pilate’s assurance of Jesus’
death from the centurion (Mark 15:44) was another proof of Jesus’ death.
That also helped to prove that Jesus’ resurrection was not a
reappearance after hiding from the public. All the gospel writers assure
to give evidences that led to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The passion and death of Jesus led to his
resurrection and enthronement in heaven at the right side of his Father.
He will come again to judge the world. In this interim period, we need
to make use of our time and talents to collaborate with Jesus to
continue his redemptive work. Jesus would lighten our hardships for the
Kingdom of God when we follow the footsteps of Jesus. As promised, he
will reward us in the glorious heaven.