The crowd gaped at him, assembled as dogs around a prey. As the suffering figure hung there on the cross. Among the throng, religious leaders called out to him in a cruel mocking voice.

"He saved others; Let him save himself, if he be the Christ, the chosen of God!"

"If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself!!" Wagging their heads, they just laughed at him. "If thou be the Son of God, Come down!"

God's words burned into my mind as I beheld the slow, torturous death of Jesus. The agony that the Son of God felt as his strength slowly dried up. I could see that he was slowly brought into the dust of death. Old, nearly forgotten prophecies raced through my mind as I stood there. Tears burned my sun hardened cheeks as my heart was broken. "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed." My mind tried to comprehend the meaning of this terrible ordeal that my Master endured. "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief." "He shall see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. For he shall bear their iniquities."

How could this have happened. Jesus had done nothing to deserve this.

The gospel that he had preached was so much different then what the Pharasees taught.

His words rang out with truth, they seemed to live in my heart as I heard them. All the miracles he had performed, the acts of love and compassion he showed to those bowed down in sin and sickness. They testified that he was truly the Christ, the annointed of God. How could they not have believed in him when he took only a few loaves and fed such a multitude of his listeners.

I was there, I saw it. So did the ones who had condemened him with their lies.

Several people around me, who had been sitting on the ground watching, got quickly to there feet. Others murmured as they look up at the overcast sky. My mind stopped as I realized the sun had disappeared in the sky. There was a nervousness in the air, a chilling dread of something very wrong. It was now very dark, as though the light of the world had went out. I could hear the soft, muffled sobs of women.

The Son of God hung there, his form barely visible in the blackness that had descended upon everything. He would occasionally try to move, his breathing becoming more labored as he struggled to live. His form seemed to be poured out like water, his legs and arms grotesquely distorted as though out of joint. Everything now seemed to be lost, all hope gone. It seemed that the whole crowd was, as lost sheep, searching for something. Everyone seemed to be afraid to speak, even those who earlier had derided him. Some seemed to try and hide their faces from what was transpiring before them. The Roman soldiers also seemed at a loss for what to do. They had ridiculed him too, casting lots for his garments. But now all their evil thoughts were frozen.

The darkness remained for what seemed an eternity. Hours drifted together as I watched, unable to take my eyes off Jesus. Oh, how I wanted him to just come down from that cross, to prove that he was who he had said was. But my Master just hung there, accepting his fate as being unalterable. There was no malice in him, he even once cried out for those who had done this. "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." The love Jesus had never vanished. It seemed to rise higher then the birds that flew in the heavens above. It ran as an everlasting river from him to those who were around him. To just get a taste of so great of love was marvelous beyond words. It was as though the whole person could feel the eternal love of God.

"My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?!" My heart stopped as Jesus cried from atop the wooden cross he hung on. Some of them which stood by became agitated. "This man calleth for Elijah!" One ran and took a sponge and filled it with vinegar. The man placed it on a reed and raised it up to Jesus. "Leave him alone!" Someone cried. "Lets see if Elijah comes to save him." They had misunderstood what Jesus had called out. It was as if God had forsaken the entire world.

"Father into thy hands I commit my spirit." With this second cry, Jesus became silent. My heart plunged within me, pounding so loudly in my chest. It was the end. Suddenly, the ground beneath me began to vibrate. The rumbling grew in magnitude until lost my balance from the ferocity of the earthquake. People screamed and tumbled as they tried to run. I expected the earth to open up and swallow us all for being here. The quake seemed to grow more violent, then slowly began to wane. Finally, all became quiet, except for women and children crying. I climbed to my feet, confused as to what had just happened. Some one came running up to where we all stood. The man gasped for air. " The temple!... The temple!..The veil of the temple has been rent.....It was tore in two from the top to the bottom!!!" It was finished.

It had been three long days since the death of Jesus. I could not eat, or sleep. The scene at calvary seemed burnt forever into my brain. I had spent the past days praying with the disciples and hiding. Afraid that we all would be hunted down and killed as our Master was. It was early in the morning and know one was talking. There was nothing to discuss. For we all witnessed the same horrible sight. Suddenly there was a a knock on the door, that became more frantic in hard raps until Peter opened the door. It was Mary Magdalene. She was crying, her cheeks soaked in tears. "Peter! They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.!"

Peter took off immediately to where Jesus had been laid to rest. John followed and I chased after them. By the time I caught up to them, they were already in the tomb, where the huge stone had been pushed away from its entrance. I halted, afraid to go in at first. I forced myself to approach the entrance. I could here Peter and John inside the tomb. There voices seemed surprised. Momentarily, John came out holding some linen clothes. The same cloth that Jesus was wrapped in once he was taken down from the cross. "What does it mean?" I asked. "Could it be. He has risen as he said he would?!"
For the first time since the death of Jesus, my heart flooded with hope.

A new morning burst forth upon all of us.

This was not the end, but just the beginning!"