Matthew Chapter 26-27
Palm Sunday begins with a triumphant parade of Jesus riding into Jerusalem. It reminds me of the Feast of Tabernacles where the Jewish people would make booths of Palm branches to remember their living forty years in the desert before entering the Promised Land. It was around this time that Jesus’ rode into Jerusalem. Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead, so there was a mixture of celebration and glory for Jesus’ power among Jesus' followers and a fear of some that Jesus may supplant the rulers of the day and drastically change the religious order as well. So, during this day there was celebration and tension among the people.
Now having celebrated or feared the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem, my emotions take a turn towards something deep that I fail to fully understand but love to ponder. So, here goes the recollection of Calvary, God's redeeming act of grace.
Calvary reminds me of the Old Testament Israel as well. Calvary was another Passover of sorts. The angel of God would again visit his people. Not only the people of Israel alone, but also the people of all the world. There was another blood sprinkling on the doorposts of the earth. There was another Paschal Lamb and another Life given for the remission of all the sins of the world.
In this story, a woman comes to Jesus and anoints him with ointment. Expensive ointment. And Jesus appreciates her act of love towards him at this time. Jesus knew what was about to take place in the next few days, I'm sure, so this act brings forth to me something similar to baptism. The woman performed an outward visible sign of an inward invisible truth in this moment of time. Some in the room thought this act of expensive ointment to be a waste of money that could be used for something else. But, when Jesus dies on that cross in the next day or so, may no man say, "Why this waste?"
The woman pouring the oil on Jesus has prepared him for burial. What this woman has done for Jesus will be told through the world. What an act of love!
Now contrast the woman's act of love towards Jesus to the act of Judas. Judas sold Jesus into the hands of the authorities for thirty pieces of silver, a couple of hundred dollars, the price of a slave. Satan entered Judas and evil enters the scene.
Now, here, I don't want to pretend that I don't have a little bit of Judas in me as well. Satan enters me at times as well. It's easy for me to know Jesus at a deep level and betray Jesus myself. I exhibit demonic forces of greed, jealousy and pride. I'm sure we are all guilty as well. So, don't be all self-righteous. I need a Savior and you need a Savior. I'm a sinner and you are a sinner too.
Now, onto the subject of the Lord's Supper. My research points me to some debate as to if the Lord's Supper was a Passover Meal or possibly a meal on the day before Passover. I'll let that debate reside in the hand of God. For me at this point in the story, there are more important points that God has to make with me, rather than some debate.
It seems to be that the Passover Supper leads to the Lord's Supper just as the Passover Lamb leads to Jesus the Lamb of God. Jesus dies on the cross on or around the very time that the paschal lambs were being slain in the Temple. And it was during the Last Supper and soon after that Judas would betray Jesus, Peter would deny Jesus and Jesus male disciples would desert Jesus.
Here once again, I am convicted of my sinfulness. I can certainly walk away from the Lord's Supper and in minutes, hours or some amount of time, and betray Jesus. We do not know the mixture of good and evil in us and I too may well ask as the disciples asked, "Lord, is it I?" Is it I that may betray, deny, or abandon? Lord, forgive my sinful nature!
Well, in the Lord's Supper I see how I live by signs. I see bread, I see wine, I see the body and blood of Jesus. I see bread that comes from a seed buried into the ground that springs to life and feeds me. I see wine that comes from the juice of trampled grapes that sustain me. Think about that statement. I see an outward and visible sign of an inward and life sustaining grace.
Drinking blood by the Jews was considered a sin. But here Jesus brings me his blood not as a curse, not as a sin, but as forgiveness of my sin. Surely, I should come before Jesus at the Lord's Supper confessing by sinfulness. And likewise, as well, I can walk away from the table of Christ with my sin swallowed up in praise for Jesus has pardoned me at his table. Through this Sacrament all people are brought again into the fellowship of God and forgiven. God brings us into a new relation with him and with each other. What a gift Jesus gave to the world this night through the Lord's Supper.
And after the supper? To my amazement. Knowing the outcome of Calvary and the suffering and death to come… Jesus sang on the way to the Cross. How I too have been gifted with music to sing my way through this life and into eternal life with God through the grace of what Jesus is about to do for all the world.
Now, to the conversation with Peter and denial. Peter overestimates his power of will in the struggle he will have with his soul. Peter believes that denial will not be something that can or would occur. I'm convicted once again here as well. I think I'm strong. I think that I can avoid temptation. Well, that just ain't so. I'm a sinner. Peter was a sinner. You are a sinner. No one is strong on their own. We can only find strength in the power of Jesus.
Into the Garden of Gethsemane, we go. Jesus goes to pray and it seems the disciples go to sleep. An interesting thing about the meaning of the word Gethsemane. Gethsemane means "oil press." I'm sure Jesus felt the squeeze of sin in this place. All Jesus asks is that his disciples "watch" with him. There is no way that I can know the great sorrow that Jesus felt that night. Jesus suffered under the cup of a lonely grief for the sins of the entire world throughout all time. All the world, like Judas, were rushing straight into the claws of sinful destruction and death. In Gethsemane, Jesus felt the darkness and wickedness coming upon him in waves of horror and death. And Jesus knew that he was the only one in the entire universe that could cleanse creation from that darkness of sinfulness and death.
Lord, forgive me! May I watch! May I see your passion and love and live into the calling you have for me. Forgive me, I pray for my slothful being. Hear my prayer, my great Companion.
And now comes the kiss. The kiss of Judas. And the desertion of the disciples. Why run and hide? The darkness of sin had overtaken these men. The power of the dark had its hold on them. Lord, forgive me when I run in fear and selfishness to hide from you! A Christian does not hide faith in the corner. I need to be open to the Truth. My peace is too often, peace at the cost of truth. My openness is too often proud and hidden selfishness. You see, the triumph of Christ is the defeat of the hidden nature of men and open to the Truth of God's peace through Jesus. Forgive me, I pray and lead me into the openness of your Truth and Peace.
Jesus now appears all alone, in the dark of night before the entire council of the Sanhedrin… religious mucks. This trial violates the very rules of Jewish judicial proceedings in almost every way. Caiaphas, the high priest, displays his disgusting lack of truthfulness. Truth meant nothing to him this evening, and the life of an innocent man was of little importance to him.
Ironically this night, Jesus' enemies remember the promise of a resurrection… yet Jesus' male disciples have forgotten all about that. Yes, the judgment of the evening… "He (Jesus) deserves death." Perhaps we should ask ourselves before joining any crowd or group... Why are we here? What's the purpose of this gathering. A crowd my sweep us beyond ourselves into good or even for evil. Stop and seek the Spirit to lead and guide before going along with the crowd.
Now Peter denies Jesus. Peter is hanging out in the courtyard as the proceedings are taking place before Caiaphas and the Council. Peter is tempted into denial. Temptation comes like a "Thief in the night." Temptation sneaks up and overtakes all of us. You, me and Peter are tempted. Peter's denial reminds me of how I too am exposed in the place of my sin. But there is something more here. Peter's denial and his subsequent confession reminds me that the last Word belongs to Christ in his gracious and powerful pardon of my sin.
Next, Jesus is brought before Pilate. Jesus was condemned by Pilate on the charge of treason. Interesting study made me aware that Pilate was seen or maybe more accurately, turned into a saint or a devil. One account, mostly Egyptian and Syrian, describes Pilate as an unwilling participant in the death of Jesus and innocent of Jesus' blood. Pilate is even seen as a Christian in his own conviction and the Coptic church has canonized Pilate. In the other (mostly Western) picture, Pilate bears full responsibility for the death of Jesus and is presented as an unjust judge --- weak-willed at best, evil at worst. He commits suicide and his corpse becomes home for demons.
Now when Judas realized that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests. What does repent mean? This one I'll leave up to you. Was Judas' repentance authentic? Repentance is a change in will, a turning around. Would it had made any difference if Judas had gone to Jesus or the disciples to repent rather than someone else like the chief priests? Would the repentance have been validated had Judas not committed suicide? Suicide wasn't a new thing to the Jews. Jewish tradition seems to excuse suicide and even suicidal thinking with Saul, Samson, Zimri, Jonah and others. I think that the decision of the repentance of Judas belongs with God not man.
So, Pilate comes down to this… "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" The crowd cries to let Jesus blood be on them. The fact is that everyone has some share in this deep guilt of the crucifixion of Jesus. Our hand washing as well as Pilate's handwashing does not make any difference here. The only cleansing that can come here for us and for Pilate and for the crowd gathered in that day, can come through Jesus’ sacrifice upon that cross that we send him to.
And then, if ugly were a description of mankind, it gets even worse. Thorns are twisted into a crown, shoved on Jesus’ head. Jesus is mocked and spat upon and whipped and forced to carry the cross to his death. "Hail, King of the Jews!" How disgusting mankind can be, me included! Everything was done to Jesus to make sure he was put to shame. But... the darkness of mankind is contrasted with the bright Light of Jesus in this moment in eternity. And what are we left with? We either crucify Jesus or we help him carry his cross.
Beneath the Cross of Jesus, in my sinfulness may I never shrink from sight. I am convicted of my sinfulness. I look up and see Jesus and realize that he can't even save himself from my sin. Jesus can't save himself.
In the darkness of sin even nature hides in shame at my wickedness and the wickedness of all men. I am convicted of my sin! Convicted right there at the foot or beneath the cross of Jesus. And all the land becomes dark.
But… even though everything has forsaken Jesus, God was with him. God was close yet God was gone! You see, God was in Jesus saving the world unto himself. And Jesus cries!
Jesus dies in anguish and then… and then… immediately heaven and earth respond. The ripping of the Temple curtain possibly signifies that a new covenant has begun through which sins are forgiven by the blood of Jesus rather than the blood of animal sacrifice. And the earthquake and raising of the saints shows forth that the gates of hell have fallen. The power of death has been broken... now and forever.
How many dividing curtains ripped apart that day? Ripped from top to bottom. A new age begins. The final days are here! In the death of Jesus… it is finished. Sin is defeated. It's not about our action of overcoming sin, even the current sinfulness of the day. All sin is defeated... it may not be gone yet... but it is defeated...
And the saints who have fallen asleep in their sin were raised to new life.
And then… just like has happened over the past couple of weeks… there is a big change… The Centurion standing beneath the cross of Jesus testifies! He testifies that "Truly this was the Son of God!" A confession of faith in God his Lord and Master. The man who killed Jesus was Jesus first follower after death and the first to proclaim himself to be a follower of Jesus, God in flesh. I likewise shout with all awe and wonder, as I pause here, beneath the cross of Jesus, "Truly, Jesus is the Son of God!"
Also… beneath the cross… are the steadfast courage, gratitude, love and conviction of the women disciples of Jesus. They are the ones that stuck with Jesus the entire time. Oh, what an example! Oh, what love! Oh, what courage it took for these women. Their helpless watching was not helpless. These women were the very transmission of the true faith in Jesus.
Jesus is buried. Even in burial, Jesus' disciple Joseph, thinking Jesus dead forever, becomes a person to proclaim the Gospel. Guards were sent by Pilate at the request of the chief priests and the Pharisees to seal the tomb. Their last act was to try and make the tomb Jesus prison forever.
Even here, I'm convicted. I try to lock Jesus in a prison of things, I set up riches, I look to science or medical discoveries, I make myself busy so that I can think I am the one to save myself. Men seal the tomb with war, greed, sex, and power to keep Jesus in that tomb. But none of that will work.
So, what's this all about? Man in his wickedness was not enough to defeat the power of God's love. Jesus is the incarnate God, and Jesus proves that it is impossible that death should hold him captive.
Thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ… yesterday… today… tomorrow… and forever! ---- Amen… Amen… Amen!!!
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