Orthodox believers mark the Holy and Great Friday on 6th April in 2018. A brief history of the event that everyone should know has a very important message. The Holy and Great Friday is the last Friday before Easter, the most joyful holiday that the Serbian Orthodox Church celebrates on 8th April.
After the betrayal, Jesus Christ was imprisoned and taken to Pontius Pilate's court. Great torments began in the night between Thursday and Friday. After finding that he was innocent, Pilate left the Jesus' fate to the Jewish elders. They insisted on crucifixion. Since there were no real arguments, the opponents had come up with a lie that Jesus regarded himself as the King, which the Romans cruelly condemned.
Everything was happening on the eve of the Passover, the largest Jewish holiday. Observing the Passover custom of the time, Pilate allowed one prisoner chosen by the crowd to be released. He gave the people a choice between Jesus and a murderer called Barabbas, a bandit who killed several Roman soldiers. Persuaded by the elders, the mob chose to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus. To Pilate's question of how to judge Jesus, they shouted "Crucify him!"
A heavy cross was put on his back and a woven crown of thorns was placed on the head of Jesus. Already tormented, it was difficult for Christ to go down the road that is still called Via Dolorosa. In a mass of insults, insulting acts and spitting, a man named Simon separated himself and helped him carry the cross. The legend says that there was a good woman who wiped his sweat, blood and spit.
On the hill above Jerusalem, Golgotha, Jesus Christ was crucified. The Temple of the Resurrection of Christ was erected at this place. Regardless of the terrible moments and severe humiliations he experienced during the torture, Jesus prayed to His Father in Heaven to forgive people by saying: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing".
Alongside the cross, the Holy Mother of God stood with the Apostle John, Mary Magdalene and a few people all the time. St. John the Baptist was the only disciple of Jesus who did not let him down. Pilate showed mercy to prayers to take off his body from the cross and bury him. They wrapped the body of Christ in a cloth and took him to rock-hewn tomb. At the entrance they set up a huge stone so that someone would not steal the body.
"Only the resurrection could reward this suffering. Only with the resurrection of Christ can nature and our conscience calm down" St. Nikolaj Velimirovic
