“The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭35‬-‭37‬, ‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Couldn’t they leave Jesus alone to die in peace! In the agony of His physical suffering, did He have to listen to these final words of abuse…rebellion…rejection of their Creator and Redeemer…in such a torrent of contempt?

This was mankind’s…humanity’s…God’s once perfect sons’ and daughters’, these representing the entire human race…absolute cancellation of their God! Wiping their hands of Him, they were declaring, “We are done with Him!” …spewing out of their mouths, the fountainhead of their hearts, the final words of contempt towards their Creator. They had finally and successfully rid the earth of Him…or had they?

In three short days, the tables would be turned. The one they ridiculed in death, believing that this was His end, would step out of the sealed tomb in an indestructible resurrection body and a glorified state that would forever condemn them to their place in the fires of hell. 

Jesus had warned them, many 

times, that judgment was coming…and that He would be the judge…but they did not believe Him. Exactly as they had repudiated His teaching, His assurances of mercy, forgiveness of sin, and eternal life, His declaration and demonstration of His Father’s covenant love and faithfulness, so they rejected that His death was an atoning sacrifice for sin. In their eyes, He was nothing but a blasphemer and He deserved to die!

The first day of the week, the first glimmer of dawn, peeked from the eastern horison, heralding the fulfilment of the greatest prophecy ever uttered.  A lone figure stepped through the massive stone barrier that had sealed Him in the tomb, into the increasing brightness of a new day…a new era…a new dispensation…the New Covenant! 

This day in history brought to light the truth and reality of the words He had uttered with His dying breath. In the midst of the cacophony of their ridicule and contempt…perhaps even lost in the hullabaloo of their fervent abuse, He prayed…“Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing!” 

Through His agony He spoke….Not for Him…that was settled before time. To the Father for them.  If it were not for mercy, they would have sealed their own  fate that day…but Pentecost was coming. A new day was about to dawn over Israel…over the world…when the blood that flowed from His broken body would become a fountain of forgiveness and cleansing for the whole world. 

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The words of affirmation from the lips of Jesus would become the glorious reality of His claim on earth. 

“At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭66‬-‭71‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The day of Pentecost came, the day of reckoning for His executioners. What He had predicted…what they had repudiated…happened! The Holy Spirit fell in power and authority to confirm and fulfil His every word. 

Peter wielded the sword of the Word and struck with truth. 

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 

…But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭24‬, ‭32‬-‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Imagine the horror in the conscience of the many among the crowd that day who had bayed for His blood…who had poured contempt on His person…who had celebrated His death with sneers and insults. He was alive! He was exalted to God’s right hand! He was crowned king and judge of all!

One sentence, one prayer, uttered from a heart of compassion, from lips sticky and coated with His own blood…”Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing!” Did the Father hear Him…above the din?

“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭37‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The cruel death His tormentors had inflicted on the “enemy” of their position, their comfortable self-righteousness, their power and authority, turned out to be, for them…not judgment or condemnation but mercy and forgiveness!  

Three thousand turned that day…back to God’s path, to God’s way. The cross of suffering had become the gateway to redemption, to wholeness, to the bosom of the Father, to the everlasting love of the God they had scorned, never to be separated from Him again. .

They had no idea what they were doing when they, the representatives of the whole world, Jews and Gentiles,  condemned the Son of God to death and had Him nailed to a piece of wood.  They had opened the door to heaven and to the kingdom of God. 

Such is the marvel of God’s sovereignty!

To be continued…