Final Confrontation (46 page)

Michael and Gabriel could only watch in disbelief as Jesus suddenly cried out one last time in the darkness:

“Father! Into Your hands I commit My Spirit!

“Wait—I think it is done,” cried Lucifer.

“It’s over,” said Michael.

“Those words were His benediction,” Achish said to his aide.

IT IS FINISHED!

“Break His legs!” ordered Achish. “We have Pilate’s permission.”

The soldier, not given to taking orders from priests, looked past him to his commander. The commander nodded and the man shrugged, picking up the heavy iron bar. He went to the first man, the one to whom Jesus assured would be with Him in paradise, and with a hard swing, brought the bar across the man’s legs. They snapped in two and the man began to die. He repeated the process with the second man.

He waited until the last to break Jesus’ legs simply to agitate the priest further. But when he reached Jesus, he found the Man already dead. Achish walked and examined Him.

“You had better make sure,” he said. “Pilate personally ordered this Man’s death.”

The centurion picked up a spear and thrust it into Jesus’ side. When Achish saw both blood and water spurt out, with no reaction from Jesus, he knew He was indeed dead. He left to report the news to Zichri, walking past Mary as he went. It was just as the old prophet Simeon had said—a sword had pierced her heart.

“Was that another earthquake?”asked Pilate.

Lucius came into the room where Pilate was eating with Claudia. Lucius brought in a report of strange occurrences and rumblings throughout the city that included graves opening, long departed holy men and women appearing to people, and flashing bolts of lightning.

“I told you to have nothing to do with that Man!” Claudia shouted. “You have profaned the Hebrew God!”

Pilate walked away from the table, clearly upset. Lucius followed him. They entered the front room where only hours before Pilate had questioned Jesus.

“I have given orders to the soldiers to form fire brigades where some houses have caught on fire,” Lucius said. “And I have ordered more security at the execution site until the body can be safely moved.”

“Good, good,” muttered Pilate, whose eyes were fixed on the floor.

Lucius walked over to him and looked at the ground where Pilate had stationed his eyes.

It was a drop of dried blood.

“It is done, teacher,” said Zichri.

Caiaphas nodded his head in approval. He looked at Achish for confirmation.

“I saw the body being taken down myself,” he said. “Pilate has doubled the guard so that there can be no chance of His followers stealing it.”

“Good,” sighed Caiaphas, relieved. “Such a dirty business. But it had to be done for the good of the nation.”

“There is still the matter of Lazarus,” said Zichri.

Caiaphas stared coldly at him for a moment. He then nodded silently.

“See to it,” he agreed.

“For the good of the nation,” Zichri reminded.

“Master! Master!” came a voice from the hallway. Ethan appeared excitedly in the doorway, bearing important news.

“Rabbi…the veil of the most Holy Place!”

“What about it?” he asked.

“It has torn in half.”

Caiaphas looked at Zichri and Achish with great perplexity.

“How could that be?” Zichri asked, mystified. “That fabric is so thick. It would take the strength of one hundred men to tear that veil.”

Ethan stood looking at the blood stain on the tile in Caiaphas’ floor. The stain had not come up.

“Or perhaps, the strength of a God,” he mused, as thunder loudly exploded around them.

Lucifer’s gathering of his ruling angels was the greatest celebration he had allowed since being cast out of Heaven. Every angel of any rank or order was there. They met in celebration of the death of the Seed and to toast each other in congratulations.

The raucous angels spoke hopefully of their future, something heretofore unmentionable. Kara, Pellecus and Rugio sat closest to Lucifer. Next to them were their chief aides, Berenius, Nathan and the like. The looming question was, of course, what now? With the Messiah gone, the Lord would have to reason with them. Now perhaps He would leave them in peace. Perhaps some of them could even find their way back to the Kingdom.

Lucifer had convened the meeting on the very spot in the Garden of Eden where the two trees once stood: the Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Both were long gone, as was the garden. But it was a satisfyingly symbolic place to meet. He stood to speak.

“Some time ago, I stood before many of you on this very spot. I must admit at the time it was a very different place!”

The angels laughed.

“It was Eden. The garden of the Most High. And there were two trees here that became a symbol of the Lord’s hold over the humans that lived in the garden. I swore I would build my throne here one day. I have returned to this place to declare that what was once a dream has now become reality.”

The demons cheered and howled at Lucifer’s declaration of victory.

“The war we waged was a good one, and not without cost. Much human blood was shed in defense of this rotten world. I never wanted it that way. It was the Most High who insisted we duel in the minds of men. As it turned out, the mind of humans responds more favorably to our side than to His.”

More cheering.

“And so we wrestled against a relentless enemy. We fought His Word, His Covenant, His Prophets. We had to deal with His cunning and treachery in changing the rules of engagement whenever He desired. Finally, we had to struggle against that infernal Seed—the likes of which we never understood until It finally arrived.

“And yet we dealt with the Seed when It came. Just as we dealt with the Law and the Prophets and all the rest. Moses came and went. David came and went. And now Jesus, the hope of the world, has died. And with Him, the dream of an empire on earth for the Most High.

Wild cheers.

“Nevertheless, after war comes the diplomacy. It is my pledge to you that I will negotiate for us a peace that will ensure our authority on this planet forever, and we will then demonstrate to the Most High, once and for all, that angels can rule from on high.

“I will make the following appointments which will be part of the new kingdom we are establishing: Kara, shall be the Chief Elder among you, Pellecus shall head up our own Academy of the Host, so that the truths we espouse will not only be promoted among angels, but among men as well. Rugio, my valiant warrior, shall be Commander of the Host.

“These three shall make up the ruling authority in our kingdom. Some of you shall rule with them. Others will be assigned to more fitting positions.”

He looked down to the earth far below, a star in the distance.

“But the kingdom we now establish, built upon the back and blood of a broken Messiah, shall forever reign on earth!”

“You have secured the tomb of course,” said Lucifer to Rugio as the celebration continued. “I want nothing to disturb the place—be it spirit or human.”

“Yes of course,” he said. “Pilate has posted a guard and the tomb is sealed.”

“Remember what happened with Lazarus,” said Kara.

“That was different,” said Rugio. “At that time Jesus was on the outside wanting in. This time it is He who is on the inside!”

They laughed.

“Then it is done,” said Lucifer. “I must admit I was fearful the Lord would call angels down before He died, but He did not.”

“But why did He die?” asked Kara. “I still don’t understand.”

“I suspect He died of a broken heart,” said Pellecus. “Once He realized the frivolity of men and their wandering ways it must have shattered Him.”

“Still, I wonder about a God who can die,” said Kara. “Is it possible?”

“Would you like to see the tomb?” asked Rugio, smiling.

“Yes,” said Lucifer. “Why don’t we all venture to the tomb and have some conversation with Michael. I’m sure it is safe now. After all, it has been three earth days.”

Michael and Gabriel walked along the garden path following the two women. They were listening to their conversation, touched by the tender regard they held for Jesus. It was Mary Magdalene and Mary, the sister of Lazarus. They had visited the tomb for the last two days to honor the Lord and bring fresh flowers to place at the entrance. Today they brought spices and oil, hoping they could prepare the body and anoint him. But the tomb was tightly closed with no way to enter.