36 It was then that Demetrius returned. In a great rage he drew his dagger, slashed the other officer's face, and would have killed him, had not Jesus stepped forward and stayed his hand.
37 Without a word Jesus reached up and healed the face of the man who, a moment before, had struck Him. The man stepped back in disbelief.
38 "Get these rags off Him!" Demetrius screamed. "Put His own robes on Him, and let us get this thing done!"
39 So it was they took Him out to crucify Him. They put a cross upon His shoulder, and two other men with Him condemned to death. They led them through the city.
40 But Jesus was weak from the loss of blood from His wounds, stumbled once, and fell down. They helped Him up and put the cross on Him again. He went a ways further, then fell a second time.
41 Demetrius knew He could not carry the cross to the place of execution. He saw in the crowd a big shouldered man with tears in his eyes. He cried out, "You! Come here and carry this man's cross for Him!"
42 The man came forward without a word, lifted up the cross onto his shoulder, then lifted Jesus with the other hand. As if either were nothing he carried them along.
43 They came to the place that was called The Hill Of Skulls, there stripped them, and offered them water and vinegar laced with gall to numb their pain. But Jesus refused it.
44 They began to drive the spikes into Him. When Demetrius looked, he saw that the young man drove the spike not into Jesus' left wrist, but into His palm. "No! No!" he cried. "It's not done that way! He'll pull free if you put it through His palm. It goes through the wrist."
45 The young man looked up. "Sorry sir," he moaned, "I've never done this before."
46 "Rebuke the lad not, Demetrius," Jesus muttered, "he has no heart for this."
47 "Shall I withdraw, sir," the young man asked, "and place again?"
48 "No," Demetrius snapped, "Place the other one well, and lash both arms besides, so He does not come free."
49 "Yes, sir," the soldier answered, and continued his duty. When they were done they nailed a sign over Jesus' head written in Latin, Greek and Hebrew, which read, "THIS IS JESUS, CALLED THE CHRIST, KING OF THE JEWS."
50 They put Him and the two thieves up together. The soldiers admired the good quality of Jesus' robe and His loin cloth. They did not want to tear them up into shares as was the custom. So they threw dice for them.
51 The priests and Scribes stood nearby wagging their heads, saying, "You that destroy the temple and build it again in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross!"
52 Likewise, the Chief Priest mocked Him with the Scribes and elders. "He saved others," he laughed, "but He can't save Himself. If He be The King Of Israel let Him come down from the cross and we will believe Him. He trusted in God. Let Him deliver Him, now, if He will have Him. For He says 'I am The Son Of God.'"
53 Demetrius stepped over and with the back of his hand knocked The Chief Priest to the ground. The others backed off, trembling, fearing his wrath.
54 One of the thieves cursed Jesus saying, "If you are The Messiah, save yourself...us, also, and, all of Israel!"
55 The other man with him rebuked his companion saying, "Leave Him be! He has done no wrong where we are guilty and deserving of our fate, He is not. Rabbi!" he cried, "Take me where you go!"
56 Jesus answered him "By your belief so shall it be this day you will rest with me in Paradise!"
57 One of the priests cried out, "Even in death He does blasphemy! It is a demon within Him, indeed!"
58 Mary, Jesus' mother, and Mary, His wife, heavy with His child, came out and stood by Demetrius. Jesus looked down upon them, and said, "My friend, this is now your mother, this is now your daughter. I commend them into your care because you will do for them what is right, and keep them from harm."
59 Mary, Jesus' mother, looked to Demetrius. "Be at peace," she whispered, "I know this is not your will. If you had the power you would have stopped it. That that He has commanded I will do when my duty to Him is finished."
60 Jesus raised His eyes to Heaven and cried, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do!"
61 It grew dark as night. The clouds seemed to gather from the four winds and circle about them. It began to rain. The thunder and the lightning shook the ground. But no one moved from their place.
62 From the sixth hour to the ninth hour the rain stopped, but the oppressive darkness was like unto nothing that any man had ever endured before.
63 The priests and the Scribes began to tremble. The High Priest came near to Demetrius. Jesus cried out, "I thirst! I thirst!"
64 They dipped a sponge on the end of a pole in vinegar and lifted it up to Him, but He drank not. Instead He gave a loud cry and His breath left Him.
65 Suddenly the ground beneath them rose and fell like the waves in the sea. The veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom, and the altar fell over.
66 Graves in the cemetery were opened, those within them came out, and walked among the streets, then, ascended into Heaven.
67 Demetrius, standing beneath the cross, turned to the priest. "Surely," he cried, "this was a Son Of God! Do you now have some conception of what you have done? Do you think the powers of man, your petty scheming can compare to this?"
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