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40a. Friday’s Man was nailed upon a Cross

9th April 2004 by Arthur Eedle

Today is another anniversary, one that is far more important than my own, as related in a previous Wellspring. For today is the traditional anniversary of our Lord’s death in AD 33, some 1971 years ago. That Friday afternoon, just outside the city walls, near the Damascus Gate, at about 3 p.m. the human life of Jesus expired, as He commended His spirit to His Father. The strange darkness that had covered the land for three hours gradually lifted, and hostile members of the crowd drifted away. There was no use in hurling abuse at a dead body. Joseph of Arimathea, who had been amongst the crowd, now made his way to the Governor, Pontius Pilate, to ask permission to bury Jesus. Pilate respected Joseph, who was “Nobilis Decurio”, a title of rank and respectability. Furthermore, Joseph was related to the Lord, being Mary’s uncle. Being a relative would ensure that his request would be given a favourablehearing.

A short way away, in the outer courts of the Temple, there was a surging mass of people. It was the afternoon of the 14th Nisan, the time when paschal lambs had to be slain, and the Priests were very busy. Within the actual Templebuilding a Priest was carrying out his duties as prescribed by the law of Moses. Suddenly, to his horror and amazement, he witnessed a sight that caused him to retreat hastily to the door. The great curtain that separated theHoly Place from the Most Holy began to tear apart from the top with a deep ripping sound, and as he watched, the rent proceeded right down to the base. The two sides of the curtain were then thrown back, revealing what man was not allowed to see. However, the space behind the curtain was empty. The Ark of the Covenant had not been seen since the days of Jeremiah and the Exile. The frightened Priest made a quick exit and reported what he’d seen, and other Priests accompanied him inside to confirm his testimony. To them it was a tragedy, and they couldn’t understand how it had happened, because that curtain was no flimsy veil, but a massive thick embroidered curtain, made up of several layers of curtain woven together until it was four fingers thick.
A team of horses would be needed to cause that rent. And, it had started at the top!

During the three hours of remaining daylight, Joseph and Nicodemus hurried about making preparations. They knew there was no time to deal with Jesus’ body according to the usual burial customs. A length of very expensive linen cloth was bought, and about a hundred pounds weight of unguents obtained, and these two men, together with their servants, made for the cross, and carefully lowered the bloodstained corpse from the wooden beams that held it; thepatibulum, or cross-beam, that Jesus had carried on His shoulders, and the stipes, or upright plinth that was lowered into a prepared slot in the rock. As the women watched, they then carried the body to Joseph’s new tomb. The linen cloth was spread out along one of the ledges within the tomb, and the body placed on it. Then a smaller cloth was bound round His head to prevent the jaw from falling open. It was called a soudarion. According to custom, two small coins, denarii, were placed over the closed eyes, and the linen cloth, or sindona, was drawn down over His head to the feet. Nicodemus then instructed his servants to place the unguents on the ledge on either side of the body to restrain it from rapid decomposition until the women could return on Sunday morning to wash the body and bind it in grave clothes according to custom.

All being completed, a heavy circular stone was rolled over the entrance to the tomb before everyone hastily returned home to partake of the traditional Passover meal, that had to be eaten during the evening, the beginning of the 15th day of Nisan, according to the law of Moses. This was far from being a joyful occasion for all Jesus’ followers. Everything had fallen apart. All their expectations had been dashed to pieces. The One who had taught them, inspired them, given them powers to heal and exorcise, who had produced a sense of wonder and expectancy of the manifestation of the Kingdom of God, had now been cruelly put to death. What they found so puzzling was their Master’s own word, that He expected it to happen this way, and yet, for all the powers He possessed, He let them do it without so much as a murmur of complaint. His other words, about what was to happen on “the third day” were more or less forgotten in the frightening drama of the crucifixion.

And so it was that for the 38 hours that Jesus remained dead, the prince of this world believed that he had achieved his objective. The one major obstacle to all his plans had now been removed, and for that short period of time, he sat back and enjoyed the sense of his own achievement.wel.

Thursday’s Man was in Gethsemane,
Pleading with His God to set Him free;
“For this very moment I have come,
Thy will, and not my own, be done.”

Friday’s Man was nailed upon a cross,
Adam’s gain was all of this Man’s loss;
The sun was darkened in a clear blue sky,
“All is now finished,” was His cry.

Saturday’s Man was sealed with the tomb,
Stunned were all His friends and full of gloom;
All their joyful hopes had vaporised,
Nothing was left save tear-stained eyes.

Filed Under: The Wellspring

About Arthur Eedle

Arthur was born in 1931, and became a Christian in 1948. At London University he gained a 2nd honours degree in Physics. He went on to get a Teaching Diploma, and throughout his career life taught physics in England, Kenya, and Hong Kong. Coupled with his love of science, he was a keen student of Greek and Hebrew, and gave many lectures on Biblical subjects. Read more

The Wellspring

1. God’s Megaphone

1st September 2001 By Arthur Eedle

2. Suicide

1st October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

3. Petra

12th October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

4. Two different Gods?

20th October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

5. I AM

23rd October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

6. “Not I but Christ”

25th October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

7. How I Love Your Law!

27th October 2001 By Arthur Eedle

8. The Jewish Problem

2nd November 2001 By Arthur Eedle

9. The Evaluation of Coincidence

15th November 2001 By Arthur Eedle

10. Gracious Uncertainty

30th April 2002 By Arthur Eedle

11. Jasper & Sardius

8th May 2002 By Arthur Eedle

12. Antithesis

19th May 2002 By Arthur Eedle

12a. The Essential Role of Free Will in Universal Reconciliation

17th June 2002 By Arthur Eedle

13. The Importance of Earnest

10th August 2002 By Arthur Eedle

14. The Millennium

14th August 2002 By Arthur Eedle

15. Cancer – A Personal Testimony

17th December 2002 By Arthur Eedle

16. C.S.Lewis on the New Year

1st January 2003 By Arthur Eedle

17. Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

5th January 2003 By Arthur Eedle

18. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

12th January 2003 By Arthur Eedle

19. “The Intolerable Compliment”

12th January 2003 By Arthur Eedle

20. The Power and Practice of the Truth

22nd February 2003 By Arthur Eedle

21. The Power and Practice of the Lie

1st March 2003 By Arthur Eedle

22. The Use and Abuse of Power

8th March 2003 By Arthur Eedle

23. What on earth is happening?

29th July 2003 By Arthur Eedle

23a. A reply to “What on earth is happening?”

4th August 2003 By Arthur Eedle

24. Equality

17th August 2003 By Arthur Eedle

25. Paul to the “Ephesians”

31st August 2003 By Arthur Eedle

26. Mystery

3rd September 2003 By Arthur Eedle

27. Ephesians 1:15-23

10th September 2003 By Arthur Eedle

28. Ephesians 2:1-10

27th September 2003 By Arthur Eedle

29. Ephesians 2:11-22

6th October 2003 By Arthur Eedle

30. Cain and Abel

19th January 2004 By Arthur Eedle

31. Laying the Foundation of the Lord’s House

1st February 2004 By Arthur Eedle

32. Tomorrow’s Bread

22nd February 2004 By Arthur Eedle

33. Grace Parables

27th February 2004 By Arthur Eedle

34. The Responsibility Factor

5th March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

35a. Our Wilderness Journey. Part 1

13th March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

35b. Our Wilderness Journey. Part 2

14th March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

36. Genetic Modification in the Bible

20th March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

37. Arthur’s Testimony

28th March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

38. Identified with Christ

31st March 2004 By Arthur Eedle

39. It Would Have Been Better…

6th April 2004 By Arthur Eedle

40a. Friday’s Man was nailed upon a Cross

9th April 2004 By Arthur Eedle

40b. Sunday’s Man was nowhere to be found

11th April 2004 By Arthur Eedle

41. Jeremiah’s Cryptogram

11th May 2004 By Arthur Eedle

43. The Gospel of Humanism

14th August 2004 By Arthur Eedle

44. Cosmetic Christianity

5th September 2004 By Arthur Eedle

45. EXPERIENCE versus KNOWLEDGE

6th September 2004 By Arthur Eedle

46. “Just a wearyin’ for you”

13th September 2004 By Arthur Eedle

47. Islam by ex-Muslims

24th September 2004 By Arthur Eedle

48. Six Particular Men

9th April 2006 By Arthur Eedle

49. Ten “Everlasting” wonders in Isaiah

13th April 2006 By Arthur Eedle

50a. Missing the Mark. Part 1

18th April 2006 By Arthur Eedle

50b. Missing the Mark. Part 2

21st April 2006 By Arthur Eedle

51. The Mark of the Beast

29th April 2006 By Arthur Eedle

52. Irreducible Complexity

2nd May 2006 By Arthur Eedle

53. No historical Jesus?

4th July 2006 By Arthur Eedle

54. The Power of God’s Spoken Word

17th March 2007 By Arthur Eedle

55. God’s chosen fast

19th April 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56a. Resurrection and the Change – Part 1

1st May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56b. Resurrection and the Change – Part 2

7th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56c. Resurrection and the Change – Part 3

10th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56d. Resurrection and the Change – Part 4

12th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56e. Resurrection and the Change – Part 5

13th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56f. Resurrection and the Change – Part 6

14th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56g. Resurrection and the Change – Part 7

15th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56h. Resurrection and the Change – Part 8

16th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56i. Resurrection and the Change – Part 9

17th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56j. Resurrection and the Change – Part 10

18th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56k. Resurrection and the Change – Part 11

21st May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56l. Resurrection and the Change – Part 12

22nd May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56m. Resurrection and the Change – Part 13

23rd May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56n. Resurrection and the Change – Part 14

24th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56o. Resurrection and the Change – Part 15

25th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

56p. Resurrection and the Change – Part 16

27th May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57a. Before He Comes – Part 1

31st May 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57b. Before He Comes – Part 2

8th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57c. Before He Comes – Part 3

10th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57d. Before He Comes – Part 4

11th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57e. Before He Comes – Part 5

12th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57f. Before He Comes – Part 6

13th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57g. Before He Comes – Part 7

14th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57h. Before He Comes – Part 8

18th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57i. Before He Comes – Part 9

19th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57j. Before He Comes – Part 10

24th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57k. Before He Comes – Part 11

29th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57l. Before He Comes – Part 12

30th June 2007 By Arthur Eedle

57m. Before He Comes – Part 13

3rd July 2007 By Arthur Eedle

58. Free Will Versus God’s Sovereignty

28th August 2007 By Arthur Eedle

59. Rules of Engagement

10th October 2007 By Arthur Eedle

60. Cameo. Part 1

15th October 2007 By Arthur Eedle

61. Cameo. Part 2

18th October 2007 By Arthur Eedle

62. Cameo. Part 3

26th October 2007 By Arthur Eedle

63. Cameo. Part 4

28th October 2007 By Arthur Eedle

64. In His Hands

1st November 2007 By Arthur Eedle

65. The Starlings

5th November 2007 By Arthur Eedle

66. “Dead Truth”

13th November 2007 By Arthur Eedle

67. “Dead Sin”

18th November 2007 By Arthur Eedle

68. “Dead Faith” and “Dead Works”

2nd December 2007 By Arthur Eedle

69. “Dead Worship”

18th December 2007 By Arthur Eedle

70. A Pseudo-Bunyan Author

19th March 2008 By Arthur Eedle

Article Series

  • All our Yesterdays (30)
  • Before He comes (13)
  • God's Spoken Word (37)
  • Mysteries of Science & Faith (8)
  • New Series (101)
  • Newsletter (2)
  • Original Series (109)
  • Prophecy considerations (5)
  • Recognising the Hand of Judgment (33)
  • Resurrection and Change (16)
  • Seekers Corner (14)
  • Simple Statements on Serious Subjects (6)
  • The City of God (18)
  • The Millennial Octave (23)
  • The Restitution Times (22)
  • The Song of Solomon (6)
  • The Standard (19)
  • The Wayside Pulpit (107)
  • The Wayside Pulpit 2015 (96)
  • The Wellspring (101)
  • The Wellspring 2017 (55)

Index of Topics

Arthur & Rosalind Eedle's Personal Testimonies Discipleship Expository Items Good and Evil Human Pre-Existance Jane Leade. Philadelphian Numerology in the Bible Quotations from other Authors Resurrection and the Change Ron Wyatt. Archaeology Science Topics The Kingdom of God the Millennium and the Return of Christ The Sabbath Day Universal Reconcilliation

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