Well, here we are another week, another episode
of the Semi -Seminarian. In this episode, we're
going to take the four gospel accounts of the
life of Jesus, and we're going to put them together
to paint a complete picture of that last week
of Jesus's life, a week that we Christians call
Holy Week. In this episode, we're going to examine
the momentous events that take place in the final
week. of Jesus's life. We'll see you on the other
side. So we'll just see what happens. We're going
to begin tonight in the 11th chapter of John.
What we're going to do is synthesize the four
gospels accounts to kind of present a fulsome
timeline of the Holy Week. And so what we're
going to do is we're going to begin before Holy
Week. And if you've been with us on Sunday and
you've been with us at dinner church, we're kind
of just we have been walking these steps kind
of chronologically together. And so if you recall,
when we had the discussion about Mary of Bethany
and her brother Lazarus. whom Jesus would raise
from the dead. We're going to finish that story
today as that leads right up to Holy Week. So
John 11, verse 33, When Jesus saw her weeping,
that's Mary of Bethany, and the Jews who had
come along with her also weeping, he, that's
Jesus, was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
So they are at the place of the resurrection
of Lazarus. And if you recall, there were a number
of people from Jerusalem that had made the trek
up to Bethany to consult Mary and Martha on the
loss of their brother. So there is a crowd of
people, not only Galileans, but also folks from
Jerusalem. And when Jesus saw his good friend
Mary crying and the Jews who had come from Jerusalem
also crying, he was deeply moved in spirit and
troubled. He's troubled because Jesus knows that
what he's about to do in front of this crowd
is going to get back to the people in Jerusalem.
And whenever the story of him raising Lazarus
from the dead gets back to the authorities in
Jerusalem, this is going to be a game changer.
And Jesus was right. When he had said this, Jesus
called out in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out.
The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped
with strips of linen and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, take off the grave clothes
and let him go. Therefore, many of the Jews who
had come to visit Mary, these Jerusalemites who
had come to Bethany, had seen what Jesus did
and they believed in him. We are in verse 46
of chapter 11 of John there. But some of them
went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus
had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees
called a meeting of the Sanhedrin, the Supreme
Court. What are we accomplishing, they ask. Here
is this man performing many signs, and if we
let him go on like this, everyone will believe
in him, and then the Romans will come and take
away both our temple and our nation. It's interesting
to me that these religious scholars would see
that as the consequence of people believing in
Jesus. But the Romans would take away our stuff.
Then one of them, named Caiaphas, the high priest
that year, spoke up and I think unironically
says, you know nothing at all. You do not, not
intentionally ironic. You do not realize that
it is better for you that one man die for the
people than the whole nation perish. When it
was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many
went up from the country. from this Galilean
region to Jerusalem for the ceremonial cleansing
before the Passover. They kept looking for Jesus
as they stood in the temple courts and they asked
one another, what do you think? Is he coming
to the festival at all? But the chief priests
and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone
who found out where Jesus was should report it
so that they might arrest him. This is the political
and social climate in Jerusalem on the eve of
the beginning of Holy Week. So let's look at
that first day that's called Palm Sunday that
we'll celebrate this Sunday. Let's go to the
gospel according to Mark, the 11th chapter. We're
going to begin right at that first verse of the
gospel according to Mark. Again, I'm going to
start at the first verse and I'm going to kind
of go a little bit fast tonight. So you turn
to Mark there and you can catch up with us as
we go. As they approached Jerusalem. And they
came to Bethphage, that's Bethphage or the place,
the house of the early fig in Hebrew. As they
approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage or
Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives.
Here's the Mount of Olives. This is the city
walls of Jerusalem in the first century. Okay,
there's Bethany. So there's where we're at. Jesus
sent two of his disciples, saying to them, Go
to the village ahead of you, and just as you
enter it, you'll find a colt tied there, which
no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it
here, and if anyone asks why you're doing this,
say the Lord needs it, and we'll send it back
shortly. They went and found a colt outside in
the street tied to a doorway. As they untied
it, some people did in fact ask, Hey, what are
you doing? They answered as Jesus had told them,
and the people let them go. When they brought
the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over
it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks
on the road, while others spread branches that
they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead
and those who followed shouted, Hosanna. Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed
is the coming kingdom of our father David, Hosanna
in the highest of heaven. That's a quotation
of the prophecy of Zechariah. Verse 11. Jesus
entered Jerusalem, right? Right here. Entered
Jerusalem and went to the temple courts. But
since it was already late, he went out, the way
he came in, to Bethany with the twelve. Triumphant
entrance into Jerusalem that day of Jesus. He
goes to the temple. It's too late to start any
trouble. Let's go back home. When Jesus rode
into Jerusalem perched on that colt, it was the
first time since raising Lazarus from the dead
that he had shown his face within the city. The
story of Lazarus' resurrection had circulated
so that many regarded Jesus as a celebrity. Everyone
wanted to catch a glimpse of him. They went out
to meet him and they received him like a king
because they had heard he had done this. Jesus
said Lazarus' death would end in the faith of
many. and in the glory of God, that the Son of
God may be glorified through it. But the glory
that he had in mind was even more glorious than
this triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. In fact,
he wasn't referring to the glory that these people
gave him at all. Lazarus' resurrection would
steal the resolve of these religious leaders
to hand Jesus over to a death that he would embrace,
a death though he would conquer. That was the
glory he meant. As he rode into Jerusalem, the
people cried, your king is coming. They praised
his victory over Lazarus' death. The irony was
he wasn't coming to claim his crown on account
of Lazarus' death and resurrection, but account
of his own. Jesus enters on a colt through the
golden or eastern gate of the city on the same
day that Pilate, traveling from his coastal home
here in Caesarea, on a war horse, would come
in through the west or Joppa gate. This is the
front door of the city of Jerusalem. This is
the back door. The Roman Empire, represented
by the governor Pilate, comes on a war horse
triumphantly into the city of Jerusalem that
beginning of Passover. Jesus, the Messiah, riding
a colt, comes in. Through the back door. So,
Monday. Mark chapter 11. I believe we were in
Mark, maybe? Beginning with verse 15. On reaching
Jerusalem, this is the next day. Jesus entered
the temple courts and began driving out those
who were buying and selling there. He overturned
the tables of money changers and the benches
of those selling doves. And if you recall from
our study of the Gospel of Matthew, the reason
why he would have been particularly upset with
the selling of doves for sacrifice is because
who were the people that bought doves for sacrifice?
Poor people who couldn't afford the Passover
lamb. So the people, the money changers, Those
selling the doves were particularly taking advantage
of the poor who were just trying to do what they
were supposed to do for atonement in the Passover
service. It would not allow anyone to carry merchandise
to the temple courts. Was a dove allowed as a
sacrifice? Yes, it was. But remember, it's not
the sacrifice that's the issue with Jesus. The
sacrifice is... is that Caiaphas had moved the
money changers from outside the temple courts
into the temple courts and was taking a cut.
So whenever you come from Caesarea and you use
a different money than they use in Jerusalem,
just like if we fly to Ireland or wherever and
we've got to change dollars for euros, it isn't
one dollar for one euro, is it? And the person
that's taking my dollar for whatever euros is
not only going to give me the currency rate,
but is also going to take a percentage for helping
me out. Right? The priests are taking a cut off
the top of these poor people by selling them
the sacrificial doves in the temple courts. Jesus
didn't see this as a sacrifice. He saw this as
merchandise. He would not allow anyone. to carry
merchandise through the temple courts. And as
he taught them, he said, is it not written, my
house will be called the house of prayer of nations,
but you've turned it into a den of robbers. The
chief priests and the teachers of the law heard
this and began looking for a way to kill him,
for they feared him, because the whole crowd
was amazed at his teaching. When evening of Monday
came, Jesus and his disciples, went out of the
city, returning to Bethany. If Jerusalem was
a beehive, with his triumphant entry on that
Palm Sunday, Jesus had now hit that beehive with
a stick. You could hear the buzz grow as the
anger within the city became organized. His kingly
arrival was a strong declaration about his authority
over the conventions of man. On Monday, Jesus
returns to the temple for more, this time to
declare the failure of God's people to live up
to the covenant mandate to be a blessing to the
world. Much of what the Gospels talk about with
regard to Monday centers on the theme of Jesus'
authority. Both over the created world and his
right to judge it. Everything Jesus did, he did
with authority. So when he awoke his disciples
that Monday morning saying he wanted to go back
into Jerusalem and teach, as risky as it sounded,
it was not surprising. Everyone sensed something
was stirring. As if Jesus had rounded a corner
and his end was coming up fast. Jesus was a marked
man. Let's turn to the gospel according to Luke,
the 20th chapter. We're going to look at Tuesday.
Tuesday is Jesus' day of teaching and preaching.
So let's turn to Luke chapter 20, and we're going
to begin at verse 9. And this is a parable that
we spoke about last time we met together. We
talked about the gospel according to Matthew.
And Jesus teaches a number of parables, pronounces
a number of woes upon the Pharisees during this
day of teaching and preaching. But because we
only really have an hour, I just want to focus
on one story. It happens to be the one that I
think hits the nail on the head about the relationship
between God, Jesus, and the world. So he went
on to tell the people about this parable. A man
planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers,
and went away for a long time. At harvest time,
he sent a servant to the tenants, the guys who
work the farm, so they would give him some of
the fruit of the vineyard. But instead of living
up to the negotiated deal, the tenants beat the
servant and sent him away empty -handed. So the
owner sends another servant. That when they also
beat and treated shamefully and sent away this
servant empty -handed, he sent a third and they
wounded him and threw him out. Then the owner
of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I know
I'll send my son whom I love. Perhaps they will
respect him. But when the tenants saw the son,
They talk the matter over. This is the heir,
they say. Let's kill him and the inheritance
will be ours. Okay, let's just stop and take
stock of the characters here. The owner of the
vineyard is God. The vineyard is the world, right?
The tenant farmers are the religious leaders,
right? Who are the servants? The prophets, the
Old Testament prophets. The one who had come
and said it's time to give the master his cut.
Right? But the people didn't want to hear the
word of the prophets. And they cut the prophets
down. They cut Isaiah down. They cut Jeremiah
down. They cut Zechariah down. Right? The servants.
And finally the owner, God, says I'll send my
son. Surely they will respect him. He is my son,
not just some servant. So the son comes. and
says, hey, it's time to give your due respect
to the owner. The tenants somehow in their mind
get it wrapped around their heads that if they
kill the son, somehow they would inherit the
vineyard. Now, does that make any sense whatsoever?
None. That shows you the ludicracy of the thought
process that is going on. That's why I picked
this particular story, because this one just
stands out to me as, perfectly descriptive of
what I imagine the Pharisees and the Sadducees,
the religious leaders of the day, were thinking.
They were thinking somehow that they had received
ownership of the vineyard. Somehow, somewhere
along the way, the vineyard had become theirs
and not God's. But the vineyard's always been
God's. So they threw him out. Of the vineyard
and killed him. What then will the owner of the
vineyard do? Jesus says. He will come and kill
those tenants. And give the vineyard to others.
When the people heard this they said God forbid.
Jesus looked directly at them. These Pharisees
and Sadducees. And asked them what is the meaning
of. which is written, the stone the builders
rejected has become the cornerstone. Everyone
who falls on the stone will be broken to pieces.
Anyone on whom it falls will be crushed. The
teachers of the law and the chief priests look
for a way to arrest him immediately. Why? Because
they knew he had spoken this parable against
them. They knew. These were smart guys. And when
they heard Jesus say this story, they realized
the part they played in the story. But they were
afraid of the people. Luke chapter 20, verse
45. While all the people were listening, were
teaching and preaching here, Jesus said to his
disciples, beware of the teachers of the law.
They like to walk around in flowing robes and
love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces
and have the most important seats in the synagogues
and the places of honor at banquets. They devour
widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers.
These men will be punished most severely. This
is Luke reporting Jesus' commentary to his disciples.
After the seven woes, there are seven woes that
Jesus gives to the parables in this teaching
discourse. And so this is what Jesus is telling
his disciples. This is the last time that we'll
hear Jesus confronting the Pharisees and Sadducees
in this way. If Monday's arrival in the temple
was an all -inclusive living parable of the cleansing
of God's house, Tuesday's entrance is a direct
verbal confrontation with the appointed leadership.
After Jesus clarifies that he does not regard
these leaders as having authority over him, he
spends the rest of the day right there in the
temple to teach the people God's word. But Tuesday
afternoon is the last time. Jesus publicly teaches
in the temple as a free man. His words on this
day are his closing argument, his manifesto.
When Jesus leaves the temple on Tuesday, the
chief priests and the scribes are seeking how
to arrest by stealth and kill him. But they can't
take his life from him solely on the strength
of charges that they plan to bring, not if he
chooses to defend himself, but he won't. Instead,
by his silence, he'll offer up his life for a
world of blasphemers and traitors and liars.
This is what it had come to. And as he exits
the temple that Tuesday afternoon, he knows he
will do it soon. Wednesday. Let's turn a couple
of chapters to Luke chapter 22. We'll begin right
at the first verse of Luke chapter 22, verse
1. Now the festival of unleavened bread called
the Passover was approaching and the chief priests
and the teachers of the law were looking for
some way to get rid of Jesus for they were afraid
of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called
Iscariot, one of the twelve, and Judas went to
the chief priests. The officers of the temple
guard discussed with them how he might betray
Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give
him money. He consented and watched for an opportunity
to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was
present. In the Holy Week, this day is known
as Silent Wednesday. The past several days have
been a rush of tension and of anger. For Jesus'
opponents. And at the same time of unflinching
resolve for Jesus. Words have been his currency
and he has spent piles of them. But on Wednesday,
the Wednesday before his death, Jesus is still.
Thursday. Let's turn to the gospel according
to Mark. Mark 14. And in verse 12, Mark 14 and
verse 12. On the first day of the festival of
unleavened bread, when it was customary to sacrifice
the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him,
where do you want us to go and make preparations
for you to eat the Passover? So he sent two of
his disciples telling them, go into the city
and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.
Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he
enters, the teacher asks, where is my guest room?
Where may I eat the Passover with my disciples?
He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished
and ready. Make preparations for us there. The
disciples left, went into the city, and found
things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared
the Passover. When evening came, 6 p .m., Jesus
arrived with the twelve. While they were reclining
at the table eating, he said, Truly, I tell you,
one of you will betray me, one who is eating
with me. They were saddened, and one by one they
said to him, Surely you don't mean me. It is
one of the twelve, he replied, one who dips bread
into the bowl with me. The Son of Man will go,
just as it is written about him, but woe to that
man. He betrays the Son of Man. It would be better
for him if he had not been born. While they were
eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given
thanks, he broke it, and he gave it to his disciples,
saying, Take, take it, this is my body. Then
he took a cup, and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured
out for many, he said. Truly, I tell you, I will
not drink again from the fruit of the vine until
that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of
God. Now, if you'll flip with me to the gospel
according to John, chapter 13, verse 2, that
story of the Passover meal is recounted in the
three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The gospel according to John does not include
that account. But John includes something in
his account that the other three do not. And
we find it in the 13th chapter of John, beginning
with the second verse. The evening meal was in
progress, and the devil had already prompted
Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things
under his power and that he had come from God
and was returning to God. So he got up from the
meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped
a towel around his waist. After that, he poured
water into a basin and began to wash his disciples'
feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped
around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said
to him, Lord, are you going to wash my feet?
Jesus replied, You do not realize now what I
am doing, but later you will understand. No,
said Peter, you shall never wash my feet. Jesus
answered, Unless I wash you, you have no part
in me. Then, Lord, Simon Peter replied, Not just
my feet, but my hands and my head as well. Jesus
answered, Those who have had a bath need only
to wash their feet. Their whole body is clean.
And you are clean, though not every one of you.
For he knew who was going to betray him, and
that was why he said not everyone was clean.
And yet he still washed Judas' feet, right? When
he had finished washing their feet, he put on
his clothes and returned to his place. Do you
understand what I have done for you? You call
me teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that
is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and teacher,
have washed your feet, you should also wash...
Another's feet. I have set you an example that
you should have as I have done for you. Very
truly I tell you, no servant is greater than
his master, nor is a messenger greater than the
one who sent him. Skip down to verse 33. Jesus
says, My children, I will be with you only a
little longer. You will look for me, and just
as I told the Jews, so I tell you now. Where
I'm going, you cannot come. And Jesus gives us
a new commandment, a commandment that is required
to be followed as followers of Jesus. A new commandment,
I give you, love one another. As I have loved
you, so you must love one another. And by this,
everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another. Let's skip to Mark,
the Gospel according to Mark, chapter 14. And
we're going to pick the traditional, the synoptic
story back up here. Mark chapter 14, and we're
going to go back to verse 26. So that is a part
that's not in the first three Gospels, that's
in the Gospel of John. So we have eaten the meal,
and we have washed the feet. The new commandment
has been given to the disciples. The meal is
coming to a close here. When they had sung a
hymn, the great halil, the great halil, which
we know to be the 130. sixth psalm. When they
had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of
Olives. Here they are, right? Mount of Olives.
You will all fall away, Jesus told them, for
it is written, I will strike the shepherd and
the sheep will be scattered. But after I have
risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee. Peter
declared, even if all fall away, I will not.
Truly I tell you, Jesus answered, today Yes,
tonight, before the rooster crows twice, you
may have a little footnote there that might indicate
that early manuscripts don't include the word
twice. You yourself will disown me three times.
But Peter insisted emphatically, even if I have
to die with you, I will never disown you. And
all of the others said the same. The Thursday
prior to Jesus' crucifixion fills many pages.
in our Holy Scripture. It begins with John and
Peter securing this upper room. There Jesus will
wash his disciples' feet, explaining he is there
to make them clean. As they begin to eat, Jesus
announces one of them is about to betray him,
and each one wonders if it's him. Then he dispatches
Judas to do what he intends. During this Last
Supper, Jesus sets apart the Passover bread and
cup and reassigns or more accurately perfects
these signs and their meaning. The bread is his
body, the cup is his blood. This meal will no
longer remind them of God's deliverance primarily
from the external tyranny of the Pharaoh in Egypt,
but from the internal tyranny of our own guilt
and sin against God. Jesus prays for his friends
and those who will come to know him through them,
that his Father would make them one. Then Jesus
and his friends leave for the Mount of Olives
to pray. But he isn't only there to pray. He's
also there to wait. Because soon, a line of torches
will snake their way toward him in the darkness.
And this is what he's been waiting for. Friday.
On Thursday night into Good Friday morning, the
Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was arrested, betrayed
by one of his disciples, and abandoned by the
others. If you'll turn to John, the Gospel according
to John, chapter 18, we will look at verses 2
through 24. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew
the place because Jesus had often met there with
his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding
a detachment of soldiers and some officials from
the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were
carrying torches and lanterns and weapons. Jesus,
knowing all that was going to happen to him,
went out and asked, Who is it that you want?
Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. I am he, Jesus
said, and Judas the traitor was standing there
with them. When Jesus said, I am he, they drew
back and fell to the ground. Again, he asked
them, who is it that you want? Jesus of Nazareth,
they said. Jesus answered, I told you that I
am he. If you're looking for me, then let these
men go. Let his disciples go. This happened so
that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled.
I have not lost one of those you, God, gave me.
And Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and
struck the high priest's servant, cutting off
his right ear. That servant's name was Malchus.
Jesus commanded Peter, put your sword away. Shall
I not drink the cup the Father has given me?
The detachment of soldiers with its commander
and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They
bound him and brought him first to Annas, who
was the father -in -law of Caiaphas, the high
priest that year. And Caiaphas was the one who
had advised the Jewish leaders that it would
be good if one man died for the people. So, Gospel
according to Mark, chapter 14, verse 53. They
took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief
priests, the elders and the teachers of the law,
came together. Peter followed at a distance right
into the courtyard of Caiaphas, the high priest.
There he sat with the guards and warmed himself
at the fire. The chief priests and the whole
of the Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against
Jesus so that they could put him to death, but
they could not find any. Many testified falsely
against him, but their statements did not agree.
Then some stood up and gave their false testimony
against him. We heard him say, I will destroy
this temple made with human hands, and in three
days we'll build another not made with hands.
Yet even their testimony did not agree. Then
the high priest stood up before them and asked
Jesus, Are you not going to answer? What is this
testimony that these men are bringing against
you? But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Again, the high priest asked him, Are you the
Messiah, the Son of God, the Blessed One? I am,
says Jesus. And you will see the Son of Man sitting
at the right hand of the Mighty One, coming over
the clouds of heaven. And with that, The chief
priests became deranged, blind with rage, and
they tore their clothes in disgust and as a sign
of lamentation. And they found Jesus worthy of
death. And then they blindfolded him and they
spit on him and they punched him in the face,
screaming at him, prophesy, prophesy. And the
guards took him and they beat him. And it was
early now, if you recall, Friday morning. When
these chief priests and these Sanhedrin, the
Jewish Supreme Court, they conspired throughout
the night to come up with a plan to put Jesus
to death. You see, although they had already
determined Jesus to be guilty, they still needed
Rome to carry out the sentence. And the plan
was simple. They just needed to figure out a
way to convince Pilate that it would be in his
best interest to condemn Jesus that very day.
before the Passover, before it was complete,
so they could all get back to business. The city
would settle down and eventually the city would
empty and things could return to normal. The
things would be as they have always been. So
they bound Jesus. They led him away and handed
him over to Pilate the governor. Now flip to
John chapter 18 and verse 30 and you'll just
kind of follow along here with me. So now early
the next morning, Friday, the text tells us that
they brought Jesus before Pilate, and he asked
them, what are the charges against the man and
the priests? And the priests replied in John
18, verse 30, saying, if he were not a criminal,
they replied, we would not have handed him over
to you. Translation, let's not get bogged down
in the details. We just need a favor, Pilate.
We've been through this with you before. You
know that we wouldn't bring him here if it wasn't
important. You know that it would be really,
really important if we would bring him on the
eve of Passover. If this were not super important,
we would not have bothered. Let's not get into
the details, Pilate. We need a favor. And Pilate
loved it when the Jewish leaders needed a favor.
He loved it when they groveled before him. So
Pilate eggs them on. He says, next verse, verse
31. Well then, take him yourselves and judge
him by your own law. Pilate wanted them to beg.
He wanted them to acknowledge Rome's sovereignty
over them. So they sighed. Because everybody
knew the answer. Everybody has already understood
this scenario. And they looked up at Pilate and
they said, next verse, but we have no right to
execute anyone. Ah, that was music to the Romans'
ears. That's right. You don't even have the power
to enforce your own laws. What a pity. And then
Pilate did something none of them expected him
to do. He insisted that they bring Jesus inside
to be questioned. John 18, verse 33, Pilate then
went back into the palace, summoned Jesus and
asked, Are you the king of the Jews? Is that
your own idea, Jesus asked, or did others talk
to you about me? Am I a Jew? Pilate replied,
You are your own people, and chief priests handed
you over to me. What is it? that you've done.
Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world.
If it were, my servants would fight to prevent
my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom
is from another place. You are a king then, said
Pilate. Jesus answered, You say that I am a king.
In fact, the reason I was born and came into
this world is to testify to the truth. Everyone
on the side of truth listens to me. What is?
Truth, retorted Pilate. And outside the religious
leaders are going crazy. They are so afraid that
Pilate is inside with Jesus and Jesus might do
some of his magic. He has swayed the crowd. He
has won the nation. There's no telling what he
might say to Pilate. Pilate addresses the throng
then and says, Look, you brought me this man
that you say is inciting rebellion. Do you see
rebellion? No, neither do I. And it seems that
your king Herod has found no... fought with him
because as you can see he's returned him here
to me he's done nothing to deserve death but
to appease you to get you off of my front porch
so we can get on with this festival i will have
him punished but then i'll release him but the
crowd began shouting no Away with this man. Away
with this man. So Pilate had the guards taken
to take Jesus away to a place where the guards
spent their time and had him flogged. Now, to
a first century reader, that would have needed
no explanation. They would have known exactly
what that word meant. Two Roman soldiers, each
with a cat of nine tails, a whip that had bits
of bone and metal tied to the ends, would stand
behind the prisoner and tie their hands up as
high as they would reach. And then they would
whip them and they would count. Because even
the Romans had rules about flogging. And the
pieces of bone and metal would not only rip layer
after layer of skin off of the man's back, but
layer after layer after layer of a man's gut
as the lashes wrapped around his body and then
tore back. People often died from the flogging.
They bled to death. Or if they were lucky, they
died later of infection. The Gospel according
to Mark, the 15th chapter. It was nine in the
morning when they crucified him. The written
notice of the charge against him read, The King
of the Jews. They crucified two rebels with him,
one on his right and one on his left. Those who
passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their
heads, saying, So you're going to destroy the
temple and build it in three days? Come down
from the cross and save yourself. In the same
way, the chief priests and the teachers of the
law mocked him among themselves. He saved others,
they said, but he can't save himself. Let this
Messiah, this King of Israel, come down now from
the cross that we might see and believe. Those
crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until
three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon,
Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi,
lemme sabachthani, which means my God, my God,
why have you forsaken me? When some of those
standing near heard this, they said, listen,
he's calling to Elijah. Someone ran and filled
a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff
and offered it to Jesus to drink. Now leave him
alone. Let's see if Elijah can come and take
him down. And with a loud cry, Jesus breathed
his last. The curtain of the temple was torn
in two from top to bottom, and when the centurion
who stood there in front of Jesus saw how he
died, he said, Surely this was the Son of God.
Some women were watching from a distance. Among
them was Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James
the Younger and Joseph, and Salome. In Galilee,
these women had followed him around and cared
for his needs. Many other women who had come
with him to Jerusalem were also there. It was
preparation day. That's Friday. That's the day
before the Sabbath. So as evening approached,
Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the
Sanhedrin, the council, who was himself waiting
for the kingdom of God. He's a believer in Jesus.
went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body.
Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already
dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked if Jesus
had already died. When he learned from the centurion
that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. bought
some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped
it in the linen, and placed it in the tomb cut
out of rock. Then he rolled the stone against
the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and
Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.
In Luke chapter 23, you can stay right where
you're at, in verse 56, we have one verse. Then
they went home and prepared spices and perfumes,
but they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to
the commandment. In Matthew 27, verse 62, the
next day, the day after preparation, Saturday,
the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.
Sir, they said, we remember that while he was
still alive, this deceiver said, after three
days I'll rise again. So give the order for the
tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise,
his disciples may come and steal the body and
tell the people that he had been raised from
the dead. This last deception, Pilate, would
be worse than the first. Take a guard, Pilate
answered. Go make the tomb as secure as you know
how. So they went and made the tomb secure by
putting a seal on the stone and posting a guard.
Less is written about the Saturday following
Jesus' crucifixion than at any other day in the
scope of this week. Yesterday he was crucified.
Tomorrow he will rise from the grave. But what
about today? Though we may not make much of this
day, when we look at the few verses that the
gospel gives us about it, we find that by no
means was he forgotten by the chief priests whom
had handed Jesus over to his death. During his
earthly ministry, Jesus repeatedly said that
he would die in Jerusalem at the hands of the
chief priests, yet on the third day would rise
again. Of course, the chief priests scoffed.
They didn't forget. On the day between Good Friday
and Easter Sunday, Jesus' prediction preoccupies
their thoughts such that they can't simply leave
it alone. And it tells the strange story of how
they can't just dismiss out of hand the possibility
that Jesus knew something that they didn't. Mark
chapter 16, verse 1. When the Sabbath was over,
Mary Magdalene... Mary, the mother of James and
Salome, brought spices so that they might go
to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on, the first
day of the week, just after sunrise, they were
on their way to the tomb. And they asked each
other, who's going to roll away the stone from
the entrance of the tomb? But when they looked
up, they saw that the stone, which was very large,
had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb,
they saw a young man dressed in a white robe
sitting on the right side. They were alarmed.
Don't be alarmed, he said. You are looking for
Jesus of the Nazarene who was crucified. He is
risen. He's not here. See the place where they
laid him? But go, tell his disciples of Peter.
He's going ahead of you into Galilee. There you'll
see him just as he told you. Trembling and bewildered,
the women went out and fled from the tomb. They
said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.
When Jesus rose early on the first day of the
week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out
of whom he had driven seven demons. She went
and told those who had been with him and who
were mourning and weeping. And when they heard
that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him,
they didn't believe it. Afterward, Jesus appeared
in a different form to two of them while they
were walking in the country. These returned and
reported it to the rest, but they didn't believe
them either. Later, Jesus appeared to the eleven
as they were eating, and he rebuked them for
their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal
to believe those who had seen him after he had
risen. He said, Go into all of the world and
preach the gospel to all of creation. Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever
does not believe will be condemned. And these
signs will accompany those who believe. In my
name, they will drive out demons. They will speak
in new tongues. They will pick up snakes with
their hands. And when they drink deadly poison,
it will not hurt them at all. They will place
their hands on sick people and they will get
well. After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them,
he was taken up into heaven. And he sat at the
right hand of God. Then the disciples went out
and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked
with them and confirmed his word by the signs
that accompanied it. Early Sunday morning, some
of Jesus' friends set out for his grave to anoint
the body of their friend and teacher. When they
arrived, however, they were greeted by what one
gospel writer calls a man dressed in lightning.
He tells them Jesus is not there as he has said,
for he has risen. In the weeks leading up to
his death, the good shepherd went out to meet
the wolves of judgment, sin, and death. And he
did so with authority. One might wonder what
good has it ever done anyone to die for some
cause. This is the glorious beauty of the gospel.
Jesus didn't die a martyr. Jesus didn't die for
a cause. He was never in the wrong place at the
wrong time. He was never at the mercy of anyone.
He lived, died, and was buried because it was
meant to be. No one took his life from him. He
laid it down. For whom? For his flock, his people.
And he laid it down only to be able to take it
up again. The point of the cross was not just
to die, but to die and rise again, defeating
prowling wolves of sin and death themselves.
Easter says of Jesus that he meant it, that he
meant to lay his life down for you. And as surely
as he has taken it up again, he knows you and
he loves you. Well, there you have it. I hope
after listening to this episode that you are
able to see Jesus as living intentionally those
last few days of his life for a purpose. Not
only is Jesus living out events and doing things,
that are called for in the Old Testament through
the prophecy, but also to show us today the contrast
between serving the kingdom of the earth and
the kingdom of God. Listen, if you enjoy what
we're doing here at the Semi -Seminarian, then
I hope that however it is that you're listening
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Friend, until next week, be blessed and be a
blessing.