Darkness Was Coming – The Death Of Jesus

THE STORY chapter # 26

(My home church is participating in the study of THE STORY – The Bible As One Continuing Story Of God And His People. Foreword by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee. Each week, my Thursday post focuses on our current study chapter.)

It was in an upper room in a house in Jerusalem, that Jesus and the twelve disciples ate the Last Supper. Jesus knew that His hour had come, and He was still teaching the disciples. One of His greatest demonstrations of instruction to the disciples and to us, was His act of washing the disciples’ feet.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:12-16

Soon after He washed their feet, Jesus initiated a practice all churches partake in today – celebrating the body and the blood of Christ.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. Mark 14:22-24

Jesus continued to share who He is and what was about to happen, yet, they did not fully understand.

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” John 14:5

And Jesus assured them that when He was gone, there will be someone to guide them through life’s journeys.

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:13

After they sang a hymn, they went to the Mount of Olives. It was there that a large crowd arrived, including Judas, one of the original twelve, and they arrested Jesus.

First Jesus was taken to Caiaphas the high priest for questioning. Then Jesus was handed over to Pilate, the governor. Pilate was no friend of the Jews. And he did try to set Jesus free, partly because he didn’t want to give in to the Jews and also because Pilate did not want to start a riot. So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, the Jewish ruler of Galilee.

Herod also questioned Jesus, ridiculed and mocked Him, but sent Jesus back to Pilate. It was finally Pilate who had Jesus flogged, then turned Jesus over to the Jews to be crucified.

About three in the afternoon, the darkness of death arrived. At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook and the rocks split.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:54