Jesus died to save us

Christie FERNANDO, Chilaw special correspondent

It is paradoxical that when Jesus was carrying the Cross in agony, the Jews seeing that, at each step, Jesus was on the point of dying (when they actually wished Him to die a humiliating and ignominious death on the Cross), had no choice but to constrain Simon the Cyrenean to bear the Cross, behind Him.

Jesus was a meek and humble Man. He spoke about Heavenly bliss and Life after death. He revealed His union with God. He said there is remission and forgiveness for our failings and set-backs. He pardoned the sinners and wrong-doers.

He forgave the good thief on His right, hanging on a cross next to Him. The bad thief on His left rebuffed Jesus and said: "Are you not the Christ? You can save yourself and us. Then the good thief on the right replied "do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? For, we are indeed justly receiving a due reward of our deeds. But this Man has done nothing wrong." The thief on the right then pleaded and said: "Jesus, remember me when you are in Heaven." And Jesus replied: "Truly, I say to you. This day, you will be with Me in Paradise."

Those barbarians feared exceedingly that Jesus would die on the way. Jesus was bruised, scourged and crowned with thorns. He was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the Cross.

Jesus' flesh was torn by the scourging. He had also lost a great quantity of blood. He could scarcely walk. His head was crowned with thorns, and was bleeding profusely. Nevertheless, the Jews compelled Him to carry the enormous load of the Cross on His shoulders. The soldiers struck Him insolently and so, He fell down several times on the way. Imagine the aggression and violence with which the executioners stripped Jesus of His clothes because His inner garments were adhered to His torn and ragged flesh. They dragged His clothes away so cruelly and violently that His skin also came off with His garment.

We compassionate Jesus, Our Saviour. and curse those brutal villains who so vulgarly treated Him.

The uncouth barbarians did not stop there; they fastened Him with nails and lifted the Cross. Having been tortured and battered to the extreme, they left Him to die with anguish and agony on the Cross. Earlier, when He saw the daughters of Jerusalem weeping, He said to them: "Don't weep for me, but for yourselves and for your children."

Jesus was crucified after a tormenting agony, hanging for three protracted hours on the Cross. He at last, abandoned Himself to the weight of His body, bowed His head and breathed His last and died. So despondent and miserable was His death! We pity Him thus crucified on the Cross! He died not in vain but to save us.

His disciples Joseph and Nicodemus took the body of Jesus from the Cross and placed Him on the arms of His afflicted Mother Mary. She pressed Him to her bosom with unutterable tenderness, compassion and love.

But Jesus who was buried, rose gloriously on the third day. His resurrection is our unparalleled victory! Why? We can expect to merit eternal life after our death, if we believe, love and serve Him. We as grief-stricken sinners, ask Jesus Crucified to pardon our sins and we beseech that by His Resurrection to make us rise triumphantly with Him on the last day, to be always united with Him in Heaven, to praise and love Him forever.

It's thus our perpetual wish and aspiration in this mundane life, to merit Heaven someday.