King found guilty. Verdict pronounced - flogging and Crucifixion.

The trial

After a night of waiting in the Temple court, shivering from the night cold a whisper circulates that my King has been tried. A group of soldiers emerge from the Temple. My King is bound and stumbling along between them. They march him straight to a short pole splashed with blood. A foot jams the back of my King's legs and he nosedives to the ground. 

No mercy

Now bound to the stake, I watch in horror as the flagrum is waved in the air and slashes down with force onto my King's back. The lead tips rip off his skin and blood spurts out in all directions as the torturous instrument returns to its owner. Strike one, strike two, strike three, on and on (Matthew 27:26). 

I choose to stand in front of my King and attempt eye contact. I feel sick as I can do nothing to ease the pain. As the whipping continues, open wounds grow and form trenches down my King's back. His hands in fists shaking, eyes tight shut with life draining away. Finally, he collapses and lying in his own blood the torture finishes. The soldiers watching laugh, how little life seems to mean to them. The sense of evil wandering around the courtyard chills my bones.

I try to reach my King's outstretched hand but a soldier stamps on it. I say nothing as the pain is minimal compared to such a shredded back.

The Crown of Thorns

To add insult to injury once my King has raised himself up and is struggling to keep upright, one of the soldiers rams a crown of thorns on his head. Another slings a red robe around his mangled shoulders (Matthew 27:27-31). The material is instantly drenched with blood and I see a grimace on my Saviour's face. 

The final journey begins

Scarcely able to put one foot in front of another, a burly soldier points to a Crossbar and demands that it be carried to Calvery. Two soldiers heave the wood onto his shoulders, the splinters digging into the muscles on his back. With steely determination, wiping the fresh blood out of his face my King slowly drags his decimated body towards his destiny. 

On the road to Calvary

The crowds hustle on either side of the road eager to see what is happening. Running behind the onlookers I jump periodically to keep an eye on the progress of my King. Three times he falls, smashing onto dust and stone, the crown of thorns piercing his head each time. I felt he wouldn't make the journey with such horrific injuries. On the third fall, I see soldiers seize a man from the crowd and command him to help (Matthew 27:32).

The King's final resting place

On the ground ready for the Crossbar lies the upright post. My King places his piece of wood in the groove. Still, the Cross is incomplete, its arms desiring a victim. My King without any force surrenders to the inevitable and collapses onto the wooden surface. I sob, can a man endure anymore? Then three soldiers hammer nails into his hands and feet.

The Cross is now dragged over small rocks bumping my King and creating spasms that surge through his body. The soldiers raise the Cross up and crunch it into the dry stony earth. The jolt wrenches his hands and feet moving them against the iron nails. 

I am not worth

Watching my King die in excruciating pain tears me apart. I see him gasp and I plunge to my knees - I am not worthy, forgive me, Father. His eyes fade and all is gone.

The wind is blowing up a storm and clouds darker than the night roll overhead. The earth is shaking and as I look towards Jerusalem I see the Temple split in two. My King's prophecy has been fulfilled (Matthew 24:2). 

An eerie silence descends, and my world turned upside down - now what? My King is dead....

This week is Holy Week a time to ponder on the events leading up to Christ's death and Resurrection. We too are on a journey not necessarily to the same grotesque end, but nonetheless to a place that requires sacrifice, forgiveness and love to walk there.  

Come and join me each day as I accompany Jesus on His journey.

God bless,

Margaret

https://www.facebook.com/MargaretKazmierczakAuthorBlogger/

www.margaretk.co.uk 

(Note: This is my expression of Holy Week, the order of events may have been a bit different.) 

Crucifixion the only way - Holy Week Day Four

Crucifixion the only way

Jumbled thoughts

My head is a jumble with all the talk last night. As the sun set the King revealed that he will be handed over to be crucified. How does he know this? I can scarcely bring myself to ponder on such a fate. The thought makes me feel sick, my body to tremble, I want to shout "no". I have just found him and my life has new meaning and direction. I can't bear the thought of losing my King so soon. 

A Prayer request on behalf of the King

I waited behind when everyone left the mount and cried. I prayed and pleaded for my King - don't take him away. Shattered from all my beseeching I staggered back to the house the King was staying in. All appeared quiet apart from some gentle snoring. 

Peaceful acceptance

I heard a noise, a shaky door squeaking as it opened. The silhouette of a man outlined by the eery moon stepped out. I leant flat against the wall, my heart pounding like an orchestral drum. But he sensed my presence and signalled me to draw closer. Without saying anything he enwrapped me in his arms and kissed my forehead. Instantly an overwhelming aura gripped me. From the tip of my head to my toes a new and exhilarating force penetrated my body. As my King released me his piercing eyes transfixed me. I saw sorrow and triumph at the same time. In my mind words formed - I love you. I gasped at the intensity and looked at the man in front of me, his demeanour victorious and vulnerable at the same time. Without warning an irresistible urge to sleep took over and peace ensued.

The next day

Awake and rested I search for my King and his disciples, but they have gone. The lady of the house points to Jerusalem.  I know he will be teaching once again in the Temple. Scrambling as fast as I can along the dusty road moving in and out of wagons full of wares and animals, I arrive, dirty and unkempt. 

A ruckus is in full flow. Soldiers and men arguing audibly, pushing and shoving one another. A man lies on the ground arms flailing, struggling to get up trying to avoid feet that tread on him as the fight intensifies. 

Trouble in the Temple

I ask a skinny young lad cowering behind a stall to explain the disturbance. His shaky voice expounds that a man in the Temple is stirring up trouble again. It had to be my King. 

The Temple was packed again, young and old craning to hear (Luke 21:37-38), as my King in full voice stood teaching the crowd.

The midday sun pierces down as my King emerges from the cold Temple.I track him to the Mount of Olives, observing the group chatting and enjoying one another's company. I do not follow further this time but leave them there to their intimate gathering. 






I know the growing discord in Jerusalem will heighten so I decide to stay outside the city walls....

This week is Holy Week a time to ponder on the events leading up to Christ's death and Resurrection. We too are on a journey not necessarily to the same grotesque end, but nonetheless to a place that requires sacrifice, forgiveness and love to walk there.  

Come and join me each day as I accompany Jesus on His journey.

God bless,

Margaret

https://www.facebook.com/MargaretKazmierczakAuthorBlogger/

www.margaretk.co.uk 

    

(Note: This is my expression of Holy Week, the order of events may have been a bit different.)  

The thief who denied hell and stole Heaven

by Margaret Kazmeirczak | Jan 30, 2017 | Comfort, Encouragement, Faith, Forgiveness, Grace, Monday Memories, Heart"Wings"blog.com

The thief who denied hell and stole Heaven has an amazing place in history. 

The thief is the one person who saw the truth of Jesus’ message. Those around him were grieving, shocked, taunting, or disinterested in the crucifixion, but the thief stole the show. He saw his opportunity, to rob hell of his soul and to repent of his past heinous crimes. For this he would be remembered for all time.

He saw his opportunity to rob hell of his soul and to repent of his past heinous crimes.

The robber understood he deserved to die.

The thief in his understanding knew that he deserved his crucifixion. His pain and subsequent death were of his own doing. He had deprived many of precious things through the manor of his trade as a robber. He no doubt robbed wives of husbands, children of their fathers and vice versa. Now his crimes were to rob him of his life. But his salvation hung beside him.  

“Remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

As the robber gazed on the man beside him the scales from his eyes fell. He did not see another criminal, but the Son of God. His soul leapt for joy but the devil cringed in the dark periphery surrounding the revelation, watching as the first sinner gained entry into Heaven. “Remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” (Luke 23:40)

Jesus said “I tell you the truth,  today you shall be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)

How comforting for Jesus in his agony to be recognised for who He really was. The thief, a man of the world, who did not know Jesus from His ministry, bowed down before his Saviour King. When Jesus died Heaven rejoiced and the sinner danced, he had stolen his greatest prize at the last moment – his redemption. 

The memory of the thief.

Today let us remember the lesson of this man who denied hell and stole Heaven, as we hang on our own cross of life. Let us see what the thief saw – God’s Grace. 

Do you see as the thief saw?