Jesus' Passion Week - Good Friday

What follows is an estimated timeline of the events which Jesus endured that first Good Friday. Some passages offer exact time elements, but notice the urgency of the mob. They had a plan – if we can get rid of Jesus before breakfast, then we can still be clean to eat the Passover meal that evening (see John 18:28).

They were driven by evil and only wanted to destroy our beloved Savior, but God had a foreordained purpose. Fifty three days later at Pentecost, Peter said, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23). What was this foreordained purpose? Isaiah prophesied 700 years before, “He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Jesus knew God’s plan and purpose, and with all the love of God Almighty within Him, He focused His sights on us, His people, and suffered and died for our sin and shame. Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Through faith in Him, we enjoy the free grace of salvation, but only because it is directly bound to the horrible cost of the pain of torment suffered by our Savior that terrible Friday.

Midnight to 2am –     Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

“Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39)

2-3:30 am –     Jesus is betrayed by Judas

“The one I kiss is the man; seize Him” ~~ Judas (Matt. 26:48)

4:00 am –        Jesus accused before the Sanhedrin

After several false witnesses came forward with conflicting accusations,

The high Priest asked, “Are you the Christ? The Son of the Blessed?”

And Jesus answered, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds.”

At this the High Priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do you need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?”

And they all condemned him as deserving of death.             (Mark14:61-64)

5:00 am –        Peter denies Jesus an hour before dawn (Matt. 26:74)

 Jesus had told Peter just seven hours before, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times” (Mark 14:72).

5:30 am –        Jesus condemned by Jewish court

“As soon as the morning dawned, ... they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate”  (Mark 15:1).

5:45 am –        Judas hangs himself

“When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. ... After throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.” (Matt. 27:3-5)

6:00 am –        Jesus tried before Pilate (Matt. 27:1)

Pilate asked Jesus, “So, you are a king?”

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”

 Pilate replied, “What is truth?”

7:00 am –        Pilate gives the people a choice

Pilate said, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

The mob cried back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (John 18:38-40)

Pilate asked, “What shall I do with the man you call King of the Jews?”

The mob shouted, “Crucify Him!” (Mark 15:12-13)

7:15 am –        Pilate washes hands

“I am innocent of this man’s blood.” ~~ Pilate (Matt. 27:25)

  Pilate releases the notorious prisoner Barabbas to the crowd

  Pilate sends Jesus away to be scourged.

7:30 am –        Jesus is stripped and flogged

“The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on Jesus’ head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck his head with a reed and spat into his face.” (Mark 15:17-18 & John 19:3)

8:00 am –        Jesus is led away to be crucified

“So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.” (John 19:17)

9:00 am –        Jesus is crucified (Mark 15:25)

The soldiers cast lots for His clothes

The scribes and chief priests mocked Jesus, “He saved others, He cannot save Himself.” (Mk. 15:31)

Noon –            Darkness for three hours (Matt. 27:45)

Jesus cried out, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46).

3:00 pm –        Jesus dies – temple curtain torn in two

And then, precisely at 3pm, at the very time the priests were to offer prayers toward the Holy of Holies on the other side of this curtain, Jesus calmly and purposely said, “Father, into Your hands I commit my Spirit” and let out His last breath unto death. Matthew, Mark and Luke all testify that when Jesus did this that the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38; & Luke 23:45).

What a visible illustration of God’s sovereign power — sinners now have direct access to throne of glory itself. Paul said, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13). And the most amazing thing is this – this access is absolutely free and available for all who believe, for Scripture says, “Through Jesus we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Rom. 5:2).

5:30 pm –        Jesus is buried

Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body of Jesus. “Then he took Jesus’ body down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.”  (Luke 23:53-54)

Final thought

As Jesus was being buried, the people began to enjoy their Passover meal. The roasted lamb was on their table, and they marveled once again at how great God was in the past, while wondering why He was so absent in their time. They ended their meal by pouring a fourth and final cup of wine – a cup set aside for Elijah to herald the coming Messiah. They had no idea they had already killed him.

Jesus prophesied before His disciples, “The Son of Man will be delivered over to the Chief Priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day” (Matt. 20:18-19).

Good Friday is done, but the story is not over.