What was He thinking?

I went to see the fifth season of The Chosen the other night.  It ended with a holy kiss from Judas.  The famous betrayer.  I’ve binged on all the well-done seasons because it helps me to see inside the head of some of the disciples.  No – not necessarily biblically accurate but biblically dramatic.  And biblically-beautiful. When countenance connects with scripted lines, it makes me think. And I want to think . . .

The story of the crucifixion has become so familiar that we can sometimes gloss over what Jesus endured leading up to and during as He hung between heaven and earth for our sins.

The Chosen series causes me to think deeper into the people than some of the other faith-based films. It’s very relatable.  So, I wonder what the disciples were thinking in the middle of the shouts and the doubts of a huge holy week?  I see their confusion. What were they thinking in the middle of Friday to Sunday? I see the fear as they might have thought the story was over.

And haven’t we felt confusion and fear when everything surrounding us looked dark ~ and over?

I wonder what Jesus was thinking in the middle of the Hosanna-hails and the Calvary-nails. What were His man thoughts, Savior thoughts, friend-thoughts in the middle of the final week while He washed feet and shared a table with the one who sold Him out, with the one who would deny Him three times, and with the ones who would flee when it got dangerous.  What was He thinking?

Maybe He hung on to the story of the one who hung in – Mary Magdalene who remained faithful through the bitter, to the end.  She never ran away, she didn’t deny Him, she didn’t betray Him. She had the unique privilege of being the first to witness the risen Lord (Mark 16:9). And then there were the other faithful women at the cross.  And there was beloved John.

God is faithful and true to His word — what was written thousands of years ago came true.  God is a God of His Word, even now.  The resurrection was predicted over three hundred times in the Old Testament before the event took place.  Over five hundred witnessed the risen Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:6).  It happened.

And then came Pentecost.

So, if we can imagine in our finite-ness what a divine and human Man was thinking while taking every agonizing bloody step along the Dolorosa to Golgotha – I think His last words tell us some of it.  Deep compassion looking down at a brokenhearted mother, looking over at a thief who asked Him to remember him, looking up at a Father who carried out His sacred will – faithfully.  And fulfilling every promise then and forever  – because He’s a good Savior.

So, He was thinking of you and me when He said, “It is finished.”

The beginning of the story for us . . .

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness for by His wounds you were healed.  1 Peter 2:24