Jesus, the Son of God

As Jesus made His final journey to Jerusalem, the crowds welcomed Him as a king, waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna!” But Jesus knew His kingdom was not of this world. In the garden of Gethsemane, He agonized over the cup of God's wrath that He must drink, even as He submitted to the Father's will. When the authorities came to arrest Him, Jesus could have summoned legions of angels to deliver Him, yet He willingly surrendered, becoming the Suffering Servant foretold by the prophet Isaiah.

Falsely accused, beaten, and mocked, Jesus stood trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Though Pilate could find no guilt in Him, the bloodthirsty mob demanded His crucifixion. And so the sinless Lamb of God was led to the hill of Golgotha, where He was nailed to a cross between two criminals.

As He hung there, gasping for breath, Jesus uttered profound words that revealed the meaning of His death. “Father, forgive them,” He pleaded, “for they know not what they do.” To a repentant criminal, He promised, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” And when He had endured the full weight of human sin and the judgment of God, He declared, “It is finished!” — affirming that the work of salvation was complete.

The Risen and Ascended Lord

Then, in a final act of unfathomable power, Jesus bowed His head and voluntarily gave up His spirit. The earth shook, the curtain in the temple was torn, and the Son of God was laid in a tomb. But three days later, Jesus emerged victorious over death, appearing alive to His grief-stricken disciples. For 40 days, He continued to teach them, reinforcing the truths about the kingdom of God.

Before ascending back to the Father, Jesus commissioned His followers to be His witnesses, promising that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit. As the disciples watched in awe, Jesus was lifted up and disappeared into the clouds. Two angels reassured them, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

The Ascended Christ now sits at the right hand of God the Father, ruling over all creation. From there, He pours out the promised Holy Spirit, empowering the Church to spread the good news of salvation to the ends of the earth. Jesus continues to intercede for His people as their merciful and faithful High Priest, and one day He will return in glory to establish His eternal kingdom.