Scripture: Luke 23, Mark 15, Mathew 27 and John 19. We pause today to remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. His ultimate sacrifice for our sins. The gospel of Luke details Jesus last hours, and his last words when he called out with a loud voice before he took his last breath: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

The Gospels describe our Lord and Saviour’s cries of agony as he hung on the cross for you and me. And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

Jesus Christ cried out as he took his last breath on the day of his death [Mark 15:37] “With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.” 

In Jesus pain he cried out to his Father.  “Lo‘u Atua e, lo‘u Atua e, se ā le mea ua e tuulafoa‘iina mai ai a‘u?” “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). [Mark 15:34]

The gospel of John records Jesus saying: It is finished. Ua taunuu. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. [John 19:30].

We take time today to also pause and reflect on the violent abuse ridicule our Lord and Saviour had faced before his death by crucifixion.

Before they led him to be crucified, an entire company of soldiers gathered to mock him and beat him. Jesus was flogged. In those days the Romans used a whip with metal balls and sheep bones for flogging. That would have torn through skin and muscle on his back.

They stripped Jesus of his clothes and put a purple robe on him so they could ridicule his stature as King of the Jews. They put a staff in his right hand, and mocked “Hail, King of the Jews!”

Then they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head.

Then they took the staff from his hand, and used it to hit Jesus on the head repeatedly. Both Mathew and Mark say Jesus was struck in the head again and again.. 

The crown of thorns was on his head already so each blow drove the thorns deeper into his skull.

Then they spit on him. And lead him away to be crucified. 

The Gospels say Jesus was crucified at 9am and took his last breath seven hours later at 3pm.

We all know that our Lord and Saviour was crucified. But how often do we pause to think about the intense suffering of his crucifixion.

Struggling to breathe as his lungs slowly collapsed. The excruciating pain of hanging from the cross by nails hammered into his hands and feet.

Medical analyses of crucifixion describes it as a state of continuous, escalating trauma involving almost every major bodily system. A “multifactorial death from several simultaneous physiological failures”.

The words ‘Thank You’ seem so inadequate. But it is the only prayer we have for You, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on this Easter Friday.

Prayer

Thank you for dying on the cross for me. Thank you that through your sacrifice, all my sins are washed away. Thank you for the finished work of my salvation Thank you for your unending and unconditional love for me.

Help us to be God-fearing. Help us to walk by Your Word. Let us never forget your finished work on the cross. Let us never forget your sacrifice and love for us. Help us, O Lord, to show and pass on that love, to others. Amene.

Tuiloma Lemalu Sina Retzlaff is a Certified Accountant and Accredited Mediator by profession. Author of the short story Unborn Child, she is also a Gender Based Violence Research Fellow.

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