The Ballad of The Cross

1. Jesus was in Jerusalem with His twelve disciples and other followers as well as some women.
2. It was the Jewish Passover time and Jesus had the Passover meal with the 12 and gave them the bread and wine in memory of Him, he washed their feet.
3. Judas left Jesus there and went to betray Him.
4. With the 11 disciples He goes in the night to the Garden of Gethsemane on the mountain just opposite Jerusalem.
5. Jesus leaves the eight disciples and takes Peter James and John a little further away and ask all to pray.
6. Jesus is in agony as He prays to the Father and sweats drops of blood as He asks the Father if possible to let this cup pass from Him. Nevertheless He says 'Thy will be done'.
7. Judas arrives with soldiers and betrays Jesus with a kiss.
8. All the disciples flee.
9. Jesus taken to the house of Annas the ex-high priest where He is questioned and hit in the face.
10. Jesus is then taken to be tried and condemned by Caiaphas the high priest and the Sanhedrin. There He is spit in the face and slapped in the face. He is blindfolded and mocked as they now hit Him with their hands.
11. After dawn Jesus is taken to a formal meeting of the Sanhedrin and condemned to be put to death.
12. Jesus is taken to Pilate, the Roman Governor, at the Palace for questioning.
13. Pilate questions Jesus.
14. Then, to avoid making a decision, sends Him on to Herod Antipas the Tetrarch of Galilee who was visiting in Jerusalem. Jesus refuses to speak or do miracles so he has Jesus mocked by dressing Him in gorgeous apparel like a king and sends Jesus back to Pilate.
15. Jesus is now the second time before Pilate where the religious leaders are demanding that Pilate condemn Jesus to death. Pilate tries again to avoid the decision by giving the people a choice between Jesus being realized and a murderer and robber named Barabbas. Stirred by the chief priests the crowd shouted release Barabbas but crucify Christ. Pilate then took Jesus and had Him scourged (A horrible torture of whipping with a long whip the back of a person, the whip with sharp pieces in it tears the flesh often to the bone. Some even die from this as the pain and loss of blood it tremendous.) The soldiers plait a crown of thorns and put it upon His head, dress Jesus in a purple robe and mock Him. They beat Him with their hands! Now Pilate brings the scourged, beaten Jesus out to the leaders wearing the robe and crown of thorns and yet this is not enough. "Crucify Him" they cry. Pilate wishing to content the people released Barabbas and delivered Jesus to be crucified.
16. The Roman soldiers take Jesus to the Praetorium where they continue the mockery by putting a reed in His right hand, spiting upon Him and then shaking the reed and beating Jesus upon the head. Here is the scene: The blood vessels in Jesus' face are burst and now black after the agony in Gethsemane. Jesus was Hit in the face at the house of Annas. Slapped in the face and spit upon during questioning at Caiaphas's. Scourged, beaten with their hands and a crown of thorns pressed upon His head by Pilate's soldiers now Jesus is again beaten but by the reed (rod) upon the head. They look at Him with the purple robe, crown of thorns, a reed in His hand, His face mutilated, bloody, black and dripping with spit and they bow before Him saying "Hail King of the Jews".
17. They strip Jesus again as they take off the purple robe and put back on Him His own clothes.
18. "They took Jesus and He went out bearing the cross for Himself." (The cross was made of wood, but we do not know what kind of wood it was. The wood would have to be thick enough to hold a man's weight of perhaps 180 pounds and long enough to crucify a 6 foot or more man. With a man's hands outstretched the cross beam would be about 6 foot, the long beam must be at least 6 foot, the part of the cross out in the ground would need to be about two or three feet. There would need to be a space between the ground and the feet of the crucified of several more feet perhaps three. The best I can figure it the cross was about 6 feet across and 12 foot long (2 meters by 4 meters). To hold the body weight the thickness would be about 4 inches by 4 inches. That is the size of the cross I have carried around the world since 1969. Since wood was scarce there and had to be transported in by foot or animal, the cross was probably not new and beautiful but old distorted wood fit only for criminals to die on. The Bible calls it a cross Jesus was carrying. Some people suggest it was only one beam of the cross but there is no evidence of that being the case. It was a real cross and looked like a cross. The distance the cross was carried was at the most half a mile but probably less than that, depending upon which of two places one believes Calvary to be located. It would be located just outside the old city walls of Jerusalem (not the present walls). The temple is atop the mountain Jerusalem is built upon, the Roman palace of Pilate and the Praetorium are near the temple but lower than it. The place of the crucifixion is outside the city walls and lower than the Praetorium in altitude. It was a gradual down hill. Three of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke only mention Simon of Cyrene carrying the cross of Jesus. The Gospel of John only mentions Jesus carrying the cross! When you put the four accounts together you get the following picture.)
19. Jesus leaves the Praetorium carrying the cross! He is followed by a huge crowd of people including a group of weeping, grieving, wailing women. Jesus, even in His agony, turns and speaks to them, a warning of the suffering soon to come to Jerusalem.
20. After Jesus carries the Cross some distance, we don't know how far, the soldiers grab a man named Simon of Cyrene and force him to carry the cross FOLLOWING JESUS. Jesus is in front with Simon just behind Him. Cyrene is in North Africa and was a Roman province in what is now present day Libya. The book of Mark tells us that Simon was the father of two sons, Alexander and Rufus, implying that they were known to the early church. Three times it is said the Simon was coming in from the country and Mark says he was just passing by. Simon in all probability was not a follower of Jesus at this point but a surprised stranger.
21. The Gospel accounts of the cross walk say nothing of Jesus stumbling or falling although church tradition adds this and more however it may be safe to assume that because of the extreme torture of Jesus and His condition the soldiers feared Him collapsing and dying before being crucified as ordered by Pilate.
22. They reach 'the place of the skull' 'Golgotha' is the Aramaic word for skull and Calvary is the Latin word.
23. There Jesus is offered wine mixed with myrrh or gall to drink but He refuses (choosing to suffer all the pain).
24. Jesus is crucified!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Jesus is nailed to the cross. The cross is probably laid down on the ground, Jesus probably Himself upon, stretched out His Hands and crossed His feet ready to receive the nails. After the resurrection Jesus showed the disciples His hands and feet as evidence that He was the same one crucified. That is enough for me! Some suggest that the nails were in His wrist but there is no evidence to that theory. The Bible clearly says "They pierced My hands and My feet" It was very possible that a rope might have been tied about the wrist to hold some weight but we are not sure of that. After being nailed to the cross the cross would have been lifted up with the bottom end at the hole that would have been dug. The soldiers would have raised it until it was nearly upright then the cross would fall into the hole with a great THUD. This now had Jesus up, hanging on the wood of a tree for all to see.)
25. Before they crucified Jesus, the soldiers stripped Him of His garments. They made four parts and then as Jesus hung on the cross they gambled for His tunic that was without seam woven from the top in one piece. Artists throughout history have covered the exposed body of Jesus. Too much to think of this Savior, bloody, flesh torn from the back, face mutilated and swollen and naked!! Oh, I don't want to go on with this but I must.
26. A plaque or inscription was put on the cross above the head of Jesus reading "Jesus of Nazareth The King of the Jews" it was written in Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
27. In the crowd about the cross; some just looked----others laughed and wagged their heads, the chief priests, scribes and elders were there, still after Jesus. They mocked Him, scoffed at Him saying 'He saved others let Him save Himself' , 'If you are the King of Israel come down from the cross that we may believe.'
    The words of Jesus from the Cross.
28. "Father forgive them: for they know not what they do." These words Jesus said soon after being crucified. They are so profound they need no further comment. The people who crucified Jesus are forgiven of this, No doubt about it, the Father would do what Jesus ask.
29. Two criminals were also crucified with Jesus. One on the right side and the other on the left. At first both criticized Jesus but then one began to say that they were getting what they deserved but that Jesus had done nothing wrong and then he spoke "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom". Jesus then said to the one thief, "Today I say to you, you will be with me in Paradise."
30. Standing by the cross of Jesus was His mother, His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved he said to His mother "Woman behold your son."
31. Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother."
32. These first four sayings of Jesus were during the hours of about nine a.m. to twelve noon. Then from twelve noon to three p.m. there was darkness over all the land. About 3 p.m. at the close of the darkness period.
33. Jesus cries out with a loud voice "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani" translated from Aramaic "My God, My God Why have you forsaken Me?"
34. Then Jesus knowing that all things were finished and accomplished according to the scriptures said "I thirst."
35. Someone ran and got a sponge, filled it with vinegar upon hyssop and gave Him a drink.
36. Jesus cries out with a loud voice "It is finished!"
37. "Father into Your hands I commend My spirit."
38. Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
39. The veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to bottom! The earth quaked. The rocks were split. The graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had died were raised and coming out of the graves after the resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
40. The centurion and those with him said "Truly this man was the Son of God!" and the centurion glorified God.
41. Standing far away watching everything was Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, the mother of Zebedee's sons and many women that had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him and many other women from Jerusalem .
42. Pilate orders that the legs of the crucified be broken so that they die quickly, so they are not left on the crosses on the Jewish sabbath. The soldiers did this to the other two but when they came to Jesus they saw He was already dead so they did not break His legs. However one of the soldiers with a spear pierced Jesus in the side and there came out blood and water!
43. Joseph a rich man from Arimathaea, a good and righteous man who had not agreed to the counsel to condemn Jesus, went to Pilate and ask for the body of Jesus. Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews. Pilate released the body to Joseph. Nicodemus, who had come to talk to Jesus before, came and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes to wrap the body in. He assisted Joseph as they wrapped Jesus' body in linen cloths and laid him in a new tomb cut out of stone. This was Joseph's own tomb, in it he laid the body of Jesus and rolled a big stone in the door of the tomb and departed.
44. The women watch the burial and see the tomb.
45. Pilate at the request of the religious leaders then sends guards to seal the stone and guard the tomb.

THE GLORY OF THE CROSS

The story of the cross does not end in death, or at the grave; as a matter of fact it never ends!!!! Jesus said "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." On the third day after the cross----JESUS AROSE! Hallelujah, Jesus Lives! The Father raised Him from the dead. There IS hope. Jesus has the power over death, hell and the grave.

The resurrected Jesus was seen on earth for forty days. He often appeared to His eleven disciples, also to Mary Magdalene and the other women followers and to hundreds of other believers. On the third day after the cross a great earthquake took place and an angel came from heaven and rolled away the stone from the tomb. This was not to let Jesus out but to let the world see in!! "He is not here He is risen" the angels proclaimed on that resurrection morning. The fearful disciples changed into bold, fearless witnesses of the resurrected living Jesus taking His message to the world. At the conclusion of Jesus' time on earth He led His followers to the top of Mt. Olivet just out of Jerusalem. He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Jesus was then taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight into heaven where He sat down at the right hand of God!

While they were looking up, two angels said to them "this SAME Jesus which was taken up shall return in the same way you saw Him go into heaven." They then returned to Jerusalem with great joy and went from there everywhere preaching and witnessing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus had told them He would come again but until then His followers were to go into all the world and be His witnesses and make disciples. Jesus said there would be many false christs and false prophets. There will be wars, earthquakes, famines and terrors. People will be gripped with fear and the heavens shall be shaken. THEN: They shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory! He shall send forth His angels with a great sound of the trumpet. They will gather together His elect from all the world and from Heaven. He will sit on the throne of His glory. All nations will be gathered before Him. He will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from his goats. He will set the sheep on the right hand and the goats on the left. Then He will say to those on His right "come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world". The angels will separate the wicked from among the just and cast them into the furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. JESUS WARNED : "Be ready, for you do not know the day or the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. For it is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority." "I am coming quickly".

THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS

Throughout the remainder of the New Testament books the cross is a central theme. Christ lived, He died for our sins, He rose again, ascended into heaven, He is coming again, and will be the final judge and His followers will be with God in heaven!

The Ballad of the Cross

By Elton Smith and Larry Holder
Sung by Steve Israel


By the prophets, God foretold
of the sending of His Son
Who would give His life
to set the captive free.
Stepping down from His throne
and the glory He had known,
Jesus came to give His life for you and me.
Though He knew well the cost,
He was prepared to suffer loss
nd give Himself as ransom for us all.
Into our hopeless world He came,
Endured the suffering and the shame,
Every moment staying faithful to the call.

(Verse 2)
Yet the One who spoke of love
was rejected and despised;
He knew all too well the sinful heart of men.
Those with eyes refused to see;
Those with ears refused to hear,
as they sought a way to bring Him to an end.
By a friend He was betrayed,
By soldiers, led away,
Yet for this very hour He had come.
They did not take - He freely gave;
For those He came to save,
the road to the cross He walked alone.

(Bridge 1)
He could have called a million angels to His side,
Or stepped down from the cross and walked away.
Yet His love held Him there,
Through the pain and despair,
To free us from the debt we could not pay.

(Verse 3)
In His suffering and pain
Took the guilt and the shame
As He hung between the heavens and the ground.
Every nail, every thorn,
Every stare, every scorn
pierced the One who so freely laid it down.
With His face to the sky,
"It is finished!" was His cry
The words that broke the gates of hell.
When His final words were said,
Breathed His last, bowed His head,
Darkness o'er the land so quickly fell.

(Bridge 2)
Yet death and darkness could not stand against His power:
He rose, victorious o'er the grave.
In His light we now may live,
By the grace He came to give
All who call upon His name are surely saved!
All who call upon His name are surely saved!

Copyright © 1997 by Elton Smith and Larry Holder