Walking in the dark is dangerous. That’s why the Psalmist said he’d rather have a spiritual flashlight: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalms 119:105 KJV) You’ve heard this verse before, and I’m sure you thought, “Yes, God’s word provides insights that enlighten and give direction.”
Be Careful Out There
But have you stopped and thought about what it really says? Have you ever hiked at night over rocky ground? Imagine doing that for a minute. Walking in the dark is no picnic. It’s spooky out there, what with the animal noises and nocturnal predators. People get lost more easily in the dark, in more ways than one. Have you ever been out walking in a big city after midnight? Ever thought about how much crime takes place between 11:00 pm and 4:00 am? Or just how dangerous it can be, walking around in the “dead of night”?
Walking the Shadowlands
Even after your eyes adjust to the darkness, you have to be careful about where you step and where you are headed. Sure, there may be a path, but there might be sticks, bushes, uneven terrain, or rocks at your feet that can trip you or make you fall. You might even wander off the path and get lost. Darkness is dangerous. In Psalm 23, David wasn’t concerned about walking in the valley of the bright lights of death, he wanted God’s presence in the valley of the SHADOW of death.
Darkness obscures your path and makes it harder for you to know where to go. It also allows cover for bad things. John 3:19 reminds us that “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil…” When do you think the most crimes are committed? (When it’s DARK.) Is there anything you prefer to do under cover of darkness? Anything you do that you don’t want people to see? (Then of course, as your Mom said, you probably shouldn’t DO it.)
Light Versus Dark
The relationship of darkness to our spiritual journey is fairly clear. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.” (Isaiah 9:2, NKJV) Satan loves darkness and death, and God by His very nature provides light and life. Jesus compared God’s people to the lights of a city on the hill, shining in the darkness.
But think about this as well: when you are walking in darkness over uncertain terrain, a light shone at your feet gives you just enough illumination to take the next few steps safely, even though it does not enable you to see a great distance down the path. So it is with a spiritual walk: you are given sufficient illumination for today, so that you are not distracted by worries or curiosity about the future.
I never thought of this verse as meaning “be in the moment”, but that’s kinda what it says… Use God’s word to be “in the moment” with Him today, and you’ll stay connected to God’s light, God’s people, and to Him. As 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Dark Steps
Statistics say the dead of night will hide the darkest deeds, Since darkness gives the criminal the cover that he needs; Lurking in the shadows there, the evil one is stalking, So exercise some care at night, and watch where you are walking! Wandering in darkness, there’s no telling who you’ll meet: So let God’s word become a spiritual lamp unto your feet. A lack of guiding light can also make us go astray, And wander into danger in the dark along the way. Statistics tell the story; I don’t have to do the math, So use God’s word and let it be the light upon your path!
The apostle Paul went to great lengths to spread Christ’s message, and he willingly faced all kinds of danger. He apparently took Jesus quite literally when the Master called Paul to follow Him. Maybe he was so zealous because he had tried to wipe out this new movement about following Jesus; maybe he was just a passionate guy. But he served Christ with all of his heart, regardless of personal discomfort or danger.
Foolishness Observed
In spite of that, he was criticized by others, picked at by wanna-be church leaders, and stabbed in the back by jealous contemporaries. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he addressed some of the folks who boasted about all they had done, casting aspersions that Paul was not as committed as people said he was. Since they had called him a fool, he said in 2 Corinthians 11:16: “Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting…”
He went on to remind them of his qualifications: “Are they servants of Christ? (You must think I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more; I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move.
Paul Understood Danger
I have been in danger from rivers, from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; and I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked…” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27, NIV)
This was Paul’s response to critics who threw shade at his ministry. As you read it, just make a note of each of the dangers, risks, hardships, and life-threatening situations he endured to share the Gospel. It’s quite a resume. Five beatings of thirty-nine lashes. Three beatings with rods. One very personal encounter with angry stones. Three shipwrecks. And those are just the highlights! He doesn’t even get to his imprisonments and martyrdom…
Total Commitment
To Paul, following Christ was an “all in” proposition. (After all, he was the one who said, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!”) You really should read that list again to let it sink in. Now say Philippians 1:21 again and personalize it: “for ME, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Most of us see commitment far too casually. We are like the chicken who suggests to the pig that we should give the farmer a ham and egg breakfast. The pig puts things in perspective: “Look, that’s a great idea, but it has some consequences. For you, it’s INVOLVEMENT. But for me, its TOTAL COMMITMENT.” Paul was totally committed.
In today’s world, we get bent out of shape if the sermon goes 20 minutes over, and people (on average) spend about NINE minutes a day being involved in their spiritual lives (including church!). Yep, about an hour a week. When I look at Paul’s list, I am struck by both the hardship he was willing to endure and the passion he brought to sharing the message of the gospel. To Paul, things like hunger, thirst and danger were just minor inconveniences compared to the glory of telling the good news. Kinda makes you feel a little bad about saying you don’t have time to be a greeter, doesn’t it?
I, Paul
I have lived a joyful life! I’ve learned to be content. Just think of all I saw, and all the places that I went! I went to Macedonia, and traveled far from home; We sailed upon the open sea! I got to go to Rome! Yes there have been some hardships that occurred along the way, Like when our ship went down, and I went swimming for a day. And yes I was arrested, and got whipped a time or five– And that time I was stoned, I’m still amazed I stayed alive!
And yes, although I’ve had some inconvenience and some pain: I know for me to Live is Christ, for me to die is gain! But looking back now, I can say I’ve served Him from the start: And I would challenge you, my friend, to serve with all your heart. When you are looking back on life, with all the good and bad, I hope that you can say with me, “I gave it all I had!”
(The resurrection on Easter Sunday, the last of the Ten days of Passion Week) All over the world, people today are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. It’s an interesting phenomenon because most rational people know that it is impossible to raise anyone from the dead, right? And yet, believers everywhere accept by faith that the resurrection actually occurred. Why?
Is there a reason why people believe Jesus was Raised From the Dead?
How can anyone accept the resurrection as fact when it HAS to be false? Why celebrate Easter at all if it the resurrection couldn’t have happened? It’s a legitimate question that any skeptic would ask, and a fairly rational objection. I’d offer a couple of things in response. I don’t believe faith has to be blind, or that as Christians we have to discard reasonable logic because we have faith.
First of all, there is EVIDENCE of the resurrection. There were lives indisputably changed ONLY AS IF Jesus had been raised from the dead. The disciples were somehow transformed from a group of hidden cowards and traitors to bold witnesses who proclaimed the resurrection in the face of persecution and opposition. Hundreds of other eyewitnesses shared the good news with thousands of believers. All of them stubbornly maintained the truth of the resurrection, even when threatened with arrest and violent death. Why? Why should anyone die for a hoax or a lie? There was no compelling reason for them to maintain a spiritual charade!
Eyewitness Accounts
There were written accounts of it that were widely circulated as affidavits to the truth. Eyewitnesses accounts testified about seeing Jesus in a risen state well after his crucifixion and death. To me, all of those things speak to a central fact: something happened. Something happened that transformed cowardly disciples into powerful witnesses. Something caused ordinary people to become extraordinary believers; and something created a movement that shifted human history and eventually toppled the mighty Roman Empire. But those things are not the evidence that impress me most about the truth of the resurrection; what gets my attention is the way the Gospel writers told the story, because they did it all wrong.
Compelling, Counter-Intuitive Evidence
“But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:5-7, NKJV).
This is Matthew’s account of the Gospel testimony to the resurrection of Jesus? Do you see what is really out-of-place here? There is something drastically wrong with Matthew’s story. You see, he and the other Gospel writers recorded that women were the first witnesses at the empty tomb.
The Wrong Witnesses
In Jewish law, women’s testimony was not admissible, so why would Hebrew authors include this information unless it was incontrovertibly TRUE? No first century Jewish reader would have given credence to this account of the resurrection. (In fact, Luke says that eventhe disciples thought the women’s story was “idle tales”. Mark says when mourners heard this news, “they did not believe”.) But instead of reworking the story to make it more credible (which would have been the obvious play if they were perpetuating a hoax), the Gospel writers reported that the women were first on the scene.
They did his in spite of the fact that such an “un-doctored” version might hurt their credibility with Jewish readers. If the Gospel writers had wanted to convince everyone that the resurrection was true, they would have written a more believable story. When a lie would have served them better, they told the truth about what happened. (Kind of the opposite of much of today’s journalism…)
A Number of Facets to the Resurrection
When Mary Magdalene encountered Jesus in his resurrected body, she did not recognize him until he called her by name. (So on a side note, I think we can assume that our resurrected bodies will be different than our current ones. Something else to look forward to for some of us!) And a little research about the Easter narrative reveals that it contains fulfilled prophecy, conquered death, eternal hope, transformation, substitution, revolution, and affirmation… It’s hard to even describe just how important the resurrection is, so from this point I think it’s best to just let Scripture speak for itself:
Paul was Convinced, and Scripture is Clear
“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. That He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, and then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” (I Corinthians 15:3-8, KJV).
“For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” (I Corinthians 15:16-19).
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25)
“For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection…” (Romans 6:5)
A Hope Worth Having
And finally: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hopethrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (I Peter 1:3).
The resurrection is not a fantasy or an early Christian conspiracy. Chuck Colson made the observation that if twelve of the most powerful men in America could not keep Watergate secret, it is HIGHLY unlikely that twelve fishermen and disciples could have maintained a secret conspiracy to invent the resurrection while being tortured and killed over it. The reality of the resurrection toppled an Empire who tried to suppress it, and hundreds of eyewitnesses died attesting to it as fact. That factual occurrence changed the world 2,100 years ago and has been changing the world ever since. It still has the power to change yours today. He is risen! HE IS RISEN INDEED!
John and Matthew, scholars say your gospel might be phony! No Hebrew writer would have used a woman’s testimony. A woman couldn’t offer proof in matters of the law, So why on earth did you record the things that Mary saw? If you had used a man to see the proof, and to receive it, The temple elders might have bought that story, and believed it!
Instead, you told the truth when falsehood might have served you better: Since Mary saw the Lord, you wrote the truth down to the letter, Ensuring that the Word of God would not let us forget her! Jewish law did not find women’s statements to be credible, Even though their witness at the tomb was so indelible. John and Matthew wrote the true account of it because Although a lie might work, they wrote it just the way it was! Mary made the statement that just could not be ignored; With trembling lips she told the others: “I have seen the Lord!”
Passion Week: Ten Days that Changed the World, Day NINE (Matthew. 27:57-66; Luke 23:47-56; John 19:31-42):
As Friday came to a close and the Sabbath began, the Gospels report that two somewhat surprising figures step forward to make arrangements for Jesus’ body. “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night“. (John 19:38-39, NIV)
Unlikely Heroes
The appearance of these men is very surprising, even though we know both of them had been involved with Jesus before. But, as Pharisees or members of the council, they took great risks to bury Jesus. They identified themselves with him on this Sabbath Eve when there was seemingly nothing to gain and everything to lose. They faced ostracism and persecution for taking this action, but their love for Jesus was so strong they did it anyway.
A Good Question
I’d love to know what their stories were after this, what risks they took to go get Jesus’ body, and how it affected them the rest of their lives… (Won’t it be cool to ask them?) And their actions make me question something… How many of us follow Jesus just because we love him, rather than for what he can do for us? I know that’s hard to separate, but it’s a question worth asking yourself on Easter. We can read about the Apostles in Acts, but there was unheralded heroism among so many followers of Jesus in those early days that it will be fascinating to hear their stories.
A Very Tough Day for Some
Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath) was a quiet day, when Israelites did not work or move around much. This Sabbath began with Jesus dead and in the grave. Judas has committed suicide. The disciples are scattered and afraid. Peter in particular must have spent this day completely broken over how he let Jesus down. (John tells us how Peter “wept bitterly”.) The boldest disciple failed to identify with Jesus when it counted most, and I imagine that he spent the day utterly distraught over what he had done and hadn’t done…
You and I have had broken days or moments like that…Just remember that it’s Saturday, but Sunday’s coming! (If you haven’t heard Tony Campolo’s great sermon “Sunday’s Coming!” do yourself a favor and listen to it sometime. He uses S.M. Lockridge’s original sermon about how the darkness of Friday’s crucifixion turns into Sunday’s glorious resurrection!)
As you reflect on Good Friday and the cross, there are many things to consider. Sin is a deadly business. So was paying for it. You’ve seen images of the cross. The crucifixion day has been vividly portrayed in songs, films and books that provide context and emotional connection to how Christ suffered and died and what his death accomplished. Simply put, he paid for the sins of the world, for your sins and mine, and offered himself as a voluntary sacrifice. I believe if therewerean easier way, God the Father would surely have provided it. Since it was the ONLY way, God the Son carried out his mission.
A Personal Sacrifice With a Cosmic Result
As Paul said, “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17, NIV).
Caiaphas was obviously not in agreement with nor aware of the true outcome of Christ’s mission. But he was inadvertently spot on when he advocated getting rid of Jesus so that the Romans would not punish Israel for insurrection. “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” (John 11:50, NIV) One man indeed died so that all could live, just not the way Caiaphas intended.
The day between the cross and Easter is the pivotal day in human history. It offers a chance to reflect on the pivotal statement in all of human history, which came from the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus. You remember him, the man who showed up to take Jesus’ body for burial? When he visited Jesus, Jesus told him: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If that sentence is true, then ALL OTHER SENTENCES pale in comparison. Easter Sunday is the exclamation point on that sentence. What do YOU believe about the cross?
A Little Word About Easter
It’s not about fertility, or lilies in the Spring; It’s not about the things that bloom or little birds that sing. It isn’t Easter baskets, filled with Peeps and Easter treats, Like chocolate bunny rabbits or a bunch of egg-shaped sweets. Easter is much more than children scrambling on a search– It’s even more than Easter Sunday worshipping at church. Easter means that one man sinned, and through that sin we fell, Unable to redeem ourselves or save ourselves from hell! Until on Easter Jesus conquered death, and time, and space, And took my punishment for sin: He died, and took my place.
He bore the scourging and the cross, and Satan’s mocking laugh, And saw his mission to the end. And died on our behalf. Easter saw him conquer sin and death–the scourge of men, And lift us to the heavens with Him when He rose again! So while you hunt for Easter eggs, just please remember this: Jesus died and rose again. That’s what Easter is.
We have been working our way through Passion Week and have made it to “Good Friday”. Our reflections have elongated the seven-day Passion Week into Ten Days that Changed the World. The story of Good Friday (and Judas) is given in Matthew 26:47-27:56; Mark 14:43-15:46; and John 18:2-19:30.
Bitter Fruit
There are so many things to cover on Good Friday: The treachery of Judas bore fruit: Jesus was illegally tried by the high priest, shuttled back and forth from Caiaphas to Pilate to Herod… Pilate kept trying to evade judging Jesus, saying “I find no fault in him.” Jesus was beaten by professionals, mocked and abused by jaded sadistic guards who tried to get a rise out of him… Yet he bore their accusations and insults stoically, refusing to indulge their curiosity or their cruelty.
He was unjustly condemned to death by crucifixion, certainly a most horrible way to die, and the agonies of the cross are well-documented. His statements on the cross reveal his character or point to prophetic predictions about who he was and how he would die. By quoting Psalm 22 (“My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”), he reminded us yet again that this wasn’t some random cry for help. Jesus was quoting SCRIPTURE! On the cross, Jesus pointed us to prophecy, to words that confirmed his mission and reminded us who He was.
Jesus knew what was coming, and His reference to Scripture shows us that He PLANNED all of this, and that He wanted us to remember. When He said “It is finished”, He wasn’t speaking about his life but his mission, and He died only when He announced that He was commending his spirit to his Father.
So Many Players, so Many Failures
This day was pivotal in all of human history, and it contains so many themes and moments that it is hard to do it justice in a short devotional. Read all of the Gospel accounts and you’ll see what I mean… There is scheming, conniving, betrayal, political maneuvering, cruelty, a kangaroo court, a mob mentality, and vigilante justice. We can observe the hard-hearted Pharisees, cowardly disciples, corrupt priests, and the impatient Romans. There are a number of story lines, and every one of them provides some degree of blame or failure. Peter failed to stand up for his best friend. Pilate failed to administer justice. The Sanhedrin failed to adhere to the law.
What catches my eye, however, is the story about the failure of Judas. (You know, the guy no one names their kid after?) His failure may be the most obvious and the least-discussed out of all of those people.
Not Just Betrayal
He was Judas Iscariot, the zealot, the thief, the would-be revolutionary who perhaps tried to force Jesus into action. He was Judas the traitor, the one who sold Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver. His name is synonymous with betrayal. But don’t forget this: He was also Judas the remorseful. Here’s what Matthew said:
“When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” (Matthew 27:3-4, NIV)
Judas certainly obtained an infamous place in history, and he has been condemned for his actions ever since. He is forever linked to the death of Jesus as the greedy traitor who valued money more than his master’s life. Judas killed Jesus as surely as if he had personally nailed him to the cross. Despicable, right? Surely a man who willingly betrayed his teacher and friend had to be influenced by selfishness and sin.
He’s Certainly Deserving of Condemnation
Certainly all civilized people would be justified in condemning Judas for betraying his friend, Jesus. Anyone who turned their back on the Son of God deserves whatever justice requires, don’t they? Well, here’s the deal, and something important for you to think about: we are ALL Judas. We have all sold Jesus out at one time or another, and we’ve all turned our back on him, or ignored him and pursued some selfish sin. Every one of us can say along with Judas, “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
This week, when you think about Judas, don’t feel too smug. (You might recall that Judas was so overcome by remorse that he committed suicide. He was so uncomfortable with his sin that he took his own life.) So, how comfortable are you with your sins? My own sins sent Jesus to the cross. YOURSINS nailed him to it. I heard a speaker say once, “If you had been the only person who would ever have believed the Gospel, Jesus would still have died on the cross for you.”
Flip the Script
That certainly personalizes what really happened on the cross: wow, Jesus loved me so much that he would have died for only ME! And it is true. However, when you think about it, it also means that it personalizes the penalty. If I was the only person to ever live, Jesus would still have had to endure the agony of the cross to save me. I put him there. YOU put him there. Along with Judas, we all did. That probably means we should live in such a way to justify the cost of the cross. And not just at Easter.
Here’s the question you’ve been tossed: What Do YOU think of the Cross? Consider crucifixion’s cost and place appropriate blame for loss. Did Judas actions as a sinful traitor Require the death of Jesus as his Savior? If it’s for MY sins Jesus died, and for MY sins was crucified, Then blaming Judas only makes it clearer: The traitor gazes at me from my mirror, Aware that all my sins and carnal fails have mocked my Savior, driven in the nails And put him on the cross: it can’t be hid. I betrayed as much as Judas ever did…
Thursday was perhaps the longest day of Passion Week, since events occurred deep into the night and continued straight on into Friday. Early on Thursday evening the disciples shared the Last Supper and heard Jesus speak about things they didn’t understand. “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” (Mark 14:22-24, NIV)
Little Bible Mysteries
On Thursday Jesus and his disciples ate the Last Supper together. While the disciples were probably still a little giddy over the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus continued to prepare them for what was coming. First, he reminded them that God provides when we do not see a way. In terms of logistics, Mark 14 recounts how he told them to find a man carrying a water pot, who would show them a large room already prepared for their supper. Who was that man? Who prepared the Upper Room?
I have a feeling that in the Kingdom we will get to know many such anonymous heroes of the faith, who quietly worked behind the scenes to fulfill God’s mission and to do what Christ asked of them without seeking credit. How many good deeds would we do if nobody ever knew? Jesus was showing the disciples that there was more about love than public display of affection…
Bittersweet Moments
He knew that Judas was going to betray him and that Peter was going to deny knowing him. Certainly the sacrifice of the Passover lamb was not lost on him, and if you think about how Jesus must have felt during dinner, it is an incredibly poignant moment. At dinner he told them frankly that they would all desert him, and all protested that they’d never do such a thing! He knew they loved him, and he knew they’d fail.
Have you ever had good intentions, and promised the Lord you’d never forsake him? And then you did it anyway? Remember what happened with the disciples and take heart! (During Passion Week they turned their backs on their best friend, and ended the week feeling hopeless and defeated. But something happened that changed their minds and changed the world!)
Human Desires, Heavenly Instruction
In Luke’s account they argued about who would be the greatest in the new kingdom, and he used this time to teach them. If you knew you had but two days to live, what would you share with your family and friends? What final things would you say to them? Jesus told them (and us) to love one another. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35, NIV).
Christians celebrate this day as Maundy Thursday, and I always wondered what that meant. “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, or commandment, reflecting Jesus’ words “I give you a new commandment.”
In this case, Jesus literally demonstrated his lesson by humbling himself as a servant and washing their feet. (And in a land without indoor plumbing, dust was not the only thing that made feet stinky and dirty—which is why foot washing was such a degrading task.) Jesus told them to serve one another, and to lead through service.
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:14-15, NIV) The church today celebrates this as “Maundy Thursday” as the day Jesus performed this act of service, but the word actually comes through old French and Middle English from the Latin mandatum, or mandate. Jesus said, “a new mandate I give to you, that you love one another”, and demonstrated it by serving.
The Opposite of Congress
Servant leaders are a rare commodity, and you have to believe Jesus thought this was a pretty important concept, since he emphasized it with this very personal object lesson. Imagine having Jesus kneel in front of YOUR chair, looking up and locking eyes for a moment as he cleanses your dirty feet. What kind of person have those feet carried? Where all have those feet been? His eyes see deeply into yours, full of knowledge and forgiveness as he washes the unwholesome residue of your journey away. Along with Peter (that OTHER cowardly denier) we say, “No Lord! I am not worthy!” Still looking compassionately into our eyes, Jesus says, “Yes, my child, you are.”
On Thursday night they go out to the Mount of Olives to Gethsemane, where Jesus prays, and the disciples fall asleep. (We are incredulous that they do, but seriously, have YOU ever fallen asleep while praying? Thought so!) Judas brokers his deal with the Pharisees, and they come out with armed guards to arrest Jesus.
The Impossible Arrest
John’s take on this is interesting, to me one of the most fascinating vignettes about Jesus’ power in all of Scripture: “Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I AM he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)
When Jesus said, “I AM he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” (John 18:3-5, NIV, emphasis mine). When just the sound of his voice was enough to make a group of tough armed guards fall down, do you think they could have taken Jesus by force unless he allowed it? No way! It would have been impossible for guards to capture Jesus, which he demonstrated over and over.
Up until now, Jesus avoided capture whenever he chose (See Luke 4:30, John 2:4, 7:30, 8:59, and 10:39) but at this point he allowed himself to be taken. He told Peter to put his sword away because he intends to drink from the cup that has been set before him. Again, he is a volunteer on this mission, not a victim of circumstance.
Lots Going On
Thursday is a busy night. Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. Peter denies knowing Jesus three times, locks eyes with Jesus across an open courtyard, and then goes out and weeps bitterly. John is close enough to Caiaphas’ house to record what transpired there, but technically ALL the disciples betrayed Jesus because there is NO ONE who tries to stand up for him against the Sanhedrin…
It’s easy from a distance to judge these cowards until you stop and think: has there ever been a time when YOU didn’t acknowledge knowing him? When YOU didn’t stand up for him, if even in the quietness of your own heart when temptation to sin beckoned you? I understand the cowardly disciples better when I take an honest look at MYSELF.
All the Way
The high priest’s guards blindfolded and beat Jesus, saying, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” And things were just getting started. This sleepless night initiates an exhausting journey to the cross, which Jesus could have chosen to avoid at any time. The Son of God did not HAVE to go through with this. He had a choice in every moment and could have called upon Angels to minister to him, to end the exhaustion and the pain and suffering. Yeah, we all might have been lost, but HE would still have been the Son of God. So, what made him do it?
One of my favorite verses is tucked quietly into John’s account: “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (John 13:1) Jesus went to trial, endured betrayals and beatings and humiliation and the cross because he loved us all the way to the end. May we love one another in the same way, and not just at Christmas and Easter…
The Definition I Can Defend
We love in many ways. We love a pet, a spouse, a friend; We seal love with a kiss in all the love-letters that we send. We offer love to children, and to families when they blend, And recognize that love–true love–is more than just a trend… We measure love in magnitude, in what it may transcend, And hope that it is something upon which we can depend. But, what’s the greatest kind of love which someone can extend? What defines love in a way that we can comprehend? Well, here’s Thursday thought on love that I would recommend: “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
Since it’s “April Fool’s Day” on this date every year, I wanted to chase a theological rabbit for a minute. This is NOT an April Fool’s joke, but it has to do with my take (purely conjecture) on a possibility about WHY we call April first a fool’s day. In so doing, I’ll share some quick opinions about Jesus’ birthday and the Real April Fool: and offer the perspective that perhaps there is a reason we can’t nail down the exact date of Jesus’ birthday…The Scripture says it like this:
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2, NIV)
No Certain Date
The historical birthday of Jesus has been debated and even disputed in modern times. Because of a lack of clarity over the timing of Herod’s reign and Quirinius’ term as governor of Syria, several theories have arisen around theexact day Jesus was born. Most scholars agree that Jesus was born in 3-4 BC, and was probably not born on Christmas day itself.
Our modern date for Christmas probably started around 400 AD, when the Church moved Christmas there from January 6 to compete with (and perhaps redirect) the pagan celebration of the birth of the sun. At any rate, there is no purely Biblical reason to use December 25 as the true historical day of Jesus’ birth.
Based on Jewish Holy days, and the fact that shepherds were out in the fields with their flocks, many scholars feel that the most likely birth date might be in the Fall of the year. Interpretations for a Fall birth are often based on lambing season, climate, and flock locations. Other scholars choose to place it in the Spring (and for some of the same reasons!), but it’s just not conclusive. (Was Jesus born in April (what is the exact date of Jesus’s birth)? – Christian Faith Guide) As a result, men have disputed and debated the true birth day of Christ ever since… I would submit that anywhere there is division, dispute, and debate, we find opportunities for the great deceiver to bend and twist the truth.
As Paul Harvey Might Have Said
If I were the devil, I would love anything that creates doubt or confusion about Jesus. (Even his birthday.) I would certainly be opportunistic enough to take anything not explicitly stated in Scripture and try to use it for division or doubt. (As a parenthetical note, there is NO real debate as to whether Jesus of Nazareth was an actual historical figure. There are still people who continue to try to change that history today. But then there are also those who still claim the earth is flat, or that the Holocaust never happened…)
Even though the exact date may be obscure, there is NO DOUBT that Jesus of Nazareth had a birthday! We just don’t really know if it was in April or not.
A New Theory That Makes Sense to Me
My lovely wife Nancy has a very interesting idea about April first. She has often noted that it seems like Satan loves to mess with days that are special to Christians. Some of their origins are murky, and some of them are wrapped up in cultural or religious practices that aren’t necessarily reverent. (Think: Halloween, or even Fat Tuesday/Lent!) Consider that several significant church holidays have been tied to pagan activities or worldly festivals and traditions, and are therefore subject to criticism, or worse, to perversion.
Easter, for instance, was loosely related to Ishtar festivals, which celebrated fertility and spring. Even though our liturgical Easter probably was not related to Ishtar, it has received criticism for its proximity to it, since all manner of pagan activities took place around THAT celebration! Halloween has been tainted by ties to Satan and evil (so much so that many Christians refuse to celebrate it and have renamed it “Fall Festival”. But there’s very little “hallowed” about Halloween these days.) So where did Christmas come from? It was never really tied historically to the exact birthday of Jesus, and the very year it occurred is not really clear from Scriptural and historical accounts. (In fact, it probably happened around 4 BC to account for Tiberius and likely census dates).
Misdirection?
We celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25 because it came from a traditional church feast day that started in the 4th century AD (which was also based on a pagan feast day!). Scripture never gives the exact date, but the fact that sheep were out grazing in Luke’s account could indicate early spring. My wife Nancy speculated that since Satan likes to 1) mess with anything godly; 2) cast aspersions about who Jesus was; and 3) make Christians look foolish, then perhaps the most logical date for the birth of Christ would be April 1.
If the great Deceiver wanted to call attention away from Jesus, why not make the day of his birth an annual Fool’s day? Make it day of pranks and foolishness rather than a day of reverence and celebration? It’s not based on scholarly research, but to me it makes sense because it is just the kind of thing that the great deceiver would do: he would try to make Christ look foolish and to create a case for doubt around His birthday.
However, if Satan did that, the joke is on him. As Paul said, “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. (I Corinthians 12:7, KJV). If Satan is somehow behind turning the day of Jesus’ birth into a Fool’s day, then his little joke is just like the Cross: he thinks he won a battle when he actually lost the war!
So, What does April Fool’s Day Have to Do With Jesus?
Scholars just cannot agree, from all the evidence they can see, The very day of Jesus’ birth. They know for sure he came to earth, And has a place in history, but there is ambiguity Because the Bible does not say which year, or month, or week, or day. I know the Devil roams about to cast destruction, death, and doubt– Using falsehood to disguise, and shrouding truth with outright lies! I’m sure he’d love to use his tools to turn us into April Fools, Prompting men to cast some scorn about the day that Christ was born.
But please o seeker, just remember, whether in April or December, Jesus Christ was really here. On that, we can be crystal clear. We may not have the day exact, but Jesus came, and that’s a fact. So if you’d like to have debate, I wouldn’t wait, or hesitate– Let’s talk about eternal fate, and whether Jesus shot us straight, And if the things he said were true. I’d research that, if I were you!
Of the Ten Passion Week Days that Changed the World, Wednesday was a quiet day at Bethany, not really mentioned with much detail in the Gospels. Mark 14 and Matthew 26 record three snapshots of the day: the scheming Priests and elders decide to kill Jesus; Jesus is anointed by a woman at a dinner party in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper; and Judas agrees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (about four months’ wages). Little is written about what Jesus and his disciples did during the day, other than the dinner on Wednesday night.
It’s Wednesday, But Friday’s Coming
In the Gospel narratives, this quiet day seems like a respite, and perhaps it felt that way to the participants at the time. After all of the confrontations at the Temple on Tuesday, Jesus used Wednesday to spend time with his friends and disciples back in Bethany. The snapshots in Mark and Matthew, however, inform us of other events taking place behind the scenes on Wednesday which hasten the coming storm.
How Many Feet in an Anointing?
(Quick note: while John gives an account of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet before Passion Week (6 days before Passover), Mark and Matthew include it in their accounts here in Bethany (2 days before Passover). These different accounts could have been the same event used at different places in the narrative, but I tend to believe it is two separate occurrences. It is not doctrinally or materially important to the sequence of events, but it’s important to remember that the synoptic Gospel writers crafted their presentations to reach specific audiences, while John’s is more of an eyewitness account.
That being said, John names Mary as the woman, while Matthew and Mark do not. In John’s account, Mary anoints the feet, but in the other two gospels the woman anoints Jesus’ head. Because of those things, I vote for two separate but similar events. I can’t imagine Mark and Matthew failing to identify someone as well-known to Jesus’ followers as Mary.)
Matthew 26:1 says, “When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” This would be the annual Passover celebration, held on Nisan 15 (Leviticus 23:5-6).
How Many Sabbaths?
Some scholars feel that there could have been an additional (Passover) Sabbath, beginning Wednesday at twilight and lasting until Thursday evening. The traditional view is that Passover and Sabbath began together on dusk at Friday. Since John 19:31 says that Friday was the day of preparation before Passover, and since Jesus Himself says Passover is two days away, it adds weight to the traditionally accepted view.
[Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem:] “Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.” (Matthew 26:2-5, NIV). Jerusalem’s population swelled by thousands of Pilgrims during such events, and it made sense that the Sanhedrin would be cautious about how they navigated the political waters. I’ll use the quiet of Wednesday to touch on chronology: when did things happen, and how long exactly was Jesus in the grave?
How Many Days in the Grave?
The timing of events during this week has been questioned, and there are two different views about it. If Jesus was in the grave 3 days (as he said he would be in Matthew 12:40), then how do you reconcile a Friday death and a Sunday resurrection? The traditional view holds that it was part of Friday, all of Saturday, part of Sunday – “three days” – but since that’s only two nights, some folks feel that it doesn’t allow enough time to fulfill the Messianic prophecy.
Since this is the annual Passover celebration, held on Nisan 15 (Leviticus 23:5-6), some say there could have been an additional annual (Passover) Sabbath, beginning Wednesday at twilight and lasting until Thursday evening. While there is no absolute proof for this chronology, it is within the realm of possibility, so some scholars have suggested this offers an alternative to the traditional view of Easter.
This means that Christ would have been crucified on Wednesday, and allowed for 3 full days and nights in the grave. It also reconciles timing statements about when the women bought spices to anoint Christ’s body, since according to Mark they bought spices “when the Sabbath was over” (16:1), and Luke’s account says they prepared them before the Sabbath (Luke 23:56). A high holy annual Sabbath starting Wednesday night through Thursday, followed by the day of preparation on Friday, allows for both accounts to be true. These details make for some interesting scholarly debate, but I think it is always reasonable to follow the path that agrees with simple logic.
Decide for Yourself
Since the exact days chronology is not a major doctrinal issue, you can decide for yourself which makes the most sense. The traditional view coincides with what early Church Fathers believed and allowed for the Middle-Eastern comprehensive logic that often defaulted to “both-and” rather than “either-or” positions. It was also fairly common practice in Hebrew chronology to refer to even part of a day as a whole day. (So Friday evening, Saturday all day, and early Sunday morning constitute 3 days) If you believe that Jesus HAD to be three FULL days in the grave, you will likely find a mid-week sabbath helps that specific position.
But, a mid-week sabbath has chronological problems of its own. When you compare the two views, the mid-week holy day causes significant compression of some events. It means that Jesus would have been tried Tuesday night, so it is not without its own problems. But, a mid-week Sabbath also has points in its favor. It does help explain some seeming discrepancies and it allows for three full days between the cross and the resurrection.
As for me, I’m staying traditional, mainly based on Jesus’ statement about Passover being two days away. It’s important to note that placement of these types of historical details do not make or break Scripture. The Bible is a Book of History, but it is not merely a history book.
The Gospel writers did indeed have specific points of view and audiences they were addressing, and while they vary in some details, they agree wholeheartedly on who Jesus was and why He came. In fact, I have often felt that God allowed for certain non-foundational nuances in the Bible to remain somewhat unexplained, in order to stimulate our curiosity and motivate us to dig into the Book. The deeper we are able to get into the Bible, the deeper it is able to get into us.
As we consider the events of Passion Week, that’s probably a good thing.
What Do YOU Believe?
And, as YOU consider the events of Passion Week, remember that events on Wednesday (today) serve to remind us of the question for the week (which I am reprising from Sunday as a Spoken Word offering):
What do YOU believe about the Cross? Was Jesus a victim or a volunteer? While the cross is history, it’s also a bit of a mystery; What caused the crucifixion? Some say it was caused by politics in the area; others claim it was mob hysteria. Was it Jesus’s heresy? The Pharisees’ jealousy? Herod’s legacy? Judas’s zealotry? Was Jesus swept along by a current of events, or was he in control of everything? As events unfolded, was he a Rabbi who overplayed his hand, or a King who had total command? Was he a mistreated milquetoast, or a man on a mission? The cross wasn’t circumstantial; it was strategic.
For Jesus the cross wasn’t by chance, it was by choice. It wasn’t based on an accident; it was based on his authority. The cross wasn’t a random disaster; it was a deliberate design. He said, “Destroy this Temple and I will raise it up!” & “Father, I will drink from this cup” Jesus predicted it; he projected it, he presented it, and he prepared for it: He explained it to his disciples; he expounded upon it to the Pharisees; and he expected it to happen!
Not Protected, but Projected
Jesus knew about it; he talked about it; he prophesied about it; and he prayed about it. He could have protested when he was arrested, but it wasn’t contested because It was what he expected.
He told Peter to put his sword away; he told Pilate he had nothing more to say; The cross wasn’t the result of a bad day, or a roadblock along the way; It WAS the way… What do you believe about the cross? Was Jesus a victim or a volunteer? For Jesus, It wasn’t unexpected; it was premeditated. The cross wasn’t coincidental; it was calculated. It was not incidental, and it wasn’t accidental; it was intentional. It wasn’t capital punishment, it was cosmic punishment.
Jesus allowed the Pharisees to plot, so he could do for us what we could NOT. He allowed the Romans to execute him, so he could execute God’s plan. Jesus wasn’t laid low, he was lifted up. He wasn’t horrified, he was glorified. Jesus wasn’t a victim of circumstance; he was a voluntary sacrifice. What do you believe about the cross?
All the sinister plans the Pharisees could ever concoct, all the Temple guards they could have ever sent, could never have taken the King of Kings against His will. Jesus wasn’t a pitiful loser who got caught by surprise; He was a powerful leader committed to salvation!
