The garden of Gethsemane was the mental breakdown, the pain of all uncontrollable human emotions which fell on Jesus. The scourging at the pillar was the physical pain, torment of the body. The crown of thorns was placed upon Jesus head, represents the never end emotional roller coaster of emotional mental suffering, hurt and pain caused by the trauma of it all. Not only was he our prophet king for real, they the Romans soldiers thought it to be mockery to put the purple rob on his bloody sacred body and a reed in his hand and called him king of the Jews. Thy meant it for evil, but truth and righteousness for good was revealed even in Jesus anguish. Matthew 27:29, John 19:2 and Mark 15:17. This they had done to Jesus not knowing they were all part of God purpose and plan which Jesus himself had understood. Jesus told Pontius Pilate John 19:11 “ thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above…

The carrying of the cross is the representation of all powers and forces of negativity on the outside of us that’s a burden to bear and carry, like the weight of the world on His shoulders. The cross was placed up high for all to see. Nothing but a momentary display of consequences for all to see, especially where Jesus was concerned, for that cross couldn’t contain its power over him, neither the grave. The significance of the two thieves on the cross, one on Jesus right, and the other on the left. One being good and the other bad, declares the cruelty of humanity towards one another for a crime of steeling, one of the commandments of God in which the Romans didn’t care about. Jesus was not guilty of any crimes, but yet the injustices and practices of evil (sin) that he was enduring and also witnessed throughout his earthly life at the hands of man. The leaders of the temple believe they were so righteous in their own eyes as to their actions, after all it was concerning God’s laws and will in which they believe themselves to be the experts in, to murder for blasphemy. They forgot the Commandment, “thou shall not kill.” Even on the cross the devil tried to show himself strong to Jesus like he did with Judas at the last supper, when one of the thief who said, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us,” Luke 23:39. What many of us didn’t understand is that Jesus purpose between these two thieves to die, was to take back what Satan that serpent did in the garden of Eden with tempting Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden tree. This forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil man was cast out of the garden of Eden concerning it, has now been given back access the moment the good thief accepted his fate for what he has done and recognize Jesus as Lord and saviour, innocence and not like them when he spoke up to the other bad thief who also acknowledge Jesus, but wanted nothing more, but to be free from his punishment. We could hear it in Jesus response to the man(good thief) the joy in his voice at this thief request to remember him when he come into his kingdom, Luke 23:42 Jesus replies “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Jesus recognized at that moment the victory was won, man heart and mind has renewed, accepting truth and righteousness instead of temptation and lies.

Psalm 51:17 “ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Whenever we do wrong acknowledge it and repent with sacrifices of righteousness and not egotistical pride. I thought about Will Smith incident on the Oscars and I can only pray he can turn to God. I believe like Jesus also believes in all humanity, he’s a good man; needs to be forgiven and also to forgive himself. We all must show remorse to God for our wrongs, then go to the ones we hurt and plead (ask) for forgiveness. Like the good thief, he acknowledged, and then he asked.

The love, grace and suffering of Jesus on the cross for us: (1) “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” (2) “Son thy mother, mother thy son.” (3) “I thirst.” (4) “My God, my God, why hath thou forsaken me.” (5) “It is finished.” (6) “ Into thy hand I commit my spirit.” (7) They pierced his side and blood and water came out. Jesus mercy may endure forever but also is his never ending love, compassion, forgiveness, humility…It’s all lifted up within each and everyone spirit on his resurrection to press on when life becomes difficult, if only we’d believe. Resurrection is the life with Jesus, nothing can hold you down.