0326 LONGEST DAY EVER

THE LONGEST DAY

 

a day lasts for twany-four hours, right? but some of em pass by so quick, you’d think it was just a few minutes. Others is so full of sorrow n fear, they seem to last forever. Jesus’ last day on earth was the longest day ever for me.

 

it begun nice enuf. Passover. Thursday evenin in Jerusalem. saider meal. Little Jimmy asks, “how come this night is differ’nt?” Jesus gives the traditional Jewish answer:  we was slaves in Egypt, the Lord delivered us from death through the blood of a perfect lamb, we et unleavened bread, n escaped into the Promised Land, where we now dwell.

 

course, we fuss over who gits the best seats. I’m a bit ashamed to say I wun ‘n was sittin on Jesus’ right hand. Then Jesus gits up n starts washin all of our feet. Oops. There ain’t no slaves to do that courtesy. Except One. Jesus reminds us one last time, the way up is down.

 

Jesus says:  “a new command I give y’all:  love one anuther, as I love y’all.” love ain’t nothin new. But lovin like Jesus loves, that’s a whole new level downward mobility, I guess you’d say.

 

Jesus takes the bread and wine, explains ‘em in a new way. They’s His body n blood. Tells us to remember Him.

 

He says somebody gonna betray Him. Somebody dippin in His bowl with Him. We-all declare, surely it ain’t me. But I’m wond’rin: did I done invade the Lord’s personal space bubble one too meny times, like Pete says? He tryin to say He’s tired sharin His bowl with me all the time? Judas up n leaves. Turns out, he’s the one.

 

Jesus says Pete’ll deny Him. Pete, course, denies that he’d deny Him. Says he’d die for Him. N us-all believed we would, too. Well, that didn’t work out, neither.

 

we sing a bit. Head to the Garden. Sunset. Jesus starts prayin n weepin. Asks us to stay with Him. Tells us to pray for ourselves, so we don’t fall into temptation. Wellsir, we fall into temptation before we even start prayin not to, cause we all fall asleep, with all the sadness round us. Nine o’clock. All’s not well.

 

midnight. Suddenly, an unruly mob. Temple poe-lease, Phar’sees, your general run-the-mill miscreants n ne’er-do-wells, n . . . Who’s that? . . . Judas. One of our own. Kisses Jesus. Mob grabs Him. Pete uses a sword. Jesus tells him stop. We all take off like spooked rabbits. 

 

Jesus is tried by the high priest. I sneak in. Pete comes with me. Pete keeps openin his mouth. when he does, he sounds like somebody from Gal’lee County. “Gl’lee!” people’s ready to throw him in there on trial with Jesus. Pete denies Jesus. Three times. Shore nuff. Runs off weepin bitterly.

 

they accuse Jesus of lots of stuff. Nothin worthy of death. Then the high priest says, “if you claim to be the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

 

“couldn’t a said it better Myself,” says Jesus. High priest flies into an indignant rage. They got the crime: He claimed to be God. High priest is so upset, he rents his robe, even tho he already owns it. They decide what they already’d decided:  Jesus gotta die.

 

i guess it’s the worst of sins to claim to be God Almighty. Unless You is. Then, You’re just tellin the truth.

 

so, they gonna kill Jesus. But they got a problem. for one thing, it’s pretty much again the Ten Commandments. But the bigger problem for them:  the Promised Land in which we dwell is run by pig-eatin, idol-worshipin Romans, n the Romans say it’s illegal for anybody to kill anybody unless the Romans get to do it theyselves.

 

they beat up Jesus some more so He looks like a crim’nal. Then they march Him over n wake up Pilate, the Roman Head Hoo-Hah.

 

they say, Jesus claims to be king, steada Caesar. 

 

ain’t that something? them Phar’sees absolutely hate Caesar, n Pilate knows it. Whate’er works, I guess. Pilate interrogates Jesus. Jesus is silent.

 

Pilate comes up with an idea!  ever year at Passover, it just so happens that Pilate releases any pris’ner the Jews choose. That very day in jail there’s a notorious man named Jesus. Jesus Barabbas. He’d led a terrorist uprisin n killt a Roman officer. Pilate shore don’t want to release a no-good like Barabbas. But he got him whatcha call a loopy-hole. He can release Jesus n kill Barabbas.

 

after all, Jesus is poplar amongst the people. Right? all them folks singin hosannas five days before. But the Phar’sees stir up the crowd to ask for Barabbas. to have Jesus crucified. Pilate give in—but he washes his hands of the whole thing. He don’t want all this on his sorry head.

 

they whip Jesus again. Lead Him off to be crucified.

 

i can’t describe what Jesus looked like as He was bein crucified. Already beaten near to death. Forced to carry His cross up to Skull Hill. They strip off His robe. Crucify Him completely nekked. No dignity left whatsoever. Nail His wrists n His feet to the wood. Stand it up n drop it in a hole. Pulls his bones outa joint. Pain. Loss of blood. Lack of breath. Sufferin. Hours. It’s the ugliest, most horrific death ever invented. Leave it to the Romans.

 

silent at His trial, when He could get Himself released. On the cross He speaks. But all He says is, “forgive em all, Father. They don’t have no idea what they’re doin.” forgives the man hanging next to Him. Silent in the face of them that mock Him. No, I don’t know how He done it.

 

looks down at His momma. Asks me to take care of her. I did, for the rest of her life.

 

summons His strength. Yells, “it’s all done!” gives His spirit over to His Father. Breathes His last.

 

two rich men ask Pilate for the body. Cover it with spices. Wrap it up tight. Get Him in the tomb before sundown. 

 

twany-four hours. Seems like a lifetime. Jesus goes from eatin a sacrificed lamb to being One. Us boys all go from laughin to cryin, and from tryin to get closest to Jesus to tryin to get farthest away. All the Jewish leaders, who hate Rome, end up pairin up with the Romans on this one matter. Jesus is silent when it could hep Him, n speaks when it can hep ever’buddy else. He’s despised n rejected, n by His stripes we are healed.

 

the ugliest, most beautiful day of my life.