It was a day like any other day.. at least that's how it seemed.  The Romans
were about their usual business of punishing the accused.  This time they had
3 to contend with -- two thieves, and one king.. the king of the Jews.. as was
written on the sign to be placed above his head.  Why they were crucifying
this king simply didn't make sense.  According to Pilate, there was found no
reason to condemn him.  But the Jewish leadership.. most of them seemed bent
on seeing this one die.
  They raised the two side crosses.. and then the king's.  All three hung
towering above the hill.. a perfect testimony for the power of the Roman
Emperorship.  At least.. that's how it started.  But the king caught the eye
of one of the guards.  What was this king doing, he wondered.  He was
praying.. not only for the Romans.. but for the Jews who delivered him.
Forgiveness??  The guard cleaned out his ear... did he hear right?
Forgiveness?  This king had just prayed for God to forgive those who were
killing him.
  This unnerved the guard.  He kept a close eye on this one.
  Around midday.. everything started to change.  The sky grew dark... and the
king cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"  It grew a lot
colder very quickly.  The taunts of the Jewish leaders continued.  "He saved
others, himself he cannot save!  If he *is* the Christ, let him come down from
the cross now.. and we will believe!"  The guard watched as only looks of pity
and love came down from the man on that middle cross.
  "He's calling for Elijah."  One of the Jews dipped a sponge in sour wine..
but another kept him back.  "Let us see if Elijah will come for him."

   The story keeps on.. until.. at around the 9th hour of the day.. with a
death cry.. the king seemed to give it all up.. and die.  Dead?  Thought the
guard.  After only 3 hours?  He'd have to wait until the end of the day.. so
that he could see if he were really dead.  He seemed so.

   And at the moment of the king's death.. the veil to the Jewish Temple was
torn in two from top to bottom.  God had just broken His word.

   Broken His Word?  Impossible!  God doesn't have the ability to lie.  But
there it was.. the Holy Of Holies.. open for all to approach.  And there was
the king.. a beaten and bruised shell of a man now.  God had done it.

   But wait a minute.. if this king didn't deserve to die, how could God have
accomplished his death?  God set out to do this very thing from the moment
Adam took of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.  Why?  Because
breaking His word was the only way.. the *only* way to bring peace from the
war that Adam let out in God's creation.  Oh it was 4,000 years in coming.. to
the day it seemed.. but there the king was.. dead.. and God did it.

   Why?

   Because only the life that lived *in* His word could save mankind from its
own horrible life.  Only the life in that king could bring mankind peace.
Only the life that God had known and had with Him for eternity could reach out
and give mankind hope.

   Only the blessed Word of God.. broken for us all.. could restore the
closenesss of Eden back to mankind.. and only those who had faith in this
king's being not just a man, but God's only begotten Son.. could inherit the
eternity God planned to give to all.  God was not broken this day.. His Son..
His Image.. His lamb.. His word.. was.  And everything changed.