Matthew 27:36-53 KJV
36 And sitting down they watched him there;
37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Back at the cross, what did those watchers see as they looked at Jesus, some even mocking him. If you can destroy the temple and build it in three days, if you be the Son of God, Come down from the cross and they said they would believe. The mockery of Christ own words, because they believed he could not do it. Yet Jesus would come off the cross, but not in their time table, they wanted it done while he lived. They understood not that he had to die first. If I squish an ant many will come around, but that ant will it live again, only if God declared it, but others will mourn its loss, when my foot is no longer in the way. Christ is hanging on that cross with thorns in his head, and nails in his hands, some believe the position of the nails were more in his wrist then his palm of his hand, but ropes could of held his arms in place making the nails be possibly in his palms. There many interpretation how those nails were placed, best thing to do is believe he was nailed to the cross. That the remainder of his blood after his beating with the cat of nine tails, which is a whip with nine whips coming out of one handle, with bone fragments and metal tied to each end that had gone across body. What remained was barely human life. Luke 23:34 "Father forgive them for they know what they do". Only strength left was spoken from the cross, once to thief beside him and to his mother and John, and last for us all and also his Father. Sixth hour darkness came over the land, and the nineth hour of him hanging on he cried out to His Father why have you forsaken me. The Father foresook Jesus on the cross but Mary stayed. Jesus also told his mother Mary(John 19) and John that Mary was to be his mother and John her son. Alot of confusion with the mocking and Christ words to those on scene. Prehaps even to us. Yet the hour God turn away was the time in which Christ died.

Now at the cross, not one leg was broken, but a spear pierced Christ side and water poured out to prove he was dead, because the Sabbath was upon them. Some things Rome did respect of Jews beliefs. We get all this from four Gospels, not just one. Take time to study them all. Each give a pictures that were not presented in the others. Perhaps these things standing out to the disciples as things were written down.

Any scene criminal or legal will have more then one view. The cross is no different. Each with their own view of what stands out. When one studies Matthew, Mark, Luke and John you can a wide perspective on the cross. No doubt there is much missing. Did God need to forgive us, no but he took his day of rest before waking his Son. Christ was laid in a tomb, and those verse are listed below. He was buried quickly and large stone rolled across it. The woman would return to finish the body preparation, but they could do nothing on the Sabbath. There was two scribes that officiated it, that followed Jesus, one Joseph of Armitheae and Nicodemus, a scribe in the book of John. And the story would of ended there if Jesus did not arise.

To compare all four Gospels to what actually happened you get the simple story of the cross, but you have those mocking from the crowd, you got those near the cross of Jesus and those that stood a distance off, watching and wondering, taking it all in. My goaled is not to cause confusion, but to set that the hour and day that Christ died was one of cruelty. One of suffering, One of dramatic events from eclipse to an earthquake, one of mystery with those that awoke out of their grave to enter Jerusalem with the resurrection, Jesus lead those that were captive right out of the graveyard. It took time when those people arose to figure out what was happening perhap. Don't know, maybe time of celebration going on verse 52 and 53 of above scripture passsage.

What my point there is hope in Jesus, God the Father loves us still. He enabled Christ to arise. That is tomorrows lesson about Christ is risen. Our faith and our hope as believers rest on these facts.

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to not only believe and receive your Son through faith, but to know the hope of the resurrection, in Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Matthew 27:57-61 KJV
57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

John 19:33-42 KJV
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.