We watched from a distance, the other women and I. There are so many people, a big crowd around me. It feels hot, sweaty. A lot of emotion is rising from the crowd and I feel it vibrating my chest. People are angry.
Crucify Him. Crucify Him.
I can hear their words and see on their faces that they mean it, but I don’t know why. My Jesus has done nothing to deserve this. I feel the heat pressing in on me from all sides. Suffocating.
Crucify Him. Crucify Him.
The sound is deafening now, echoing in my head, swirling. I am rattled. My Jesus, why don’t you fight?
Crucify Him. Crucify Him.
When I make my way close enough, I can see the face of Pilate. I see he doesn’t want any of this and yet it’s been given to him, he is struggling to get out of it. I want to scream, Release my Jesus, but I stay silent, watching. My hands are trembling.
Crucify Him. Crucify Him.
The next thing I know Jesus has been surrendered to the will of these men. For a moment the breath is knocked out of me and the tears begin to fall.
My Jesus. My Jesus.
I close my eyes as they lead him away.
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We follow Jesus, the women and I. All we can do is weep and we are confused. This man, my Jesus, Is being beaten, is being made to carry a cross on his shoulders, and is being ridiculed before us.
My Jesus.
My heart cries out because my mouth is dry and I can’t find any words. What can we do?
When Jesus turns to us, I see into his eyes, or rather he sees into mine. “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me”
But, how can we not weep. How can we not mourn? He is being taken from us!
We do not understand.
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My Jesus is gone. I watched him today from a distance as he breathed his last breath and called out to his Father. I watched as life slipped from him. I watched as he vanished before our eyes. What will I do now that My Jesus is gone?
I sit quietly, watching, wondering. I feel empty. The tears are running out and I don’t know where to go from here. How could they do this to my Jesus?
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When I see Jesus’ body in the tomb, I don’t believe it is his even though I know it to be true. The women and I are going to prepare spices and perfume for the body. It is the least we can do. My Jesus, are you really gone?
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You will not believe this!
Today we went to bring the prepared spices and perfumes to the tomb and he was gone.
My Jesus was gone.
We were afraid, uncertain as to where his body was taken. Who would do this? Haven’t they done enough? Have they no respect?
But wait…
We heard a voice just then asking us “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”
What are they going on about?
And then we hear…
‘He has risen.’
We do not understand. We are afraid, the other women and I. And then we remembered Jesus’ words to us.
“The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again”
Could it be?
We must tell the world! HE IS RISEN!
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No one believed us at first. But, we were the first to tell them. You should have heard the stories once they knew it to be true. You should have heard the men after they had seen Jesus’ hands and feet. Oh, My Jesus what a story!
Friends, we have seen and we know it to be true.
Jesus is alive.
We must tell the world!
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