Word #1 Father, forgive them, for they don’t
know what they’re doing. Luke 23:34
Barabbas
During the Passover
it was customary for the Romans to release a prisoner. I’m not
a nice guy. What were the chances that I
would ever see light again? I am Barabbas. I hear my name
being chanted. I don’t know why my name is being called. Can it be that my time has come? I’m not
afraid to die; I take life when I
want too. I am a killer.
The crowds
are moving, so I go along. It’s him, the
one who took my place. They are hanging
him on a tree, nailing him to a cross.
Through the crowds I can hear him speak.
Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing. What? Sure they do. You
are going to die. They have you. They know very
well what the outcome will be.
Father, what father? Who is he
talking to? He looks up and he looks
down gazing at the crowd. Does he see
me? I am Barabbas. Does he know what my name means; Son of the
father; is he angry because he’s dying instead of me. I know who
I am, I’m a killer. No one likes me; my
life lost its purpose a long time ago.
Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing. Somehow I think he’s talking to me. I knew exactly what I was doing. I chose freedom when it was given to me….yet
somehow I still feel like I’m in prison.
Word #2 I assure you, today you will be with
me in Paradise. Luke 23:43
Criminal
on the cross
I’m nailed
to a cross; the heat of the sun is beating on me. The pain is unbearable. The spikes through my hands have ripped my
tendons and sinews; my skin is ripped, my bones are crush and blood is dripping
from my body. I take breaths and they
seem to be getting more and more shallow.
Yes, I am
screaming with every bit of energy I have left; yelling at the top of my
bruised lungs. Does God only hear the
righteous? What do I have to lose? It’s
an ongoing monolog. Get us down from here.
I thought you were the Son of God. All those miracles you did. Do you have one more—now would be a good
time! I don’t have much breath in me
left. Do you see what’s happening here?
Do you hear
them? The insults come from many tongues; from me, from the other thief. I can see he’s is angry too. We are hanging on a cross just like Jesus! Can’t you hear us? Does God answer prayer?
Then it
happened. This criminal—because that’s
what he is. No different than me! He begins to dialogue with the “King of the
Jews”. I shout out to him, “Have you not
been listening”? I’ve been talking to Jesus this entire miserable time. He begins to tell me to be quiet. I’ve been trying to get us to live and he’s
telling me to hush. What has caused this
fool to converse with Jesus; just moments before he was spewing insults at him?
His heart;
something happened—I don’t know when it occurred since we have not been able to
escape the cross. How did he encounter
God? I’m mean really, I don’t recall him
leaving the cross and entering the temple.
Jesus is fixing his gaze on this man.
He is giving him his attention; inclining his ear to him. I shout, “Jesus he’s no good”! No better than me!
I heard
it. He asked him; Jesus, remember me
when you come into your Kingdom. What
Kingdom; if he was a King would he be hanging on a cross?
Jesus
answers him: I assure you, today you will be with me in Paradise.
Word #3: Woman, behold you son. John 19:26
Mary,
the mother of Jesus:
My son, Jesus. I
was not prepared when the angle of the Lord came to me. I was startled! More
like scared. He said, Greetings you who
are highly favored! The Lord is with you.
He said “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor
with God. You
will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name
Jesus.
I asked him, how will this be since I am a virgin. He said “The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
It happened just like he said.
Have you ever lost someone; every last moment so
precious; clinging to their every word?
He said, Women, behold your son.
Yes, John, the one he loves; we both are in pain. The agony is more that I can describe. Oh my
precious Jesus!
Word #4: My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me? Mark 15:34
John,
the Beloved Disciple
I’m just a
fisherman from Galilee. The Teacher saw me and asked me to follow him, and I
did. My eyes have seen things that I never saw before.
Perplexing thoughts flood my mind now. The last day I ate with my Lord he
talked about betrayal. Could God betray
him? I know I feel like I have.
I should have fought for him. All
the love he has for me and I did not try and defend him. They took him and my
hands never helped him. He asked me to
pray and I fell asleep.
Help me God!
I watched
him, Jesus my Lord. He has been stripped
of everything.
He said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say
all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is
your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who
were before you.”
Yet, I’m not the one being persecuted.
It’s Him and I feel so helpless.
Could God forsake him? I’ve seen him raise the dead; yes Lazarus was
dead and he called him to awake as if he was just in a deep slumber.
Water has become wine, multitudes have been fed with just a few loaves of
bread; blind eyes have been opened. I
even saw him walk on water.
He has spoken to me, sometimes in parables and other times very plainly.
He said he would protect me, like a shepherd protects the sheep. I keep
remembering what he said, “ The reason my Father loves me is that I
lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it
down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it
up again.” Has it been his choice to go
to the cross? He’s touched many and breath
has been returned to them, yet he seems to be dying right before my eyes. Who will raise him up again? He said in a
little while you will see me no more and then after a while you will see me
again. What does that mean? I’m scared. In a little while, all I see is
him dying.
Word #5: I thirst. John 19:28
The
Soldier that gave him a drink
I’m not sure
what to make of that day. I have orders
and I am to follow them. There is sign
clearly posted for everyone to see; it points to the identity of this man,
Jesus, King of the Jews. I’m not a Jew
but is he a King? I’m a Roman soldier; I do what I am told.
We are many;
Roman soldiers upholding the law; and yes we are mocking him as well.
This day is
not like any other day; darkness hovers over us, we proceed with the orders
given us. The end is drawing near and I
hear him call out my God, my God why have you forsaken me? While foul remarks continue to be hurled at
him; I’m not innocent, I too took my turn; He said he was thirsty so I quickly
ran and gave him a drink.
There was
some hesitation that I felt. See I
remembered his arrest. That night when
we arrived as the kiss identified him; He was asked if he was Jesus, he
replied, I AM. All I recall was falling
backwards to the ground. His identity, his presence, his voice alone, well it sent
us all to the ground. There was no one
with him except his scared disciples.
I quickly
got a reed, put the sponge on the end, dipped it and offered him a drink.
I try to
examine my heart; I think I was afraid? There
was fear; the inside of me trembled, I
mean, I know I’m a soldier, I’m supposed to be brave, but… what if I get close
to his bruised face and….well I don’t know what will happen.
It was like
a breeze that swept through my body. The
sponge touched his lips and something touched me. This time I retreated on my own. I felt dirty.
How odd, how
strange to comprehend; it caused me to think; a rejected king? Could I believe
this message? What if it’s true?
Word #6: It is finished. John 19:30
The
Women with the Issue of Blood
I’ve always been in the shadows, unable to be
part of everyday life. People avoid me.
My relatives escape my presence. I’ve
lived in shame and ridicule. I heard of
him and sought to find him. It’s with those
words; “It is finish”, that have caused me to remember again. He’s dying.
They taken him and placed his body on this cross. I see it, red like
crimson; drops of blood flowing down his body.
It drips along his ripped flesh.
I can see it flow into his torn side. With every gasping breathe the
blood streams to the ground.
It was not
long ago when I, the outcast, in desperation, moved among the crowds that
followed him. Here I am again in the
crowd.
No one would
touch me. No one could come near.
It was finished! Healing, it was mine. The blood it just --
stopped. Twelve years of agony. Doctors could not help me. And now it just stopped. I have a sense of
wholeness but I was afraid.
He knew; he
knew it was me. I have defiled the
Master. He called out for me. He was aware, Jesus knew. He turned around in the crowd and asked “Who
touched me?” The disciples couldn’t
answer him, there were so many followers.
His eyes are searching to and fro.
It’s me Lord; I could not hide any longer. I fell at his feet as I trembled, told him
the truth, I worshipped at his feet. He
called me daughter. He said my faith had
made me whole. He told me to go in peace and suffer no more. He saw my
affliction and the anguish of my soul.
Jesus is
hanging on a cross.
Why should
he suffer? What wrong has he done?
It seems
like every ounce of blood has fallen to the ground. His is
not like mine.
I was
contaminated, yet when I touched him he did not retreat. Somehow I did not make him unclean. He said virtue had flowed from him.
It’s heart
wrenching to watch. But I can’t stop my
eyes from looking at his face.
Perhaps it’s
strange, but the flow seems precious. There’s
a sweet presence here.
I just don’t
fully understand this all; I find myself worshiping at his feet again.
Word #7: Father into your hands I commend my spirit.
Luke 23:46|
Jarius,
The Synagogue Ruler
The day I
saw him, I threw myself at his feet. I worshiped him too. What else does one; a
ruler and I have no power to heal my daughter?
I saw him in the synagogue; (Mark 1) we were amazed; he spoke like one
who had authority not like a teacher of the law. The man possessed with evil spirits entered
the synagogue and he called him by name, Jesus of Nazareth. He question Jesus and asked him if he was the
Holy One of God. It happened so quickly;
Jesus spoke and a loud shriek was heard; it still echoes in my soul. In a moment; just with a spoken word, this
man was free. We were all amazed. A new teaching and he, Jesus, has authority.
So when my
daughter was dying I ran to his feet. The crowd was massive but somehow I
reached him. I humbled myself before him. I pleaded with him, I had no shame. I’ve seen what he can do. He speaks with authority; even evil spirits
obey. I begged, my little girl is dying,
come please, put your hands on her and she will live. He begins to walk; it’s just a matter of time
and she will be well. And then she, the
woman that touched his garment, interrupted us.
The healing that my little girl
needed; she took it. She was made whole
even as the news that my twelve year old daughter had died. I cried; my head hung in shame. A synagogue ruler, and I have no authority; I
can’t even get the teacher to my home in time to save my little girl.
The words of
the messengers, don’t bother the teacher, your daughter is dead.
He ignored
the messengers. He looked at my
distraught face and said, “Don’t be afraid, just believe” He allowed no one to
follow except for a few of his disciples.
I could barely walk. As I arrived
the wailing and crying just confirmed what I already knew. She was gone! He questioned my family and my
friends. Why are you crying? She is not dead but just asleep.
How does one
go from crying to laughing? But that’s
exactly what they did, they laughed in his face. Again he pushed the crowed away and entered
my daughter’s room where she laid, cold and dead. He was not afraid to be defiled. He touched
her and began to speak. It’s that
authority again; I recognize it. So I
watched him; Jesus, the One with the power to heal. He told my daughter, “little girl get
up”. To my wonder, though she was dead,
she awoke and breath came back to her.
He must be the Holy One of
God! Who else can do miracles?
I remember
my daughter’s words: Daddy why does Jesus have to die? Did he not make me live?
Listen, for the testimonies that still come today. Jesus continues to transform lives.
I am not who we used to be.
It is finish!
Rejoice, He lives conquering death for you and for me!
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came
to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the
free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For
as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s
obedience many will be made righteous. Romans 5:18-19
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me and
understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed, nor will
there be one after me.
I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.
I have
revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God. -Isaiah 43:10-12
Where are you in the crowd of witnesses? He still speaks and calls out today just like
on the day he laid his life down for all mankind.
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