In The Beginning - Chapter 20 (It Is Finished)

Chapter 20

Back at the palace of Pontius Pilate, Jesus was participating in his fourth trial of the morning.

The whole of the Great Sanhedrin had accompanied Jesus to the palace as well as a large portion of the temple guard comprising more than a hundred men.  Already gathered there were a large crowd of people who wanted to plead for the lives of a friend or loved one.

The Romans had determined that it was easier to govern if the people were content.  As such they allowed the Jews to govern themselves by their own laws and to practice their religion with some specific limitations.  They did not allow the Jews to pronounce a sentence of death on anyone without the consent of the Roman governor.  It was also the custom at the time for the Roman governor to release a prisoner to the people in celebration of Passover.  These types of things worked well to quell the prospect of a popular uprising.

There was a man in prison at the time by the name of Barabbas.  He was Jewish patriot and Roman outlaw who was fomenting civil unrest and had been arrested under the charge of murder; many of those outside the palace of Pilate where there to plead for the life of Barabbas.

The chief priests approached Pilate who was sitting in a chair in the court yard of his Palace.  It was from here that he sat in judgment of the people of Israel.

Pilate sat quietly as the chief priests presented their prisoner.  Then he asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

One of them spoke up and said, “If he were not a criminal we wouldn’t have brought him to you.”  Hoping that Pilate would take his word for it and that would be the end of it.  The chief priests had already spent a long time discussing their strategy for getting Pilate to agree to the execution.

“OK, then take him and deal with him yourselves,” he said waving his hand as if to dismiss them.  There was no need for his involvement unless the crime of which Jesus was accused was a capital offense.

“We have no right to execute anyone,” replied the priest.

At this, Pilate paused for a moment and furrowed his brow.  An execution was an entirely different matter.  He was charged by Caesar with keeping the peace, which was no easy task in a region where the people were unwilling subjects.  An execution was not a good way of keeping the peace.

“This man is subverting our nation.  He opposes paying taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king!” said the priest, hoping that Pilate would condemn him for treason against Caesar, which was a capital offense and why Barabbas was arrested.

Pilate stood and walked back to the porch which was attached to the palace and overlooked the courtyard.  He motioned for Jesus to follow him.

“Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked.

“Is that your own idea or did someone else tell it to you?” replied Jesus.

“I’m not a Jew,” replied Pilate, “your own people, including your chief priests, turned you over to me.  What have you done to make them so upset?”

“My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus.  “If it were, my servants would have fought to prevent my capture.  My kingdom is of another place.”

“Ah, so you are a king!” exclaimed Pilate.

“Yes, you are right,” said Jesus, “I am a king.  For this reason I was born into this world and for this reason I’m telling you the truth.  Everyone who cares about the truth listens to me.”

“Humph,”  Pilate said grimacing.  “What is truth?” he said sarcastically.

He walked past Jesus back out to the courtyard and announced, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

The priest was getting frustrated now and it was audible in his tone of voice.

“He stirs up the people all over Judea.  He started in Galilee and has come all the way here!”

Pilate’s eyebrows raised when he heard this.  “Is this man a Galilean?”

“Yes,” the priest replied.

This changed everything.  As a citizen of Galilee, Jesus was under the jurisdiction of Herod.  Things were looking up for Pilate.

Not only could this be the way he didn’t have to decide the matter, but he was also in a state of feud with Herod.  Years before Pilate had had some of Herod’s subjects killed and Herod had been his enemy ever since.

Pilate also knew that Herod had heard of Jesus and wanted to meet him.  As luck would have it (or so he thought) Herod was currently in Jerusalem.

“He is a Galilean and is under the jurisdiction of Herod,” said Pilate.  “Let Herod decide what to do with him.”  And he went back inside his palace.

The chief priest motioned to the head of the temple guard who grabbed Jesus by the rope which tied his hands together and they moved off down the street to the place where Herod was staying.  It was only a few blocks away and they arrived at about seven in the morning.

Along the way, unseen by the scrum of priests, members of the Great Sanhedrin, temple guard, and centurions, the road was lined on both sides by the angels of God.  The brightness of their glory was unprecedented in the heavenly realm.  The strength of God permeated every aspect of their being.  In the middle of the street walked the hoard along with a company of Satan's demons.

Satan himself led the entire crowd in their trek to the place where Herod was staying.  As he walked, he sneered at the angels that surrounded him.  He still believed his own lie, "You can be like God", and despised them for not following him during the great war in heaven.  Revenge is sweet, though, and he refused to think about anything beyond the current moment.  Whatever happened, there were billions of souls in the balance and he knew many would be his.

When Herod saw that they had brought Jesus to him he was very pleased.  He had heard tales of all kinds of magic tricks that this man could do and he very much wanted to be entertained by him.

Meanwhile, Judas, who had not known about the chief priests' plan to have Jesus crucified, was no longer possessed by the spirit of Satan, and was instead filled with remorse.

He ran back to the Temple where he had made his deal with the members of the Great Sanhedrin to betray Jesus. The place was empty except for the priests charged with maintaining the temple.

Confronting the first priests he found there he pleaded with them saying "I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood."

The priests looked down their noses at him.  "What is that to us?" one of them said.  "That is your responsibility."

Judas' heart sank within him as tears welled up in his eyes.  He threw the sack which contained the thirty pieces of silver they had paid him (the cost of a slave) down the hall at them and ran back out of the temple and into the street.

In fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah, the priests then picked up the coins and knowing they could not put blood money back into the temple treasury, instead used it to buy the potter's field where they would bury the dead who could not afford their own burial place.^[3]

Judas walked aimlessly through the streets until he came upon a man who was selling a rocky crag of land.  Judas knew the place well, having lived in and around Jerusalem for all of his life.  The price for the land was the same price that Judas had accepted as a bribe for leading the temple guard to the savior.  Surrounded by Satan's minions, Judas became suddenly resolute.  The night was dark as was Judas' countenance, both physically and spiritually.

Pulling his purse from inside his belt he payed the man thirty pieces of silver, took the deed to his newly acquired land and walked out of town.  He stopped only once, just long enough to buy a length of rope.

When he arrived at his newly acquired land, he found an outcropping of rock near which a tree grew out and over the cliff.  He fashioned one end of the rope into a noose and threw the other end over a branch of the tree which extended out over the cliff.

He tied the rope off securely, took a deep breath and jumped.  When his fall reached the length of the rope his neck was quickly broken, but the weight of his body caused the branch to snap as well and Judah fell headlong down the cliff hitting one sharp rock after another until he bowels spilled out, covering the ground in his blood and entrails.

Satan's demons smiled with satisfaction.  Judas' story was now complete.  As is always the case with those who agree to do Satan's bidding, what seemed like a pleasurable experience in the beginning turned out tragic in the end.  The demons returned to the hoard watching Jesus being questioned by Herod.

The priests accused Jesus to Herod and Herod who was most pleased with this turn of events began to question Jesus.  Jesus stood before him silently.

The angels of the Lord stood silently surrounding the entire gathering.  Shoulder to shoulder they stood glowing brightly in the strength of God's glory.

Intermingling with Herod and the rest of the crowd gathered there, Satan's minions shouted in blissful glee as the plans of their master came to fruition.

Herod had heard Jesus could do magic tricks wanted to see some for himself, but Jesus did not participate.

Seeing he was going to get nothing out of Him, Herod had his personal guard fetch one of his robes and they placed it on Jesus, mocking him as the King of the Jews.

No longer amused with his mockery, Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.

When Pilate saw that Herod had sent him back he called the chief priests and the rest of the Sanhedrin together.

Trying to find a way out of his predicament he said, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion.  I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.  Neither has Herod, because he sent him back here to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.

“It is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of Passover.  Do you want me to release the king of the Jews or Barabbas?”

Barabbas had been thrown in to prison for insurrection and murder.  The Jews were accusing Jesus of insurrection, but Barabbas was the real thing.  Having also been convicted of murder, Pilate had hoped the people would not want him releasing a murderer back into the population.

Just then, while Pilate was sitting there making his offer, one of his officials arrived with a message from his wife: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

While Pilate was distracted, the chief priests had talked to the temple guard and others gathered with them there and convinced them to ask for Barabbas instead of Jesus.

“Away with this man!” they yelled, “Give us Barabbas!”

Pilate continued to try to reason with them but the chief priests had whipped the crowd into a frenzy.  

“What should I do with Jesus, then?” he asked.

“Crucify him! Crucify him!’ they chanted.

“What crime has this man committed?” he asked.  “I have found no grounds for the death penalty.”

Hoping to appease their blood lust he said, “I’ll have him punished and then released!”

But the shouts got louder and louder and it was beginning to look as if a riot would ensue.

Pilate then ordered that Jesus be scourged before being released to the Jews.  Perhaps he thought that if they saw him punished, they would stop trying to have him killed.

Roman scourging was called the “halfway death” because it was supposed to stop this side of death.  It was not administered in addition to another punishment.  The two “thieves’ who would die on this day were not scourged.  And the Jewish law – Mithah Arikhta – forbade any manner of prolonged death for condemned criminals, and exempted any who were to die from the shame of being scourged…

The scourging of Rome … was administered by a trained man, called a lector – there were none in Palestine – and he used a short circular piece of wood, to which were attached several strips of leather.  At the end of each strip, he sewed a chunk of bone or a small piece of iron chain.  This instrument was called a flagellum.  There was no set number of stripes to be administered, and the law said nothing about the parts of the body to be assailed.

Jesus was standing, bent over a short column and tied to it securely…

The soldier who performed the flagellation for the Jerusalem garrison… moved to a position about six feet behind Jesus, and spread his legs.  The flagellum was brought all the way back and whistled forward and made a dull drum sound as the strips of leather smashed against the back of the rib cage.  The bits of bone and chain curled around the right side of the body and raised small subcutaneous hemorrhages on the chest…

The flagellum came back again, aimed slightly lower, and it crashed against the skin and flesh…. The flagellum now moved in slow heavy rhythm.

The Tribune was also watching…  It was his responsibility to stop the “discipline” when he thought that the guilty one might not be revived…. He ordered the executioner to stop.

The scourging had not taken more than about three minutes.  It was now over, and the Tribune sent two men for cloths and cold water.4]

The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head.  They put the purple robe Herod had adorned him with back on his shredded back and shouted “Hail, king of the Jews!” and struck him in the face.

When this was done, Pilate came back out and said, “Look, I am bringing him out to you  to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”

Jesus followed Pilate out, still wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe and was barely able to walk.

Not moved at all by the pitiful shape Jesus was in, the chief priests and the rest of the Sanhedrin started their chant back up again: “Crucify him, Crucify him!”

“You take him and crucify him.”  Pilate answered, “I find no basis for a charge against him.”

Knowing they could not legally carry out a death penalty, the chief priest insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

When Pilate heard this he was even more afraid.  The Romans had many gods and it was not a good idea to get on the bad side of one of them.  He went back inside and had Jesus brought in with him.

“Where do you come from?” he asked.

When Jesus didn’t answer he yelled, “Do you refuse to speak to me?  Don’t you know I have the power either to free you or to crucify you?”

“You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above,” he said.  “Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

Pilate went back out to face the Jews, trying again to get them to relent.

“If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar,” they said.  “Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

They were trying to scare Pilate into crucifying him.  If Pilate allowed someone to live who claimed to be king he would be subject to the punishment for treason himself.

When he heard this, he sat back down on the judgment seat.

“Here is your king,” he said.

“Crucify him, Crucify him!” they chanted.

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

This was obvious.  God’s perfect design was for the Jews to have God as their king. The Jews believed the Messiah was to be their earthly king, but God sent his only son to be their spiritual king.  Their rejection of him was not new, the Jews had been rejecting God as their king for more than 500 years.

Finally, Pilate gave up.  Jewish law prescribed a very specific ritual for when a man was found slain and the perpetrator was not known.

They were to take a heifer from the nearest town, one that had never worked or been yoked, and sacrifice it.  The elders from the town would wash their hands over the heifer and declare: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done.  Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O Lord, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man.”  In this way the bloodshed would be atoned for.

Pilate walked over to a basin of water and washed his hands.  “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said.  “It is your responsibility.”

The reply from the elders here, though, was different than that prescribed by Jewish law in the case of the unknown murderer.

“Let his blood be on us and on our children,” they said.

It was around 11am on Friday morning when Pilate’s soldiers took charge of Jesus.  They brought out the crossbeam from a cross and made Jesus pick it up and carry it.  Just as his ancestor Isaac had carried the wood on which he was to be sacrificed, Jesus carried the means of his.

Severely weakened from the beating he had taken, Jesus was barely able to stagger down Via Dolorosa.  Becoming impatient with his progress, the Roman soldiers conscripted the help of a passer by named Simon of Cyrene.  They put the cross on his shoulders and made him carry it instead.

By this time, all of Jerusalem had heard what was going on and had come out to watch.  Jesus was followed by a large crowd including women who mourned and wailed for him.

Jesus turned to them and quoted to them from the prophet Hosea:“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.  For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’  Then “’they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”  and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry.”

Two other men, both criminals, were also brought out to be executed along with him.  Together they climbed the hill called The Skull.  Jesus hands were tied to the crossbeam Simon had carried and nails were driven through his hands and into the wood.  They then placed the crossbeam over another slotted beam to form the shape of a “T”.  They pulled one foot over the top of the other and nailed his feet to the second beam.

When he  was secured to the cross one soldier walked to either side of the crossbeam and lifted the cross until the bottom of the vertical beam dropped into a hole causing Jesus extreme agony.

Still in great pain, Jesus looked up into the sky and said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

The Roman custom was to put a sign above the person being crucified which explained the crime for which this person was being executed.  This was expected to be a deterrent to those who would commit the same crime.

Pilate had written the sign above Jesus’ head himself and it read: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”  After all, that was the crime for which he was being executed.  He wrote it in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek ensuring everyone who passed by the place could read it.

When the Jews read the sign they protested and asked Pilate to change it to say he “claimed” to be the king of the Jews.  Disgusted, Pilate said “What I have written, I have written.”

The clothes Jesus wore were no longer of use to him.  The Roman custom was to humiliate the criminals as much as possible; they were crucified naked.

The soldiers divided his garments amongst themselves.  There were four soldiers and five garments, Jesus undergarment was woven in one piece from top to bottom.

“Let’s not tear it,” they said.  “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

Near the cross, stood Jesus' mother, his mother’s sister, Mary and Mary Magdalene.  Also nearby was John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.

He looked down on them and said “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to John he said, “Here is your mother.”

As Jesus and the two other criminals hung there dying, the chief priests sneered at him.  They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”

The soldiers mocked him.  They offered him wine vinegar to ease the pain and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

One of the criminals who hung beside him joined in on the insults: “Aren’t you the Christ?  Save yourself and us!”

The other criminal on his other side, though, chastised the first.  “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, and we are getting what our deeds deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Filled with compassion, Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Satan stood afar off and observed the scene of Jesus dying on a cross, his greatest triumph yet.

On the cross, Jesus had been hanging for a number of hours getting weaker and weaker as he struggled to breathe.  The sins of all mankind were attached to him like a hideous cancer and the glow of his spirit which once shone bright with the Holy Spirit was all but extinguished.

He lifted up his eyes peering into the heavenly realm and saw God the Father sitting on His throne gazing back at him.  As the living and omnipotent God, He knew it would come to this when he created man, but that didn’t make it any easier.  As he watched the scene unfold in the earthly realm,  sadness welled up inside of him at the thought of all those who would not accept this most generous gift.

Those standing around Jesus began to mock him.  “He saved others but he can’t save himself!  He is the King of Israel!  Let him come down from the cross, and we will believe him… He trusts in God.  Let God rescue him now if he wants him…”

At that moment, Jesus on the cross shouted “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”  which means My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

Those standing around the cross were speaking amongst themselves when it occurred and they didn’t understand what he said.  They asked each other “What did he say?”

“He’s calling for Elijah,” someone said, as they moved to prepare a sponge with some vinegar for him to drink.[3]

----

In Heaven, God looked hundreds of years back in time to a cave in which the grandfather of Jesus, many generations removed, slept restlessly in a cave - another man who would be King of the Jews.

Just like his descendant, Jesus, David was being persecuted by his enemy (Saul) after having done nothing to deserve it.  Saul’s jealousy burned against him and he was attempting to kill him.  As the Holy Spirit which also inhabited the body of Jesus came upon David he awoke suddenly and sat up.

He pushed the skins under which he was sleeping away and sat next to the fire rubbing his eyes.  He took a long drink from the sheepskin in which he kept his water and washed the foul taste of sleep from his mouth.

The air was dank and smoky and David felt the stirring of the Holy Spirit within him.  He pulled out a quill and some papyrus and began to write.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

            Why are you so far from saving me,

            so far from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,

            by night, and am not silent.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

            you are the praise of Israel.

In you our fathers put their trust;

            they trusted and you delivered them.

They cried to you and were saved;

            in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

But I am a worm and not a man,

            scorned by men and despised by the people.

All who see me mock me;

            they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

"He trusts in the LORD;

            let the LORD rescue him.

            Let him deliver him,

            since he delights in him."

Yet you brought me out of the womb;

            you made me trust in you

            even at my mother's breast.

From birth I was cast upon you;

            from my mother's womb you have been my God.

Do not be far from me,

            for trouble is near

            and there is no one to help.

Many bulls surround me;

            strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

Roaring lions tearing their prey

            open their mouths wide against me.

I am poured out like water,

            and all my bones are out of joint.

            My heart has turned to wax;

            it has melted away within me.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd,

            and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;

            you lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs have surrounded me;

            a band of evil men has encircled me,

            they have pierced my hands and my feet.

I can count all my bones;

            people stare and gloat over me.

They divide my garments among them

            and cast lots for my clothing.



David stopped for a moment and closed his eyes.  A mournful spirit had come upon him.  He was deeply depressed, struggling to keep the tears from rolling down his face.  He lifted his eyes up peering right through the roof of the cave and into nothingness that he perceived existed there.

He pleaded with his God to relieve him of this feeling of ultimate misery and despair.

From deep within his spirit he felt the words forming in his mind "Call upon me and I will answer, cry for help and I will say 'Here am I'."

Immediately, his countenance began to change.  His depression and despair turned to a since of victory and joy.  He began to voice silent thanksgivings to God as he once again picked up the quill an papyrus and began to write.

But you, O LORD, be not far off;

            O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

Deliver my life from the sword,

            my precious life from the power of the dogs.

Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;

            save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

I will declare your name to my brothers;

            in the congregation I will praise you.

You who fear the LORD, praise him!

            All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

            Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

For he has not despised or disdained

            the suffering of the afflicted one;

            he has not hidden his face from him^[1]

            but has listened to his cry for help.

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

            before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.

The poor will eat and be satisfied;

            they who seek the LORD will praise him—

            may your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth

            will remember and turn to the LORD,

            and all the families of the nations

            will bow down before him,

For dominion belongs to the LORD

            and he rules over the nations.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

            all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—

            those who cannot keep themselves alive.

Posterity will serve him;

            future generations will be told about the Lord.

They will proclaim his righteousness

            to a people yet unborn—

            for he has done it.[2]

“He has done it!”  thought David.  A feeling of complete peace and exhaustion came over him and he laid his head back down and covered up with the skins and fell fast asleep.  The best sleep he had had in months.

----

Jesus, while hanging on the cross and after quoting the beginning of the song of victory first penned by his ancestor David, raised his eyes up to Heaven and said “Lord, forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.”  Then he said “It is finished,” and his physical body died.

In the heavenly realm, the hosts of angels gathered around the cross immediately began to shout and moan and thrust their swords up into the air.  The demon hoard had disappeared.  With his ultimate triumph now complete Satan had also vanished.

Explosive bursts of light lit up the the entirety of Jerusalem in the tumult and seraphim exercised their powerful wings filling the air with loud rumbles of turbulence.

In the midst of the uproar, God took his finger and ripped the thick curtain that hung in the temple to separate the Holy of Holies where God figuratively sat on the Bema Seat on the top of the arc of the covenant.  Man no longer needed a human high priest to offer a sacrifice for his sin.  From now on, man could come directly to God through the great mediator, Jesus, the ultimate high priest and blood sacrifice for all mankind.

As the triune God gazed back and forth through the ages of the earthly history, the spirit of those who believed glowed brightly before Him.  What Satan had meant for evil God had used for good.  It was all at once the greatest tragedy and the greatest act of love ever perpetrated upon the earth.  At the moment that Jesus died he bore the sins of every man and woman who ever lived in the past, present, and future history of the world.  He paid the price which they could not pay.  By this one act the world was redeemed and Satan had lost once and for all.

---

[1] Unlike the statement by the popular song, Psalm 22 makes it clear in verse that God the Father did not turn His face away from Jesus on the cross.  Rather, He heard Jesus' cry for help.

[2] Psalm 22 (NIV)

[3] Jeremiah 19

[4] Bishop, Jim.  The Day Christ Died, Harper Collins, 1957, 1977.

In The Beginning - Chapter 19 (Kangaroo Court)

Chapter 19

The temple guard brought Jesus to the home of Annas.  The Romans had conquered the entire region but had allowed the Jews to continue worshiping their God under their rule.  Annas had been the high priest, but when he perturbed the Romans they removed him from that office and Caiaphas, his son-in-law had been made high priest instead.

Caiaphas was only high priest in name, though.  It was Annas who still controlled the Great Sanhedrin – the supreme court of the Jewish nation.  Caiaphas was not altogether an innocent in the proceedings, though.

Caiaphas had been told by God that Jesus would die for the Jews, and not only that, but also that his death would gather the scattered children of God and bring them together and make them one.  He saw it as his God-ordained duty to see to it that Jesus was martyred.

The other leaders in the Sanhedrin were also worried that if everyone believed Jesus to be The Messiah the Romans would see it as a threat and dismantle the Great Sanhedrin along with the entire Jewish nation.  It was these leaders of the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem who had been plotting to kill Him and had been looking for any excuse to do so.

As a legion of God's angels stood silently, surrounding the house where Jesus had been brought, Annas began to question Jesus about what he had been teaching.  The problem with this is that Jewish law did not allow for anyone to be questioned in the matter of a capital offense at night.  It also mandated that any such questioning must be done in public.  This made this entire questioning illegal according to Jewish law.[i]

“Everything I have said I have said in public,” said Jesus.  “Why question me, ask those who heard what I said.  Surely they know what I said.”

Jesus said this because another mandate of Jewish law was that a man could not be convicted of a capital offense unless two witness could be produced who agreed with each other about what had happened and provided the same testimony.  Further, a person could not be compelled to give evidence against himself!

After Jesus replied, though, one of the officials hit him in the face.  “Is this the way you answer the high priest?”  he demanded?

Another Jewish law compelled the Jewish authorities to protect those who were taken into custody and not allow any harm to come to them until such a time as they had been convicted of a crime.  The entire setup was a sham and obviously so.

“If I said something wrong,” Jesus said, spitting a small amount of blood from his mouth, “then tell me what I said wrong, but if I told the truth then why did you hit me?”

He was pointing out all of the illegalities of His situation and everyone there understood the true meaning of His words.

Annas, feeling uneasy about what was going on and knowing that laws were being broken, had him sent to Caiaphas.  God's angels followed them everywhere they went ensuring that His ultimate will was carried out.  The demons of Satan also followed the crowd assembled in both the earthly and heavenly realms.  Satan himself stood at a distance and watched with amusement as his plan was carried out.  He was unwittingly orchestrating his own demise.

It was about half past three in the morning when Jesus arrived at the home of Caiaphas for his second illegal questioning of the night. 

Here the entire Great Sanhedrin had gathered together.  They were trying to find some evidence against him so they would have some reason to execute him.  Several people lied about him, but none of their lies agreed with with each other so none of them could legally be used against him.

Throughout all this Jesus said nothing.

Caiaphas finally looked at him and raised his eyebrows with disdain.  “Are you not going to say anything?  What is all this they’re saying about you?”

Jesus said nothing, but stared at the ground at Caiaphas’ feet.

Caiaphas bent down to look Jesus in the eye.  He furrowed his brow and said “Are you the Christ[ii], the son of the Blessed One[iii]?”

Jesus raised his head and stared directly into the face of his accuser.

“I am.”  He said, calmly.  “And you will see the Son of Man[iv] sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

By admitting here to be the son of the Blessed one and claiming the title of Son of Man he was in fact claiming to be both God and The Messiah!

A collective gasp escaped from the part of the crowd who was paying attention.  Caiaphas roared with rage and ripped his clothes in profound shock at what he had just heard.

“Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked.  “You have all heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?”

They all agreed that his crimes were worthy of death.  Then the mob mentality began to set in and they began to spit on him and hit and kick him.  They blindfolded him and hit him in the face and shouted “Prophesy!”  The temple guard watched the crowd for a while and then, emboldened by the scene, they seized him and began to beat him themselves.

All of this was against Jewish law and the members of the Great Sanhedrin knew that none of it would hold up, so they waited until the sun rose and then deliberated during the day and in public as the law required.  Then and there the reached the decision that he should be put to death.

Now this public spectacle of a trial was still not legal.  There were very strict guidelines about what was required in a capital case beyond those already decimated in these pre-dawn trials.

A man’s testimony against himself could not be used in evidence against him.  An agreement of two or more witnesses was required, but it was never provided.  Furthermore, sentence on a verdict of guilty could not be pronounced until the third day after the finding, and then only after a second vote resulting the same as the first.

Despite these miscarriages of justice, these Jewish leaders knew that the Romans had removed from them the power of passing sentence of death.  All death sentences had to be pronounced by the Roman governor, in this case Pontius Pilate.

So the temple guard took Jesus to see Pilate.  They arrived in the court outside his palace at about half past six in the morning.

----

Satan had long since left Judas who had been watching the proceedings early that morning.  When Judas made the deal with the high priest had not been possessed by Satan and he had no idea their intention was to kill Jesus.  When he saw that Jesus was condemned he realized what he had done.

He watched from afar as Jesus was hauled away by the temple guard to see Pilate.  How could he have been so stupid?  How could he have been so greedy?  No amount of money could buy enough water to wash the blood from his hands.

He ran up to the chief priests after the crowd had disbursed and tried to give back the thirty pieces of silver they had paid him for his betrayal.[v]  “I have sinned, Jesus was innocent and I have betrayed him!” he cried.

“What is that to us?” one of them replied, showing the callousness with which they addressed the entire matter.  After all was it not the chief priests who where to help the people atone for their sin?  “That is your responsibility,” he said.

Judas looked down at the small purse full of coins that he held in his hands.  With tears streaming down his face the threw the money at the priests who stepped aside allowing the bag to hit the floor.  It burst open and coins spewed out rolling around the floor and coming to rest as Judas fled the temple.

One of the chief priests turned to one of the temple guard who was still there and said “Follow him.”

As he fled through the marketplace Judas noticed a man selling rope.  He still held the purse which contained what money Jesus and his band of disciples kept to pay for food and other expenses as they traveled around the countryside preaching the word of God.

His mind raced as he stopped suddenly to consider what had just entered it.  It didn’t take long for him to make up his mind.  With tears still streaming down his face he paid the man for a rope and, remembering a good spot to carry out his plans, he ran out of town.

He ran down a narrow road to a field on which stood a high ridge.  Growing on the edge of the ridge was a large tree which had a branch that stretched out over a sharp cliff.  He attached one end of the rope to a broken limb he found on the ground near the tree and threw it over the branch.  He tied the rope to the branch and fashioned a noose out of the other end.

He fell to his knees in absolute sorrow, holding the rope and hoping against hope that God would forgive him for what he had done.

The guard had followed him the whole way and stood a short distance away watching the scene unfold before him.  Several of Satan's demons stood with him with smiles on their faces.  No person is too far gone to be forgiven.  If Judas completed his act of suicide then he belonged to Satan forever.

With bitter resolve Judas placed the noose around his neck, pulled it tight and jumped off the cliff.  The rope stretched tight around his neck pulling his head sharply to the right and snapping his spine.  His body gave an involuntary spasm as his life ended.

The branch strained under the weight of Judas’ body and after a short time the branch snapped.  Judas lifeless body fell twenty or thirty feet before it struck the edge of the cliff and tumbled to the bottom striking one sharp outcropping of rock after another until it finally came to rest at the bottom.  His head and body had burst open from striking the boulders on the way down and his intestines spilled out of his body onto the ground next to him at his final resting place.

The guard was horrified; he had never seen such a thing.  He ran to the edge of the cliff and looked down to see the final resting place of the man who betrayed the Son of God.  He stood, staring at the body for a long moment, with his jaw agape and his fingers rubbing his forehead in disbelief.  The demons returned to watch the proceedings at Jesus' latest illegal trial.

After the guard had seen all he could bear he ran back to the temple and reported to the chief priests what he had seen.  They had already determined that they could not take the silver back from Judas, it was blood money and they could not by law put it back in the treasury.  That money belonged to Judas, but he was no longer around to collect it.

After considering the predicament for a while they came to an agreement.  They used the money to buy the field where Judas had committed suicide.  It could be used as a cemetery for foreigners who had no burial plot.

The guard returned to those who remained at the temple and told them everything that had happened.  Word spread quickly throughout the people and the place became known as the “Field of Blood”.

---

[i] Thompson, George W. “The Trial of Jesus”, Bobbs Merrill, 1927.  Chapter 2, The Jewish Law.

[ii] Christ is the Greek word for Messiah, meaning “The Chosen One”.

[iii] Jews, out of reverence for the most holy name of God were not permitted to say the name of God out loud nor write it.  As such they used other terms for God such as “The Blessed One” and in writing in many instances even today will spell it G-D rather than spell out the word.

[iv] Son of Man is a title used in Daniel 7:13 in reference to The Messiah.  Also, claiming to sit at the right hand of God the Father is a claim to the same title based on Psalm 110:1.

[v] 30 pieces of silver was the cost of a slave.

In The Beginning - Chapter 18 (The Kiss of Death)

Chapter 18

Jesus and his disciples left the house where they had been celebrating Passover, the time when the Jews remember their rescue by God from the bondage of slavery to an evil king brought about by covering the entrance to their home with the blood of a lamb.

A powerful formation of angels encircled them as they proceeded along their way.  Satan's forces of evil were everywhere, but they dared not attack.  They knew their time was coming and they had their orders.  Each of the disciples had an angel assigned to them for their protection, but on this special day, a multitude of heavenly hosts was on hand.

They crossed through a valley to an olive grove called Gethsemane.  Judas knew it well because Jesus had often taken his disciples there.

Jesus left his disciples there in the grove and went a short ways away and began to pray.  He took Peter, James, and John with him and asked them to keep watch while he prayed.  Ever since Satan had entered Judas back at the house his heart was heavy with despair.  He knew what he had to do, but the thought of giving in to Satan was disdainful to his divine nature in the extreme.

Likewise, his human side was struggling mightily with the pain he knew he was about to endure.

Walking a short distance from the three, he fell to the ground and began to speak to his father.  “You can do anything!” he pleaded.  “Isn’t there another way to redeem your creation?”  But even then he expressed his obedience.  “But let your will be done, and not mine,” he said.

The troupe of angels who had protected them at the house and had accompanied them to the garden now drew close to him to provide protection and comfort.  Jesus was struggling mightily with sorrow and despair when Gabriel, God’s messenger, walked up to Jesus, placed his hands on his shoulders bent his head down low and spoke words of comfort and strength into his ear.

Jesus' spirit began to calm and his will once again became resolute.  His emotion was in check and he knew it was time.  This was the defining moment in the history of the world.  It has been ordained by God since the original sin of Adam and Eve in the garden, so long, but then such a short time ago.  This was God’s perfect plan and it would be as He had ordained it.

Jesus returned to find Peter, James and John sleeping.  It was about one in the morning and the day had been long and tiresome.

“Why are you sleeping?” he shouted, pointing across the garden.  “I’ve been betrayed into the hands of sinners and here comes my betrayer!”

The three awoke quickly and were alert.  As they looked through the olive trees they saw Judas approaching with a bunch of armed guards.  The rest of the disciples had moved quickly to Jesus’ side and were now standing around him ready to protect their master.

Judas walked through the others and up to Jesus.  “Teacher!” he said, and then moved forward to give him a kiss on the cheek.

Jesus pulled back incredulously.  “Are you going to betray me with a kiss, Judas?”

Judas leaned forward and kissed him lightly on each cheek.  This was the signal to the temple guard that they should move forward and take into custody the one who was kissed.

Everyone stayed still as the temple guard looked at Jesus and his disciples and they looked back wondering what would happen next.

“Who is it you want?” he asked.

“Jesus of Nazareth,” one of them replied.

“That’s me,” he said.

Immediately the temple guard stepped backward and fell to the ground.  There had been much talk around the temple about Jesus.  Many had claimed that he was The Messiah, the one who would come to save the Jews from their oppressors and rule the Earth with them as his ruling party.

Some said that He could do miracles and most of the temple guard was afraid of him.

“Who is it you want?” Jesus asked them again.

Timidly, the same soldier replied, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

“I told you that is me.  If you are looking for me then let these others go.”

Seeing Jesus was about to be arrested, Peter, who had brought a sword with him, drew it and lashed out at one of the temple guards.  The guard, whose name was Malchus, was taken a little by surprise and almost managed to dodge the blow completely, but was just a bit too slow.  His ear was severed from his face and he screamed in agony holding his hand up to the side of his bleeding head.

Emboldened by this attack, the temple guards raised their weapons and moved into an offensive posture, planning to slay all of Jesus’ disciples and take Jesus away by force.

Jesus stepped up immediately and yelled “Put your swords away!”

Everyone stopped and looked at him.  He spoke with such authority one couldn’t help but obey.

He walked over to Malchus who was holding pressure on his wound trying to stop the bleeding.  Jesus bent down and picked up his ear.  Malchus looked at him cautiously.  Jesus put his hand to Malchus’ arm and pulled it away from his face.  The bleeding had stopped.  He then put the ear back to the side of Malchus’ face and held it there for a few seconds.  When he removed his hand the ear had been re-attached.  It was completely healed and Malchus felt no pain.  Only the blood remained as a reminder that there had been any injury at all.

Jesus turned to face his disciples and said, “Should I not drink the cup the father has given me?”

At that the temple guard took him by both arms and tied them together.  It was about half past one in the morning.

In The Beginning - Chapter 17 (The Messiah)

Chapter 17

At that moment, about four thousand years in the future, Jesus, was at the end of his earthly ministry.  He sat with his disciples in a room and celebrated the Jewish Passover.  He was the only one in the room who truly understood what this ceremony meant, the eating of the bread symbolizing His body which would be broken for them and the drinking of the wine, symbolizing His blood which would be shed for them, a typology that those in bondage in Egypt could not even begin to comprehend which symbolized the coming of the perfect Son of God who would deliver them from their bondage to sin.

His mind was drawn back to Egypt on that all important evening when God’s chosen people, the descendants of Abraham, were to be delivered.  Delivered in the same way that Jesus was about to deliver all of humanity from the bondage of sin.

The death angel was about to pass over Egypt and those who were to be saved would have to paint the blood from a perfect lamb over their door posts.  They would be saved by the blood of the lamb.

He remembered the careful instructions given to them after they left Egypt concerning the setting up of the tabernacle in such a way as to replicate the throne room in heaven and that which was to come in the distant future when He would come again to rule the Earth from his throne in Jerusalem.

He remembered the rituals of the High Priest as he prepared for the annual sacrifice.  The blue, gold, purple, scarlet and white colors of his robe symbolizing heaven, precious worth, royalty, blood, and purity.  He considered how the priest would enter the Holy of Holies to plead for his people, just as Jesus would enter the throne room of God to plead for his people.  He smiled as he thought about how His actions would rip the veil which separates the priest from the seat of God, symbolizing the removal of the barrier between the people and their God.

He was brought back to the present by bread and wine being served at the table where he sat.  He had just finished teaching them a lesson in humility and servitude by washing their feet and commanding them to serve each other as well.

He looked around the room and his gaze fell on each disciple in turn.  He looked at John who was sitting next to him and would outlive all the rest and die alone, exiled to the Isle of Patmos.  He looked at Peter who was sitting next to John and who he knew would soon deny even knowing him.  He looked at Judas who would betray him.

Judas was reclining uneasily at the table looking nervously at the others and trying to laugh along with the others as though nothing were bothering him.

Jesus watched him with pity.  His chest tightened with despair at every soul he saw whom he knew would not enjoy the free and eternal gift of God’s love.  His anger raged at the powers that warred against Him in His struggle to secure the blessings of happiness for his beloved children.

He also knew what was coming to Him in the next twenty four hours and His human side was in anguish at the thought of it.  He knew it was the reason he came to the earthly realm, though, and he was resolute in His conviction to finish what He started.

Finally, he looked into the dark corner where the Prince of Darkness sat waiting for his opportunity.  Satan stared back at him with fierceness and resolution.  It had been a long time since he had been defeated and kicked out of Heaven.  His anger was as strong as ever.  He would destroy every soul he could, and with each one cause God the Father that much more pain.

Surrounding those who were seated at the table were a platoon of angels standing strong and tall and facing outward toward a large contingent of Satan’s minions who were milling about nervously awaiting orders from their master.

The glory of God shone brightly from Jesus in the heavenly realm indicating the strength of the Holy Spirit which was present within him.  In fact, everything else paled in comparison.  The powerfulness of it scorched the demons like a flame whenever they got close and they all kept their distance.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to those in the room, “one of you is going to betray me.”[i]

His disciples looked at each other and murmured to each other quietly trying to figure out who it was.  Judas sat quietly and closed his eyes as if in meditation.

Satan stood and moved around the table to stand behind Judas.  A deal had been made and the angels did not oppose him.

Peter nudged John, who was sitting next to Jesus.  “Ask him who it is,” he said.

John leaned back against Jesus and whispered, “Lord, who is it?”

“It is the one to whom I give this bread after I’ve dipped it in the dish,” He whispered back.

Then he dipped the bread in the dish and handed it to Judas.

Satan surged forward and dove headlong into the body of Judas who shuddered and sat up suddenly.  His eyes opened wide and he looked into the eyes of the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

“What you are about to do, do quickly,” said Jesus.

Judas stood and left the room, driven by the spirit of Satan who was now in possession of his body.

Since he had been chosen as one of the twelve Judas had never really believed.  He was the keeper of the purse and would regularly help himself to what was there.

He was a greedy man and despite what he had seen and heard while traveling with Jesus he never really considered the he could be what he said he was.

When he made the deal with the high priest to betray his teacher he assumed Jesus would be tried and jailed as a heretic.  He had no idea what was really in store for Him.

After Judas left, Jesus looked back at his disciples.  The time had come, the clock had started, and it was time to move things along.

“I’ll only be with you a little while longer,” He said.  “I’ll tell you what I told the Jews.  Where I’m going you cannot come.  But here’s a new command for you.  Love everyone just as I have loved you.  This is how the whole world will know that you are my representatives – because you love one another.”

“Where are you going?” asked Peter.

“You can’t come with me now, but you will be coming later,” Jesus replied.

“Why can’t I come?” replied peter, emotionally.  “I would die for you!”

“Really?” said Jesus.  “Peter, you will deny you even know me three times before the sun comes up.”

Then he looked at the others still seated at the table.  They were all looking at him in eager anticipation of what he would say next.

His heart filled with compassion and warmth for his companions.

“Don’t worry,” he said.  “Put your faith in God and also in me.  I’m going to my father’s house to prepare a place for you.  Then I’ll come back for you and take you there.  You know the way.”

Thomas replied quickly, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going so how could we know the way?”

Jesus looked directly into Thomas’ eyes and said “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can get into my father’s house unless I bring him.  If you really know me then you know my father as well.  In fact, from now on you do know him and you have seen him.”

The disciples murmured again in confusion.  None of this was making any sense.

Finally, Philip spoke up.  “Lord, show us the father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus shook his head ever so slightly and smiled a small smile.  He looked directly at Philip and said, “Philip, don’t you know me even after all this time?  How can you say ‘Show us the father’?  Don’t you know that I am a part of the father and the father is a part of me?  Everything I’ve been teaching you all this time is not just from me.  It’s the father living in me and doing his work from whom you’ve been learning.  At the very least believe because of the miracles you’ve seen.”

He then looked around the room at the others who were utterly quiet and looking at him intently.

“If you love me you will do what I’m telling you,” he said.  “and I will ask the father and he will send you another counselor.  He will be with you forever – he is the Spirit of truth.  The world will never accept him because they cannot see him nor experience his power in their lives.  But you will know him because he lives with you and will become a part of you.

“I won’t leave you alone, I will come to you.  Soon the world will see me no more, but you will see me.  Because I live, you will live, too, when that happens you will understand.  You will realize that I am a part of the father and you are a part of me and I am a part of you.  Whoever accepts my words and obeys them loves me and whoever loves me will be loved by the father.  I will love them as well and will reveal myself to them.”

There was another Judas there who was not the one who was going to betray him.  Now he spoke up.

“But, Lord, why are you just going to show yourself to us?  Why not reveal yourself to the whole world?”

They still couldn’t get past the notion that Jesus should setup an earthly kingdom and rule over the entire Earth with them at his side.

“Anyone who loves me will do what I’ve instructed.  Then my father will love them and we will become a part of them.  Anyone who doesn’t love me will not do what I’ve instructed.  These are not my words, they are the words of the father.

“I’ve told you all this while I’m here with you.  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit that my father sends to you because I’ve asked him, will teach you all sorts of things and will remind you of everything I’ve taught you.

“I’m not giving to you what the world gives.  I am giving you peace, my peace, so don’t worry, and don’t be afraid.

“You heard me say ‘I’m going away and am coming back to you.’  If you knew what was going to happen you’d be glad because the father is more powerful than I am.  I’m telling you this now so that when it happens you will believe.”

He then looked around the room.  All eyes were on him.  Not just the human eyes, but also those of all the angels and demons who were gathered around this small band of mighty warriors.  The heavenly hosts were getting restless.

“The time is getting close and the prince of this world is coming.  He has no control over me but the world must learn that I will do what my father commands me to do.  Come on now; lets go.”

---

[i] John 13:21

In The Beginning - Chapter 16 (The Price of Sin)

Chapter 16

From Heaven, God the Father watched all that happened in the garden.  At that moment, the aura that surrounded the man and woman grew noticeably dimmer as their immortal souls transitioned into the fallen state.

Their souls were now in a state of perpetual death.  It had been ordained by God that man would have to pay for his disobedience.  Since there was nothing man could offer to God to pay for his own sin God’s plan provided for the only substitute possible.  God himself would have to pay for man’s sin, but this payment would not be for everyone.

God’s salvation through the sacrifice of himself for the sin of man would be only available to those who believed in Him, accepted Him as their God, and asked to receive the gift of life which was offered for them.

He looked throughout the timeline of Earth’s history and saw billions and billions of souls dimming to the point of being extinguished.

He watched as fewer and fewer called upon the name of their God until at last about a thousand years after Adam and Eve’s original sin, the corruption of man had become such that only a single Man and his family remained righteous.  All others had succumbed to the enticements of the serpent.

God’s disappointment with mankind was profound.  He knew from the beginning that because man had free will many would choose to reject Him but the whole human race had rebelled so quickly that he grieved that he had ever created them to begin with.  Satan had done his work well.

Looking forward in time, God found a man through which He could redeem His creation.  The pact was with Abram whose name he later changed to Abraham.  In this pact, God would multiply Abraham into a great nation and through his lineage the world would be saved.  For his part, Abraham would worship only the one true God and would pass his faith on to his descendants.  From generation to generation the law of God would be lived out through Abraham.

Throughout subsequent generations God carefully chose the descendants of Abraham through which he would fulfill His promise.  God looked into the souls of each child until at last, at the time perfectly suited to His purposes, he found the instrument of his gift.

He looked deep into her soul and found her to be pure of heart, strong in character and submissive to her God.  She found favor in His eyes and He ordained that she would be a part of the greatest act of love ever bestowed on mankind.  She was to be the mother of God.

At the appointed time and with all of the preparations made, the Holy Spirit enveloped Mary who had been prepared for her chosen role before hand by the angel Gabriel.  Mary became aware that her reality was changing.  At one moment she was lying awake in her bed and in the next she was surrounded by light that seemed to come from everywhere.  There were no shadows in the room and she felt as if the entire universe were in perfect harmony and she felt more safe than she had ever felt.

In her head she heard the most beautiful music she had ever heard - voices were singing "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty."  She felt completely at home and experienced peace such as she had never felt before.

In her womb the Holy Spirit altered an egg.  Using the genetic sequence Jesus had created so long (but then only a moment) ago, He formed the X and Y chromosomes perfectly coded to grow into the man who would save the world from sin.

The child she would bear would be the child of the human mother and the divine father – the physical self coming from the mother and the spiritual self coming from God the Father through the Holy Spirit and in the persona of Jesus the Son and thus not subject to the original sin perpetrated by Adam in the Garden of Eden.

And thus the God who created the universe became a part of His own creation and the instrument of its salvation.

Just as suddenly as she had been swept away she was back.  She looked around the dark room and couldn't decide if she had been gone for a few seconds or a few years, it seemed like a lifetime.  Tears of joy began to fall from her eyes as she considered the enormity of what she had been chosen to do.

-----

Looking back into Eden from his throne, God the Father saw his physical persona, Jesus, standing before Adam and his wife who were clothed only in their fig leaf loincloths.

“A price must be paid for your disobedience.”  He said.  “My son and daughter, I love you dearly, but there is no price you could pay which could atone for your sin against me.  What could you, a mere man and woman give to me to account for your sin when the wages of sin is death?”

Adam and Eve stood quietly.

”A day will come when I will come to the Earth and live with man.  At that time I will offer myself as payment for your disobedience, but until then, you must live with the consequences of your actions.  Because of what you have done I will suffer as will all of your children and their children to countless generations.  Are you remorseful for what you have done?”

Adam and Eve both nodded their heads in unison and muttered “We are.”

He brought a young lamb to them and pointed to a sharp stone lying on the ground near the stream.

“The day of my coming is far off yet.  Until that time comes, you must provide a regular atonement for your sin.  The payment you will make will not absolve you of your sin; it will merely be a testament to your belief that I will pay for it when I come.  You will kill an animal every year and offer it to me on an alter – without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness.

When you sacrifice the animal, you will remember that the animal who committed no sin is paying the price for yours.  It is your sin which has cost him his life.

Adam listened silently while Eve sobbed quietly.

When I come, I, who love you so, will pay for your salvation by sacrificing my life in atonement for yours.  Unlike this lamb, however, I will give my life willingly.  Through my sacrifice your souls will escape this curse of death and enter into eternal life with me in paradise.

“You will do this every year and you will teach it to your children and their children and their children’s children until I come to make the final atonement.  When I see such a sacrifice offered with an earnest heart the ultimate payment for your sins will be postponed for another year.

“Do you understand?”

They both nodded.  “Adam, you are the head of your family.  It is from your flesh that Eve was born into this world and also from your spirit.  It is your responsibility to offer the sacrifice for your entire family.  It is your belief in my future coming for your salvation and your acceptance of my gift of love which will save your soul.”

Adam nodded his head in understanding.  Jesus stood near the bank of the stream and waited for Adam to act.  Adam walked over to the sharp rock and picked it up.  He turned and looked at the lamb standing innocently near the stream eating grass from the side of the path.  He looked at Adam and gave a soft “Mwaa-aa-aa”.

Adam looked back at Jesus with tears in his eyes.  Eve hid her face behind her hands; she couldn’t bear to watch.  After a long moment Adam walked to the lamb and lifted it up into his arms.  Adam felt the lamb’s soft wool against his skin and the lamb nuzzled its head up under Adam’s chin.  He dropped to his knees sobbing.

Jesus stood quietly and patiently near the stream.

It seemed that Adam would not be able to complete his task.  He knelt for a long time holding the lamb in his arms then rose.  He walked over to the rock and bound the lamb’s legs with some vines he pulled from the tree where the serpent watched silently.

Using the sharp rock he had taken from the side of the stream, he cut the lamb’s throat quickly and struggled not to fall again to his knees in sorrow.  He held the lamb to the rock until its bleating stopped and it lay motionless.  Using the same rock he continued to remove the lamb’s skin, leaving it exposed and lifeless on the top of the larger rock.

 Adam stepped back slowly, then, giving into his sorrow, he dropped to the ground on his knees.  As he watched, Jesus lifted his eyes toward heaven and lifted his arms.  A long shaft of fire shot down from the sky, and in an instant the lamb was consumed.  God had accepted their offering.

Adam dropped the bloody rock he had used as a knife; Eve continued to weep softly near the woods from where she hadn’t moved since God arrived in the garden.

Jesus looked once more at the serpent and it slithered away.

When Adam opened his eyes, he saw on the ground near the alter, clothes for him and his wife.  He put his on and the fit was perfect.  He took the rest over to Eve who put hers on as well.

They looked at each other and the constant reminder of their sin which they were wearing and neither spoke.