Carter Benjamin Lam

On the evening of Holy Thursday, the Passion of the Christ began. Surrounded by his disciples, Jesus instituted his Supper—the true Passover Feast, as he himself is the true Lamb.

For the rest of the evening, he prayed in anguish. In the garden at Gethsemane, he was betrayed and taken away for a secret trial in the middle of the night.

Moving into the morning of Good Friday, Jesus was accused, rejected, despised, and condemned by his own people. After being declared guilty of blasphemy by the Sanhedrin, he was taken away to the Roman court to be sentenced to severe punishment, for the Jews were not permitted to put a man to death under Roman rule.

He was abandoned by all of his disciples, and three times Peter denied any and all association with Jesus.

As he stood trial before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, the mob raged and demanded that he be crucified. When Pontius Pilate gave in and sentenced him to scourging and crucifixion, the Lamb kept silent and moved toward his own suffering and slaughter.

Christ took the agonizing journey from the City to the Place of the Skull. There, he was crucified unto death. Once he was dead, his body was laid to rest in a tomb—returning to dust as the second and perfect Adam.

All of this was done to save us sinners. Jesus Christ suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried for us.

For the wages of sin is death . . . (from Romans 6)

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (from Hebrews 9)

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh . . . (from I Peter 3)

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was necessary for our salvation. If he did not bleed, suffer, and die for our sins, then we would have to bleed, suffer, and die for our own sins. But thanks be to God that this Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world, is the perfect and final sacrifice. He has indeed brought us to God, as Peter writes. The story is not over, but for now, let us remember these things on this holy and Good Friday.