Jesus Christ walked this earth among men and women undeserving, as the Messiah. He had come at last, to save the holy people of Judea. Some accepted Him and followed Him in the period He taught in, drinking in His every word, believing in His awesome
power.
Others, did not.
The righteous Jews turned away from this man, convinced He was a conjurer of black magics, or things unknown. They believed He was a liar. In their arrogance, they believed that the Messiah would be a warrior king, like David, and that He would decend from the heavans, smiting their enemies and proclaiming the word of God.
They did not expect a humble man born out of Nazareth in Bethlehem. The son of a woodcarver and a virgin. A child born in a manger with only shepheards to bare witness.
With pompous disdain, they dismissed this man claiming to be Christ Jesus, come as their Messiah.
Oh that they would but believe. He was the King, the Messiah! To hear the cries of the people, to work miracles!
To die.
Even in Jesus' own company, there were decievers. Judas, a follower of Christ, had a plan. The Pharisees wanted Jesus silenced. Who better to complete such a task as one of Jesus' own company?
At Passover, the Lord supped with His closest twelve followers, and informed them that before sunrise, one of them would betray Him.
And so it came to be.
Jesus was taken to Pilot to be sentenced. He was given a chance to repent, but He would not. So, He was stripped of His clothes, and on His head was placed a crown of thorns. They dug into His flesh, the blood seeping into His eyes. He was draped in a purple cloak, and whipped with a toothed lash.
Finally, His back shredded, His dignity gone, His sould crushed, He was sentenced to carry His cross up to the hill where He would be crucified for his crimes. When really, the only crime He was guilty of, was loving us too much.
Tired and in pain, Jesus kept stumbling up the hill, too weak to stand. A kind man took the cross from Him, and carried the cross the rest of the way.
When He arrived at the hill, with hundreds of people cheering for His death behind Him, He was lain on the cross and nailed to hit by His hands.
The people jeered at Him as he hung weakened on the cross between to other criminals. But still, Jesus cried out to His Father, God, begging Him to forgive us.
"Forgive Lord, for they know not of what they are doing!"
People laughed as the Messiah as the life slowly drained out of Him.
An entire day passed, and still He lay in agony.
Finally, with His last breath, He cried, "It is finished!" and hung His head.
The King of the Jews was dead.
Darkneds fell over the land. The curtain split in two. The wrath of God was upon His people.
Jesus was put in a tomb, covered in cloths and secured by a solid stone. That stone was guarded by Roman soldieurs.
For three days, He lay in that place, as dead as any mortal man.
On the third day, two women came to the tomb. Mary Magdalin and Mary. When they arrived at the tomb with their scented oils to put with Jesus, they were met with a sight to behold. The Roman guards lay on the ground, the tomb rolled away to reveal the inside of the tomb. An angel, a servant of God, sat atop the stone.
He told them that He was not there.
The women rushed into the tomb. The place where Jesus had lain was vacant, save for the cloth He had been covered in.
The women were greatly distressed. The angel assured them that He had risen! Mary Magdaline was greatly confused. She remained in the garden with the tomb where she pondered all of these things.
And then behold! There He was! The Messiah!
Weeping, she clutched at His robe. In His hands were two punctures. He really had risen!
He told he to go forth and spread the news that He had risen.
And so began the cult of the Christians.
And the beginning of the end of Jerusalem.
