Impacts of the Cross

But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.—Luke 24:21

For those who knew and loved him most, the crucifixion of Jesus was devastating. They had placed their hopes in him. They had loyally followed him wherever he went. To them he was more than a friend: he was their hero and their Messiah. They trusted he would have redeemed Israel. They expected he would soon set up a kingdom of righteousness, justice, and peace. They had believed on him. Now their hopes and beliefs were dashed.

The previous week saw their emotions riding a virtual roller coaster. First there was the thrill of the triumphal entry, with people waving palm branches and hailing Jesus as king. Then there was the further rush of joy as they saw him in the temple, with a strong and resolute hand, drive out the greedy money-changers. The intimacy of the last supper further bonded them together. That meal had another side, however, as they saw Judas sent on his mysterious mission which led to the Lord’s betrayal. Their pride, too, had been shaken when Jesus stooped to wash their feet.

The walk from the last supper to Gethsemane was probably in silence for fear of the offices of the Sanhedrin, already on the lookout for the Master. Then, in the valley of the Kidron, they heard their last lesson from the one they loved so much. Fatigue overcame them as Jesus went apart to pray, and he softly chided them for their inattention.

Then pandemonium broke loose. A cadre of soldiers appeared with Judas among them. The betrayal with a kiss was quickly followed by the Master being taken in bonds to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest. Found guilty in a mock trial through bribed witnesses, he was bound over for final judgment by Pilate. After a hearing by King Herod he was returned to Pilate for final judgment and the process rolled relentlessly on—through trial, scourging, and the march down the Via Dolorosa to Calvary’s hill where he was lifted up on the cross to die the cruelest of deaths.

In this issue of THE HERALD an attempt is made to see these events as those close to him saw them. The opening article, Anointed for Burial, describes the love of Mary of Bethany as she breaks her alabaster box and anoints theLord with precious ointment. The author of Behold Thy Son has chosen to use the approach of a first person account, seeking to probe the emotions of the beloved disciple John. Another apostle, deeply touched by his own failures in Jesus’ last hours, was Peter. The article Healing a Guilty Conscience deals with the interaction between the impetuous Peter and his loving Master.

It was not only his friends who bore emotional scars from the events of that fateful day. In What Is Truth? the author shows the perspective of the Roman procurator in his role as presiding judge, a judge who both literally and symbolically sought to wash his hands of the burdensome decision he was forced to make.

Another friend of the Messiah, one who had followed him along with her husband from the early days of his ministry, was Joanna, the wife of Chuza. Her story is narrated in A Witness at the Citadel. She was among the last to leave thecross and the first to rush to the tomb on Sunday morning. She was accompanied by her good friend Mary Magdalene whose viewpoint of that day is expressed in An Honorable Servant of the Lord.

Finally, our issue concludes with a verse by verse study of the last chapter of Matthew, entitled Why Seek Ye the Living Among the Dead?