Passover Days of the Crucifixion of Jesus

Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Christ to the people Ecce homo! (Behold the man!). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Before yom shishi = "sixth day," Friday, was yom chamishi = "fifth day,"

which the Church calls Maundy (L.)  (commandment) Thursday.

Jesus and the first, the twelve, disciples commemorated the Passover (see Exodus 12) meal together. Jesus washed the disciples' feet, hosted the meal, and taught His disciples about the bread and wine meaning His body to be broken and His blood to be shed for the sins of the world.

     Then, the Garden of Gethsemane (Mount of Olives) for prayers. In anguish. "Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine..."

     The High Priest's soldiers came. Jesus was betrayed and arrested.

Inside Jerusalem that night 

Jesus was put on trial before the Jews' High Priest. 

In the High Priest's courtyard, Peter, one of His closest, feared the people and denied Jesus three times before the break of morning.

Friday ( yom shishi = "sixth day")

Inside Jerusalem that morning

     Jesus was put on display before a crowd and mob    

     Roman magistrate Pontius Pilate had final say

     Verdict about Jesus was announced: Death

     Roman soldiers delivered Jesus up

       to be mocked

       Flogged

       Hit

       Ridiculed
      
"Crowned"...with thorns

       

      The soldiers presented a cross for Jesus to get beneath and carry

       Under guard

     

Outside Jerusalem

     Golgotha ("Place of The Skull")

     Jesus was nailed to a cross

     The Cross was raised between two others

     Jesus was crucified

    
There were mockings

     Piercings

     Gambling
     At the foot of the Cross,

         His robe was divided by Roman soldiers who gambled there

     The foot of the Cross was

         a place of sin, sorrow for sin, and mourning by those who loved Him
     Seven times He spoke from the Cross
     He prayed to the Father "forgive them for they know not what they do."

     Last, He said "It is finished"

     At afternoon, the Son of God also Son of Man committed His spirit into the hands of His Father. Not one of His bones was broken. The flesh of His side had been broken by the piercing sword.

     

He breathed His last breath

     Darkness covered the earth

     The sun darkened

     Earth trembled, quaked, and split

     Graves opened
     Bodies of the dead walked forth

     The veil of the temple was ripped in two

     The Holy of Holies was exposed
           

     His Cross was brought down while it was still day, Friday
          (yom shishi)

      His body was removed from the Cross and from Golgotha

      His body was laid in a tomb before evening
     Believers brought cloth wrappings and myrrh...

     Many Jews in those days trusted in God that Jesus, a Jew, born of a Jewish maiden and of the line of David, was the promised Redeemer, the Christ. These included rabbis and other leaders among the Jews. In days to come...Gentiles would believe, too, and accept God's adoption into the Israel of God. God's prophet Isaiah had foretold all these things centuries before.  
    
     Sundown marked the beginning of the next day, the Sabbath (), Saturday.
      And evening marked the next day, known today Sunday or "the Lord's Day" because of the Resurrection of Jesus, when God raised Him bodily from the dead and the grave on the Third Day.

In every part of the world "from every tribe and nation" followers of the risen and living Christ Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lords celebrate His life. 
     Halleluia!  
     Christ has died. 
     Christ is risen. 
     Christ will come again!



 
*Source for Jewish days is Introduction to the Jewish Calendar

All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2012 Author Support-this material may be used or copied freely under the condition that no changes are made and the use is appropriate and respected.

Try to Avoid Ads You Don't Want on Your Blogs

If you have a blog and have linked to post ads on your blog, you know that some ads you'd rather not have. While all ads cannot be ruled out, some may be, due to the words you use or allow to be underlined in your blog.

For example, if I allow "Jesus Christ" to be underlined and linked to other resources, I am likely to see a Mormon ad ( the "church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints") somewhere on that blog, near the post.

Being in disagreement about Mormon teachings and their prime reference, the Book of Mormon, I prefer not to have their ads on my blogs.
The likelihood of that happening can dwindle if I choose not to add the link function for certain words or names in my blog posts.


How to stop those "fat stomach!!!" ads? If you find out, please let me know?

What If Christmas Returned...?

Image via Wikipedia

I've been thinking about the problems of church and state issues regarding Christmas. They create a mixed array of conflicting motives: business wants the "holiday" that is the most profitable of the year. Others want to argue about where creches may or may not be placed.

Yet, should Christmas be a holiday, as in a day off work and school, or as in a holy day? The day Christians celebrate and remember with thankfulness as the first Advent is a holy day, and we await the Second Advent, when Christ returns at a time only known by God, the Father.

Christians through the centuries have celebrated Jesus' birth. First, the others also born as Jews, honoring the word of God, worshiped daily, however, in the temple and synagogues with Jesus. After His resurrection, it was they who went forth into more of the Gentile world. They all gave gifts to the poor among them year 'round, and to others of any faith...anyone in need. Daily, they sang psalms and spiritual songs together to honor the Lord.

From the Gospel according to Luke

When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord  (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: 

“a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. 

When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,  

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
   you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
   and the glory of your people Israel.” 

Luke 2: 22-32*

*The New International Version of the Bible

Advent Writing

Writers, there is time to participate in poetry, articles, essays, or short dramas of Advent. Today is the second Sunday of Advent. There are two more, before Christmas Sunday. Perhaps your first step will be to learn more. For example, how and when did Advent come to be a special time in many churches, Catholic and Protestant?

Fulfillment of Scripture prophecies of a Messiah to come began to unfold when Gabriel appeared to the father of John the Baptist and to Mary, a virgin of Nazareth. Later, when Mary and Joseph took Jesus to be dedicated in the temple, God rewarded the faith of Simeon, who had been looking for the coming of the Messiah for many years. (See Luke 2: 25-40.)
When the church began to incorporate this anticipation, it chose a Latin word, adventus, for it. Adventus means coming. Advent, the Coming of the Lord to dwell among us, to preach good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, declare liberty to the captives and the opening of prisons to those who are bound, as written by Isaiah (60: 1-3) and fulfilled by the Lord in the synagogue when he stood to read Isaiah's words (Luke 4).

To begin study or writing along these lines, Aquinas & More website has information, some of which I share below. Thomas Aquinas of the 13th Century and Protestants and Catholics today share emphasis on salvation, or justification before God, "by faith alone," through Jesus Christ.  O, Come all ye faithful...O come, let us Adore Him.

What is Advent? "...Advent is a preparatory season. It has significance because it is a season of looking forward and waiting for something greater; both for the annual celebration of the event of Christ's birth, and for the time when Christ will come again. "As noted in the New Catholic Encyclopedia, during Advent, the faithful are asked: to prepare themselves worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love, thus to make their souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and thereby to make themselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world. Origin and History of Advent "The exact time when the season of Advent came to be celebrated is not precisely known. Of course, it was not in practice before the celebration of the Nativity and Christmastide began; the earliest evidence shows that the feast of the Nativity of Our Lord was established within the later part of the 4th century. There are homilies from the 5th century that discuss preparation in a general sense, but do not indicate an official liturgical season.... "...it seems the liturgical season was established around the latter part of the 6th century and first half of the 7th century. For the next couple of centuries, Advent was celebrated for five Sundays; Pope Gregory VII, who was pope from 1073-85, reduced the number to four Sundays. Advent Today Since the latter 6th century or early 7th century  "...the themes and traditions of the Advent season have evolved....Today a penitential theme ... is blended with the theme of prayerful, spiritual preparation for the second and final coming of the Lord, as well as the joyful preparation for the annual festive remembrance of the Incarnation and Christ's birth. Advent Traditions "Advent celebration and traditions can vary from place to place, influenced by culture." Source/Reference: http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-articles/The-History-and-Meaning-of-Advent/article/173

Prayer Team for These Writing Times

 "Intercessors for These Times" is part of the free Opinari Quarterly writers, publishing professionals, book lovers and reviewers newsletter. Nine committed intercessors pray without always knowing names, but always knowing requests sent by subscribers.
 Jesus taught us to pray faithfully and often. We carry on this faith and prayer connection to help others in Christ. Subscribers request anonymously or by name.

From the Bible/Philippians 1/NIV-as the apostle Paul wrote: "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Amen.