The Pharisees and Sadducees colluded
bringing Christ to see Pilate, Herod,
Caiaphas—don’t deny us the justice of a man who must be cleansed for us.
Please. Can’t you see?
He’s so filthy. He’s so sinful.
He is a disease.”
Pilate heard their words.
It rankled his nerves that they had decided Christ had to die
for crimes Pilate thought that they had contrived.
So he brought Christ and queried the Son of Paradise.
Will you be enticed? Please—take my advice.
Don’t make me ask twice.
Is this you?
Are you the King of the Jews?
Is this true?
Has this evil metastasized from your lies or can it be proved?
Can this be true?”
But Christ denied all his enemies had connived to tie him to the lies,
saying on and on and on and on and on,
“My kingdom is not of this world,
or have you not heard all the words that I have hurled in the streets?
That belief is sweet, that God redeems, that all the earth is His.
You see? Can’t you believe?”
But the angry crowd would not be put down.
They shouted out, “You must crucify.
He has to die.
It doesn’t even matter if he’s God Most High—which we deny–
nothing you do could ever pacify our rage, our hate, our disappointment.
He dies tonight. Now, crucify!”
Pilate’s hands shook and he took another look
as the hook of suspicion caught within his mind.
“Don’t you realize, Jesus Christ, that I have the power of life?
To rectify what’s wrong and make it right?
If you refute you are divine then I can set you free—at once!
Tonight!”
But Christ replied,
“My kingdom is not of this world.
My voice cannot be silenced nor my Father’s words unheard.
Even death cannot deter me for soon I will emerge from Hell
with the souls of all those lost but now returned.
“My kingdom is not of this world
and though darkness has now unfurled
I will not cower.
Lucifer—this is your hour
but soon your power will diminish and be cast outside these walls
where you, embittered and enthralled, can never forget and never defer
the justice of God that will undoubtedly fall on you,
from you,
for you.”
But the angry crowd would not be put down.
They shouted out, “You must crucify.
He has to die. It doesn’t even matter if he’s God Most High—which we deny–
nothing you do could ever satisfy our rage, our pain, our hate, our disappointment.
He dies tonight. Now crucify!”
Now the soldiers took Christ’s robes (everybody knows they cast lots among them).
And everybody knows Jesus’ mother was among them.
She had given him those robes that had never been stitched and had never been sewed
and watched as a jar of wine was passed among them.
And it was given to Christ in the hopes that he might pass from them,
into the glory of heaven.
And he took a drink and said (I think), “It’s finished.”
And he hung his head as his spirit was wrung from him.
He was crucified. He knew he had to die.
Only he—enfleshed, and God Most High—could ever satisfy
our rage, our hate, our disappointment.
He died that night.
Jesus Christ, be glorified.