What Easter Means To Me- Passion and Death of Christ

As modern Christians, we overlook the meaning and purpose of Good Friday, when Christ was crucified on a dreary day... to bear our sins on His shoulder. From the Via Dolorosa to distant Golgotha too heavy and painful was the wooden cross He carried through the streets of Jerusalem as people spitted on Him and laughed; and with deep sadness and pity: Jesus told the weeping women... not to cry for him but for their children. And one of them wiped the blood off His pale face with a soft cloth... to comfort Him in His final hours. The mocking and laughter continued at the gate, as Simon of Cyrene was ordered to carry the cross to Calvary and before nine o' clock... Jesus faced an excruciating crucifixion by the Romans soldiers who had the sharpest nails for his hands and feet; and Jesus words loudly spoken in the Temple echoed again in that afternoon getting cloudy and dark, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murdered the Prophets..." But the wickedness of the crowds was too extreme to understand their despicable deed. And there crucified as an impostor, He cried out to His Father, " Eli, Eli...lama sabachthani?" There was no answer...only a deadening silence had prevailed. But Jesus trusting in Him whispered," Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." And in saying so He expired. Soon after there was a powerful earthquake strong enough to shake the Temple's foundations...day became night as everyone ran downhill so terrified. The astonished centurion, witnessing the horrifying event, exclaimed," Surely He was the Son of God!" Like good Christians, we must remember the long and agonizing hours of Christ passion and death...oh, how precious was the divine blood He spilled to redeem us! And as He was resurrected, so we'll be resurrected by the trumpets!