Yesterday, on Good Friday, Christians around the world observed the day Jesus of Nazareth was killed. Matthew chapter 27 tells us what happened on that day. Verse 45 tells us of a darkness that came over the land. According to Tertullian (155 AD–220 AD), an attorney and Christian apologist writing in AD 197:
"And yet, nailed upon the cross, He exhibited many notable signs, by which His death was distinguished from all others. At His own free-will, He with a word dismissed from Him His spirit, anticipating the executioner's work. In the same hour, too, the light of day was withdrawn, when the sun at the very time was in his meridian blaze. Those who were not aware that this had been predicted about Christ, no doubt thought it an eclipse. You yourselves have the account of the world-portent still in your archives."
The fact that Tertullian wrote 165 years after the crucifixion, and that he had legal standing in the Empire, suggests that he had access to official records — and he challenges the authorities in Rome to look for themselves.
Sacrificial lambs
Lambs were sacrificed in the Old Testament because Scripture says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). Furthermore, the lamb to be sacrificed had to be free from blemish, and by the time Jesus lived, the Temple authorities maintained their own herds of sheep, which they sold to the people for sacrificial purposes. At least some of these herds were located near Bethlehem, and it was these sheep that were left without a shepherd when Jesus was born.
The Messiah was referred to in Isaiah 53:4–7, where the prophet wrote:
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Jesus loves lambs
During his brief thirty-something years on earth, Jesus loved lambs and used them as metaphors in his parables, such as the parable of the lost sheep. King David, who came before Jesus, would risk his life to defend his sheep. True, it was his responsibility and the livelihood of his family, but we can be certain that David loved his sheep and their lambs wholeheartedly as well. Jesus is not just our redeemer but our role model: in instances where we may be falsely accused and tempted to lash out in rage, or when we feel we have no real worth in the world, he shows us another way.
Lambs in Israel today — a heartbreaking caveat
Speaking of lambs, I am also saddened by what is happening to lambs today on the West Bank, where Israeli settlers are attacking Palestinian shepherd families and their livestock in the middle of the night. Lambs are being beaten to death and their eyes brutally enucleated in front of their ewes, who are penned and cannot protect their offspring. Other livestock is being poisoned.1
What could be more Satanic than this?
I am a Zionist and for years contributed to the Friends of the IDF. But that commitment does not allow me to turn a blind eye to these atrocities. I hope that these vigilante bands are stopped and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Nor am I naïve enough to ignore the fact that many West Bank Jewish families have lost loved ones to terrorists. But when is enough enough?
Pulling it all together
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, the most important day on the Christian calendar. Even as the apostle Paul might mention the birth of our Savior as a special occasion, and even as he wrote extensively about the Cross, he concludes by saying in 1 Corinthians 15:17: “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” On Easter Sunday we celebrate the day God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. Those who believe in the Easter message will likewise rise to meet Christ when he returns. I hope to see you there.
Buckle up.
