The crucifixion story – Part I

THE EASTER story is principally about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, be it fact or fiction, set in a real place. The moments before and after the impalement is what is mostly written and spoken about. But why was the man who claimed to be the physical manifestation of God killed, and why did he not use his all-powerful nature to help Himself?

The narrative is that while Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, as he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, H sent two of his disciples to untie a colt. When the owner of the colt confronted the disciples, they told him that it was Jesus who wanted the colt.

When they got back to Jesus, they placed their coats on to the colt before Jesus sat on it. As they travelled along, other people put their cloaks on the ground so that Jesus could pass over them. When they reached a place where the road went down to the Mount of Olives, the disciples began to loudly praise God for the miracles that they had witnessed. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd told Jesus to rebuke his disciples, but Jesus refused to.

When he reached Jerusalem and saw how beautiful the city was, He wept. There were more emotions at the temple area. This time it was anger, for He saw people selling and gambling in the space. He overturned whatever they were selling and drove them away, saying, “My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”

He was now teaching every day at the temple, but the chief priests, teachers of the law, and other leaders got an idea to kill Him. However, he was always surrounded by His followers. The leaders questioned His authority, asking who had given Hm permission to do what he was doing.

Jesus asked them if John’s baptism was from Heaven or Earth. After consulting with one anotherm they said that they did not know, to which Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Jesus then told the people the parable of the tenants who refused to pay the vineyard owner rent for using his vineyards. The chief priests, teachers of the law, and other leaders suspected that Jesus used the parable to cast doubt on their character, and the idea to kill Him fomented some more, but they were afraid of Jesus’ followers.

They contrived all kinds of tricks to get Jesus to says things that were against the authority so that they could turn him over. They wanted to know from Jesus whether or not they should pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus requested a denaris coin from them. On it was stamped an image of Caesar’s head. Jesus turned to them and said, “Then, give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” They were stunned and became silent.

RESURRECTION

There were also discussions about the resurrection and marriage, the widow’s offerings, signs of the end of the age, and whose son was the Christ. For the last topic, while all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplace and the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished more severely.”

Now, the feast of unleavened bread called Passover was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus.

Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, went to the chief priests and officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were happy and decided to pay Judas 30 pieces of silver for his efforts. He consented and watched for an opportunity to hand over Jesus to them when there were not many witnesses.

Then came the day for the eating of the unleavened bread, the day when the Passover lamb would be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare a place where they would have the feast. It was in an upper room. There, they sat around the table, and Jesus told them that He was happy to eat with them but that that feast would be his last before he returned to the Kingdom of God. Jesus then shared his wine (representing His blood) and his bread (representing His flesh) with them as a remembrance of Him.

After the supper, Jesus took up the cup and said: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays me.”

And the disciples now started to ask about who was among them that would want to betray Jesus and which one of them was the greatest of the disciples.

Jesus warned Simon about not failing his faith because Satan had infiltrated him. But Simon replied, “I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus then told the gathering that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed on that day.

Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. He said to them, “But now, if you have a purse, take it, and also, a bag, and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written, ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors, and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That is enough,” Jesus replied.