That First Good Friday

It was six o’clock in the morning

On that first Good Friday

Jesus stood before Pilate

After from Gethsemane he was led away.

“Art thou the king of the Jews?”

Pilate then had asked,

Where upon Jesus replied, “Thou sayest,”

Compounding Pilate’s task.

When Pilate had discovered

That Jesus was of Galilean descent

He decided he would pass the buck

And to Herod he had him sent.

When Herod saw Jesus

He was exceedingly glad

And treated to this opportunity

Like none he had ever had.

He had hoped to see a miracle

But he was given none

So he sent him back to Pilate

But not before he’d had his fun.

Herod and his soldiers mocked him

And set him at nought

Then arrayed him in a gorgeous robe

And back to Pilate he was brought.

That very same day

Herod and Pilate became good friends,

They had been enemies before

But that enmity came to an end.

Pilate reexamined Jesus

And again he found no fault

But the people pressed him sorely

And at their demands he came to a halt.

As was the Jewish custom

Some prisoner should be released,

Pilate presented them with the choice

And Jesus was rejected by the priests.

Barabbas was chosen to go free

While Jesus was sentenced to die,

He was therefore led away to Calvary

And there he was crucified.



Three hours had passed

And now he was on the cross,

For most of the spectators

To them he was no great loss.

They had called for his death

In the worst possible way

And for the religious bigwigs

This was a remarkable day.

The people that passed by

They shouted their abuse,

They taunted and they mocked him

And treated him like refuse.

But he pled for their forgiveness

From his Father above

Demonstrating from the cross

His unrequited love.

“He saved others,” they scoffed

“But he can’t save himself.”

Some must have remembered

When he raised Lazarus from death.

One of the criminals also crucified

Hurled his insults at him,

He certainly did not realize

That Jesus was dying due to his sin.

The other reprimanded him

Then called on God’s Son,

“Remember me,” he requested

When you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus in his response

Offered to him paradise

Promising he would be with him,

Him he did not despise.

Mary, the mother of Jesus

Was not to be left alone,

At the directive of Jesus

John took her to his home.

At the sixth hour, it was then 12 p.m.

Darkness covered the land,

All this was in keeping

With the unfolding redemptive plan.

“My God, My God

Why have You forsaken Me?”

These were the word from Jesus

No doubt while in his deepest agony.

Fulfilling the Scriptures he said I thirst

And sour wine was held to his lips

Whereupon he cried, “It is finished,”

Immediately after he had taken a sip.

“Father into you hands

I commit my spirit,”

Having said this he breathed his last

And from life took his exit.

It was the ninth or 3:00 p.m.

And the temple veil was rent in twain,

The tombs opened and many holy people

Were raised to life again.

“Truly he was the Son of God!”

The centurion and others confessed,

With the earthquake and all that occurred

They could do no less, is my guess.

Many women were there

From afar they beheld these events,

For us they hold great significance

Especially when the temple veil was rent.

Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man

And in a way quite brave,

Having requested Jesus’ body of Pilate

He buried him in his grave.

Some felt he was a secret disciple

Though a member of the Sanhedrin

But in order to identify with Christ

He threw caution to the wind.

Jesus the very Son of God

Was implanted in a virgin’s womb

Then on the event of his substitutionary death

Was interred in a borrowed tomb.

The events of that first Good Friday

Should be stamped upon each heart

That God, through the sacrifice of His Son

For us such love did impart.

Stewart Russell © March 2018