The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 23:20-24, “And Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again,

21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”

22 And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done?

I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; I will therefore punish Him and release Him.”

23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began

to prevail. 24 And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand should be granted.”

The Romans did not invent crucifixion. The learned it from north Africans. Originally, it was

employed simply as punishment; but eventually became a means of execution to-the-death.

It was among the cruelest forms of execution ever known to man. Crude metal nails were

driven through the wrists, as the wrists were considered part of the hands, and through the

feet. The legs of the one executed had to bear up his entire body weight in order to breathe.

When he could not longer uplift himself, his body sank, cutting off his breathing and leading

to his death. It was unsightly cruel and demeaning.

Jesus spoke seven times, as He was dying on the Cross. In the midst of His intense suffering,

He cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” It was a cry for

the Father’s forgiveness of both the Romans and the Jews. Yes, the Jews provoked His

crucifixion, but the Romans carried it out. Thus, both Jews and Gentiles were guilty before

God.

Little is known of the two thieves who were crucified on either side of Jesus. One, however,

cried out to Him to save them all from this horrible death. The other looked to Jesus to

remember him when He came into His Kingdom. Jesus replied, “Today you will be with Me

in Paradise.”

Mary, His mother and John were among those who stood beneath the Cross; and as Jesus

saw them, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” And to John, He said, “Behold

your mother!” From that day, John cared for Mary in his household.

As Jesus bore the spiritual weight of the sins of mankind, the Father turned His face away,

and Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” The Father could not bear

to behold the sin that was being laid upon His Son. Undoubtedly, this was a huge portion of

the meaning of Jesus’ prayer back in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was a separation that

neither of Them had ever before encountered –and would never encounter again.

The enormous loss of blood from the scourging and now from the Cross prompted Christ to cry out, “I thirst!’ The soldiers gave Him some sour wine on a sponge. It was little comfort, but it signaled His awareness that all things the Scriptures had said were now fulfilled.

He then cried out ?????????? (tetelestai), “It is finished!” Everything the Scriptures had foretold of what Christ was to do on Earth, had been done, completed! He had, through His sacrifice on the Cross, satisfied the Father and provided for the forgiveness of the sins of every man, woman, and child who had ever lived or ever would live in the ages to come. It is now for mankind to believe upon Jesus’ sacrifice in order to be saved from the coming wrath of Almighty God!

Jesus’ final cry from the Cross were words spoken to His Father in Heaven: “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.” And thus He died.

“No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father” (Jn. 10:18 NAS).

We lovingly pray for you every day,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”