This is the anniversary day of our Lord's "Last Supper" with his disciples. He went from the supper to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, and was arrested there some time after midnight - in the early hours of Friday morning.

"Good Friday," it has been called for centuries - because of the goodness of the Lord's work for us upon the cross.

He died on Friday - around 3:00 in the afternoon, having hung on the cross for only three hours.

Most victims of crucifixion lasted longer on the cross, but Jesus had endured many hours of torture before he even reached Calvary. That's why he fell carrying his cross.

"Criminals" were made to carry the crossbeam to the place of crucifixion. (The upright was already in place.) Carrying the heavy burden of their own cross through the city streets was part of the punishment. It also wore them down, making it harder to struggle as the nails were driven in.

Jesus carried his cross part of the way, but fell repeatedly. He was weak and bleeding from many hours of agonizing abuse.

For selfish political reasons Pilate really had tried to get Jesus released. He had Jesus beaten with a flagellum - a whip with jagged balls of metal on the tips of leather thongs. The metal tore out bits of flesh with every lash of the whip.

Jesus was bleeding from head to foot when Pilate brought him out before his accusers. He wore an old purple robe, and a "crown" of thorns the soldiers had pushed down on his head in mockery. He probably could not stand alone, but only with the support of soldiers on each side as Pilate pointed to him and said, "Look at him now!" His exact words: "Behold the man!"

Pilate thought the crowd would take one look and say "That's enough. Let him go." Instead they yelled "Crucify him!"

Weakened by the long night of torture, Jesus was unable to carry his cross. When he continued to fall under the weight of it, a young man named Simon, a foreigner, was pressed to carry it for him.

Soldiers must have had to help Jesus up the small hill called Calvary. And he offered no resistance at all to the nails - but not because he was too weak to resist.

It was because he loves you and me.