Gruesomely nailed to a cross and raised over the hill of Golgotha, Jesus Christ — the one and eternal son of the Father— hung upon it for three painful hours. “Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit”. Those were his last words uttered in a tone of complete surrender to his Heavenly Father. He was subjected to a cruel death, so shameful that it was inflicted only on the most despicable people.
Disheartening it is to note that Jesus was crucified beside thieves. An inscription attesting to his kingship, satirically of course, was affixed to the top of his cross. “This is the king of the Jews”. John the evangelist even notes that it was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, so that no one would mistake what it said.
Watching his humiliation stood the people. They were helpless. They couldn’t express anything. They were afraid to take sides. The leaders kept jeering at him, for they had cowed him down. Now that their victory over Jesus of Nazareth was irreversible, they challenged him by saying ‘He saved others; let him save himself”. Sharing the triumph of their superiors, the soldiers too exclaimed: ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself”. To cap all these insults, one of the thieves crucified with Jesus joined in rebuking him, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself and us”.
Jesus made no reply to those challenges. It was as if he did not even hear them. Christ could have used his powers to get rid of the nails in his hands and feet, and would have easily descended from the cross. He could have imposed his incontestable authority on the subdued spectators. But he was no showman. He had been confronted with the same sort of temptation when he was fasting in the desert after his baptism. He refused to use his powers for any personal advantage. His life was not designed for his personal gratification.
The second thief crucified alongside Jesus intervened and reprimanded the other thief who had insulted Jesus. Acknowledging his own faults and admitting the justice of punishment he was receiving, the criminal affirmed the innocence of Jesus. What gave him the courage to take a clear-eyed look at things was his approaching death. He knew that he would be dead in a short time. The situation was hopeless for him. Hence placing his trust in Jesus, he asked Jesus not to forget him when he enters his kingdom. And Jesus replied. “This day you will be with me in paradise”. Those were the only words that Jesus expressed in the whole narrative.
Jesus’ consoling words were words of promise. His promise spoke nothing about Jesus himself. He had responded for the one who had made a request of him. Jesus let him into his kingdom.
That’s the significance of Jesus’ words: “Knock…It shall be opened. Ask… it shall be given”. Bowing his head after his lost words, Jesus gave up his ghost. This happened some two thousand and odd years ago…. 7 April, 34 AD, to be exact and these scenes were witnessed on that First Good Friday.
In many Christian denominations it was a day of mourning and penance. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.When Jesus gave up his ghost, the earth shook, the rocks split apart, the graves ripped open and many of God’s people who had died came back to life. The dead who were raised to life marched towards the Holy city in thunder, lightning and torrential rain, where many people saw them.
The army officer and the soldiers with him who were watching Jesus saw the earthquake and everything else that happened. They were terrified and said: “He really was the Son of God.”
Jesus Christ died on the cross to free men from all clutches and through his gospel of love he brought redemption to all mankind. Though his parables and the sermon on the Mount, he replaced hatred with love, doubt with faith, despair with hope, darkness with light, sadness with joy. By his death on the cross, he taught the world that only by giving we can receive, only by pardoning others we are pardoned.