When Friday Comes

PHARISEES with questionable motives: "Jesus, Herod desires to kill you". << JESUS: Tell Herod I am very busy performing miracles and healing people today and tomorrow. Tell him that the day after that, I will be perfected. In other words, I will have done all that my Father sent me to do. I will finish my ministry to the people, and on Friday I will be in Jerusalem. I will see him then. << Perhaps JESUS is thinking: 'They have no clue what time it is, nor are they aware of Herod's lack of control and power over me.'They are drunk on their own hunger and thirst for power as they themselves plot my death thinking such is the only way to keep themselves in power. Their stony hearts have no love for God, their nation, nor their people. 'I am getting very close to completing my mission on earth, and come Friday, it will be finished'. 2018 COMMENTARY: In our current vernacular, perhaps we would say that Jesus looked at his timepiece and realized that it was midday Wednesday. There were a couple more days to heal, to perform miracles, and to show genuine love to a people who knew a lot about 'laws' but very little about 'love'. << RELIGIOUS RULERS are thinking: We just informed him of the danger he is in and he seems the least concerned. Why, he is fearless and is determined to finish his mission at his own pace and come to Jerusalem to face his fate when he is ready. We are planning to kill him, but the time has to be right or there will be a riot. If there's a riot, Caesar will destroy our temple and our country. We will no longer rule our people. GOOD FRIDAY: Betrayal, 30 pieces of silver, denial, crown of thorns, beating(thirty-nine stripes), crucify him! carrying his cross, false testimonies, aloneness without representation, no justice, no mercy, trumped-up charges, no crimes against humanity nor the State, bitter cup, MyGod!MyGod! Why!?, sounds of thunder, three hours of darkness. He rendered to Caesar that which belonged to Caesar and to God that which belongs to God. They could take everything, but they could not take his life. His life, he freely gave. I am reminded of a young missionary name Jim Elliot who loved his Lord and gave his life for the cause of Christ. A journal entry for October 28, 1949, expresses his belief that work dedicated to Jesus was more important than his. He wrote, "he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."* 32918 Poetic expression;*Wikipedia; FB PS