Delta Dawn When the Light Comes On: Week Fourteen

Passover was a cloistered event. A lamb was killed, roasted, and entirely consumed before morning. No one went out into the night. However, 2000 years later, Jesus broke such protocol. After He washed the feet of His Disciples, He broke the bread and poured the wine, sent Judas out, and began to teach love as only He knew how to convey it.

Suddenly, He not only went out into the night, He took Disciples with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane. While Peter and others fell asleep, Jesus went on, alone, to commiserate (permanently enjoin together) with Father. His human person was horribly stressed by what He must endure. Great drops of Blood fell from His pores. Humbling Himself under the Mighty Hand of God, He declared, "Nevertheless Thy will be done." He awakened His companions to go meet Judas and some 600 soldiers. How shocked was Judas at His submission to arrest!

Because of Roman law, Pontius Pilot and Caiaphas, High Priest, had to file a report of the crucifixion. The Gospel According to Pontius Pilot by James R. Mills relates their reports to Constantinople. Luke, the physician, recounts ensuing events Luke 21-23, but justification to Caesar, for carrying out such a vile execution to appease Jews, was a whole 'nother matter for Pilot and Caiaphas. 

Pilot was known to be merciless. No one ever survived his sentence of crucifixion. His mere threat often caused the innocent to confess of some crime. Caiaphas, on the other hand, knew the Commandments concerning murder, so he, and others, contrived a story to convince Pilot, somehow, that this Jesus was worthy of death on a cross. Who knew that Jesus would agree?

Pilot reports that he found Jesus blameless and inscribed a plate for the cross which declared Him to be the Son of God. Caiaphas, son-in-law of Annas, High Priest, reported that when the veil in the Holy of Holies split in two at 3 PM, he sensed something unusual, but then, God often did unusual things. "However," he confessed, "Such a stir at the tomb that third day, forced me into hiding [his name means 'depression']. I didn't dare meet Jesus on the street. Food came through my chamber door, for days. But," he continued, "Jesus came through the walls! Looking directly at me, He said, 'Caiaphas, you have an evil heart'. Then, He disappeared. So, I say, He was crucified on a tree as He was supposed to be. Therefore, I declare, we (Pharisees) did the right thing." An unrepentant Caiaphas went on to persecute Christians in Acts 4. "We esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted, but He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4, 5. Psalm 103:10-14                      

Next Week: Covenant Mediator