Sunday, March 25, 2012

24 Hours that Changed the World ~ The Torture and Humiliation of the King

As we come to the final hours of Jesus life, the intensity of the opposition and persecution against Jesus grows, the violence aimed at Jesus increases and yet the narrative decreases. Matthew, Mark and John all tell us that Jesus was flogged but there are absolutely no details given. In fact, in each of these gospels it is less than ½ of one verse which tells us that Jesus was physically beaten and tortured. In Matthew it says, after flogging Jesus, Pilate handed him over to be crucified. John says, Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged and we heard what Mark said, after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified. What usually happens is that we read these few words and just keep going on in the story, but today we aren’t going to do that. As painful as it is, as uncomfortable as it is, we are going to stop and take a moment to look at what Jesus endured here because we need to remember that he endured this, he was flogged and tortured and humiliated, for us.


I have always wondered why such a powerful and painful moment in Jesus life was handled by the gospel writers with just a few words – 13 to be exact. Maybe they didn’t feel the need to talk about the details because everyone would have known exactly what Jesus endured when he was flogged because flogging was a very common and public form of punishment. But I also wonder if they didn’t record any of the details because it was just too painful for them to write about. Jesus was someone they knew and loved and Jesus was someone they should have defended or maybe even been willing to be flogged next to him, so maybe their failure in this moment was just too painful for them to write about in detail. We don’t know, but when we think of what Jesus endured in this hour, we will never look at these 13 words the same way again.

Flogging was common in Jesus day and it was a very public form of punishment and the reason they flogged people in front of the crowds was because it was supposed to be a deterrent to keep others from committing the same crime. If you watched someone being flogged, the pain and agony you saw them endure was supposed to keep you from every following in their footsteps. Flogging, basically, is whipping a person. A prison would be striped and forced to bend over a post with their hands tied in front of them so that their back would be exposed. Soldiers would then begin to rhythmically whip the person again and again and again so the pain of the blows would not stop. Roman soldiers were trained how to flog someone in order to achieved maximum pain and yet not kill the person. The whole point of flogging was to inflict pain and suffering not bring about death.

The flagrum, or whip, was usually made of leather, but woven into the leather would be pieces of stone, metal or bone which would tear flesh off of a person’s back with every blow. Some flagrums had nail like talons at the end of the straps which were particularly effective at ripping away the flesh. The church historian Eusebius said that in Roman flogging the prisoner’s veins would be laid bare and that their very muscles and tendons would be exposed. Again, the whole point of flogging someone was to inflict as much pain as possible and yet keep that person alive for further torture or execution.

While there were different levels of flogging from mild to severe, we don’t know what Jesus suffered. Needless to say, even a mild flogging would be horrible to endure and yet Jesus did and as the pain seared through is back and arms and legs, I have to wonder if he heard these words of the prophet Isaiah, I offered my back to those who beat me (Isaiah 50:6) and by his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 535b). You see, even the flogging of the Messiah was something the prophet Isaiah predicted 600 years earlier, and Jesus knew this. Which means that Jesus knew there was a purpose to what he was enduring and that purpose was to bring healing and salvation to the world.

As painful and difficult as this is to hear, the torture of Jesus wasn’t limited to physical pain and suffering, the Roman soldiers also inflicted emotional pain and suffering by humiliating Jesus in front of the crowds. After Jesus was flogged they stood him upright and placed a purple robe on him. Now think how physically painful just that must have been. Jesus entire back has been ripped open and anything placed on his back and shoulders would have been painful. So they place a robe on Jesus not to protect him but to humiliate him. Jesus had claimed to be King of the Jews, so here the soldiers mock him by placing a purple robe upon his bloody body. Purple was the color of royalty, the color of kings, but they mock him by placing it on his beaten and tied up body. They aren’t finished yet, however, because they then take a thorn branch and twist it into a crown and shove it on Jesus head. Again, think of the physical pain that must have caused as long thorns tear into the skin of Jesus scalp and forehead, and think about how the blood must have flowed into his face and eyes, and then think about the laughter of the soldiers and the people as they shout out, Hail, King of the Jews. They are simply humiliating Jesus here. He had claimed to be king and they are mocking him and making fun of his claims and doing it in a excruciatingly painful way and again Jesus stands silent fulfilling the words of Isaiah, he was oppressed and afflicted and yet did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7).

One of the things to remember as we see the events of these 24 hours unfold is that there is not only a physical and worldly struggle going on here, but there is a spiritual battle as well. There is a spiritual battle between the fullness of God’s power and love and all the evil and darkness of this world. In the gospel of John it says that Jesus is the full light of God and that the light has come into this world, but then it says (John 1:5) the light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it, or the darkness has not overcome it, but it sure tried. From the moment of God’s arrival in Jesus, the forces of evil had been working to overcome this light. After Jesus was born, Herod tried to have him killed by unleashing the evil of this world and having all the boys Jesus age murdered. When Jesus started to teach and preach and perform miracles there were forces and even Satan himself who tried to silence him, and now in the courtyard we see the full force of evil come against Jesus as he is tortured and humiliated.

One of the things that the light of God does is expose the depth and power of darkness – we have seen this over and over again in the last 24 hours of Jesus life in the form of betrayal, lies, and injustice, and now we see it in the form of physical torture and emotional humiliation. All the forces of evil are coming full force against Jesus because there is a spiritual battle between God’s light and love and all the darkness of evil. This hour shows us the real power and depth of evil and as uncomfortable as it makes us feel, this darkness is still with us.

The same darkness and evil we see in this hour we have seen splashed across the news in just the last month. We have seen it when good men who were once honest soldiers go on murderous rampages or urinate on enemy corpses. We have seen it in hardcore violence committed in drug crimes all along our southern border. We have seen it in unspeakable crimes against children as they are used for prostitution, sold into slavery, or locked up and abused for years in our own cities and towns. Torture, humiliation, abuse and violence are all around us today and the truth we don’t want to admit is that the darkness that leads to such attitudes and behavior lies within us as well.

Under the right, or maybe I should say wrong, circumstances, we are all capable of doing things we would never think of doing. That’s one of the tragedies that’s coming out of the story of the soldier who went on the violent rampage in Afghanistan. Many of his family, friends and neighbors have said this was a good man. He had a lot of stress and pressure and in his life, but was still a good man. They are all having a hard time thinking that he could have done what he is accused of doing and yet what he shows us is that there is evil and darkness and brokenness that lies within us all and while we don’t like to admit it, given the right, or wrong, mix of economics, stress, pressure, pain and problems any one of us could end up doing things we would never think we were capable of doing. We need to be honest about this and face this reality in our lives because it will humble us before God. What Jesus shows us in this hour is that the power of evil is strong and it is everywhere and yet we also need to see in this hour that the love and the power of God is stronger.

In this moment of torture, humiliation and pain Jesus doesn’t respond by lashing out against the evil and destroy his enemy, which he could have done. Instead Jesus endures with love and shows us that the power of God and the power of sacrificial love is stronger than all the forces of darkness and evil combined and this is what we need to take away from this hour. This painful hour of Jesus last day needs to teach us 3 things:

the power of evil is real
the love God has for us is strong, and
the power of sacrificial love in our lives can change the world.

The torture and humiliation of Jesus shows us clearly the brokenness of all humanity. While we have seen it before with the disciples running away in Gethsemane and with the Sanhedrin accusing Jesus falsely and Peter denying him three times and the crowds choosing Barabbas, this hour where Jesus is flogged and humiliated shows us just how strong evil really is. When we stop and consider what Jesus endured we not only see the evil in the world, but the darkness and brokenness of our own lives. As much as we may not want to admit it, we are all capable of turning on God and doing things we would never think of doing. There is evil in our world, and there is evil in our lives and this scene needs to not only fill us with remorse in needs to cause us to cry out to God for our own mercy and forgiveness.

These events also speak to the amazing love of God seen in Jesus as he endures both physical and emotional pain for us. When Jesus stands before the crowds with a purple robe and crown of thorns and they mock him and jeer him and as we begin to more fully understand the pain and suffering he endured we need to remember he endured all of this because he loves us - you and me. God loves us so much that he was willing to endure this so that we could experience the power of God’s mercy and grace. When Jesus looks out at the crowd from under a crown of thorns, what his heart was saying was; look what I am willing to do for you. Look at how much I love you. Maybe it’s this image of Jesus that we need to think of when we hear these familiar words, God so loved the world that he gave his one and only this son (John 3:16). This is what God’s love looks like and this is what it means for God to give his Son.

And then last, but certainly not least, what Jesus shows us here is the power of sacrificial love and not just the sacrificial love of Jesus which brings salvation, but our love as well. When Jesus washed his disciples’ feet he said that he had given them an example of love and service that they needed to follow. Elsewhere Jesus said that if we want to follow him we have to take up a cross and I think in some way Jesus is saying the same thing here. This is what sacrificial love looks like. It is painful and it is hard and it doesn’t think at all about what is in it for us, but we endure it because we know that it will bring life to others. The sacrificial love of Jesus we see in this moment needs to motivate us to sacrifice in love for those around us. How can we work to overcome the darkness of this world by loving God and others? What is God calling us to give and sacrifice in love? And how can that sacrifice change our world?

The painful sacrifice of Jesus we see here doesn’t just fulfill the words of the prophets and it doesn’t just bring us eternal life with God, it needs to motivate our lives and words and actions today and tomorrow. In this hour and in these 13 words we need to see the powerful example Jesus has given us to follow. So let us love God and love others as Christ Jesus has loved us.





Next Steps:
24 Hours that Changed the World ~ The Torture and Humiliation of the King

1. Where do you see the reality of evil, darkness and brokenness in our world? What events have you seen this week that reveals the reality of evil?

Pray for God’s light and love to touch these situation and people.



2. Which Christian practices (prayer, worship, fasting…) can help guard our hearts and lives against such evil?

Which practice can you apply to your life this week?



3. The sacrificial love of Jesus seen in this hour needs to move us to love others in the same way. In the face of evil, opposition and persecution, how will you love as Jesus loves?

Sunday, March 18, 2012

24 Hours that Changed the World ~ Jesus, Barabbas and Pilate

12 hours ago Jesus was lifting up a cup in the Passover meal saying that it would be by his outstretched arm on a cross that a new covenant of salvation would be established through his blood. It was 6 hours ago that Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane after accepting this cup and choosing to follow the way of the cross, and it was 3 hours ago that Jesus faced both questions and condemnation by the religious leaders. In that trial the Sanhedrin found Jesus guilt of blasphemy and wanted him executed but they did not have the authority to put people to death.


At the time of Jesus, Rome ruled over Israel and so only Rome had the power to execute criminals so if the Sanhedrin wanted Jesus crucified they needed Pilate, the Roman governor, to issue the decree, so it was probably around 7:00 in the morning when Jesus was led through the streets of Jerusalem to a place called Antonia Fortress which was not only the residence of Pilate but the seat of Roman authority in Jerusalem. What’s interesting to know is that the Antonia Fortress was right next door to the Temple which makes the irony of this scene so much more compelling. As God, Jesus should have rode into the Temple to rule in power and glory, but instead he was tied up and led as a prisoner into the Roman garrison next door so that Pilate could sentence him to death.

Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea at this time and he was known as a harsh ruler. In Luke 13:1 there is a little known story about some Galileans who go to the Temple to make their sacrifices and for some unknown reason Pilate has them killed and then he has their blood mixed with the blood of the sacrifice. While we don’t know any of the details of this story, what it tells us is that Pilate was a cruel man who had no problem having the Jewish people killed and then even in death treating them with contempt. As the governor of Judea, the goal for Pilate was to keep the region and the people quiet and the money flowing to Rome so Pilate would often do whatever was necessary to keep the peace. The Sanhedrin hope that if they make enough noise, Pilate will have Jesus killed in order to keep the peace.

Now the Sanhedrin know that Pilate won’t get involved in their theological debate. He won’t care that Jesus claims to be God, but he will care that Jesus claims to be king. The claim to be king of the Jews was grounds to have someone executed and Pilate had been quick to have others executed who made these same claims, so the Sanhedrin send Jesus to Pilate saying he claims to be king with the hope that Pilate would once again move quickly and have Jesus crucified, but Pilate knows there is something different about Jesus. Every other would be king had led an armed revolt or some kind of violent uprising, but Jesus had not. Jesus didn’t advocate the violent overthrow of Rome and his followers didn’t go about murdering people, so Pilate was able to see through this situation and he understood that Jesus was not a threat to the power and authority of Rome.

Pilate is really an interesting character because while he is known as a harsh and cruel man, here he seems to show compassion for Jesus. He doesn’t take the easy road and just send him off to be crucified; instead he gives Jesus several opportunities to defend himself. It’s as if Pilate is looking for Jesus to defend himself so he can set him free. Pilate could see Jesus was innocent of the charges against him and so there must have been a part of him that didn’t want to give in to the religious leaders and so he almost begs Jesus to say something so he can let him go, but Jesus remained silent.

It is interesting to see how Jesus used silence in these hours. If he had remained silent when he was questioned by the Sanhedrin they would have had to let him go – but he didn’t. Jesus spoke the truth and they handed him over for trial. Here all Jesus needed to do was speak the truth and Pilate would have had to let him go, but here Jesus remains silent and Pilate can’t understanding why, but we do. Jesus’ silence shows us clearly that Jesus continues to be the one in control. Nothing happens here without Jesus allowing it to happen. The events of his final day are not spinning out of control, in fact, Jesus is the one who is in full control and we see this by Jesus choice to be silent when he should speak and to speak when he should be silent.

 
Jesus makes all these choices because he is directing the final outcome, but the silence here doesn’t just determine the outcome, the silence also fulfills God’s word. The events of Jesus death and resurrection were talked about hundreds of years before Jesus. In fact, what we see taking place here was predicted 600 years earlier by the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 53 was written 6 centuries before Jesus and while it talked about the suffering that God’s people were going through at that time, it also looked ahead to the time of the Messiah and it said quite clearly that the coming Messiah would not only suffer for the sin of the people, but it talked specifically about what that suffering would look like, and the description of that suffering looks very similar to what we see taking place in this hour of Jesus’ final day. We heard Isaiah 53 a few weeks ago, but let’s go back and look a section of it again, Isaiah 53:7-8a.

Jesus has been oppressed and afflicted and yet here we see him remain silent. It was a perversion of justice that brought Jesus to this place, they lied to get him here, and picturing Jesus being tied up and led back and forth through the city streets reminds us of an innocent lamb being led to the slaughter. And here before Pilate when Jesus could have defended himself and gone free we see that he did not open his mouth. Jesus remains silent and knows it will mean his death and he is ok with that because Jesus knows the rest of what God said - look at Isaiah 53:10-12.

When we see Jesus stand silent before Pilate it’s because he knows he is this suffering servant. Jesus knows that it will be his life that will be poured out as an offering for the people, and that he will be the one to bear the sins of the world. Jesus is the suffering Messiah which is why in this hour he chose to remain silent, and it was why in the Passover meal Jesus chose to hold up the cup and say that it would be by his blood that a new covenant of salvation would be established. And it was the reason Jesus chose to be arrested in Gethsemane instead of marching through the Temple gates or fighting back when he had the chance. And it was the reason Jesus chose to speak up in front of the Sanhedrin and affirm his identity as God and why he chose in this moment to remain silent.

 
It is important for us to understand the choices Jesus makes here because this is the foundation of our faith. Every choice Jesus makes in his last 24 hours leads him to the cross and Jesus makes the choice to die on the cross because he knows that as the suffering Messiah it will be his death that will atone for our sin. We believe that our sin has cut us off from God. Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death and so the consequence of our sin or our turning away from God is that we are cut us off from God and the life he offers. Since we are all sinners, or as the prophet Isaiah said, all we like sheep have gone astray, we have all turned to our own way, we can’t be reconciled to God on our own, we need a savior. We can’t live the perfect life and we can’t take away our own sin so Jesus came to be that Savior and pay the price for our sin.

Isaiah 53:6b says God laid on the Messiah the iniquity of us all, 53:10 says the life of the Messiah was made an offering for sin and 53:12 says he bore the sin of many. Jesus doesn’t take on our sin as much as he takes on the penalty of our sin, which is death. The death Jesus died on the cross was our death but then he defeats death and in the resurrection overcomes the penalty and the consequence of sin once and for all which means that we are no longer cut off from God. This is what we mean when we say that it is the death and resurrection of Jesus that sets us free and brings us into a relationship with God. Jesus paid it all. Jesus paid the full price for our sin and came to be the suffering servant so that we can be in a relationship with God and experience the life God offers us forever and in Jesus God does this for one reason and one reason only, because God loves us and wants us to be in relationship with him and wants us to experience life with him forever.

This is the choice Jesus makes as he stands silent before Pilate, but Pilate continues to want to set Jesus free and so in a last ditch effort to do this he chooses this moment to release a prisoner for the Jewish people. It had become the custom for Rome to release a Jewish prisoner during the Passover. This was good for the Jewish people because it reminded them that God had set them all free in the days of Moses, but it was also good for Rome because it kept the Jewish people happy and therefore less likely to revolt. So Pilate takes this moment to release for them a prisoner and he gives the people the choice of Jesus or Barabbas.

We don’t know much about Barabbas, but what we do know is pretty interesting because he stands in stark contrast to Jesus, even his name tells us this. Where Jesus was the Son of THE Father (God) the name Barabbas means son of A father. And while both Jesus and Barabbas were arrested for leading an uprising – Jesus was peaceful and non-violent while Barabbas’ was violent. Barabbas was being held for murder, more accurately he was accused of killing someone with the hopes that it would lead to a larger revolt by the Jewish people against the tyranny of Rome.

So the two men wanted the same thing, freedom for God’s people, but they went about it in different ways. Barabbas looked at violent means to overthrow the power of Rome and establish the kingdom of Israel, while Jesus looked for spiritual ways to overthrow the power not only of Rome but of all the world in order to establish the kingdom of heaven. The choice given to the people is clear. Will you choose the way of power, strength and violence to change society or love, forgiveness and sacrifice? Do you want someone who will work to change tax laws so you can have more money or someone who will work to change your heart so you can experience God’s love? Do you want someone who will set you free in the political world today or someone who will set you free from sin and death forever? And the people made their choice; they chose the way of worldly power and economic and political freedom. They chose Barabbas.

And as we watch this hour unfold and hear the shouts of the crowd choosing Barabbas, we are shocked and saddened and we want to say, I would never do that, I would never make that choice, but so many times we do. Think about how often we choose Barabbas? We choose Barabbas every time we chose those things that will make us more powerful instead of being willing to sacrifice in love. We choose Barabbas every time we choose economic stability over giving all we have to God and his kingdom. We choose Barabbas every time we choose to be comfortable and safe instead of stepping out in faith to suffer and give for the salvation and wellbeing of others. The truth is that we choose Barabbas every day when we don’t place God and all his ways first in our lives.

The crowds chose Barabbas and so Pilate has one more choice to make. He was a cunning and cruel man who knew what the people wanted and to just be mean and spiteful he could have released Jesus, but Pilate was also politically smart and he didn’t want a riot on his hands so to keeps the peace and to make himself look good he gives in to the demands of the people and releases Barabbas. Think about it, it was peer pressure that, in part, sends Jesus to the cross. It was peer pressure that shaped Pilate’s choice in this hour and condemned Jesus to death.

In this hour, what will shape our choice?

There is a lot of peer pressure today to not choose Jesus. It’s not politically correct to follower Jesus. You’ll be laughed at and ridiculed if you follow Jesus. You will suffer at work or in school or in your family if you say you want to more closely follow Jesus. It might cost you something if you are serious about following Jesus, but like Pilate, Barabbas, the crowd and Jesus, we all have choices to make. Pilate chose to give in to peer pressure and political correctness, the crowds and Barabbas chose the way of strength and economic freedom and Jesus chose the way of God - a way of sacrifice and suffering and love. We all have choices to make, in this hour, what will you choose? In this hour, who will you choose? Will you choose to follow the crowd? Will you choose to follow yourself? Or will you choose to follow Jesus?


 
Next Steps:
24 Hours that Changed the World ~ Jesus, Barabbas and Pilate

1. Jesus chose to be the suffering servant talked about in Isaiah. Read again Isaiah 52:13-53:12. List all the ways Jesus fulfilled this image of the Messiah. How can we follow in the footsteps of Jesus and be a suffering servant today?

2. Barabbas and the crowds chose to bring about change in this world through physical strength and violence, in what ways do we make this same choice? How have we chosen:
• Economic stability over sacrificial giving?
• Safety over suffering and service?
• Comfort over risk taking steps of faith?

 
3. Pilate chose to give in to peer-pressure and give the crowd what they wanted. When have you chosen to give in to peer-pressure and compromised your faith and witness to Jesus:
• At school?
• At work?
• At home?
• Among friends?

 
4. If you have never done it, choose Jesus today to be your Savior.
Acknowledge that you are a sinner who has “gone astray”.
Accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness for your sin.
Be Assured that you are now restored into a right relationship with God and
Ask God for the strength to love him, live for him and follow him daily.

 

Sunday, March 11, 2012

24 Hours that Changed the World ~ Condemned by the Righteous

It was during the darkness of the early morning that Jesus would have been led away from Gethsemane to the home of Caiaphas, the High Priest, to await trial. Instead of entering the Temple through the beautiful gate to take his place among the religious leaders as their Prince, the Messiah, Jesus was instead bound and led through the city streets to the High Priest’s home where he would have been lowered into a pit that was used as a prison cell. Remember it was the middle of the night when Jesus was arrested so it would have taken some time to call the Sanhedrin together once they knew they had Jesus in custody so until the time of trial Jesus was held as a prisoner. As Jesus was lowered into the pit we have to wonder if he was maybe thinking about or praying through these psalms:  Psalm 30:9-10, Psalm 40:2-4.

As Jesus was praying, the Sanhedrin was gathering. Now the Sanhedrin was the ruling body of Israel made up of 70 elders and the high priest. This council was established by God at the time of Moses and was created to help settle disputes among God’s people. The Sanhedrin, which literally means sitting together, was not supposed to meet at night, nor were they to meet during a religious feast or festival, but here we see them breaking both of their own rules to gather at night during the Passover and the reason they did was because they saw this situation with Jesus as being both dangerous and unusual. Because of his growing popularity, these elders had to do something to silence Jesus or else there would be civil unrest and they would lose their hold on the people, but if they arrested Jesus and began a trial during the day, in full view of all the people, the crowds who cheered Jesus just a few days earlier might have turned on them creating more problems. So the Sanhedrin went against their rules and gathered at night during the Passover to begin to discuss what to do with Jesus.

For the Sanhedrin to convict someone of a crime they needed at least two witnesses to agree about the charges and as we hear from Mark, they were not able to do this with Jesus. In fact, what we see here is that the whole trial is a farce. Many different people were standing up and accusing Jesus of all kinds of things, but they couldn’t even find 2 people to agree with their lies. If Jesus just remained silent they would have to let him go, and at first it looked as if Jesus might do just that. When Caiaphas asked Jesus to respond to all the wild charges that were being brought against him, he said nothing. And then Caiaphas asked Jesus the question - Are you the Messiah? Again all Jesus had to do was remain silent and he would be a free man, but Jesus knows that salvation will come from his outstretched arm on the cross so he answers the question. It’s important for us to see this. Jesus could have said nothing and been set free, but he answers the question knowing full well that his answer will lead to his death. It’s important to notice how Jesus is in control of all the events here. Nothing takes place during these last 24 hours that Jesus does not want to take place – it is all a fulfillment of God’s purpose and plan.

So let’s look at Jesus response in Mark 14:62. Now on the surface this doesn’t seem like a very radical response, but we know it is because of the strong reaction of the religious leaders. What Jesus said drove them wild (Mark 14:65). What exactly is it that Jesus said here? Well, the first thing Jesus said is I AM. Now this is not a simple affirmation to Caiaphas question, are you the Messiah, this is a radical statement about Jesus’ identity. What Jesus is saying here is that he is God. I AM is the name God gave himself when he called Moses at the burning bush. When God called Moses to return to Egypt and lead His people out of slavery into the Promised Land Moses was reluctant to do it so he asked God, what should I say when the people ask me who has sent me to lead them. God answered, tell them I AM sent you. So here, when Jesus said, I AM, he was saying that he is God and this was clear to everyone on the Sanhedrin. Remember, they have all just finished the Passover meal and so the story of Moses leading God’s people out of Egypt had just been retold in all of their homes so God telling Moses that his name was I AM was fresh in their minds. They knew exactly what Jesus was saying here, he was calling himself God, but that’s not all he said.

Jesus goes on and says, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One. This is a reference to Psalm 110 which Jesus used on several occasions to talk about himself. If we look at Psalm 110 we see that David was talking about the special place he had at the right hand of God as the chosen king, but when Jesus references it here he is saying that he is in this unique place at the right hand of God and he will not only rule with power and authority but he will also be the one to defeat the enemies of God. The Sanhedrin not only understand that Jesus is referring to himself as King, but they know he is looking at them as the enemies because for the past few days Jesus has done nothing but be critical of their leadership. He has called them blind guides and false prophets and white washed tombs so they know Jesus sees them as enemies of God. So not only has Jesus proclaimed himself to be God, but he has proclaimed himself to be the ruler and king who will defeat these very men, but Jesus isn’t done yet.

Jesus ends with a quote from Daniel 7, coming on the clouds of heaven, and here, once again, Jesus is talking about himself as the Messiah who at the end of time will come on the clouds to establish and reign over God’s kingdom forever. So Jesus doesn’t just answer Caiaphas’ question with a simple yes, he proclaims himself to be the Messiah, the very son of God even God himself with three powerful references from the Old Testament and the religious leaders understand completely what Jesus is saying and they believe his words to be blasphemy which is why they tear their clothes.

Tearing ones clothes was not only a sign of deep grief and sorrow but it was also a sign of outrage, so tearing their clothes would have been a normal reaction to Jesus claim to be God. What would not have been normal was for these religious leaders, the holiest men in all of Israel, to spit on Jesus, mock him and strike him, which is exactly what they did. I have to say that this was a new detail in the story for me. It was the religious leaders who spit on Jesus, mock him, ridicule him and hit him. I always thought this behavior came from the soldiers, which it does, but it begins with the religious leaders, these holy men of God.

What is it that causes these holy men to behave this way? Many people believe it is fear. The leaders of Israel were afraid that if left unchecked, Jesus would take away their power and authority. These 71 men on the Sanhedrin controlled just about everything in Israel and the ideas and teaching of Jesus threatened them and in time would undermine their power and hold on the people. If Jesus’ teaching continued to take hold among the people it would bring a fundamental change to society that not only threatened their way of life, but these men’s status and standing and power. So fear not only causes them to arrest Jesus in the dark of night and begin a trial when they weren’t supposed to, but fear moves them to do things they would never dream of doing otherwise – mocking and spitting on and hitting a man many people saw as a rabbi.

And as fear moves these holy men to turn on Jesus we see fear causes Jesus’ own disciples to turn on him as well. While Jesus has been questioned by the Sanhedrin, Peter has been going through his sort of trial. Peter had followed behind Jesus in the shadows and found what he thought was a safe place in the courtyard where he could see and or hear what was going with Jesus. While he was hiding in the shadows a servant girl comes and accuses Peter of being one of Jesus followers. Peter denies it and moves deeper into the shadows, but the woman is persistent and accuses him again, and again Peter denies it. Finally the crowd joins in and they all accuse Peter of being a follower of Jesus and instead of being silent, running away or simply denying it a third time Peter did something he never thought he would do, he called down curses on himself and swore that he did not know who Jesus was.

So while Jesus was being questioned by the leading rulers of Israel, the most powerful men in the land, Peter was being questioned by a servant girl who had no standing or authority at all. While Jesus was completely truthful in all he said, Peter lied at every turn. And in fear the religious leaders do the unthinkable and mock, ridicule and beat Jesus and in fear Peter does the unthinkable and swears on an oath that he doesn’t know Jesus. Now while the religious leaders were afraid of losing power and status and control, Peter was afraid of losing his life. Peter was afraid of being arrested, tried, beaten and maybe even crucified with Jesus.

So it is fear that causes these men to do things they would never normally do and it is fear that moves us to do things we might never think of doing and there are all kinds of fears that we face today. There is economic fear; we aren’t sure if we will have enough money to get through the end of the month or through our retirement. We fear our financial future, or our children’s future. We fear being able to buy a house, or a car, or for that matter the next tank of gas. And our economic fears can cause us to do things that we might not otherwise do. For example fear of not having enough money can keep us from giving the way we want to give, or helping the people God calls us to help. Economic fears can drive us to treat people poorly or accuse people of taking things that we think rightfully belong to us. Through history, economic fears have led to racism, sexism, wars and unspeakable violence as we unfairly put others down so that we can get what we think we need or deserve.

We also face relational fear. As we see marriages fall apart and families crumble we struggle with the fear of ending up alone. Loneliness is a very real fear that pushes people into all kinds of unhealthy relationships and fear of being alone and unloved can lead to destructive behavior. We hear stories all the time of how the fear of loneliness has led people, especially young people and teens to do things that they would never normally do.

Like Peter we also face physical fears, maybe not fear of being arrested, beaten or killed, but we experience fear in the face of disease like cancer or diabetes and there are the physical fears we face when we look around at the growing instability in our world. There is fear when we hear about a nuclear Iran or preemptive strikes by Israel, or when we see terrorist strikes or even random acts of violence. There is a lot of fear around us today and like we see in Peter and these religious leaders, this fear can cause us to do things we might not otherwise do.

Do you remember the fear that spread at the end of 1999? People were unsure if computers would work in the year 2000 and so in the wake of Y2K people started to stock up on food and water. I had a roommate at the time who wanted to start loading up on canned goods and bottled water because he was afraid of what was going to happen. Now this was a faithful Christian who was generous and giving, but fear was causing him to not trust God and seriously think about hording food. Fear can cause us to do all kinds of things we wouldn’t normally do or to run away from those things God is calling us to do. Have you ever heard God asking you to step out in faith in some way but you didn’t because of fear? Have you ever run from God in fear, or said no to God out of fear?

While we experience all kinds of fear today, we do not need to have our lives directed or controlled by fear, there is an answer to overcoming it. Look at 1 John 4:16-20. It is perfect love that casts out fear.

It was perfect love that helped Peter overcome his fear and get to the point where he no longer denied that he knew Jesus but proclaimed him as Lord. While fear caused Peter to deny Jesus in the courtyard, after his resurrection Jesus returned to Peter and asks him three times if he loved him. Three times Peter said yes and three times the love of Jesus forgave Peter, and it is this perfect love, shared between Jesus and Peter that gives Peter the strength and power to stand firm in the face of both accusations and persecution. Just a few months after Peter’s fear and failure in the courtyard he will be standing up in the city of Jerusalem telling all the world that he is a follower of Jesus who is the resurrected Messiah. The rest of Peter’s life will be spent facing opposition from people more than powerful than servant girls, and he will stand up under that persecution, even die on his own cross because the love of God cast out his fear, and the love of God can cast out our fear as well.

No matter what kind of fear we might be experiencing today, the love of God can overcome it. If we are facing economic fears then the love of God can assure us that God will supply all our needs. If we are experiencing relational fear and the fear of loneliness then the love of God reminds us that God will never leave us nor forsake us and that God can heal and redeem and restore relationships. If we are physically afraid for ourselves or for our world then the love of God can remind us that God is in control of all things and that no matter what happens in the days to come, God will come on the clouds to bring life and life eternal.

God’s perfect love casts out fear, and Gods love is experienced in all of our lives as we share it with one another. 1 John tells us we must love one another. Right here and now we need to love one another and when we do we not only help others overcome fear, but we overcome it ourselves.

What this hour of Jesus’ final day shows us is that fear can cause us to turn away from Jesus and even turn on him, but if we are willing to trust in the love of God and if we are willing to share God’s love with one another – we can overcome fear and experience God’s gift of life.


Next Steps:
24 Hours that Changed the World ~ Condemned by the Righteous

1. What fears can you identify in your life today?
Spiritual:
Economic:
Relational:
Physical:
Global:

2. How are these fears giving shape to your attitudes? Actions?

3. Being lowered into the pit (prison cell) Jesus may have experience all kinds of fear, how might Psalm 18, Psalm 30, and Psalm 40 helped him overcome his fear?

4. How can these same Psalms help us overcome our fears?







5. What have you seen in Jesus’ final day so far that reveals the perfect love of God? Give thanks for this love and accept it into your own heart and life.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

24 Hours that Changed the World ~ Garden of Gethsemane

After the Last Supper was finished it says that Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn and what is amazing is that we know what that hymn might have been. The meal they just finished was the Passover or Seder meal and the specific readings that closed that time of worship came from Psalms 113-118. So the hymn that Jesus may have been singing and the message that may have been on his heart and mind as he went off to pray could have been this: Psalm 116:1-6.


Jesus probably did feel those cords of death around him as he walked to Gethsemane because he knew what was coming. With his betrayal at the hands of Judas coming in a few hours and his death on the cross looming less than a day away, Jesus must have been thinking to himself how the cords of death entangled him and he surely must have felt the anguish of the grave come upon him and he is so overcome with trouble and sorrow that in just a few moments he is going to call on the name of God to save him.

When Jesus arrives in the garden or grove of olive trees known as Gethsemane, he would have had a very clear view of the Temple, particularly the East Wall of the Temple which contained what is known as the Beautiful Gate. It was through this gate that the prophet Ezekiel said that God’s prince, or the Messiah, would enter the city. Ezekiel 44:1-3. So as Jesus looks up at this gate he is thinking to himself that he could be that Prince. Jesus could be this kind of Messiah who could come that day and redeem and rescue God’s people. This is a very real option for Jesus. There will be any number of opportunities for Jesus to reveal his power and glory to the world in the next few hours and so as he enters Gethsemane, Jesus is struggling to see if maybe this is God’s will. Is God calling him to rise up at this moment and come as God’s prince through the beautiful gate and free God’s people, or is he to leave the Temple the next afternoon carrying a cross? What is God’s will? What kind of Messiah is God calling him to be?

To be able to discern God’s will in this moment is a real struggle for Jesus. He is feeling pressure from both sides which is why I think he chose Gethsemane as the place to pray because Gethsemane means Olive Oil press and Jesus is feeling pressed between 2 very different and yet very viable options. Will he come with God’s power here and now and bring a worldly victory, or will he surrender himself as the Lamb of God and allow victory over sin and death to come through his blood shed on a cross? Jesus enters Gethsemane to pray about this very thing and what amazes me isn’t that this is a struggle for Jesus, what amazes me is that as Jesus enters into this time of prayer he is looking for help and support.

As Jesus and his disciples arrive in Gethsemane it says Jesus takes with him Peter, James and John and walks further into the grove of trees where he finally pours out his heart to his friends. He tells them that his soul is overwhelmed to the point of death, words which again echo Psalm 116, and Jesus is looking for his friends to watch and pray with him. For me, this is one of the most amazing moments in the gospels, maybe in all of human history, because it is the moment where the God of the universe in the person of Jesus asks for help and looks for support. Jesus, who had the power to call out demons, walk on water, raise the dead and put the religious leaders in their place, is looking for help and asking for support, and yet, if we stop and think about it, God is always asking for help. God makes the conscious choice to work with us, which means that everyday God is looking to us for help and support in accomplishing his purpose and plan in the world.

God entrusts his message of love and salvation to us and then He calls us to work with him to share that message with others. God calls us to work with him to bring about the love and justice of his kingdom. What a privilege it is for us to work with God. What an honor for us to hear God say, I am asking for your help today and I need you and want you to work with me. The question is, will we? Will we be faithful and work with God or will we, like Peter, James and John, allow the things of this world to pull us away?

Peter, James and John were asked to work with Jesus, to watch and pray with him and I’m sure their desire was to be there for Jesus because they loved him, but in spite of their love, they allowed the things of this world to pull them away. Now before we get too critical of Peter, James and John we have to remember that it is late at night, they have just finished a big meal filled with lots of food, wine and emotions and while they can see that Jesus is visibly upset, they don’t know what’s coming. They don’t know Jesus’ betrayal is at hand and they don’t know the pressure Jesus is facing and the options that He sees before him. They don’t see what Jesus sees, they just know they are tired and so end up falling asleep again, and again and again.

I wonder if the disciples had been able to see all that Jesus was going through if they would have stayed awake and watched and prayed with him? While we will never know, I do believe that the more we see of God’s work and movement in the world, the more faithful we will be. For us to remain faithful and obedient to God during the difficult times when it would be easier to fall asleep or walk away we need to be able to see the movement of God. Seeing God at work gives us the encouragement and strength to keep working ourselves. When Peter saw Jesus walk on water he wanted to walk on water with him. When the disciples saw Jesus heal the sick and raise the dead they wanted to be part of God’s work. When we see God move in people’s lives, when we see miracles of healing and hope it gives us strength and power to keep working with God, so if we don’t want to fall away when God calls us to work with him, we need our eyes and the eyes of our heart opened to what God is doing, we need to watch what God is doing and then we need to pray and ask God to help us move with him.

But the disciples don’t see all that God is doing and so they don’t pray and once again Jesus is betrayed and alone. Jesus goes off to pray and his prayer is that the cup would pass from him. Now if we go back to Psalm 116 which may have been the psalm on Jesus mind as he finishes the Seder meal and walks to Gethsemane, there is a line which says, I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord (116:13). Now if we tie this cup of salvation to the cup of salvation that Jesus physically lifted up a few hours ago in the Seder meal cup we know that this cup of salvation for Jesus means his outstretched hand nailed to a cross. The cup Jesus is talking about here is the cup of salvation but we see that it is also a cup of suffering, so when Jesus asked for the cup to pass from him he was asking God if there was another way for him to redeem and rescue God’s people without having to die on a cross. Going back to Exodus 6 and the four-fold promise of God, was there a way for Jesus to set people free from the slavery of sin and death and make them God’s people without having to stretch out his hand on the cross? Could God just allow this third cup to pass from him and still redeem His people?

In Gethsemane there are 2 very clear roads before Jesus. There is the road of suffering - the way of the cup, and there is the road of worldly power and life - the way of the Temple gate that Jesus can see from where he prays. The struggle for Jesus, the struggle which drives him to his knees in prayer is which road will He take? Which road is God’s will? The truth is that Jesus already knows the answer because the questions was answered by God a long time ago. The prophet Isaiah said that it would be by the wounds of the Messiah that the people would be healed. Isaiah 53:3-11.

God had decided long ago that it would be the suffering of the Messiah that would redeem the world, but as that suffering comes close, the temptation for Jesus to take the easy road and seek some other way is strong, but this is not the first time Jesus has faced this temptation. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was led by Satan into the wilderness where he was tempted three times, and each temptation was to take the easy way out. There was the temptation to turn stones to bread and not live a life of sacrifice but a life where he met his own personal and physical needs. Jesus refused. There was the temptation to throw himself off the top of the Temple and allow God’s angels to rescue him and thus reveal to the world in one spectacular moment exactly who he was as the Messiah. Jesus refused. And then there was the temptation to grab hold of all the world’s riches and power and again, Jesus refused.

Three times at the beginning of his ministry Jesus was tempted to take the easy road and here at the end of his earthly ministry is one final temptation for Jesus to again take the easy road. It would be physically easier and less painful for Jesus to reveal his power and glory now than to carry a cross and this was a very real temptation and struggle for Jesus. In Luke’s gospel it says that Jesus struggled so much that his sweat was like drops of blood.

As we watch Jesus struggle in Gethsemane we begin to see that through Jesus God understands the temptations we face in life. God not only knows the temptation we face to take the easy way out but this scene shows us that God understands many other struggles we face. God knows what it is like to want and need the help and support of others and not get it. He knows what it is like to feel betrayed and let down. He understands the uncertainty of the future and the concern we have for those we leave behind. Maybe more than anything what we see here is that Jesus understands just how hard it is to be sure of God’s will for our lives.

So we see that God understands what we struggle with in life, but then we see in Jesus the power of God’s love for us when he says, not what I will, but what you will. Mark 14:36.

My hope is that this is a prayer we would also want to make, but let’s be honest, it is not easy. Setting aside our will to take up the will of God is not easy and what we learn from Jesus is that if we are going to do it, if we are going to embrace God’s will and not our own we are going to need God’s help and we are going to need to watch and pray and a good prayer for us to use would be a prayer written by John Wesley called the covenant prayer. (see below)

This covenant prayer can help us stay focused on what God wants for us and it gives words to our desire to be faithful even when we become weak or afraid or tempted to take the easy way out. I want to encourage us to use this prayer every day this week and see if begins to bring clarity to God’s will or if it gives us strength to follow Jesus once God’s will is made known.

The final scene in Gethsemane is a painful one. Judas arrives and has agreed to hand Jesus over to the religious leaders and the sign he gives the soldiers so they arrest the right man in the dark of night is a kiss, but it wasn’t just a signal, the kiss was also a sign of deep love and affection Judas had for Jesus because the word that is used here is philein which isn’t just a peck on the cheek; it is a kiss given out of genuine love. Judas loves Jesus and Jesus loves Judas, which makes this betrayal that much more painful. The kiss shows us that once again God knows what it is like to be betrayed and let down by those we love. We always need to understand that God does know what we go through in life – he’s gone through it himself.

Once we see Jesus arrested we might assume that his options are over, but they are not. Jesus could still fight back and in fact he is given a golden opportunity when Peter draws his sword and strikes one of the soldiers. Now in the movies this would be the moment when all hope seems lost but then suddenly a door opens and the hero emerges victorious – but this is not Hollywood and God’s ways are not ours. So instead of fighting back and choosing this moment to secure a victory, Jesus stops the fight and surrenders himself to the enemy. God will emerge victorious but in another way and on another day and in a more powerful way. The victory is coming, but it’s not going to be in this moment in Gethsemane.

Instead, what we see as this hour draws to a close is that everyone has failed Jesus. Judas has betrayed him, Peter, James and John have let him down, and all the rest have run off into the night. As we think about this moment, where would we be? Would we be fleeing into the night? Would we be standing with Jesus as the one who betrayed him? Or would we be standing with him saying to the soldiers, take me too? I know we would want to be the one who would stand with Jesus, but let’s be honest, that is not where we would be, but we can get there and Jesus tells us how in three little words - watch and pray. Watch where and how God is moving in your life and the world, and then pray for the strength to move with him.


Next Steps
24 Hours that Changed the World ~ The Garden of Gethsemane

1. Each day this week sing (read) one of the hymns Jesus and his disciples would have sung as they travelled from the upper room to Gethsemane. Psalms 113 – 118

2. Read the Temptation story in Matthew 4:1-11 or Luke 4:1-13. How does this story compare to Jesus time in Gethsemane? How can we learn from Jesus to overcome temptation in our own lives?

3. Watch and Pray. Use John Wesley’s covenant prayer to surrender yourself daily to God’s will.

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

What is God’s work for you today? Who can / will support you? Have you asked them?