God created Earth.  And once upon a time, the very God who created Earth came to Earth.
God came as a human baby¹, born in a specific place on the planet² because God had promised a specific people³ that he would be their King and rule their nation⁴. 
He grew up in that nation as a Jewish boy, he became a man, and he set about proclaiming his kingdom.  But the very people he had come to⁵ – whose nation he is prophesied⁶ and destined⁷ to rule – had him arrested and put on trial.

 

At that time his judges – the Council of the Elders in Jerusalem – asked him:  “Are you the long-awaited Messiah?”

“You ask,” the prisoner said, “but you refuse to believe.  You know the answer.  So I tell you this:  the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of God.”

His words caused an uproar.  “What are you saying?  Are you telling us that you are the Son of God?”

The young rabbi Y’shua, his hands tied behind his back, did not answer.

“Well,” said Caiaphas, the high priest.  “Are you not going to tell us?”

Y’shua did not say a word.

“I charge you under oath by the living

God—tell us!  Are you the Messiah, the

Son of the Blessed God.”

“You know that I am.  All of you have said it,” Y’shua answered.  “What you have said is true.  And all of you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of YaHWeH and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Caiaphas tore his ornate vestment.  “Blasphemy!  He speaks blasphemy.  We’ve heard it ourselves.  This man claims to be one with God.”  The high priest raised his arms.  “He has said enough!  What is your verdict?”

“Guilty!” cried the priests of the council.  They cursed Y’shua and spat in his face.

At dawn the prisoner was taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.  “Why are you bringing him to me?” Pilate asked them.  “You people have your own laws.  Judge him yourselves.”

“He wants to overthrow the government,” they answered.  “He declared himself to be a king.  That’s a matter which you must deal with.  It’s your responsibility to punish him.”

Pilate summoned the prisoner into the palace for questioning.

“Your name is Jesus, correct?”

Y’shua nodded.

“I’ve heard many things about you,” Pilate said.  “You’re the most famous Jew in the land.  So tell me… what have you done to get your people so upset at you?  Are you their king?”

“Do you believe that I am?” Y’shua asked.  “Or do you ask me this because of what they told you?”

 “Am I Jew!  Do you think I care what they say?”  Pilate snorted.  “I’m just wondering why they brought you to me.  Why do your people want me to punish you?  What have you done?”

 “My people would not have handed me over to you if they recognized my kingdom.”

 “So you are a king!”

 Y’shua smiled.  “You say that I am a king, and you are correct.  In fact I was born for this reason.  I came into the world to proclaim truth; and everyone who belongs to truth listens to me.”

 Pilate stared back.  “Is that what this is all about?  They don’t like what you’re preaching?  What concern is ‘truth’ to me!  You’re obviously not leading a revolt against the government.”

 The governor went outside and announced to the Jews:  “I find no basis for a charge against your prisoner.”

 The elders, however, demanded that Y’shua be put to death.

 Pilate was startled.  “Death!  What does he deserve the death penalty for?  He hasn’t even committed a crime!”  He shook his head.  “No.  It will be enough for me to have the man punished for you.  After that I’ll release him.”

 Y’shua was taken to the Praetorium where the soldiers stripped him then scourged him with whips laced with shards of metal and bone.  After that they put a robe on his lacerated back and placed a ‘crown’ of twisted thorns on his head.  They laughed at the pathetic sight, mocking, “Now you look like a king!” Blood streamed down Y’shua’s face.  The soldiers put a staff in his right hand and knelt before him in pretended devotion.  “Hail, King of the Jews!”  Then they stood and spat on him.  They yanked the staff from his hand and beat him with it.

 Pilate addressed the crowd gathering outside.  “I’ve had the man punished!”  Y’shua, still bound, was led out.  “See for yourselves.”  The flesh of the prisoner was so torn up from the lashes that many could not bear the grotesque sight.

 “Away with him!” the priests and rabbis shouted. 

The crowd joined in.  “Crucify him!  Crucify him!”

Pilate said, “I see no point in killing him!  If you people do, then take him away and crucify him yourselves!”

 The elders objected.  “We can’t kill him!  Caesar took away our nation’s right to execute criminals.  But if we could execute him, we would. 
Our law demands that he be put to death because he claims to be the Son of God.”

 Pilate’s face went pale.  “You told me that you ‘came into the world’,” he said to the prisoner.  “Where do you come from?”

 Y’shua did not answer.

 The Governor said, “Don’t you realize that I have the power to set you free?”

 “The only power you have over me,” Y’shua said, “is that which has been granted to you from above.” 

Pilate, perplexed over the man called Jesus, announced to the people: 

“I present to you your king!”

 The people began shouting,

“Crucify!  Crucify!  Crucify!”

 “You want me to crucify your king?”

 The priests shouted back, “Our only king is Caesar!  But you are a traitor to Caesar if you let this man go!”

 Pontius Pilate decided to sentence the prisoner, Jesus Christ, to death.

 A cross of wood was laid on Y’shua’s back.  Then he was led through the streets of Jerusalem.  It was Passover and the bleating of sheep could be heard. 
The city was teeming with loyal Jews who had come with a sacrificial offering to God for their sin. 

As the people saw Y’shua being led away to his own execution, they were witnessing the fulfillment of the ancient prophesy: 
their Messiah, a man without sin, chosen by God, was to die in their place as the full and final sacrifice of God for their sin.

 “Who has believed our message, and to whom has
the arm of YaHWeH been revealed?  He was despised, and we esteemed him not; rejected by men and afflicted.  He was led like a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  We considered him stricken by God, smitten by him. 
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace with God was upon him.  For we all have gone astray; each of us have turned to our own way, and YHWH has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

(from Isaiah chapter 53)

 Y’shua was nailed to the cross, which was then lifted up for all the people to see.

“Forgive them, Father,” he cried out.  “They have no idea what they are doing.”  The notice of his crimes, posted to his cross, read:

 “Jesus of Nazareth. 
The King of the Jews.”

The inscription angered the priests and they protested to Pilate.  “Change it to say ‘This man claimed to be the King of the Jews’.”

“What I have written, I have written,” Pilate said.  “I will hear no more of the man!”  He turned and left them.

The priests went back to the cross.  “What a repulsive fraud!” they shouted.  “Look at him!  ‘King of the Jews’?  Ha! 
Let’s see him come down from the cross if he is truly the King of Israel.  Then we’ll believe in him!”  They laughed and otherwise derided Y’shua.

Y’shua was crucified between two criminals.  One of them called to him, gasping for air, “Aren’t you… the Messiah? 
Why don’t you—” (He pushed himself up for air) “—save yourself.  And save us… while you’re at it!”

The other thief rebuked him.  “Don’t you fear God!”  He struggled for air.  “We’re getting… what we deserve. 
But this man… did nothing wrong.”  He looked to Y’shua, took a deep breath, and called out his name.  “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Y’shua looked at him.  “I tell you the truth—”  Tears blended with his blood.  “You will be with me… in paradise.”

Although it was only noon, it became as dark as night!  Torches had to be lit.  At 3:00pm Y’shua proclaimed, “It is all paid in full!”  He then allowed himself to die.

The earth quaked.  The soldiers were terrified.  “It’s the end of the world!” 

Their centurion exclaimed, “He really was the Son of God!”

The people beat their chests.  “Oh God, what have we done!”

The quaking stopped and the darkness lifted.  The people, shaken and heavy-hearted, went away.  They tried to forget about Y’shua and what they had witnessed.  It appeared that the world would go on.  And their lives did go on as usual.

But three days later everything changed.  Y’shua rose from the dead! —not as a ghost or a spirit, but in his human body transformed.  He breathed again, he walked again, he spoke again and he ate again.  Y’shua conquered death—and so we all have hope.  He is not only alive, but he is the first of many people whose body will be transformed.  This body, while still human, is extra-dimensional—invulnerable to death, decay, disease and injury.  The resurrected body is intended to be used in selfless service to others, not in lust or self-seeking feats of power.

The King has come.  He is – and he will always be – human, alive, sovereign.  Y’shua will return to rule from Jerusalem,

The City of Peace.  The words of his prayer

“Thy kingdom come… on earth” (Matthew 6:10) will be fulfilled. _{(Revelation chapter 20)}

40 days after Y’shua rose from the dead, a large crowd gathered to hear him speak.  They asked him, hopeful:  “Are you now going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

“Not yet,” he told them.  “That date has been set by my Father; and only he knows it.  Before that time comes I am leaving the Earth to be with my Father. 
In the meantime, my Spirit will empower and guide you.  Now listen to me,” he instructed, “for all authority is mine. 
It is up to you to tell all people what I have done for them.  Let everyone know that I have taken the penalty for their sin. 
Declare that peace with God comes through me.  All who turn to me – who acknowledge me as their King – will be welcomed exuberantly into the Kingdom of God.
 
All who spurn this gracious offer of peace with God choose to remain an enemy of God and spurn eternal life. 
It is my desire that everyone come to me and know me, for there is only one life eternal.  Indeed,” he said, “I am the eternal life.  Now go; proclaim it to the world! 

And as you go, be sure of this: 

I am with you always, to the very end.”

“As they were looking on, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”  (Acts 1:9, and read verses 10-11)