The Passion of the Christ

By Gerald S. Sumeracki

The hour was late when they arrived,
The garden air was still,
The Lord did feel the need to pray,
To know His Father’s will.

He asked His friends to keep the watch,
As He in solace prayed,
He knelt before the open sky,
And heart felt pleas He made.

"This bitter cup Oh gracious God,
Please let it pass from me,
But not My will, let Thine be done,
For I have come from Thee.”

They were asleep when He returned,
He'd hoped they’d watch and pray,
But they were weary from the work,
They'd done throughout that day.

His heart was sad as fear took hold,
He knew what He must do,
An ugly crowd then came for Him,
Said they, “Where's Christ the Jew?”

“I am the one you seek” said Christ
The guards fell back in fear,
Then Judas kissed the Master’s cheek,
The guards then gathered near.

“Oh Judas, friend, what do you do?
Betray me with a kiss?”
The Temple guards then seized the Lord,
This time they did not miss!

They took the Lord before their court,
No crime was found in Him,
Except His claim to be God’s Son,
To them a grievous sin.

The punishment that they all did seek,
In truth they could not do,
The Romans were the only ones,
Allowed to kill a Jew.

So to the Romans Christ was sent,
To see what they would do,
To bring this blasphemous Jesus Christ,
What all knew was His due.

The Roman judges saw no call,
To crucify this Christ,
But rabble crowds demanded blood,
So scourging was His price.

Jesus Christ, true Lord and King,
Was brought before a pole,
As Roman brutes who loved to hurt,
Did wait to fill their role.

Just another prisoner,
Another man to flog,
A guilty Jew to beat that day,
On their ugly blood stained log.

They led Him to some shackles,
And fixed Him to that log,
Where many bled throughout the day,
Now Jesus they would flog.

This Jew was strangely handsome,
The one called Christ the Lord,
But even He would meet His end,
He’d see the Roman sword.

Christ stood in Kingly manner,
God’s love flashed from each eye,
As Roman brutes did ply their trade,
Yes, spit and whips did fly.

They beat Him in great anger,
But could not reason why,
This humble Lamb said not a word,
It brought their fury high.

They whipped Him on His shoulders,
His waist and back as well,
And wondered how He stood their hate,
Why not in pain He fell.

Each stroke that bit His shoulders,
Each stinging pain that came,
Reminded Christ how much He loved,
All those God did ordain.

At last His flesh did buckle,
The weight of hate ran high,
His bloody frame looked not like man,
Love’s tears now filled His eyes.

They placed a cloak around Him,
Of Regal scarlet hue,
In mocking praise, they all did bow,
To Jesus Christ the Jew.

The bloody Lord was then returned
To Pilate and the Jews
“Behold the man!” were Pilate’s words
The crowd did shout on cue.

“Let Him be crucified,”
“Let Him be killed,”
“He claims He is man’s Holy God,
His death is what we will.”

So Pilate gave his nod.

They took the Lord into the streets,
He ached with every breath,
They made Him bear a heavy beam,
Would be His badge of death.

To Galgotha they went.

The soldiers laughed and nailed Him down
Upon His cross of pain
The sky grew dark, they perched Him high
As it began to rain.

The deed was done, God’s only Son,
Was hung upon a cross,
Between two thieves who’d earned their fate
Hung Christ with life a loss.

The Roman guards who’d hung Him high,
Did taunt the Master still,
“If You are God then come thou down
Believe You then we will.”

They failed belief when sightless saw
When cripples walked once more
They failed again when one who bled
Was healed of her old sore.

When withered hand was made full well
They failed once more to know
With thousands fed with fish and bread
Their hearts refused to grow.

The many chances Christ did give
To prove He was God’s Son
Accepted none these hearts of stone
Now taunting Him for fun.

“Just come Thou down from Thy high tree
So all the world can see—”
He bowed His head in death at last,
And then they did agree.

“He was of God, look to the sky,
And hear the thunder made,
And feel the earth that does now quake—”
Yes fear in them was laid!

They pierced His side than took Him down,
And placed Him in the ground,
They thought would be the end of Him,
Their thinking wasn’t sound.

For He did give them one more sign,
To gain in faith and live,
He rose again in glorious light
 He gave all that He could give.