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heat of the morning sun - humili–
ated. scourged and crucified.
They offered him vinegar mixed
with gall. Christ refused it (Matthew
27:34).
The Final Cursings and
Mock ings
They continued lo revile him,
wagging their heads and shouting
epithets. The people jeered, "Look
at you now! If you are so wonderful,
save yourself and come down from
the cross!" The chief priests and the
religious leaders also mocked. "He's
quite clever about saving others,"
they remarked lo each other, "but
he can't save himself' (Mark 15:29-
32).
" Hey there, Messiah! Hey there,
King! Come down from the cross,
and we'll believe you!"
One of the criminals crucified be–
side him scotfed, "So you're the
Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving
yourself- and us, too, while you're
at it!"
But the other criminal protested,
"Don't you even fear God when you
are dying? We deserve to die for our
deeds, but this man hasn't done one
thing wrong."
It
was now about thirty-three
hours since early Tuesday moming.
Three hours went by and bis life
slowly ebbed away. Noon carne.
The sky darkened. The wind rose,
and the mob shrank back, looking
into the ominous sky overhead.
Priests and elders quickly dis–
appeared, followed by most of the
mob.
Jesus Christ knew what was com–
ing next. He knew Jsaiah 53 had to
be fulfilled - that without the
shedding of blood, there is no remis–
sion of sins. Forsaken. Christ cried
out with a loud voice. "My God. my
God, why have you forsaken me?"
Those who heard him remarked.
" He's calling for Elijah." Moved, an
older soldier took a sponge and
filled it with sour wine. Then plac–
ing the sponge on the end of a cane.
he lifted it up to give him a drink.
But others objected. They had not
yet seen enough. Curiously, they
PLAIN TRUTH May 1974
said, " Let him alone. Let's see
whether Elijah will come and save
him."
Then, a young, impetuous Roman
soldier seized a spear. Raising it to
shoulder height , he plunged it into
Jesus' side. (See Moffatt's rendering
of Matthew 27:49.) The spear
penetrated the bladder and out
carne blood and water.
Jesus Christ cried out in pain, and
then he died.
The Father Looked Away
As Christ gasped out his final
breath, God the Father looked away
from, his beloved Son. Only God the
Father would have the total control
and love it took to keep from con–
verting this earth into a cinder,
along with all the wretched men
who cursed their Savior.
When the soldier took up the
spear and pierced his side, the life
went out of the one who actively
created this world (Hebrews 1:2).
He yielded up his physical life with
W as Jesus three days and
three nights in the grave, as
he said in Matthew 12:40?
Can you figure three days and
three nights between sunset
" Good Friday" and sunrise
Easter Sunday?
Easter Sunday, shocking as
it may seem, does NOT com–
memorate the resurrection of
Jesus Christ. Christ was not
resurrected on a Sunday mom-
a loud cry after thirty-six horrifying
hours - the most excruciating
thirty-six hours in all history!
Yes - this is the vivid truth about
the roan who was the all-powerful,
living Word of God, who sutfered
and died to make
alJ
men free of sin.
And this same man - now alive
because of the resurrection - will
soon return in power with a shout
and with the sound of the trumpet
of God. When he comes, he will be
heard around the world in a tremen–
dous, ear-splitting roar. Every eye
will see him. Every tongue will con–
fess and know the true God, the
Savior of this world. The Mount of
Olives east of Jerusalem will split
apart in his presence in an earth–
shattering quake of unbelievable
magnitude (Zechariah 14:4). Then
"the Lord shall be king over all the
earth: in that day shall there be one
Lord, and his name one" (Zechariah
14:9).
That God, the living Word of
God, is alive forever more!
o
ing nor did he die on " Good
Friday."
Few professing Christians
have ever thought to question
or to prove thi s " Good Friday–
Easter Sunday" tradit ion . Yet
the Bible tells us to prove all
things, and you will be liter–
ally astounded by this proof.
Read the irrefutable biblical
proof in this carefully docu–
mentad booklet.
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