Tag Archives: Passover

Let The Games Begin

Bible Study, , ,

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

“Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead He withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where He stayed with His disciples.

“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, ‘What do you think? Isn’t He coming to the festival at all?’

But the chief priests and the Pharisees gave orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest Him. “John 11:54-57 NIV.

So this is what happens when a person does the right thing! Because He brought a dead man back to life, He was considered public enemy number one. In the eyes of the Jewish leaders He was dangerous and an enemy of the state. They siphoned all their personal issues against Him into this apparently legitimate reason for having Him caught and brought to trial.

For Jesus it was not a matter of if but when He would be executed. He had to be careful not to show Himself prematurely. He had to fit perfectly into His Father’s timetable and into the fulfilment of all the types and shadows and Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament so He remained out of sight until the appropriate moment.

The Sanhedrin had already decided that it should not happen during Passover because the situation was far too volatile (Mark 14:1, 2). Jerusalem would be filled with Jews from all over Israel and farther afield. Jesus was too well-known and popular to risk a riot at that time. But it was Judas who forced their hand by betraying His whereabouts on the eve of Passover. They might not get another chance to grab Him when He was not expecting it.

According to John they had issued an order to anyone who knew where He was to inform them. But Jesus was no ordinary fugitive. He was in charge. He would show Himself and give Himself up at the precise moment, no matter what their plans and instructions. There were things He had to do before He finally left His disciples. Whether they thought they had Him in their power or not, was irrelevant. He had already made it clear to His followers that no-one took His life from Him. He would lay it down for the sheep at the perfect moment.

So He played cat-and-mouse with them. After raising Lazarus and creating a furore, He remained out of sight in a village off the beaten track. Were the ordinary people aware of the Sanhedrin’s intention? As the worshippers assembled in Jerusalem for the ritual preparations for the Passover, He was the subject of their conversation and the object of their curiosity. Where was He? Would He dare show Himself in Jerusalem during the Passover? Would He risk another public standoff with the Jewish leaders? Tongues wagged all over the city.

The “Jews” laid their plans and waited. They could arrest Him and keep Him in custody until after the Passover when the city returned to normal – so they thought. As long as they had Him safely locked up, they could breathe easier.

But God had other plans and Jesus was in on them, waiting on the Father to reveal His hand in His time. The Lamb of God has to die at the precise moment when the high priest raised the knife to slaughter the first sacrificial lamb that marked the beginning of the ceremony. He had to ride into the city on a donkey as an indication of His claim to the throne of Israel, but not as they expected. He was asking for the allegiance of men’s hearts so that He could reveal the Father to the world through them.

Two kingdoms stood on the threshold of the greatest battle ever fought, the kingdoms of darkness and light, and the outcome was already determined from before the foundation of the world. Only Jesus knew what lay ahead and He was ready for it.

Missing!

Bible Study, , ,

MISSING!

“When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they returned to Galilee and their own town, Nazareth. There the child grew strong in body and wise in spirit. And the grace of God was on Him.

“Every year Jesus’ parents travelled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When He was twelve years old, they went up as they always did for the Feast. When it was over and they left for home, the child Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but His parents didn’t know it. Thinking He was somewhere in the company of pilgrims, they journeyed for a whole day and then began looking for Him among relatives and neighbours. When they didn’t find Him, they went back to Jerusalem looking for Him.” Luke2:41-45 (The Message).

What a contrast! Twelve years of trouble-free childhood, and then He goes missing!

Twelve was a magical age for a Jewish boy. Bar Mitzvah! He had come of age. He was permitted into the company of the men to take His place among them. Admittedly He was still a “junior” man and had lots to learn, but nevertheless He was still a MAN. As a man He also had responsibilities. He took part in the Jewish “rehearsal” feasts. Did Jesus know at this stage that He was celebrating the ritual of His own death?

Luke pulls a veil of secrecy over the first twelve years of His life — His apprenticeship for manhood. Instead he sweeps it aside with a summary statement that says everything; no intimate details about nappy rash, teething problems, potty training, learning to walk, measles, chicken pox or a runny nose! Did Jesus participate in all these minor details associated with growing up?

A healthy, strong, wise child — that’s all we know. Those of us who are parents can fill in the details against the backdrop of our own experience! His family life must have been chaos; at least six brothers and sisters pitted against Him. Did they victimise Him because He was the firstborn and had to take the rap for everything they did? Did they gang up against Him and deliberately do things to make trouble for Him? Did Mom try to shield Him from their vindictive pranks?

We know that His brothers refused to believe in Him until after the earth-shattering event that took place in Jerusalem thirty three years later. He walked out of a sealed tomb – alive! That shook them to the core. They mocked and ridiculed Him because they didn’t understand. He knew exactly how it felt to be the cause of a split right down the middle of a family. He spoke about it. “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword…a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household” Matthew 10:34b, 36 (NIV).

And then, after twelve years of a perfect record, He goes missing! What was He thinking?  Was He aware of the anguish He was causing His parents? This seems to have been the moment when He crossed over from boyhood to true manhood. In the rituals of the Passover He began to see His role in God’s big plan. With His mind filled with the Torah, which He already knew by heart, He pondered the greater truths hidden in the old story of deliverance from Egypt.

His parents had not caught up with Him. They were still Mom and Dad, doing their best to raise this kid who was placed in their trust, the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. They didn’t learn that at school! What crazy thoughts went through their minds as they frantically searched through the company for their missing son? Were they thinking, ‘After twelve’s years He’s gone and blown it. Has He been kidnapped? We’ve messed up. It’s our fault. We didn’t keep an eye on Him.’

They were so used to an obedient and compliant Jesus that this shook them to the core. What were they to do now? What if they never found Him? How would they explain that one to God?

Jesus Takes Centre Stage

Christian Life, , ,

JESUS TAKES CENTRE STAGE

“After saying these things, Jesus headed straight up to Jerusalem. When He got near Bethphage and Bethany at the mount called Olives, He sent off two of His disciples with instructions, ‘Go to the village across from you…you’ll find a colt tethered…untie it and bring it…’

“The two left and found it just as He said…They brought the colt to Jesus. Then, throwing their coats on its back, they helped Jesus get on. As He rode, the people gave Him a grand welcome, throwing their coats on the street.

“Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed.

‘Blessed is He who comes,
the king in God’s name!
All’s well in heaven!
Glory in the high places!’

“Some Pharisees from the crowd told Him, ‘Teacher, get your disciples under control!’

“But He said, ‘If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise.'” Luke 19:26-40 (The Message).

This event, which is called Palm Sunday on the Christian calendar, was both highly significant and highly provocative in the life of Jesus, and at this particular time in the Jewish year.

It was the eve of Passover. People were gathering in the city for the feast from all over the country. It was a time of religious fervour and political ferment. The Roman authorities were on high alert for any signs of trouble. Messianic expectation was reaching flash point and all eyes were on this rabbi who was saying and doing outrageous things.

The religious authorities were well aware of how volatile the situation was and were keeping a sharp eye out for any signs of uprising from Jesus and His followers. They knew that the only solution was to eliminate Him to bring things back under control before Rome stepped in and set off a blood bath, but they could do nothing at Passover because there were too many Jesus-supporters in the mob.

Then, into this tinder box situation, Jesus calmly entered on the back of a donkey! This was what they feared the most because it was public announcement that He was making a bid for kingship! They desperately implored Him to shut down the exuberant praise that was being stirred up in the mob, but Jesus laughed them off and they were even more enraged and determined to silence Him.

What was the significance of this provocative act? First of all, it was yet another fulfilment of an ancient prophecy, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9 (NIV), a Messianic fingerprint that would confirm the claim of Jesus that He was the king of the Jews.

Secondly, Jesus was claiming a kingship that was in no way intended to challenge their Roman overlords, but they did not understand that. They waited with baited breath to see what He would do when He entered Jerusalem. Would He head for the governor’s palace to throw down the gauntlet? They did not understand His hot tears over the city. Instead of heading for the governor’s residence, He turned towards the temple.

The meaning of this prophetic action went right over their heads. They did not understand that Jesus was claiming the right to rule over the lives and destiny of His people that went far deeper than political authority. He was representing a kingdom that overrode every other kingdom, the kingdom of God. In a few days, He would authenticate that right by giving His life to remove the barrier of sin that stood in the way of access into that kingdom, and that would give anyone who believed in Him the right to approach the Father.

Jesus was no threat to Rome. Rome was only a pawn in the hands of a far more sinister domain, the domain of Satan, the god of this world. “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15 (NIV).

But this action was imperative for Jesus because it was also the final nail in His own coffin. Like it or not, the religious leaders were forced to take action, spurred on by the offer of the treacherous Judas, because Jesus had to die as God’s sacrificial Lamb at the precise moment when the Passover lambs were being slaughtered!

Blood Poured Out For You

Christian Life, ,

BLOOD POURED OUT FOR YOU

“Taking the cup, He blessed it, then said, ‘Take this and pass it among you. As for me, I’ll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives.’

“Taking bread, He blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them saying, ‘This is my body given for you. Eat it in my memory.’

He did the same thing with the cup after supper, saying ‘This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.'” Luke 22:17-20 (The Message).

Is it any wonder that Jesus longed to share this meal with His disciples? He had reached the moment that would become the watershed of all history, a simple meal that symbolised the greatest victory of all time and the event that exposed, disarmed and defeated the arch enemy of all humankind.

Bread and wine, picture of His broken body and poured-out blood, formed the core of the Passover meal. The lamb was sacrificed to provide the blood that protected the people from the angel of death. The bread was baked without yeast as a mute testimony to the sinless nature of God’s lamb.

No longer would Passover be the celebration of God’s daring rescue from slavery in Egypt. From this moment on it took on a new significance – a meaning Jesus had struggled for three years to communicate to His disciples. He had not come to effect another deliverance from human oppression. As long as we are alive and subject to human authority, there will always be those who exploit people for their own ends. It is part of man’s greedy and wicked nature.

Underneath man’s inhumanity to man lies a far more sinister power – the unseen dominion of a dark and relentless fallen angel whose desire is to enslave and destroy every unsuspecting soul who is deceived by his enticements and enslaved by their own choices.

Jesus’ passion was to expose him by willingly becoming the victim of his hatred without falling into his trap and being ensnared by his lies. Try as he may, the devil could not lure Jesus into submitting to his lying suggestions. All he wanted Jesus to do was to do what he wanted and so disobey and mistrust the Father’s love.

Jesus’ response was always the same. Whenever Satan set his traps, He was ready with the same answer, ‘Daddy didn’t tell me to do it. That’s not what Daddy said.’ Even when He was tested to the limit in the Garden of Gethsemane, His rested His soul in His Father’s will.

Jesus’ steadfast faith in His Father’s love proved once and for all that, in spite of all the pressure to doubt Him and heed the devil, it was possible for a human being to be a true son, to submit to the Father, even to an unjust and shameful death, and to come out unscathed because God promised that He would raise Him from the dead, and God is absolutely trustworthy.

And that’s what this simple meal symbolised. It was not a sacrifice to be repeated again and again as some teach. It was simply a reminder of what Jesus did. Deliverance from political oppressors pales into nothing compared with the greater deliverance from enslavement to the father of lies, and all the pain of broken lives that enslavement to him brings.

This meal is a celebration of the eternal truth that Jesus has set us free from the guilt, shame and condemnation of our sin and our failure to trust Him, and from the power of the devil to deceive us any longer. As sons of the living God, we have an elder brother who has gone before us to show us the way to the Father and who has provided us with the same person who enabled Him to persevere – the Holy Spirit who comes to live within us.