The morning came and with it more heartache for Matthias. The soldiers throughout the night and on into the morning had spit upon Jesus, slapped him and made fun of Him. Tears coursed down Matthias’ face as he watched them take Jesus before Pilate. For a moment hope flared. Pilate said he could find no fault with Jesus. Then the crowd that surrounded Matthias erupted with shouts of “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Matthias shouted “NO! NO!” But no one was listening to the small boy. The crowd surged toward the platform where Jesus stood, shouting all the more…”Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” And then much to Matthias’ dismay Pilate said, “Take him to be beaten and then release Him to the crowd.”
Matthias pushed and shoved, trying to get close to Jesus. As he reached Jesus, Matthias began to cry, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Jesus looked down into Matthias’ face as soldiers led him away. With one look Matthias felt that Jesus heard and understood. He marveled at the look of love on Jesus’ face. He then whispered, “I do love you, Jesus.”
Minutes passed, as Matthias thought on the wonder of Jesus’ love for Him. For a while he forgot where he was and what they were doing to Jesus.
Matthias was startled from his reverie by the shouts of the crowd. He looked up and there was…but no, that couldn’t be Jesus, could it? It was Jesus! He had been beaten so badly and on his head, thorns! Matthias knew how that hurt. He had stepped on one of those thorns and the pain had been awful. This wasn’t just one thorn, it was a crown of thorns! With a gasp, Matthias realized that Jesus was dragging a heavy wooden cross on his bruised and bleeding back. Tears came again, as he watched Jesus half walking, half crawling up Golgotha hill with that load upon his back. There was nothing Matthias could do.
His heart breaking, Matthias followed the crowd and saw Jesus lay himself down on the cross and let those soldiers nail the spikes into his hands and his feet. He heard the words of Jesus as he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
An eerie darkness settled down on that Golgotha hill. Matthias felt that his heart– his whole life was shrouded with darkness, with no hope of ever seeing light again. As Jesus died there on the cross, Matthias, too felt like his life was ending. He sobbed, as he once again murmured, “I’ve failed. I’m sorry, Jesus.”
Before the sun set, the disciples took the body of Jesus down from the cross and wrapped Him in linen cloths. They placed Him in a tomb. Matthias hovered in the background. He wanted to see where they placed the body of Jesus. He saw the soldiers come and seal the tomb and stand guard. His heart empty and hurting, Matthias turned and walked back onto the streets of Jerusalem. He wondered how he could go on. Nothing mattered, now. Nothing!
To be continued
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