Ascension

Welcome. 

I began writing this blog on my own studies of Luke almost three years ago, and this will bring this study to its conclusion. Here is Luke 24:51-53:

50 Jesus led them out from there to Bethany.  Then he lifted his hands and blessed them. 51  As he was blessing them, he left them and was lifted up into Heaven. 52 They worshiped him, but then they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and they continually went to the temple to praise God. 

Luke concludes his Gospel with a brief account of Jesus’ ascension into Heaven.  He gives a more detailed account in Acts 1, but that is also rather brief.  Luke is the only Gospel writer who tells us about the ascension into Heaven.  Matthew has the apostles meet Jesus in Galilee, where Jesus meets them on the mountainside and he gives them the Great Commission.  The Ascension is not mentioned.

Acts 1:3 tells us that Jesus spent forty days between the Resurrection and the Ascension into Heaven, giving proof that he had risen.  Luke’s Gospel deals with that forty days in just a few verses.  One can assume that Jesus spent much of it with his apostles, explaining, teaching and preparing them, with a trip to Galilee thrown in there, but, again, Luke gives very little detail.  

In verse 50, Jesus lifts up his hands and blesses his disciples.  After blessing them, he ascends, to go into Heaven and sit at the Father’s right hand.  

The disciples, being allowed to see one more amazing miracle, respond in what must have been the natural way, they worship Jesus.  They return from Bethany to Jerusalem with great joy, praising God and continue to do so in the temple in Jerusalem.  

We know from Acts 1 that they are soon to be filled with the Holy Spirit and they become changed men.  Having been with Jesus throughout his ministry, they praised and worshiped the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  

Having done a thorough investigation of Jesus, Luke tells his story.  Like the apostles it is clear that Luke praises and worships Jesus, as well.  Luke presents the story of Jesus for all, so that we can praise and worship the Messiah, too.  Jesus is alive offering hope and blessing to all who are willing to respond to his message of love and forgiveness. 

So, there you go. This is the end of this journey through the Gospel of Luke.  My understanding of who Jesus is, has grown greatly, and I have benefitted tremendously from my journey. I hope that you, reader, have benefitted as well.   

Removing All Doubt

Hello.

At this point in the story, there are those that insist that Jesus has risen from the dead and appeared to them.  Others are not quite there yet.  In this passage, Jesus appears and removes all doubt.  Here is Luke 24:36-49:

36 As they were saying these things, Jesus himself stood there among them, and said, “Peace to you.” 37 They were fearful, even terrified, thinking this was a ghost. 38 But Jesus said to them, “Why are you so fearful? Why do doubts rise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet. It’s me! Touch me and see, because ghosts do not have flesh and bone, as you can see that I have.”

40 Saying this to them, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While they still couldn’t quite believe it due to their joy and amazement, Jesus asked them, “Do you have anything here that I can eat?”  42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish. 43 He took it and he ate it in front of them. 

44 Then he said to them, “I told you about these things while I was still with you.  It was necessary for the fulfillment of everything that was written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 

45 Then he opened their minds up to the meaning of the Scriptures.  46 Then he explained to them, “It has been written that the Messiah is to suffer and then rise up from death on the third day.  

47 Then repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations in his name, beginning in Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of all this. 49 Pay attention to this, I am sending to you what my Father has promised, but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from Heaven.” 

So Cleopas and his companion are with the remaining apostles.  Perhaps Peter is there claiming to have seen Jesus.  Certainly Cleopas is making that claim.  We know from John’s account that Thomas is missing.  Then Jesus appears, and offers them a greeting designed to bring comfort, “Peace to you.”.  

The immediate response of the remaining skeptics among them, however, is fear.  Luke records that they were terrified, thinking that Jesus was some kind of ghost.  In the Greek, it says πτοηθέντες δὲ καὶ ἔμφοβοι (Ptoēthentes de kai emphoboi), which roughly translates into something like, “But, they were terrified and afraid.”  I translated it like this, “They were afraid, even terrified.”  Darrell Bock points out that the group had not been operating with the expectation of the miraculous. (Bock, 1933.)  Perhaps they should have been, having been with Jesus for so long, but they were not.  Now they dealing with something, coming back from the dead, that was beyond any miracle that they had yet seen.  

Jesus asks them two questions to begin.  :”Why are you so fearful? and “Why do doubts rise in your hearts?” Jesus is challenging their lack of faith.  He has often challenged them for their fear and doubt.  He is with them, they should not be afraid and they should not doubt. 

Jesus reassured them that he was real.  He makes the point that ghosts do not have flesh and blood, which he clearly does.  (Note: It is interesting that Jesus does not say that there is no such thing as ghosts, just that ghosts are not composed of flesh and blood.)  Jesus shows them his hands and his feet, which show evidence of his crucifixion.  He allows the disciples to touch him to confirm that he is real and that he has risen from the dead.  Three of their senses confirm that Jesus is among them.  (Sight, hearing and touch.) To further make his point that it was indeed he, in the flesh, Jesus started eating.  They gave him a piece of broiled fish to eat. Ghosts don’t get hungry and eat, either.

Verse 41 says that the disciples still couldn’t believe it.  Luke says that they could not believe it due to their joy and amazement. Χαρᾶς καὶ θαυμαζόντων (charas kai thaumazontōn).  This could be taken two ways.  Possibly, they still didn’t believe that it was Jesus, or this could be as a sense of astonishment, as in , “Wow, this is just too good to be true!!”  I am inclined to think it is the second option, because of the words “joy and amazement.”  What they were seeing was just too good to be true. Where would joy and amazement come from if they weren’t starting to believe that this was indded Jesus risen from the dead. 

Jesus reminds them that he had repeatedly told them what was going to happen, but they had been unable to grasp its meaning.  Then, he begins to explain to them how all of this was necessary, and that it was exactly what had been prophesied in the Old Testament.  Verse 45 says that Jesus opened their minds to what the Scriptures had said all along. Luke does not list any specific scripture reference, only that Jesus states that “It has been written that the Messiah is to suffer and then rise up from the dead on the third day.” There is one specific passage that states this, but it is the accumulation of many scriptures that lead us here: The Messiah had to die, but would be raised up.  One could assume that these passages were the same that the apostles used in Acts to convince others that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.  

After explaining to his disciples what has happened and why, he then explains to them what is going to happen.  They are going to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations, starting in Jerusalem.  We see the beginnings of this in Acts 2, where Peter preaches a sermon in Jerusalem that ends in a conversation involving repentance and forgiveness of sins. 

This is an important message.  Repentance means change, not just agreement.  Disciples of Jesus are called to life change, not just adherence to a set of doctrinal rules. 2 Cor. 3:18 talks about being transformed into the likeness of Jesus.  That is the goal of repentance; being like Jesus.  Forgiveness is also a very important part of the message. We need forgiveness because that is what removes the wall of sin that separates us from God.  

Verse 48, Jesus simply tells his disciples that they are witnesses of all of this.  They would spread the message of Jesus as eyewitnesses of everything that had happened.  He had seen Jesus’ miracles, heard his teaching and were witnesses that he had been dead and then was alive again. 

Then he promises that he would send them the Holy Spirit.  He describes this way.  They are going to be  “clothed with power from Heaven.” We see that fulfillment in Acts 1.  With the coming of the Holy Spirit, God will no longer dwell in a temple made stone, but rather temples made of flesh. 

On the Road with Jesus Part 2

 Hello everyone. 

We will continue from my previous post and finish the story of the journey on the road to Emmaus.  

28 When they came to the village where they were going, Jesus seemed to be continuing on, 29 but they urged him, “Stay with us! It’s evening and the day is nearly over.” So he stayed with them. 30 He sat with them and took bread, gave thanks, and broke it and then gave it to them.  31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but then he was gone.  
32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts aflame within us as he spoke to us on our way, and as he explained the Scriptures to us?  33 So they got up and returned to Jerusalem.  34 They found the Eleven and those who were with them, who told them that the :Lord had really risen and appeared to Simon. 35 Then Cleopas and his companion told them what had happened while they were on the road, and how they recognized him when he broke the bread. 

In verse 28, Jesus acts as if  he is continuing down the road, but Cleopas and his companion urge Jesus to stay with them.  At their urging, Jesus agrees to stay with them.  They still do not recognize Jesus, and don't recognize him until he breaks the bread and gives it to them.  Something about the way Jesus did this opened their eyes to his true identity.  Their eyes were opened, and they finally recognize him.  But, in that moment, he is suddenly gone.  

The two travelers now realize that they had been with Jesus all along, and it seems obvious.  They exclaim, “Were not our hearts aflame within us as he spoke to us on our way, and as he explained the Scriptures to us?” The Greek word used here is καιομένη (kaiomenē) is a form of καἰω, which means ‘to cause to be set on fire,” or “to burn.”  So, even though they were unaware of their traveling companions's true identity, being in his presence had set their hearts on fire. 

They recognized even before they understood that this was Jesus that there was something special going on here.  Jesus and his good, thorough explanation of the Scripture had set their hearts on fire.  

Was it the message or the messenger that had caused their hearts to burn?  The answer is “yes.”  Both being with  Jesus and gaining a better, more complete, understanding of the Scriptures is something that will set our hearts on fire.

With Jesus gone, these two disciples very quickly head back to Jerusalem.  It appears that they left right away rather than wait until morning, even though it was getting late.  Apparently it takes about two and half hours to walk seven miles at an average pace.  Less than that at a brisk pace, and they were in a hurry. 

Upon their return, they search out and find the remaining eleven apostles to tell them what they had witnessed. The Eleven confirm that had seen the risen Jesus. Cleopas and his companion tell the apostles about how Jesus had appeared to them, but that they did not recognize him until he broke the bread. 

By this point, Mary Magdalene had seen Jesus.  Peter had seen him.  Now Cleopas and his unnamed companion had seen him, yet the remaining apostles were still slow to believe, as we will see in the next section of Scripture.   

This story begins with two despondent disciples, believing that the prophet and redeemer of Israel had been crucified.  Darrell Bock summarizes this passage like this, “How can God possibly work through a crucified person?  Unknown to them, the answer appears in their midst….For Luke’s reader the account functions as a summary to provide assurance about resurrection.  God can work through crucifixion because it is followed by resurrection….The Lord is risen.  He lives and is in their midst.  God’s plan has not been thwarted.” (Bock, 1923.) Indeed, God works through challenging circumstances, and here He has worked and brought His greatest victory through the most dire of circumstances. 

In Jesus is life.  He is the Resurrection and the Life.  God cannot be thwarted.  It gives me hope in my own challenging circumstances, knowing that God is greater than my circumstances.  It reminds me of something I read recently in Dallas Willard’s book, Renovation of the Heart.  Willard says, “What we most learn in Jesus’ yoke, beyond acting with him, is to abandon the outcomes to God, accepting that we do not have in ourselves - in our own hearts, souls, minds and strengths - the wherewithal to make this come out right, whatever this is.” (Willard, 218.)  

These thoughts encourage, but challenge me.  Jesus challenged Cleopas and his companion for their lack of faith.  Things didn't work the way they were expecting them to. It was up to them to trust God and leave the outcomes to Him. It is the same for us. 

     Darrell Bock, Luke: Volume 2 - 9:51-24.53, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 1996. 

     Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart, Colorado Springs, Colorado, NavPress, 2002. 

On the Road with Jesus

Greetings.

 We are nearing the end of Luke, and in today's post we see the resurrected Jesus take a journey with two disciples.  Here is my translation of Luke 24:13-27: 

13 That day, two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.  14 They were talking to each other about all of the things that had happened. 15 As they were discussing these matters, Jesus came near them and walked with them.  16 However, they were kept from recognizing him. 17  Jesus asked, “What are these things that the two of you are talking about as you walk along? Then they just stood there in despair. 

18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered Jesus, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who does not know what has happened over these last few days?” 

19 Jesus responded, “What has happened?”

They told him, “This all concerns Jesus of Nazareth. This man was a prophet, mighty in word and in action, both in the sight of God and all the people.  20 Our chief priests and leaders handed him over to a death sentence and he was crucified. 21 We had hoped that he was the One who had come to set Israel free.  22 On top of that, it has been three days since all of that took place, 22 and some of our women have amazed us.  They went early in the morning to the tomb, 23 and they did not find his body.  Then they came and told us about a vision in which they saw angels, who claimed that Jesus was alive.  24 So some of our number went to the tomb and they found things just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

25 Then Jesus said to them, “Oh, how foolish and slow your hearts are to believe everything that is spoken by the prophets. 26 Did the Messiah not have to suffer all of these things, and then enter into his glory?” 27  Then, beginning with Moses, he explained everything that the Scriptures said about him. 

The scene of our story shifts from the empty tomb to two disciples taking a seven mile journey from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. One of the travelers is identified as Cleopas in verse 18.  The other traveler is not identified.  The two are engaged in a discussion of the recent events in Jerusalem, namely, the crucifixion and the story told by the women of the angelic at the tomb.  It seems that Cleopas and his companion are having a hard time believing that Jesus had risen from the dead, as they are dejected when Jesus approaches them. 

Jesus approaches the travelers as a stranger.  Verse 16 states that they were kept from recognizing Jesus.  So, these two were apparently at least acquaintances of Jesus.  Verse 13 does call them disciples.  We can assume that had they not been blocked from recognizing Jesus, they would have recognized him immediately.  What caused this inability to see clearly?  But for whatever reason, God was using this uncertainty to teach them.  Eventually they would see clearly. 

As Jesus approaches them and asks them what they were discussing, verse 17 says that they just stood in despair.  Cleopas then asks Jesus, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who does not know what has happened over these last few days?”  Apparently knowledge of the crucifixion had filled Jerusalem.  So much so, that the two disciples have a hard time believing that someone could walk out of Jerusalem without knowing about it.  The two were so dejected that, even though they are aware of the story of the women that Jesus had risen, they do not appear to believe it. 

Jesus feigns ignorance when they ask whether he is the only one in Jerusalem who is unaware of what has happened.  He asks them, “What has happened?” 

Their response is about Jesus and how they had hoped he was the Messiah.  They give a pretty accurate description of Jesus, describing him like this:

• A prophet.
• Mighty in word and deed.
• Mighty in God’s sight.
• Mighty in the sight of the people.  

That added that they had hoped that he would set Israel free.  Jesus did indded det people free, but not in the way that they were expecting. 

They also told Jesus of the crucifixion and the story of the women who had gone to the tomb and found it empty, about the angels and about the claim that Jesus was now alive, and about how some of their number, presumably Peter and John, had gone to the tomb and also found it empty.  These two disciples share both despair and amazement.  

Undoubtedly, when Jesus hung on the Cross, dead, and was then buried in a tomb, they likely gave up hope.  They state clearly that they had hoped that Jesus was the one who would set Israel free.  This hope was crushed.  Of course, we understand that Jesus, the Messiah, had not come to break Israel free of Rome’s power.  He had actually come to set anyone and everyone free from an even stronger power, the power of Satan and sin.  

Jesus teaches them the truth that he had been trying to teach his disciples for some time.  Finally it seems that some understanding dawns on Cleopas and his companion.  Jesus expresses great disappointment with Cleopas and his companion.  He says to them, “Oh, how foolish and slow your hearts are to believe everything that is spoken by the prophets.”  Jesus had been telling his disciples for some time that he would be killed and be raised from the dead, but they have been slow to understand it and slow to believe it. Their failure to grasp this, according to Jesus, is foolishness.  Their options were foolishness or faith.  They didn’t really understand the vast body teaching in the Old Testament that testified to Jesus.  Understanding took them toward faith..  

Jesus starts with Moses and explains everything that the Scriptures said about the Messiah. He explains why he had to suffer and die, then he would enter his glory.  The suffering and death had to come first.  Then Jesus would be glorified.  He used the Old Testament to explain all of this to Cleopas and his companion, but in truth it was something that he had been saying to his disciples for some time.  This time, it appears that they finally understand.  

Did it take the crucifixion and resurrection for the disciples to understand what Jesus had been saying plainly to them?  Now that it has happened, perhaps Jesus is finally able to put into a perspective that they can understand.

One note here is that the Messianic current in Judea at the time did not involve anything like suffering or dying.  The Messiah was supposed to liberate Israel from the clutches of the evil Romans.  Dying on a cross at the hands of the Romans would, therefore, not be a part of the plan.     

Jesus uses the Greek word δόξαν (doxan), which means glory.  He had to suffer first, then enter his glory.  He used the OT to explain this.  Suffering first, then glory. It is possible that the beginning point of Jesus' trip through the OT was Deut. 18:15 where God promises to raise up a prophet among the Israelites. Jesus would then use the OT and his own life to show that he is indeed that Prophet. Of course, this is only speculation, but it does seem the story here. 

So, where are we?  Jesus has risen from the dead and has appeared in desguise to Cleopas and an unnamed traveling companion.  They are dejected about the death of Jesus, but he helps them to see things more clearly, taking them from foolishness (faithlessness) to faith. 

Sunday Came!

 Welcome back.

We are starting the last chapter of Luke today. In the narrative so far, Jesus has been crucified and buried in Joseph's unused tomb.  Here is my tranlation of what happens next (Luke 24:1-12):

1 Very early, on the first day of the week, the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices that they had prepared.  2 There, they found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb.  3 They entered the tomb, but they did not find Jesus’ body.  4 They were perplexed about this, but then they saw two men standing by them in very shiny garments.  

5 They were afraid and bowed with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you search for the living among the dead? He is not here! He has risen! Remember what he said to you when he was in Galilee.  7 He said, “The Son of Man will be handed over into the hands of sinful men.  Then he will be crucified, but after three days, he will be raised.” 8 Then they remembered what he had said.  
9 When they had returned from the tomb, they told all of these things to the Eleven and all of the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, mother of James, and a few others, who told this to the Apostles.  11 What the women were saying seemed like nonsense to them, so the Apostles did not believe them.  12 But then Peter got up and ran to the tomb.  He bent over and saw just the linen cloth.  He left there amazed by what had happened. 

The women observed where Jesus had been buried, then returned home to prepare the spices, rested on the Sabbath, and now on Sunday morning, they have returned to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. 

Mark16:3 records that they ask each other about who would move the stone for them, but Luke mentions only that when they arrive the stone had already been moved.

They entered the tomb expecting to find Jesus’ body, but it was not there.  Luke tells us that they were very perplexed about this. We can only speculate about all of the thoughts going through their minds in that moment, but resurrection from the dead was probably not one of them. What they do see is two men in very shiny clothing.  Luke does not identify them as angels.  (Matthew only mentions one, but does identify him as an angel.) While not specifically calling the men angels, Luke does make the point that the women become fearful, which seems to be the usual response to seeing angels.  

The men in shiny clothes ask the women, “Why do you search for the living among the dead?”  Then they remind the women of what Jesus had been saying all along.  He had told them repeatedly that he would be killed and then rise from the dead, going as far back when they were all still in Galilee. (Luke 9:22)  Jesus had predicted his death numerous times and told them of his resurrection at least twice (9:22, 18:33)  Yet, all of this had taken them all by surprise.  The angels reminded them of what Jesus had been saying to them, and they remembered.  Undoubtedly, at the time Jesus had said it, it made no sense to them.  At this point, with an empty tomb and in the presence of angels, they were still slow to understand.  (In John’s account, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, as she stands outside the tomb weeping, and she mistakes Jesus for a gardener.)  Verse 8 tells us that the women do remember what Jesus had said.  So, whether it was easy or difficult to convince these women of Jesus’ resurrection, they do return convinced. 

They had after all come there to anoint a corpse, and did not expect to find a resurrected Christ.  

Verse 9 they return to the Eleven and the other disciples and tell them about what they have discovered at the tomb. Luke records that what the women were saying seemed like nonsense to the apostles. The Greek word used here is λῆρος (lēros).The word is defined as “that which is devoid of anything worthwhile, idle talk, nonsense, humbug.”  So, even though they had heard Jesus’ prophecies more than once, they were initially difficult to convince of its truth, and saw such talk as nonsense.

Even though the apostles regarded what these women were saying as nonsense, Peter does get up and run to the tomb. Like the women, Peter finds the tomb empty. Even though Jesus had been telling them that he would rise from the dead, the idea of it is so unimaginable, that when he does it, even his closest associates have a hard time believing it. It is not clear what Peter is thinking.  The Greek uses the word θαυμάζων (Thaumazone) which can mean wondering about, or it could mean marveling at.  

Friday had been terrible, but Sunday did come, and it was glorious.  Those who had been slow to comprehend what Jesus had been saying all along, were now slow to comprehend what was happening right in front of them.  Perhaps what they were seeing was just too amazing to be real. But it was real. 

The Secret Disciple

Hello everyone.

We will wrap up chapter 23 today, by looking at the burial of Jesus.  Here is my translation of verses 50-56:

50 There was a man there named Joseph, a member of the ruling council.  He was a good and righteous man.  51 (He had not agreed with these plans or these actions.) He was from a Jewish city called Arimathea.  He had been waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 He had gone to Pilate and requested the body of Jesus. 53 He took down the body, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb that had been cut out of rock, in which no body had ever been placed. 54 It was the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin.  55 There were women following along.  These were the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee.  They saw the tomb and how his body had been placed in it. 56 Then they returned home and prepared the spices and perfumes.  They rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commands.

Not all of the Jewish leadership was trying to kill Jesus.  Joseph of Arimathea did not consent to any of this, and is described by Luke as a good and righteous man.  John states that Joseph was secretly a disciple of Jesus, but had kept his discipleship secret due to fear of the other Jewish leaders.  (John 19:38) 

Joseph, however, in a bold move, goes to Pilate and asks for the body of Jesus in order to bury him. It appears that the secret is out. Joseph, in spite of his fear, goes public with his discipleship.  Honestly, it seems like an odd time to make an association with Jesus known.  Jesus is dead and therefore has the appearance of defeat at the hands of the very people that Joseph fears.  But Joseph, perhaps prompted by the Holy Spirit, steps forward at this moment, to set up the greatest of Jesus’ miracles by burying him in an unused tomb. 

John’s account also includes Nicodemus in the burial preparations, and it states that they used seventy-five pounds of spices for the burial..(John 19:39) Darrell Bock states using spices for burial was normal, but the amount that they used was unusual.  It was an amount that was generally reserved for kings. (Bock, 1875.) (Of course, it is fitting, since Jesus is a king, but he is a king of a different kind.)

As Joseph is taking charge of the burial of Jesus, there were women following.  This group of women had been following Jesus since his Galilean ministry.  They see the tomb that Joseph places Jesus’ body in.  It is not clear how large this group is.  Luke 24:10 mentions three by name and then says “and a few others.”  The three mentioned by name are Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary, the mother of James. 

After seeing where Jesus was buried, the women returned home to prepare spices and perfumes for Jesus' body.  Joseph and Nicodemus had already prepared Jesus/ body for burial with enough spices for a king.  Perhaps these women were unaware, or possibly they wanted to do more for the one who was their king and their Messiah.  

This all happens on Friday.  Saturday being the Sabbath, they all rest in accordance with the law.  The women had a plan and that was to go to the tomb early on Sunday to anoint the body of Jesus, not knowing that they would be the first to witness the greatest miracle of all-time.  

All seems bleak.  The would-be Messiah is dead and buried.  It appears that the dream is over and that the dark forces of evil have won. But, I will close today, as I did in my previous post, with the timeless words of Baptist minister S. M. Lockridge, “It’s Friday! But Sunday's a-comin’”

     Darrell Bock, Luke: Volume 2 - 9:51-24:53, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 1996. 

Reactions

 Hello everyone. 

In my previous post, we tallked about Jesus dying, and how the Creation and the Temple responded to his death.  In this post we will be able to see how some of the people who were present at the Cross reacted to it.  Luke 23:47-49 follows: 

47 Upon seeing this, the centurion began to glorify God, saying, “Certainly, this was a righteous man.” 48 Those in the crowd who had gathered for this spectacle, witnessed this, they began to beat their breasts in sorrow and leave. 49 But, all of those there who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, and watched these things happen. 

There is a Roman centurion, and he has watched all of these things happen. Now, remember, that as a Roman, he is a Gentile, and probably a non-believer.  But, according to Luke, upon Jesus’ death he glorifies God. He remarks, “Certainly, this was a righteous man.” There must have been something in the way that Jesus took his death by crucifixion that impressed this man greatly.  In both Matthew and Mark, the centurion comments that Jesus must be the Son of God. 

Also, it seems that many in the crowd now were reconsidering their choices.  Luke tells us that as the Sun darkened and the Earth shook, some of them began to see their mistake. They had consented to Jesus' death, and stayed to watch the spectacle.  But now, with judgment from the Earth and the Sun upon them, they begin to beat their breasts in sorrow, and begin leaving the scene. 

This scene foreshadows Acts 2:37, where the crowd is cut to the heart by Peter’s message and asks, “What shall we do?”  Some in the crowd on that day, may have already felt some conviction about their role in the death of Jesus, as they witnessed it, and the divine signs of judgment that came with it. 

Of course, not everyone present had consented to the crucifixion.  There were some in the crowd who knew Jesus.  They stood at a distance and watched.  Their number included, but was not limited to a group of women who had followed Jesus from Galilee. Luke doesn't tell us anything about their reaction to the Cross, but we can assume, based on the events that happen afterward, that they responded with absolute sorrow.  

Volumes have been written about Jesus and the Cross, and there is no simple way to sum it up.  But here is what we have seen so far.  Jesus, in abolute trust of his Father, allows himself to be crucified.  Even though he is innocent of any wrongdoing, he is given a place among the unrighteous and crucified with criminals. Meanwhile, Jesus' redemptive act brings signs of judgment on those who killed the Son of God.  

All seems bleak at this moment, but it doesn't remain that way. Soon the anguish will be turned to joy. Looking back at it, we understand the truth of these words spoken in a sermon many years ago by S. M. Lockridge;

"It's Friday.
The earth trembles.
The sky grows dark.
My King yields his spirit.

It's Friday.
Hope is lost.
Death has won.
Sin has conquered and Satan's just a laughin'. 

...It's Friday, but Sunday's a-comin'"

     

Killing God

Greetings to all.

We have come to the place in our story where Jesus dies.  This is an incredible moment, as one with all authority and all power, even power over death, is killed.  How can that happen?  How does one kill God? Let's look at Luke 23:44-46: 

44 From noon till about three, darkness covered all of the land, 45 as the sun failed to shine. The curtain in the temple was ripped in half. 46 Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” After saying this, he died.

This is a very momentous occasion, as the creator of the Universe allows himself to be killed by his own creation, and the Creation itself responds in sorrow. The Sun goes dark for three hours, failing to shine. This is a fulfillment of Amos 8:9: 

In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord,

“I will make the sun go down at noon

   and darken the earth in broad daylight.”

Matthew records that in that moment the Earth shook, and rocks split in half. (Matt. 27:51.)

According to Darrell Bock, the darkness that comes over all the land is also a symbol of judgment.  He references Joel 2:31. "The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” If this is a judgment against Israel for the death of Jesus, we do not see the sentence carried out until the destruction of Jerusalem forty years or so later. 

Attempts have been made to offer naturally occurring phenomena, like an eclipse, to explain the darkening of the Sun.  I would have to admit that an eclipse at the exact moment of Jesus’ crucifixion is, in and of itself, a startling coincidence.  However, it is not recorded as an eclipse.  I am sure that the Roman world knew what an eclipse was, and would have recorded as such. 

The Creation responds to the death of Jesus, and so does the Temple, the dwelling place of God. The Temple's curtain was torn into two pieces.  The tearing of the curtain is also quite possibly a symbol of the judgment that has come upon Israel.  The temple would no longer be the center of God’s activity, and like Jerusalem, would eventually be destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, never to return.  However, the tearing of the Temple curtain can be in a different, more pleasant light. It can also be seen as symbolic of a new open communication with God.  Entrance into the most sacred space in the Temple no longer requires a preist.  That privlege is now open to all. 

Jesus then commits his spirit to his Father and dies. Only Luke shares these words as Jesus last.  “Father into your hands I entrust my spirit.”  John mentions Jesus saying, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

Here is a question to consider. How do you kill God?  We have established throughout this study of Luke that Jesus is the Son of Man and has all power and authority. His authority extends over even death.  So then, how can he be killed?  He can only be killed if he allows it to happen. His enemies may have thought that they had acheived some kind of victory, but they had not.  They had merely done what Jesus had led them to do, and had predicted several times that they would do.  

I cannot adequately explain why it was necessary that God decide that Jesus must die on the Cross so that we can be forgiven.  However, that was the decision that was made, and now Jesus has made it happen.  Even though he had all authority, he chose to submit to another authority for a moment and allowed himself to be killed. 

At the Cross

Welcome.

In my previous post, we left off with Jesus on the road to the Cross.  Now, in Luke 23:32-43, Jesus reaches the place called The Skull, and there he is crucified.  Here is my translation:

32 Then they led him away with two other criminals in order to put him to death. 

33 They came to a place called The Skull and they crucified him there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.  34 Jesus said, “Father forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” Meanwhile, they divided up his clothing and cast lots for them. 35 People were just standing there watching, but the chief priests mocked Jesus, saying, “He saved others, so let him save himself, if he is the God’s Messiah, the Chosen One."

36 The soldiers also ridiculed him, approaching him and offering him sour wine,  37 saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”38 An inscription had been placed above him, stating “This is the king of the Jews.”   

39 One of the criminals who had also been crucified, blasphemed Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah?  Save yourself and us.” 

40 However, the other man rebuked him , saying, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same punishment that he is.” 41 We are being treated justly, since we are receiving punishment worthy of things we have done. 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.  

43 Jesus said to him, “I’m telling you the truth, today, you will be with me in Paradise.”  

Jesus is led away to his crucifixion along with two other criminals.  He is placed on his Cross between them, one on his right and one on his left.  The idea of Jesus hanging between two criminals reminds me of James and John asking to sit at Jesus’ left and right when he comes in his glory.  (Mark 10:35-40.)  They tell Jesus that they can drink the cup that Jesus is going to drink.  I suspect that they had no idea that it involved being crucified.  It also recalls Isaiah 53:12, where it says that he was ‘numbered with the transgressors.’

Verse 33 tells us that Jesus was taken to a place that was referred to as The Skull.  This is where they crucified him.  Matthew, Mark and John all mention the name Golgotha as the place of the Skull.  Luke omits the name Golgotha and simply refers to it as the place called The Skull.

Luke does not go into a lot of detail about the crucifixion itself.  At times people were crucified by being tied to a cross.  However, we know that Jesus was nailed to the Cross because Thomas refused to believe unless he saw the nail marks. (John 20:25.) 

While on the Cross, Jesus is still pouring out love, even for his enemies.  He puts one of his most challenging teachings into practice, when he says, concerning his enemies, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  

At the same time, the soldiers have divided up clothing and are gambling over it.  Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus made himself nothing.  He really has.  Everything he has is taken from him, even his clothing.  

The Crucifixion has drawn a crowd.  Some are there to watch, while others have come to mock.  

I’m sure that the chief priests are there to make sure that their plan succeeds and Jesus really does die.  It is unlikely that they went often to witness a crucifixion.  These supposed men of God actually seem to be enjoying this barbarism. 

The ridicule doesn’t stop with the chief priests.  The Romans soldiers mock him as well.  The Romans probably had no real understanding of what was going on here.  They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”  I would guess that they were unsure why someone who was claiming kingship would make no effort to save himself.  

Even the two criminals that were crucified with him were ridiculing Jesus. Eventually one of them saw the light, repented and rebuked the other man. It is hard to guess what sudden realization this man came to, but he asked that Jesus remember him when he comes into his kingdom. On the face of it, it is an odd time to become a follower of Jesus. If Jesus is about to die, what kingdom is he possibly going to come into?  He understand the answer to that now, but Jesus’ own disciples did not understand the nature of Jesus' kingdom at this point. 

Jesus responds to the man with nothing but love and forgiveness, telling him that later today the man would be with Jesus in Paradise.  The man was a ‘sinner’, perhaps a lifelong criminal, and yet he was going to make it to Paradise due to his 11th hour acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord. 

Green Tree

Hello.

In our narrative in the Gospel of Luke, we are moving rapidly toward the Cross.  Luke 23:26-31 covers the road to the Cross after Jesus leaves his second trial with Pilate.  Here is my translation:

26 As they were leading Jesus away, they grabbed Simon, from Cyrene, who was coming in from the countryside and put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. 27 Many people followed him, including some women who were mourning and weeping for him. 28 Turning to these women, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me, instead weep for yourselves and your children, 29 because the days are coming in which people will say, ‘blessed are barren women, who have never given birth, and whose breasts have never nursed a child.’ 
   30 People will begin to say to the mountains, 
           ‘Fall on us,’ 
        And to the hills, 
            ‘Hide us.”
31 Because if this is what they do when the tree is green, what will they do when it is dried up? 

One would think that Jesus is physically exhausted from the events that unfolded.  Even without the savage beating of a flogging, he would be exhausted.  But he was flogged, and now expected to carry his own cross to the place of crucifixion.  

Simon, a man from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside.  A man who was seemingly minding his own business, when he was compelled to carry the Cross for Jesus.  The Romans had the right to ‘draft’ someone and press them into service, forcing them to carry their burden for a mile. It appears likely that this chance encounter leads Simon to become a disciple.  Mark 15:21 mentions that Simon was the father of Rufus and Alexander, apparently two early disciples. Consider Luke 9:23, where Jesus tells those who would follow after him, that they must take up their cross and follow.  Simon literally does that.  Given Jesus’ cross to carry, he follows Jesus. Darrell Bock calls Simon, a ‘representative participant.’ (Bock, 1842.) 

Others are following, as well.  Many women are mourning and weeping for Jesus as he walks along.  In these few verses, which are unique to Luke, he very tenderly addresses them, and tells them not to weep for him.  Jesus, always full of compassion, and knowing what would happen down the road in Jerusalem, again offers warning. He addresses this group of women as ‘Daughters of Jerusalem.’ The destruction of Jerusalem is not coming for forty years, but Jesus tells them to mourn for that, as what he is saying to them has a ring of familiarity.  (See Luke 21:20 and following.) 

Like Luke 21:23 says that those days will be terrible for expectant and nursing mothers.  Conditions will be so bad that people ask the mountains to fall on them, people will want a quick death and relief from their suffering.  The nation will be held accountable for their rejection of Jesus. 

 Jesus ends his warning to these women by saying,”If this is what they do when the tree is green, what will they do when it is dried up?”  I think we all prefer a green tree that is full of leaves and fruit to a dead dried up tree that has neither. I think it is safe to say that in this case green represents something good and dried up represents something bad. 

There are differing ideas about what the green tree and the dried up tree represent. According to Bock, there are at least three different ways to interpret Jesus’ meaning here (Bock, 1847.):

• If the Romans will treat an innocent man (Jesus, green tree) like this, how badly will they treat a nation in rebellion (dry tree)? 
• The Jews treat Jesus this way for coming to deliver them (green tree), how will they be treated for destroying him (dry tree)?
• If God does not spare Jesus (green tree), how much more will the impenitent nation (dry tree) be punished when Divine judgment comes? 

In all of these options, Jesus is the green tree, and those who have killed this innocent man are the dry tree, and whether the punishment comes from the Romans or God, or both, it will be severe.  It is amazing that Jesus even after all of the mistreatment that he has taken over the course of the night, and knowing that it is the Cross that awaits, can still find a place in his heart to show compassion to the crowd.  

The Wrong Choice

Hello everyone.

Today, we will continue with Jesus on his journey toward the Cross.  In my last post, we saw Jesus appear before Pilate, who shipped him off to Herod.  However, Pilate couldn't get rid of Jesus that easily.  Herod, frustrated that Jesus wouldn't perform any miracles, simply returned Jesus to Pilate.  We pick up the story here in verse 13: 

13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You have brought this man to me, claiming that he misleads the people. See, I have examined him in front of you, and I have found nothing to the charges that you are making against this man. 15 Neither did Herod.  He sent him back to me.  So, listen to this! He has not done anything worthy of death.” 16 So, I will have him beaten and then I will let him go.” (17* It was required that he release one man to them at the Passover feast.) 

18 But the crowd shouted together, “Kill him.  Release Barabbas to us.” 19 Barabbus had been put in prison for an insurrection that had happened in the city and for murder. 20 Pilate again spoke to the crowd, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 However, they continued shouting, “Crucify him!”

22 In his third attempt, Pilate asked the crowd, “Why?  What terrible thing has he done? I find nothing in him that is worthy of death, so I will have him beaten and then let him go. The crowd continued demanding in loud voices that Jesus be crucified. It was those voices that ultimately prevailed. 24 Pilate made the decision to give in to their demands. 25 He released the one they had asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and handed Jesus over for what they were wanting. 

         * Some manuscripts do not include verse 17. 

In Jesus’ second appearance before Pilate, Pilate brings the accusers in and tells them that he finds no merit to their charges.  They have tried desperately to get Pilate to buy into the idea that Jesus was a threat to Rome, and Pilate is just not buying it.  Pilate makes the point that he has made his examination of Jesus right in front of them, and they really have no case.  He also points out that they were not able to convince Herod either.  Ἀνακρίνας (Anakrinas) The word Pilate uses here means “to hear a case in a judicial sense."  So Pilate has heard their case and he minds no merit to it. 

Pilate seems to just want to let Jesus go, but in order to appease the Jewsih leadership, he offers to have Jesus beaten.  That is not enough to please the chief priests and the rest of Jesus' accusers. By now, the leadership has managed to get the crowd all stirred up.  They begin to shout that Jesus should be killed and that they wanted Barabbas released.  

Verse 17 is not included in some manuscripts.  I have included it in parenthesis.  It is a statement that it was required that Pilate would release one man to the Jewish people during the Passover.  The crowd here is demanding that this one man not be Jesus, but instead be Barabbas.  Barabbas was a noted murderer and insurrectionist.  Mark 15:11 tells us that the chief priests stirred up the crowd against Jesus. Luke omits this.  It does seem odd that the crowd would be so supportive of Jesus for so long, and now be screaming for his death.  Is it a different crowd from those crowds that he taught in the temple each day?  Is human nature just that fickle and easily persuaded? It is hard to say. 

It is odd that Barabbas, who was a threat to Rome, was the one that the leadership was asking that he be set free.  Meanwhile, they were pleading a case against Jesus, accusing him of that very thing. “Jesus came offering peace, and was rejected in favor of a revolutionary who promoted murder.” (Stein, 582.) It is clear that the choice here is a choice between good and evil, a righteous man and a murderer.  They choose the murderer. 

In verse 22, Pilate again attempts to appease the crowd by offering to have Jesus beaten, but then letting him go.  Pilate seems confounded by the crowd’s intense desire for killing Jesus.  Pilate cannot figure out what Jesus has done that has aroused so much viciousness and passion for his death. However, the voices shouting for Jesus’ death are the ones that prevail.  Those voices prevail over truth, reason, logic and common sense.  Pilate, against his own better judgment, gives in to their demands.

It becomes a battle of wills.  Pilate and crowd.  The crowd wins. Pilate tried three times to release Jesus, but the crowd refused any kind of compromise, insisting on crucifixion, the most viscous form of execution imaginable.  Pilate is a politician.  Eventually, policians give in to political expediency, and Pilate does. He releases Barabbas and turn Jesus over to be crucified.  The guilty one goes free and the innocent one is executed. 

An Innocent Man

Greetings.

When we left off, Jesus was before Pilate, being accused of all sorts of things, mostly partials truths and outright lies.  Pilate finds Jesus to be innocent, but Jesus' detractors press on.  We pick up the story in verse 6:  

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was from Galilee.  7 Once he knew that Jesus was under Herod’s authority, he sent him to Herod, since Herod was in Jerusalem at the time. 8 Herod was very happy to see Jesus, since he had heard so much about him.  He hoped that he could see Jesus perform some miraculous sign.  9 Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus didn’t answer any of them.  10 The chief priests and the scribes stood there, passionately making accusations against him. 11 Meanwhile, Herod and his soldiers ridiculed him.  They put a fancy robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12 On that day, Pilate and Herod became friends with one another.  Before this they had been hostile toward each other.

The Jewish leadership has been trying to paint Jesus as a threat to Rome, but Pilate isn’t really buying it.  So, when Pilate hears them say ‘Galilee,’ he sees an opportunity to rid himself of this situation.  He could ship him off to Herod, since Herod was actually in Jerusalem at the time.  

Herod was excited to see Jesus because he was hoping that Jesus would perform some miracle for him.  Cdertainly, he could have performed miracles for Herod, Jesus, however, was not intending to be Herod’s entertainment.  Jesus would not even answer his questions.  

As Luke describes it, this must have been quite a scene.  Herod was likely very frustrated because Jesus refused to give him what he wanted, so Herod and his soldiers turned to ridicule.  The Jewish leadership is busy throwing accusations at Jesus, hoping something will stick so that they can have him executed.  Meanwhile, Jesus does nothing.  He stands there silently while this spectacle goes on around him.  Like a lamb before his shearers, Jesus is silent. (Isa. 53:7)

Jesus is being treated like a criminal, even though he is not one.  He isn’t acting like one, either.  He isn't pleading his innocence, nor is he begging for mercy. 

Herod, not knowing what to do with Jesus, mockingly dresses him up in a fancy robe and sends him back to his new freind, Pilate. 

Although it doesn't mention it here, we know from verse 15, that Herod, in spite of not getting what he wanted,, saw no reason to charge Jesus. Now, there are two judgments of innocent on Jesus, both Pilate and Herod. Luke has established quite well that Jesus is innocent of any charges.  Even the biggest authorities in the region have found it that way.  Yet, Jesus is still under arrest, still being mocked and brutalized and still heading toward crucifixion. 

Ultimately we know that it was not the adamant nature of the chief priests that this continued toward the Cross, but because it was God’s will for this to happen. The Lamb of God has remained silent before his accusers and soon will be led to the slaughter. 

Accusations

 Hello everyone.

We are moving into Luke 23 today, as Jesus moves toward the Cross.  In my previous post I mention that in the course of this one night, Jesus moves from trial to trial, six in all.  Luke 23:1-5 covers his first trial before Pilate.  Here is my translation:

1 The whole group got up and led him off to Pilate. 2 They began to make accusations about him, saying, “We find that this man misleads our people, forbidding them to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming himself to be the Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “So you say.” 
4 Pilate, then, said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no reason to charge this man.” 
5 But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up the people all over Judea with his teaching, beginning in Galilee and now here.”  

The leaders among the Jews would have loved to just kill Jesus, but they did not have the authority to do so.  They needed the Roman leader Pilate to take care of Jesus for them.  The Jewish ruling council was so concerned with getting rid of Jesus that all of them got up and took Jesus to Pilate.  They want to leave nothing to chance, I suppose, and make sure that he gets there.  

Pilate, as we know, had a pretty stern reputation.  The ruling council undoubtedly thought that they would have no problem manipulating Pilate into killing Jesus. Here were the accusations that they brought to Pilate:

• Accusation: He misleads the people.  
• Truth: Jesus wasn’t misleading the people, they were.  Jesus had done nothing but preach and teach spiritual truth and heal people. They, on the other hand had lead people to a lifeless religion far from what God had intended.
• Accusation: He forbids people to pay taxes to Caesar. 
• Truth:  This is an outright lie, but they knew that this would get Pilate’s attention.  Jesus had actually indicated that people should “render unto Caesar, that which is Caesar’s.” (Luke 20:25) 
• Accusation: He claims to be the Messiah, a king. 
• Truth: Yes, Jesus had certainly implied during his trial that he was the Messiah.  While not implicitly stating it, he had made statements that would back such a claim.  However, for the Jewish leaders here, they were looking for the Messiah.  Jesus just wasn’t their kind of Messiah.  So they used this claim because they knew that Pilate would have to deal with it.  In the Roman Empire there could be no lord but Caesar. 
• More truth:  Jesus is a king, but not in the sense that his audience thought of kings.  

Pilate addressed the charge that would matter most to him.  Whether Jesus was claiming kingship, or not.  He asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”  Jesus took the same approach with Pilate that he had with the chief priests.  He neither confirms or denies.  He responds with, “so you say.”  So, while Jesus doesn’t deny his kingship, he does not represent any kind of threat to Rome. Pilate does not seem to perceive that Jesus is any kind of threat to Rome. He is unmoved by the charges that have been brought against Jesus, and declares that he finds no reason to bring charges against him.  

Since the first set of charges didn’t land with Pilate, the Jewish leaders brought more charges against Jesus:

• Accusation: His teachings stir up the people, first in Galilee and now in Jerusalem.  
• Truth: Yes, there were a lot of people excited about Jesus.  Many of them,because they misunderstand his message and think that he is going to be an earthly deliverer and king.  The leaders are trying to paint Jesus as a dangerous leader of some sort of rebellion against Rome, but any objective person would conclude that Jesus is not trying to do anything like that. 

So here is where we stand after the first few verses of Luke 23.  The Jewish leadership have approached Pilate with the idea that Jesus is a threat to Rome and that if he is a good governor for Rome, he will not let Jesus go free. They have made accusations against Jesus, some of which are false.  For the accusations that are true, they have bent the truth to fit their dark purposes and present Jesus as something he was not: a threat. 

Trials

Greetings.

In my previous post, the central character of the story was Peter, and it told the story of his denial.  Starting in verse 63, and going to the end of the chapter, the focus returns to Jesus.  Here is my translation of Luke 22:63-71:

63 The men guarding Jesus mocked and beat him.  64 Then they blindfolded him and questioned him, saying, “Prophecy, which one of us hit you?”  65 They said many other blasphemous insults to him. 

66 When dawn was breaking, the elders of the people came together with chief priests and the scribes.  They led Jesus into their council chamber. 67 They said, “Tell us whether you are the Messiah.”

Jesus replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe it, and if I ask you a question, you won’t answer it. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will sit at the right hand of the power of God.” 

70 They all said to him, “So  then, are you the son of God?”

He responded, “You say that I am.”

71 Then they declared, “Why do we need to have more testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth.”

Peter has fled the scene to weep privately, and Jesus is left in the hands of those whose intent is to kill him. There is no need to place guards on Jesus.  He is there willingly and has not put up any kind of fight with his captors.  Never-the-less, he is under guard and these guards begin to mock and beat him.

In their mocking and beating, they blindfold him and punch him, and mock him by saying, “prophecy, which one of us hit you?”  

Of course, Jesus could have told them which of them had hit him, and that would have stunned them a little perhaps, but Jesus chose to remain silent.  Like Isaiah 53:7, "Like a lamb before his shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”  Their mocking includes many other insults.  Many modern English version translate this as ‘insulting things,’ but word in Greek is actually βλασφημοῦντες (Blasphemountes).  Ironically, Jesus is being charged with blasphemy, but it is his captors and those insulting him, whoa are guilty of blasphemy. 

In verse 66, we see that dawn is breaking.  This process has been an all-nighter, and it is still really in the early stages. Jesus is now taken into the council chamber, where the elders, the chief priests and the scribes had gathered.  It appears, from taking all four Gospel accounts into consideration, that Jesus had six trials in the course of the Thursday night and Friday morning:

• Before Annas (John 18:13)
• Before Caiaphas (Mark 14:55-64, Matt. 26:59-66) 
• Before the Jewish council, possibly the Sanhedrin (Matt. 276:1, Luke 22:66-71)
• Before Pilate. (All four Gospels)
• Before Herod (Luke 23:6-12)
• Before Pilate again. ((Luke 23:13-16)

Here the council has gotten up early for this trial, as it is meeting at sunup.  Perhaps, they too have been up all night, in anticipation of this trial of Jesus. 

In Luke’s account, the trial’s questioning begins with the command, “Tell us whether you are the Messiah.”  Jesus’ first words neither confirm nor deny his divinity.  He states, “If I tell you, you won’t believe it.” Then he says, “If I ask you a question, you won’t answer it.”  In these two statements Jesus is saying to his accusers that it is pointless to respond to this question, because it doesn't matter what he says.   Their minds are made up, and they are going to execute him no matter.  

They have refused to answer his questions in the past, becuase Jesus had always outsmarted them, asking questions that either answer put them in a difficult spot.  Now he doesn't even bother to ask. 

But, Jesus doesn’t stop with his non-answer.  He finishes with “But from now on, the Son of Man will sit at the right hand of the power of God.” So he doesn’t come right out and say, “Yes, I am the son of God.”  His answer, however, more than implies this.  He implies that he is going to be seated at God’s right hand.  He is the Son of Man, whom God has given all authority and power.  

Darrell Bock points out that Jesus’ response here indicates that the tables will be turned.  Right now, they all sit in judgment of Jesus, but moving forward, from this point on, Jesus, the Son of Man will sit in judgment on them.  (Bock, 1797.) This is a declaration of Jesus’ sovereignty.  He is the one with all of the power, even if it doesn’t appear that way at the moment.

Jesus’ accusers catch the drift of what Jesus is saying here.  He has not come right out and said it, but his implications are hard to miss.  They respond, “So, then are you the Son of God?” Jesus’ implication is to hold a unique position of power, seated at God’s right hand.  They want to hear him say it absolutely, so that they can have merit for their sentence of execution.  

Jesus’ response continues to avoid giving them exactly what they want.  He says, “You say that I am.” Again, Jesus neither confirms or denies, but it is enough for his accusers.  When Jesus responds, “You say that I am.” the chief priest asks, “Why do we need to go any further?”  To his accusers Jesus has presented enough evidence to support their claims.  Whether it was his inference, or his lack of a denial, they claim to have all that they need for the verdict of guilty. 

Of course the outcome of this mockery of a trial was never really in doubt anyway, and everyone present knew it.  Jesus was going to be condemned to be executed.  

               Darrell Bock, Luke: Volume 2 - 9:51-24:53, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 1996. 

Failure

 Hello everyone.

We have going through Luke 22, and we have seen earlier how Jesus has told Simon Peter that Satan has asked to sift him like wheat.  Peter has pledged undying loyalty to Jesus, but Jesus has predicted that by morning, Peter would deny him three times.  Verses 54-62 follow Peter's journey, as Jesus is being led toward his crucifixion.  here is my translation: 

54 Having arrested him, they led him away and brought him into the house of the high priest, while Peter followed at a distance.  55 They built a fire in the middle of the courtyard and then sat down around it.  Peter joined them. 56 A servant girl saw Peter sitting by the fire.  She examined Peter and said, “This man was with him.” 

57 Peter denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him!”

58 Soon after this, another among them said, “You are one of them.” 

But Peter responded, “Man, I am not!”

59 About an hour later, another man insisted, “Truthfully, this man was with him, since he is a Galilean.”  

60 Peter responded, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.”  Right away, as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 

61 The Lord turned and looked right at Peter, and Peter remembered how the Lord had said, “Before the rooster crows, you will disown three times.”  62 Then Peter went out and wept bitterly. 

Jesus has now been arrested and brought to the house of the high priest.  This seems odd to me, rather than taking Jesus to a jail to await trial, or even to a court, he is taken directly to someone’s house where he is put on trial in the middle of the night.  The legality of all of this is certainly suspect, but the powers in Jerusalem have to do all of this under the cover of darkness. 

Peter is following the whole thing at a distance. According to Matthew’s account, Peter followed to see the outcome. (Matt. 26:58)  It had to be very difficult and confusing to be ordered to put his sword away and allow Jesus to be arrested.  He was clearly ready to take on an armed mob, but he was not prepared for how this was all unfolding. 

A group that was present builds a fire, and Peter sits down by the fire to keep an eye on what is happening with Jesus.  There by the fire, he is recognized, first by a servant girl, then by someone else around the fire and then later by someone else.  All three times he denies that he knows Jesus.  Earlier in the night, Jesus had told Peter that this would happen.  Peter undoubtedly said in his own mind, at least, that this would never happen.  Yet it had.  

Both Matthew and Mark mention that after his denial, Peter relocates to the entryway or gateway. Luke doesn’t mention it, but merely records the passage of time. Peter wants to remain to see the outcome, but it seems that in fear he is moving closer to the exit.  That doesn’t really change the situation. He is still recognized and is forced to deny Jesus again a short time later.   

Peter’s third denial comes after an accusation that he must be with Jesus because he is a Galilean. Perhaps Peter had an accent that gave him away.  People could tell that he was not from Jerusalem.  Again, both Matthew and Mark differ a little from Luke on how this part was recorded.  In those two accounts, Pater begins calling down curses after the third accusation, then denies fervently that he even knows Jesus.  Luke leaves the curses out, and Peter’s response is that he doesn’t know what his accusers are even talking about.  

In John’s the accuser is a relative of the man whose ear had been severed by Peter.  This man was an eyewitness to action in the garden. He says, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”  It is unlikely that an eyewitness to Peter’s maiming of his cousin would easily forget Peter within a couple of hours of the incident.  Yet Peter claims that he doesn’t even know what the guy is talking about. 

After the third denial, the rooster crowed, Jesus turns and looks at Peter, and Peter is reminded of Jesus' earlier prophecy, and he leaves the scene to a more private place, where weeps bitterly over his betrayal of Jesus. 

The detail of Jesus turning and looking at Peter is only mentioned in Luke.  We can only imagine the emotion of this scene.  Jesus could have given Peter an “I told you so,’ kind of look, but that doesn’t seem to be Jesus style to me.  Rather, Jesus, in the middle of all of this suffering, had to have to look of immense sadness regarding Peter’s denials. 

Satan is getting what he demanded.  Peter is being sifted.  Peter was armed with a sword, but that was not what he needed.  He had fallen asleep rather than pray, and prayer, not a sword, had been the need of the hour.  

Peter has failed here, and failed badly.  Fortunately, for Peter, his failure is not the end of his story.  It is only a part of his story. The rest of his story is marked mostly by faith, rather than failure. 

Betrayed with a Kiss

Hey.

Today, our story continues on the Mount of Olives.  Continuing in Luke 22:47-53, we will the betrayal by Judas, some swordsmanship from Peter, and compassiona and healing from Jesus.  Here is my translation: 

47 Suddenly, as he was saying this, a crowd appeared. One of the Twelve, the one called Judas, was leading it. He came to Jesus and kissed him.  48 Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”  

49 Seeing what was happening, those with him said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 

50 One of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 

51 Jesus responded, “Enough of this!”  then touching the man’s ear, he healed him. 

52 Then speaking to those who had come from the chief priests, the captain of the temple guard and the elders, Jesus said, “ Am I such a dangerous criminal, that you come after me with swords and clubs? 53 I was there with you every day in the temple, but you did not reach out a hand against me, but your time and your authority is of the darkness.”

A mob appears as Jesus is waking his apostles for the third time.  The mob is led by Judas.  I can’t imagine how this must have felt for Jesus, knowing that one of his own had betrayed him and handed him over to his enemies to be killed.  Of course, Jesus was aware that Judas had betrayed him, and he understood intellectually that it was necessary for him to be killed in this way, but to see Judas leading this mob, that has come for his arrest, and then to approach him as a friend and kiss him, must have been incredibly painful.  

Jesus comments on the kiss, “Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”  The audacity of Judas.  Isn't it enough that he is betraying the Savior of the world?  Does he have to do it while still pretending to be a friend?  In his question to Judas, Jesus refers to himself again as the Son of Man.  Remember that the Son of Man has been given all authority and power.  Jesus has all authority and all power, but chooses not to use it. 

Jesus makes no attempt to avoid arrest.  He has just prayed three times that his Father would take this cup from him.  The cup remains.  It is the Father’s will that he goes through with this.  Jesus, in spite of his recent agony, is resolved to finish out this plan. 

Jesus poses no threat to the state.  He has had opportunity to engage them in armed conflict and he has declined.  He demands his disciples, who are eager to defend him, to let it go.  The apostles have brought along two swords.  They wonder out loud whether now was the time to attack.  They ask, in verse 49, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”  Peter apparently does not wait for an answer.  He strikes with the sword and cuts off a man’s ear. 

Jesus stops the sword attack immediately.  Perhaps saving Peter’s life.  Let's give Peter some credit here.  He said that he was ready to die for Jesus, and now he is ready to go.  He must have been very confused when Jesus stopped him.  

I have no doubt that what was happening here did not fit the script that Peter had written in his mind.  Life usually doesn’t fit the script that we write in our minds.  At least I have found that to be the case.  The question becomes, what do we do when things don’t go the way we expect them to go?  Do we remain faithful? 

Robert Stein says this about Jesus regarding the attack on the servant of the high priest.  “He rebuked the use of force by the disciples and healed his enemies, for his kingship was not of this present world. He furthermore is a perfect model of his teachings concerning love for enemies.” (Stein, 562-563.)

Jesus questions his accusers.  He asks if he is such a dangerous criminal that they need an armed mob to arrest him.  The Greek word λῃστὴν (lēstēn) is the same word Jesus uses in the parable of the Good Samaritan to describe those who attack the man and leave him for dead.  Is that what they think of Jesus?  Probably not.  They are probably just so afraid of him and they want to leave nothing to chance, so they overdo it.  

Jesus is bold.  He challenges those who have come to arrest him.  He points out that he had been in the temple every day teaching.  They had ample opportunity to arrest him.  He knew that  it was out of fear that they did not arrest him.  But, now, here, in the darkness, there was no crowd of people.  He declares to them that this, the darkness, was their time and their authority.  These men came from the chief priests and the elders, men who were supposedly godly men, but who were actually doing the bidding of the devil. 

Stein points out that Jesus gives the mob a stinging rebuke, pointing out their cowardice for not openly arresting him, but doing it under the cover of darkness, as they play their role in “the last desperate attempt of the power of darkness to thwart God’s plan.” (Stein, 560.)  

So, Jesus, the Son of Man, chooses to be led away by his captors, while those who just hours before had pledged their complete devotion to Jesus, and argued over who was the greatest among them, flee in fear.