November 13: Luke 23, John 18-19

November 13, Luke 23, John 18-19

Luke & John continued… I am focusing not so much on the overlap of the other Gospels, but what is more unique to Luke & John. For a more detailed account, you can reference the one I did on Matthew 27… Blessings as you read today and remember and learn what Christ has done for you.

Luke 23 Jesus Delivered to Pilate. Jesus had just been betrayed by Judas. He was arrested by the religious leaders, and abandoned by His friends. The morning after all that occurred, the chief priests and the elders (religious leaders) took advice on how to put Jesus to death. They tied Him up and brought Him to Pilate, who was their governor. They were saying Jesus was forbidding them to pay tribute to Caesar (a lie…). Pilate asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews. Jesus answered, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”” Pilate found no guilt in Jesus. 

Jesus Before Herod and then Pilate. “When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.” Pilate wanted to pass the buck. Since Jesus was from Galilee, that was Herod’s area to manage… Herod was excited because he wanted to meet this Jesus and see some signs of Him. Herod questioned Jesus. Jesus did not answer him. They beat and mocked Jesus. They got Him all dressed up and sent Jesus back to Pilate. Ironically, Pilate and Herod went from enemies that day to friends… Jesus was their common denominator. What was Pilate’s goal and thoughts? “Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him.”

Jesus delivered to be crucified by Pilate. As you can imagine, this did not sit well with the crowds and religious leaders that wanted to kill Jesus. “But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder.” They would rather a murderer released than have Jesus back. Ultimate rejection. After a couple more attempts at reasoning with the crowd, “But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.” Incredible. But, like Jesus kept telling us, these things must happen to fulfill Scripture.

The Crucifixion. As they were leading Him out, you could imagine He did not have much strength left. But had to carry His own cross to His own death, so yes, Jesus did carry His own cross - at least for a while. The killers saw this guy named Simon of Cyrene and they made him carry Jesus’ cross to Golgatha, which means place or hill of the skull. Jesus, never missing an opportunity to love: “And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’  For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry.” Jesus was more concerned with what they had to go through in what was coming, than He was with Himself. Ultimate suffering servant. Also, what was Jesus heart when he was being crucified and mocked? “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” We have to learn to have this attitude. Impossible, you may say? Maybe we should try it - maybe I should do it today! I often times find myself defending or explaining. If I know that what I am doing is right before God, sometimes that is enough. Sometimes we need to speak, but not always… Then we get to read about the 2 men crucified with Jesus, this is only in Luke’s account and I am glad that one of them recorded it. One criminal was on His left and the other on His right. Even while Jesus was being killed, His compassion was overwhelming. Here is the account: “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” The criminal comes to Jesus in his last hours. Isn't that amazing? Absolutely awesome. God’s timing is perfectly ordained - even when it seems that all hope is lost - it is not. Take courage.

The Death of Jesus. ”Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.” Bakers Commentary, “from nine o’clock until noon Calvary had been a very busy place. The soldiers had performed their various tasks, as was shown in verses Matthew 27:33–38. Bypassers had blasphemed. Chief priests, scribes, and elders had scoffed. Robbers had reviled, though one of them had repented. Jesus had uttered his first three words. Then, at twelve o’clock, something of a very dramatic character takes place. Suddenly the land becomes dark. Cf. Amos 8:9. The very fact that this darkness is mentioned shows that it must have been intense and unforgettable. Moreover, it occurred when least expected, at high noon, and lasted three hours.” What a scene this is to recall. During the day it is pitch black - can you only imagine what must have been going through the people’s minds at this point? It gets crazier… At around noon Jesus cries out, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”Jesus was fulfilling all of the prophecies about Him. I am going to lean on Bakers writings to explain this with simplicity - please read it. “The link between the darkness and the cry is very close: the first is a symbol of the agonizing content of the second. This, then, is the fourth word from the cross, the very first one reported by Matthew and Mark. It issued from the mouth of the Savior shortly before he breathed his last.

In the Gospels what happened between twelve o’clock and three o’clock is a blank. All we know is that during these three hours of intense darkness Jesus suffered indescribable agonies. He was being “made sin” for us (2 Cor. 5:21), “a curse” (Gal. 3:13). He was being “wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.” Jehovah was laying on him “the iniquity of us all,” etc. (Isa. 53).

To be sure, this happened throughout the period of his humiliation, from conception to death and burial, but especially in Gethsemane, Gabbatha, and Golgotha.

The question has been asked, “But how could God forsake God?” The answer must be that God the Father deserted his Son’s human nature, and even this in a limited, though very real and agonizing, sense. The meaning cannot be that there was ever a time when God the Father stopped loving his Son. Nor can it mean that the Son ever rejected his Father. Far from it. He kept on calling him “My God, my God.” And for that very reason we may be sure that the Father loved him as much as ever.

How, then, can we ascribe any sensible meaning to this utterance of deep distress? Perhaps an illustration may be of some help, though it should be added immediately that no analogy taken from things that happen to humans on earth can ever begin to do justice to the Son of God’s unique experience. Nevertheless, the illustration may be helpful in some slight degree. Here, let us say, is a child that is very sick. He is still too young to understand why he has to be taken to the hospital, and especially why, while there, he may have to be in the Intensive Care Unit, where his parents cannot always be with him. His parents love him as much as ever. But there may be moments when the child misses the presence of his father or mother so much that he experiences profound anguish. So also the Mediator. His soul reaches out for the One whom he calls “my God,” but his God does not answer him. Is not that exactly the manner in which the cry of agony is interpreted in the context of Ps. 22? Note:

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou answerest not;

And by night, but I find no rest.”

For the Sufferer with a superbly sensitive soul this terrible isolation must have been agonizing indeed. This all the more in view of the fact that only several hours earlier he had said to his disciples, “Note well, there comes an hour—yes, it has arrived—when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me (John 16:32).” And a little later he had added, in his touchingly beautiful Highpriestly Prayer, “And now Father, glorify thou me in thine own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world existed” (John 17:5). And now the Father does not answer, but leaves him in the hands of his adversaries. Reflect again on all the abuse and the suffering Jesus had already endured this very night. Is it any wonder that he now cries out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” His God and Father would not have abandoned him to his tormentors if it had not been necessary. But it was necessary, in order that he might fully undergo the punishment due to his people’s sins.” I hope that helps - God did not abandon Jesus like we would think of abandonment. Jesus took on the sins of the world and looked away as God will have nothing to do with sin. People couldn't figure out what He was doing and they thought He was calling for Elijah to come down. He was not. “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” Jesus is the one who laid His life down and He gave up His spirit. Don't think for an instant that Jesus could not have prevented this - He could have. But Scripture had to be fulfilled and we needed to have a way to God. Jesus finished what He started. The account gets crazy at this point, “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,  and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” Curtain rips. Dead Saints rise and walk around. Tombs opened up. Earthquake. 

What is with the curtain splitting? Bakers, “At the moment of Christ’s death this curtain was suddenly sliced in two from top to bottom. This happened at three o’clock, when priests must have been busy in the temple. How did it come about? Not through natural wear, for in that case there would probably have been rents all over, and the tearing would more likely have been from the bottom up. Nor is it at all probable that Matthew is trying to convey the idea that this splitting in two of the curtain was caused by the earthquake. Had that been his intention, would he not have mentioned the earthquake before the tearing of the curtain? What happened must be regarded as a miracle. Any secondary means that may have been used to effect it are not mentioned, and it would be futile to speculate. As to the symbolic significance, this is made clear by two considerations: first, it occurred exactly at the moment when Jesus died; secondly, it is explained in Heb. 10:19, 20: through the death of Christ, symbolized by the tearing of the curtain, the way into “the holy of holies,” that is, heaven, is opened to all those who take refuge in him. For the practical lesson see Heb. 4:16. More may be implied, but by limiting the interpretation to this we are on safe ground.” The earthquake and the saints resurrecting, Bakers, “Summarizing the significance of these signs, it can be said that they indicate the meaning of Christ’s death for God’s children of every clime and nation: ready access to God’s throne and to his heavenly sanctuary through the death of Jesus; the inheritance of a marvelously rejuvenated universe; and a glorious resurrection, to a life never to be followed by death. Then, too, all of these signs emphasize the majesty of the Person who gave his life as a ransom for many. Particularly, they stress the rich significance of his death.”
We also note that the women who minister to Christ were there with Jesus watching at a distance all these things happen

Jesus Is Buried. “When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus…” He was righteous and wealthy. God has a plan for everything worked out for His people. Joseph had a tomb. He went and got permission to bury Jesus. He bought the materials. He buried Jesus and wrapped Him up. He rolled a stone in front of the grave and went away. Mary & Mary were with Jesus, watching Him be buried. 

John 18 Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus. Jesus went to the garden with His disciples. Judas did not take long to do what he had been paid to do. He knew where Jesus often went and hung out. But, great crowd, swords, clubs? What did they expect? With Judas were temple police and soldiers, as well as some religious leaders. Pry a large crowd… Regardless, the enemies were prepared for whatever came their way. John’s account does not talk about Judas betraying with a kiss, even though it happened. He focused on Jesus telling all the soldiers that He was the Christ and they literally fell to the ground when they heard it. They still arrested Him and let the disciples go. Before that we learn about a fisherman, now disciple, Peter, ready to battle for his Savior. Literally he cut a guys ear off! Jesus told Peter to put his sword away. Peter was reacting and not thinking about the things of God - but he will someday! Then Jesus addressed the crowds.

Peter Denies Jesus. Just like Jesus said. Remember, Peter had been following Jesus at a distance. Now we learn about Peter denying Jesus 3 times by the time the rooster crowed. He denied knowing Jesus at all.

The High Priest Questions Jesus. Picture this scene. The high priest questions Jesus about his teaching and claims. “Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” Jesus knew what He was doing. Have your confidence be in Christ Jesus today and His strength!

Jesus Before Pilate. We have already read about this, but one thing to note about the hypocritical religious leaders… They were trying to kill the son of God, but “They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover.” They had to stick to their rules or they would be sinning. Oh come on! Are you kidding me? Their hearts were hard as stone. Their traditions were solid but their faith was not. Pilate told the people to judge Jesus themselves, by their own law, because He had not broken any judicial laws. 

My Kingdom Is Not of This World. This is a dialogue between Jesus and Pilate. Pilate went to Jesus again to talk to Him. He asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” How is that for a confession? Jesus is the King. His purpose was to come into the world to save the world. Pilate went back outside and told the people there was no guilt in Jesus. The people would not listen to him. They wanted Jesus dead, so he was getting ready to deliver to them Barabbas instead of Jesus.  

John 19 Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified. “Shen Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.” He punished Jesus and then brought Him out to the people. From Bakers Commentary, “The Roman scourge consisted of a short wooden handle to which several thongs were attached, the ends equipped with pieces of lead or brass and with sharply pointed bits of bone. The stripes were laid especially on the victim’s back, bared and bent. Generally two men were employed to administer this punishment, one lashing the victim from one side, one from the other side, with the result that the flesh was at times lacerated to such an extent that deep-seated veins and arteries, sometimes even entrails and inner organs, were exposed. Such flogging, from which Roman citizens were exempt (cf. Acts 16:37), often resulted in death.

One can picture Jesus after the scourging, covered with horrible bruises and lacerations, with wales and welts. It is no surprise that Simon of Cyrene was compelled to bear the cross after Jesus had carried it a short distance (27:32; Luke 23:26; John 19:16, 17). Scourging was hideous torture. It must, however, be borne in mind that the suffering of the Man of Sorrows was not only intense but also vicarious:

“He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). Sometime after Jesus had been flogged in the manner described, but not immediately afterward, as the next section will show, Pilate handed him over to be crucified.” 

The dialogue again between Jesus and Pilate is incredible. “He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” The authority you have is given to you from God, my Father, said Jesus. Incredible! I love Jesus. The people knew how to get to Pilate though… he loved his power! “From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” He was not willing to lose his seat in trying to save one man and this crowd was fierce. Where do we go from here? “Pilate said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.” The Jews claimed their king to be Caesar, not God. Their hearts were far from God. 

The Crucifixion. As they were leading Him out, you could imagine He did not have much strength left. The killers saw this guy named Simon of Cyrene and they made him carry Jesus’ cross to Golgatha, which means place or hill of the skull. Above Jesus’ cross, Pilate had a sign made. “Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” This would have infuriated the Jews, but it was true!

Then they crucified Jesus. Here we learn that there was more mocking and everything else. “When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, 

“They divided my garments among them, 

and for my clothing they cast lots.”

They were crucifying Him and then gambled over who got what parts of His clothing. “So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” Jesus had his own mom watching his death. Oh my. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was now responsible to take care of her the rest of her life. Jesus even took care of His mom as He was dying. 

Jesus’ side is pierced. Sabbath was the next day and you couldn't leave bodies to hang on a Holy day… The people paid attention to the details and missed the big picture… “The Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” A really good explanation, and long, from Bakers Commentary! “In order to insure that not the slightest possibility would exist that any life had remained in the body of Jesus, one of the soldiers with his lance or spear pierces the side of Jesus. If the spear was held in the right hand, as is probable, it was in all likelihood the left side of Jesus that was pierced. Immediately there came out blood and water.

John enlarges upon this fact, devoting no less than four verses to it. He must have had a purpose in doing so. It is altogether probable that he was trying to tell his readers that Christ, the Son of God, actually died (according to his human nature). The death of Jesus was not a mere semblance; it was real. The apostle had been there himself, and had seen the blood and the water flowing from the side of the Lord. Let all docetics take notice! See also Vol. I, p. 33.

But what caused this blood and water to issue from the opening made by the spear? Much has been written about this. Consult the various commentaries; also the article Blood and Water in I.S.B.E. According to that article the physiological explanation might be this, that the death of Jesus resulted from rupture of the heart in consequence of great mental agony and sorrow. Such a death would be almost instantaneous, and the blood flowing into the pericardium would coagulate into the red clot (blood) and the limpid serum (water). This blood and water would then be released by the spear-thrust. The article mentions the names of several distinguished physicians who have accepted this theory.

Very recently Dr. Stuart Bergsma, prominent physician in Grand Rapids, Mich. (formerly missionary-doctor in Ethiopia—Surgeon of the Tafari Makonnen Hospital, George Memorial Building, Addis Ababa—; later missionary-doctor in India; author of Rainbow Empire, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1932; and of Sons of Sheba, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1933) wrote an excellent article on this subject. It appeared in the March, 1948 issue of Calvin Forum. Dr. Bergsma has kindly permitted me to quote from his article.

He wisely refrains from drawing a definite conclusion. The matter is too uncertain, and specialists on heart-diseases (and particularly on the rupture of the heart) do not seem to be in complete agreement. Nevertheless, it is clear from the article that Dr. Bergsma leans somewhat toward the ruptured-heart theory as an explanation of the blood and water issuing from the side of Jesus. He went about his task with characteristic thoroughness and consulted several specialists in the field of the heart and its rupture. In his article he quotes the sources (published books and articles and private correspondence).

Before we enter into this subject more fully, some erroneous ideas should be swept away:

1. The proposition “Jesus died of a broken heart,” generally evokes immediate opposition. We are so used to interpreting such phraseology metaphorically. Thus, with reference to a person who has been sorely wounded in his affections, we are apt to say, “That broke his heart.” Now it is certainly true that Jesus did not die of disappointment. He died a victor. When we speak about the possibility that the blood and the water issuing from the side of the Lord indicate previous heart-rupture, we are using the term heart-rupture in a purely physiological sense.

2. Another error which needs to be removed is this, that if Jesus died of a broken heart, he did not lay down his life. His death, then, was not a voluntary sacrifice.—Such a conclusion is, of course, entirely erroneous! Jesus most surely laid down his life in voluntary sacrifice. That is the clear teaching of Scripture throughout, especially 10:11; see on that passage. But let us imagine, for a moment, that Jesus, while knowing full well that taking upon himself the wrath of God will break his heart, decides to do so anyway, would we then be able to say that his death was not voluntary? The voluntary character of our Lord’s death would certainly not be diminished in any way whatever.

3. One more error must be removed, namely, that the spear-thrust caused the death. That is absolutely erroneous; for, the inspired writer, before saying anything about the piercing of Christ’s side, has already written, “And when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, ‘It is finished.’ And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” What John writes with reference to the spear-thrust was not written in order to describe what caused Christ’s death, but in order to show that Jesus had actually died! Besides, as Dr. S. Bergsma says in his article, “To presuppose, as some do, that the spear pierced the still living heart, and thus to account for the blood and water is contrary … to science, for pure blood would have issued forth. It was in the crucifixion itself that his death was to be accomplished, not in a spear-thrust by a soldier.”

Having disposed of these errors we shall now state the position of Dr. Bergsma, quoting his words:

“In my own opinion, which I humbly maintain unsupported by the first four authorities quoted, but certainly supported by the last two quoted, the presence of any considerable quantity of serum and blood clot, issuing after a spear wound as described above, could only come from the heart or the pericardial sac. We must agree from the outset that no pre-existing disease affected Christ’s body. He was a perfect lamb of God. It is extremely rare, well-nigh impossible, authorities say, for the normal heart-muscle to rupture. Christ, however, suffered as no man before or since has suffered. Ps. 69:20 says prophetically, ‘Reproach has broken my heart.’ The next verse continues, ‘They gave me gall for my food; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.’ We take the second prophecy as literally fulfilled, but many consider it fantastic to take verse 20 also literally. If Christ’s heart did not rupture, it is difficult to explain any accumulation of blood and water as described by John. The normal pericardial effusion of an ounce or less would be a mere trickle unobserved by anyone.”

John writes that he has seen this. He is giving authoritative testimony of that which with his own eyes he has witnessed. For the verb to testify see on 1:7, 8. This testimony is genuine. “He”—probably referring to Christ—knows that John is telling the truth. He is telling the truth with reference to the blood and water (proving both that Christ had actually taken upon himself the human nature, and that in his human nature he actually died) in order that the readers may not be swept off their feet by docetic heresies, but may continue to believe. See also on 20:30, 31.”

Jesus Is Buried. “After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight” God has a plan for everything worked out for His people. Joseph had a tomb. He went and got permission to bury Jesus. He bought the materials. He buried Jesus and wrapped Him up. He rolled a stone in front of the grave and went away. Mary & Mary were with Jesus, watching Him be buried. 

To sum it all up: 

• Thanks for reading with me today. Jesus really went through all of this for you. What is your response?