Post One

     Greetings, friends!  I am writing you now on April 23, A.D. 67 during my freetime in my jail cell.  Life can become quite boring here, so I am going to start telling you about major events (to me) in my life up to this point.

     Today I will begin by telling you about witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in A.D. 29.  When this history-changing crucifixion occurred, I was only nine years old.  My parents, devout Jews, and I were in Rome one day when we saw a procession of soldiers in the streets.  We headed towards the soldiers to see what was going on, and we saw a poor, beaten man carrying a cross.  As we watched, we saw the soldiers force a Jew from the crowd to carry the cross of the man, for the man was too weak to carry the cross any farther.  The procession moved on, and we changed our route so we could follow and watch the happenings.  The soldiers led the man to Golgotha, or the place of the skull, where he was to be crucified.  When we got there, my parents and I asked a man who this criminal was and what was going on. The man replied that this prisoner was Jesus of Nazareth, who was known by many Jews to be the promised Savior.  He then told us about the many miracles and stories of Jesus, from the rising of Jesus’ friend Lazarus from the dead to the parable about the sewer and the seeds.  After hearing about all these things I was amazed.  I asked them man why this Jesus was being crucified, and he replied that he had been arrested by some Jewish leaders who felt threatened by his teachings and accused him of blasphemy.  He then later was sentenced to death unwillingly by Pontius Pilate for claiming to be a king, that is, King of the Jews.

     After hearing all this from this stranger, I focused my attention on the scene before me.  While I had been talking, Jesus had been hung up on the cross, which bore a sign which said: This is Jesus, King of the Jews.  I waited there for a bit, but at about the sixth hour, a mysterious darkness came over the land.  This darkness lasted for about three hours, and soon after, Jesus died.

     I never saw Jesus again with my own eyes after that day, but I heard from many believers that he rose from the dead three days later, was seen for forty days by many people, and then ascended into heaven to wait for those who believe.  After hearing this, I accepted Jesus, the Christ, into my heart, which is why I am here today.

     That is enough for today, my fellow Romans!  I will post again soon!  Vale!