After3: Day 5: Jesus Didn't!

After3 is a blog series intended to help you prepare this Holy Week...to anticipate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

 (You can read previous After3 posts here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4)

Today is Good Friday.

Today Jesus dies!

"The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at him, "He saved others; let him SAVE HIMSELF if he is God's Messiah, the Chosen one." (Luke 23:35)

He was God's Chosen One! He could have saved himself!

The soldiers came up and mocked him, "If you are the king of the Jews, SAVE YOURSELF!" (Luke 23:36-37)

He wasn't just the King of the Jews, he was The King. He could have saved himself!

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him, "Aren't you the Messiah? SAVE YOURSELF and US!" (Luke 23:39)

He was the Messiah! He could have saved himself...

He was the Son of God. He was in the beginning. All existence came through him: the mountain peaks, the oceans depths, the distant galaxies, the pulse of every human heart. It belongs to him. He commanded seas. He regenerated matter. He cured illnesses. He spoke demons into exile. He outmuscled the Grim Reaper.

He could have saved himself!

He could have escaped at Gethsemane before Judas arrived. He could have joined Peter and taken a sword to his enemies. He could have leveled them with a word. He could have annihilated them with his presence. He could have torn his body from the cross and walked away. He could have summoned angelic legions to his rescue. He could have said, "This is enough!" and God would have ended it all, but instead he cried, "It is finished!"

He could have saved himself!

But he didn't!

He saved US!