6 Weeks To Resurrection: Resurrection? Is it real?

It is a fact, that Jesus is a point of controversy. It is very interesting that history and archaeology have shown that He existed and that His teaching rocked the world then and now. Even when He walked the earth, His teaching was controversial.  To the point that even people of His day didn’t know how to answer the question of who He was. Mt 16:14  And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Yet, Peter proclaims in vs.18, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”  Jesus tells Peter that only the Father in heaven can reveal things like this (vs.17; Jn.14:9).  Mt.16:21; Mk.8:31; Lk.9:23 all state that from this particular time forward, Jesus began to teach and show them several things that they would need to know, and that they would have to teach others too.

Many do not know, that there were several that lived in the same time era that claimed to be the Messiah of God.  A man by the name of Simon of Peraea, a former slave of Herod who lived in 4 B.C. lead a revolt and was considered by many to be a Messiah until he was killed by Romans. Another man named Athronges, a simple shepherd lead a rebellion against the

Romans during the time of Herod Archaleus (when Jesus was a small child Mt.2:13-23) and claimed himself a Messiah, whose end came at the hands of the Romans. So, when Jesus came along, the “so what’s new?” attitude was already in place. What made Jesus different?

Jesus taught His disciples that He too was going to die at the hands of the Jewish Authority and the Romans.  Yet, there is one remarkable claim that Jesus made, that not only set a stage of controversy – it also was partly what lead to His death. Jesus claimed, Mk. 9:31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise."  There are many that deny that this ever happened, and therefore never occurred. That it is a fable, myth, lore, and lacks any empirical evidence.  What I find interesting is the following:

• If the resurrection is not real and didn't occur, then why did the people crowd, even the Jewish Authority to see Lazarus when Jesus came riding in on a Donkey’s foal? (Jn.12:9)  Lazarus had died and was in a tomb 3-4 days before Jesus raised him (Jn.11:17).  Now here he is coming into the Temple to observe Passover and the crowd all see him.
• If resurrection is not real, they why did the Jewish Authority petition Pilate to have not only a guard placed at the tomb of Jesus, but have a seal set on the tomb (Mt.27:66) to prevent it from happening?
• If resurrection did not happen, they why did the guards report it to the authorities, and why did the authorities pay them to keep quiet about the matter? (Mt.28:11-13)  If it did not happen, there was nothing to keep quiet.
• If the resurrection did not happen, they why do up to the 100’s see Jesus up to a month after he is reported dead? (Acts 1:3, 15; 1 Cor.15:6)

All of this said, belief in the resurrection is a matter of faith. You either believe it or you don’t – just like air – you either believe it exists or you don’t. Yet, in all of this, I find it very fascinating, that if it did not occur, and if it is not real, then why does it cause so much consternation?  If it is not real, then aren’t we who believe just a bunch of wacky religious people who don’t know better?  Yet – if it is real (which I believe it is) then why has it, did it, and does it cause such nervousness with people? Could it be because if it is real and we don’t believe, that we know what the outcome is going to be?

1 Pet 3:21  Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Jim

6 Weeks To Resurrection - The Annas Meeting

After His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus is lead to what will be the first of His trials. John 18:13  First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.  The picture to the right shows a picture from inside the family tomb of Annas where the famously discovered ossuary of Caiaphas was discovered in 1990. This demonstrates to any reader, that the events of the gospels are historical and involved the people that are mentioned in their narratives.   The High Priest's Palace has also been located, and was during its day a palatial multi-story mansion. This is where Jesus was brought, bound for what is his first trial. The Passover ended, Jesus went to the Garden with the disciples on what would have been after 9pm on a Wednesday. It is around midnight when Judas appears in the Garden with the guard to arrest Jesus. For what to us would have been very early Thursday morning (2 am or so), he is escorted from the Garden to the High Priest's Palace. John 18 and the other gospels describe the events, but what is important to understand is that what happened to Jesus was illegal in all sorts of ways.  Both the gospels, the characters mentioned, and historians outside of the scripture all mention that the events were irregular and violations of the rules that the Jews themselves set for things such as this.  Two primary things are 1.)  That he was brought to Annas before he was brought to the Sanhedrin was illegal. Annas had no authority, was not in office, and could not decide anything as far as Jewish law.  2.) The fact that it was still night and that Jesus was beaten were two NO NO's of Jewish law. They would not do this in any other case -- but they did with Jesus. What does this tell you?

Another key event that happens here, is that this is where Peter denies Jesus. To understand this and to see where it occurs really brings home the emotions and fear of the night. In the upper right of the picture is the Reception Hall where Jesus was brought. Just down to the left is the Courtyard where Peter was have stood, "warming himself" Jn.18:18. There was a doorway that is there, and this is where Peter denies Jesus, and it is also where Jesus looks at Peter as the denial occurs. The weight of that moment can be palpably felt, as for Peter - he is crushed. He has not done what he has said he would do. For Jesus - the finality that events are now set in motion and his death is upon Him. 

What can we learn from these events?

1. Prov. 29:25  The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. Fear causes people to do things that they normally would not do. Many things that we do sometimes that we consider "dumb" are things that we do out of fear. Fear that we cannot do without something. Fear that someone will not like us. Fear that we will be blamed, accused, etc.  But, hear the proverb because Trusting in the Lord casts out fear because with God no matter what comes, my path is set. Jesus trusted God in this time of fear. Peter did not, neither did those who accused Jesus. Do you? Or are you afraid?
2. Mt .6:41  "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  This is so true.This was also Peter's dilemma. His spirit was indeed willing to die with the Lord, but when it came time to face the pain - he became weak. This is true with us too. We all go to church, talk bible, and many things that outwardly are spiritual good things. Yet, when the time comes to face the pain, guilt, truth or whatever, our flesh becomes weak and we give in. 1 Jn.1:9 if we confess our sins, God forgives.
3. Jer.10:23  I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Learn that you cannot captain your own ship as many have been taught that they can. We master little in life, and our life is not one of them. Without God in our lives, we are a shipwreck waiting to happen.

Many things happened in this trial that Jesus went through and there were yet more to come. We see humanity at its worst, and God at His best. Ever wonder what would have happened if God had reacted to the world as we would if it were our child -- "What do you think you are doing to my boy?" Me thinks the world would be a crispy critter!  Aren't you thankful for grace?

Jim

6 Weeks to Resurrection: The Night of Gethsemane

There are three actions emphasized in Mark’s narrative regarding the Gethsemane event that lead into the crucifixion, that warrant further investigation. 

1. The kiss of Judas. Mark uses the normal word for kiss, which means "to love," in telling of the arrangement Judas had made with the chief priests. They were to seize the one whom he (Judas) kissed. In the actual moment, when Judas carries this deed out, Mark uses an different form of that word, that means a prolonged kiss, a lover's kiss -- a deliberate, prolonged, apparent-ly loving act, yet done with cold determination to accomplish his own purpose. We shudder at the thought and speak with disgust at those who would do such a thing. Yet, this same heart can exist within us, and at times we do the same type of thing – especially in mob mentalities. We “sacrifice” someone with “a word of kindness,” then leave them to vultures who do nothing but tear and rend.  Judas “thought” he was doing right. I wonder what he was thinking when he hung himself over what he had done after the fact.
2. Second is Peter's “defense.”  Peter is in this passage, trying to make a show of carrying out what he believed. He grabs the sword and, as the priests and soldiers move in on Jesus, he slashes away. But so poor is his aim that all he does is lop off the ear of the high priest's servant. This is such a beautiful example of the flesh at work! We may strike out in our attempts to carry out our purposes, but all we accomplish is the lopping-off of somebody's ear. Attempts to do what we think is right -- but it is not of the Lord. We have all done this. The glorious thing, Luke tells us, is that Jesus reached out and touched that servant and healed his ear. How many lopped-off ears have we been responsible for during our lifetime that Jesus has to come behind us and heal because we thought we were doing what is right.
3. Third is the sudden flight of the disciples. They all forsook him. I am sure this means that, at that moment, after three-and-a-half years, all their confidence that Jesus was indeed the Messiah suddenly forsook them. His willingness to give himself over without any resistance into the hands of his enemies and his refusal to defend himself in any way becomes, in their eyes, his renunciation of being the Messiah. Now it is every man for himself, and so they flee. In Luke's account of the resurrection - remember that as two disciples walked along the road to Emmaus, a stranger appeared, a man whom they did not recognize, and they discussed with him the events that had taken place in Jerusalem. They said to him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, "We had hoped (notice the past tense) that he was the one who would redeem Israel," (Luke 24:21). Their hope was gone, so they forsook him and fled.  And thus the smiting of the shepherd resulted in the scattering of the sheep.

Mark adds what is almost a postscript in Verse 51 “And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.” (Mk 14:51-52)  Whoever this young man is, it is explaining to us how we get the account of Gethsemane. None of the disciples could have given it. One was with those who were arresting Jesus, one who betrayed him and killed himself before he could have written anything (Mt.27:5; Acts 1:17,18). Seven of them were in a part of the garden some distance from Jesus. Three of them were close to him, but they were sound asleep and could not have heard the crying and the prayers; they did not see the angel come and minister to him. But somebody was watching. A certain young man (perhaps Mark himself), was there watching the whole thing. He is the one giving us the story, that we might have hope in the hour of our Gethsemane. This account can help us, when we either feel that we do not want to do what God tells us to do, or feel confident that somehow we can work it out in our own strength. In that hour, this account to reminds us that we can “come to the throne of grace and find mercy and grace to help in time of need."

Someone may be in Gethsemane's Garden right now. So, who are we? Judas? Peter lopping off ears? The running disciples? – or maybe even the young man? There may be some who have just come through it. Will we open our eyes and hearts to understand this passage? We have Jesus, risen from the dead, who goes before us to meet us. The shepherd upon whom we can rely, to whom we can go in the hour of anguish and find the strength -  to do what we do not want to do to obey when we would rather do something else. Are you in Gethsemane?

Jim

Money Changers In The Temple

Now days before the crucifixion and coming resurrection, Jesus has arrived at the Temple riding on the foal of a Donkey to the lauds and praise of the crowd. Already in motion, is the plot to “silence” him. This is not his first trip to the Temple, he has done so before.  On that occasion (John 2:13-25), Jesus saw things in the Temple that were wrong and not seeing the religious authorities doing anything about it, Jesus chased the perpetrators out.  Money Changers, people engaged in currency exchange and animals and birds that were for sale to those coming to Jerusalem to worship (John 2:16; Matthew 21:12). Now he enters the Temple again, and once again sees these same events (Matt.21:12-13; Mk. 11:15-18; Lke. 19:45-48). Now for a second time, Jesus chases these people out of the Temple.

In our world today, especially if we are not acquainted with the traditions, the Biblical Law and matters, we might wonder what the big deal is. Let’s look at some things together:

1.    

 

    The temple, or the area being spoken of here is the “hieron,” in the outer courtyard. Not the sanctuary where only priests were allowed (the naos). This is commonly called the Court of the Gentiles as seen in the picture above.  According to Jewish tradition the Messiah will enter Jerusalem from the east. Jesus entered Jerusalem through the East gate (also referred to as the Golden Gate) as he came down from the Mount of Olives and entered the Temple (Lke 19:28-48)

     Money changers. Foreign money (Roman currency, Greek Currency etc.) was not allowed to be offered in the Temple. As such, the money had to be changed into the half-shekel of Hebrew currency. This would necessitate “money changers,” or what would be like an ancient ATM where you could exchange one country’s currency for another.  Ferrell Jenkins in his Travel Blog points out that it is generally held that the coin used by the Jews for the temple tax was the Tyre shekel, which after 19 B.C. was most likely minted in Jerusalem (cf. Hendin, Guide to Biblical Coins, 175). Alfred Edersheim, who wrote a book on The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, pointed out that the total sum derived annually from the Temple tribute was large.  

What was so wrong with this? Jesus exclaimed a quote from Isaiah, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers (Lk.19:46)." How so?  The act of the money changers in the Temple was a profanity of the Temple itself. The Temple was a house of Worship and prayer and the religious authorities had allowed merchants to come in and make what was to be a joyful experience, a solemn, prayerful and insightful experience into something of hardship and commerce.  They were a den of robbers because they were gouging people in the exchange of coinage and offering purchase of sacrificial animals at exorbitant rates. A lot like going to a theater today and having to pay $5 for a $1 cola.  

There are several warnings here. 

1. First, is that God’s assemblies, churches, temples are NEVER to be places where usury, or commerce. God’s house is always a place of worship, prayer, and communing with God.  
2. Second, man does not have authority to make God’s house something it is not. When we do, we face the wrath of God.

We would do well to heed these warnings, and work toward making worship the spiritual experience and learning that it was always meant to be.

Jim

History, Choices and God

We have seen the prophets’ statements about the Messiah and the natural events that would herald his coming and his death. Daniel spoke of the time of the Messiah being cut off, Joel spoke of the coming “day of the Lord.” Now we narrow down the events to see what is revealed by God regarding not only this, but at how the events played out in the world and actual historical events. In John 11 and 12, we see two integral parts in play. The people acting of their own accord and the Jewish Aristocracy acting on their own. One lauding Jesus, the other plotting to kill him. The point of the passage is, these people did what they did without any coercion. Nobody forced them; they made their own decision; they operated from their free will; they did what they “felt” like doing.  All are left perfectly free to decide according to the way they choose.  What is interesting, is that we are free to choose -- as they were. We can go for or against Jesus -- but as they, we cannot choose the consequences. They will invariably follow a path that will reveal the sovereign choice of God.  

The first reaction of the Pharisees, to call an emergency session of the Sanhedrin shows desperation on their part. They have come together in to take drastic action. John here records three separate views of the same events. The first two are from the human point of view, which would still be shared by many today if we were involved in these events. Yet both of these are horribly, fatally wrong. The third is God's view. In the council of the Sanhedrin there were two parties, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, which saw the events leading up to a political uprising and that would result in the wrath of Rome coming down upon them: "The Romans will come and destroy both our temple and our nation (Jn.11:48)." The remarkable thing, of course, is that they were totally wrong. In fact, it is what they did in putting Jesus to death that had the effect they were hoping to avoid.  What they did not know, or what they forgot, was that Israel was not being preserved by their clever political manipulations.  What was keeping this nation a nation, was the hand of God. When they put the one whom God sent to death, God removed his protection, and the nations which had been hovering like birds of prey fulfilled the predictions of Jesus himself, that the city would be destroyed. History shows that they were terribly, horribly wrong. They were reckoning without the knowledge of all the factors involved.

Paul writes, "We preach a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory," (1 Cor. 2:7-8). There is something secular wisdom does not know and cannot see because it lacks essential knowledge of the facts. Men continually make decisions which look right to them but are really terribly wrong and have disastrous effects upon themselves and upon society. In fact in Jn.11:50, it is Caiaphas’ own words uttering statements that they themselves did not understand, yet statements that confirmed  what you and I know (if we look) is the unseen hand of God in human history. Men could do their worst but they could not alter the divine plan. Richard Halverson, Chaplain to the United States Senate, states it well: "Nothing men can do will thwart or alter the will of God; and nothing God ever does sets aside the sovereign choice of man."  This unseen hand of God in human history is what men ignore, and that makes their free will a total disaster.

Prov.3: 5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path."  It is absolutely impossible to understand what is happening in life unless you see life from God's point of view. There are factors involved that you will miss, there are realities that you do not see, that nobody sees. Nothing reveals time more than the hand of God in history.  Jn.11:54 states, “Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and there he stayed with the disciples.”  Why did he do so? There is no evidence that he ever was afraid of what he was facing. It was because he understood the way God works.  God is still at work, moving among men to raise up kingdoms and overthrow kingdoms. We must never forget that this view of history supplies elements that no secular mind can ever see. The rulers of this age do not understand this and so they make atrocious errors.  Paul says, "But we have the mind of Christ," (1 Cor.2:16). When you begin to have the mind of Christ, when you know the Word of God, when you look at events through its light -- not when you merely listen occasionally to a message, but when you saturate yourself with the mind and thinking of God you can face life realistically. Do you have that mind?

Jim