Who Is Jesus part 15: Resurrection Sunday

 

Luke 24

Due to the haste in which Jesus had to be buried, there was apparently only time to wrap the body (verse 12), but not enough time to round up the spices and perfumes needed to complete the job. The women from Galilee gather these before the sunset Friday night, but are unable to apply them due to the Sabbath. As soon as the Sabbath is over, early Sunday morning, they return to the tomb, but do not find the body. What has happened?

As they are wondering what was going on, they are surprised by two angels. Luke begins with angel visits, and now the last chapter begins with an angelic appearance. They declare that Jesus is still alive, and seem surprised that they hadn't realized what would happen. When the angels mention about the third day, they remembered what Jesus said about rising again. 

Not only had the women and the disciples not understood what Jesus had said about rising from the dead, but the Eleven (the Twelve Disciples minus Judas) had obviously not learned what Jesus had been trying to teach them about women. Throughout the history of humans, women have been looked down upon as inferior and unreliable. They were obviously hysterical. (If that misogynistic term had existed in the first century, they probably would have used it.) 

Peter, however, wants to see for himself. He runs to the tomb, sees the linen cloths laid out with no body, and walks away, wondering. At least part of what the women said was true, but Peter does not believe the part about the angels. It was just some kind of vision (See verse 23). Jesus couldn't possibly be alive. 

At the risk of sounding sacrilegious, I am thinking Heaven must have been watching this whole scene with a chuckle. I can hear it in the voices of the angels as they question the women why they are looking in a tomb for someone they should have know was alive. I hear it in Jesus' voice as the disciples on the Emmaus road are told how foolish they were for not believing the Prophets. He explains how the scriptures were pointing to Jesus and what He would do. Why are they so slow to believe? Doesn't it make sense that if Jesus was the Messiah that He would have to be alive? 

The two finally recognize who they had been walking with when Jesus breaks bread after they stop at their destination. Apparently Jesus had a very unique way of breaking bread, and this was probably still Passover week, so it would have been unleavened bread He broke. Perhaps these two were part of the group Jesus had just celebrated the beginning of Passover with. As soon as they recognize Jesus, He disappears. They look at each other and express how their "hearts burned" in Jesus presence. Have you ever felt anything like that? I have had times when I felt that God was doing special, and only realized later, as all the details came together, what He was trying to tell me. Yes, I am slow to believe like the two were.

The pair make their way back to Jerusalem, and talking with the Eleven and the other disciples, they found out that Peter had also seen Him. Yes, Jesus was indeed alive. And just to put the Capstone on it, Jesus appears in the midst of them. He offers them a greeting of peace, but they are frightened, thinking He is a ghost. No, this is not just a spirit they are seeing, but an actual resurrected body. He demonstrates this by showing His wounds and by eating a piece of fish. 

When we talk about Jesus being alive today, it does not just mean His spirit has gone back to Heaven. He has an actual body, and the hope of the resurrection is that we will have bodies like His someday. Our hope is more than going to Heaven when we die and floating around on a cloud in some sort of ethereal existence. It's being physically raised from the dead to live a real, physical life on the New Earth as Heaven and Earth are forever joined. 

Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. (52-53 NIV) May we know that same joy as we praise our God this Easter Day.

Who Is Jesus part 14: The Rest of the Disciples

 

Luke 23:50-56

There is a scene in The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, as Jack sails into the entrance of Port Royal, where he passes three hanging skeletons, meant as a warning to pirates. When the Romans crucified someone, it was a common practice to leave the dead bodies on the cross to be scavenged by birds and wild animals. This was a warning to anyone who dared defy the Empire.

Sometimes, however, if there was someone bold enough, and well-connected and/or wealthy, that they could plead to take the body to be entombed. Enter Joseph of Arimathea. He happened to be a member of the Sanhedrin who had been against their decision to have Jesus killed. He risks his reputation and position to take the body and have it buried in a tomb. Since it was late in the afternoon on Friday, and the Sabbath began at sundown, there was no time to embalm the body. The women from Galilee saw this, and quickly made preparations of the spices and perfumes they would need, but they would have to wait until the Sabbath was over to do the work.

Even though Jesus had repeated confrontations with the Jewish leaders over the Sabbath, He had never been against the Sabbath--only their interpretation of it. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. What a blessing for them that they were able to rest after such a dreadful ordeal. 

The Rest of the Disciples by Mark Allen Sommer

 

Joy will come in the morning,

But not today,

After we have wept all the day

Before. The women

Got the spices and graveclothes ready

Before the sun set, but the

Rest of us just wandered or hid.

 

Joy will come in the morning,

But today we just mourn and

Rest. God must have known

We would need this day when

He worked it all out with Moses.

Weeping followed by rest

Is what was needed.

 

Fall down on us mountains

He had said we would say

Someday when things are much worse.

But we wish for the mountains today.

For how could it *be* any worse?

 

Joy comes in the morning,

But not today. 

This is the day for mourning.   

Who Is Jesus? part 13: Good Friday, The Rejection of the Messiah

 

Luke 22:66- 23:49

Jesus before the Sanhedrin (22:66- 71)

The Sanhedrin (a council of elders made up of chief priests and teachers of the Jewish Law) is called together for the purpose of accusing Jesus of breaking the Torah so He can be put to death. They have to tread lightly because Rome refused to give them the authority to carry out a death sentence. According to Luke, the Sanhedrin was trying to get Jesus to admit He was the Messiah. Note that three different terms are used to refer to the Messiah: Christ (often translated "Messiah") is the Greek word for the Messiah, the Anointed One. The Son of Man was a term long used by Jewish scholars to refer to the Messiah. The Son of God was also a term used for the Messiah. It had not taken on the usage of meaning the Second Person of the Trinity like we use it today. All three terms simply, in this context, are referring to the Messiah that the Jews were expecting to come.

Jesus refuses to tell the Sanhedrin that He is the Messiah. He does say that the Messiah would now rule with God in Heaven. Jesus had provided plenty of evidence that He was the One who was to come, but they refused to believe it. He wasn't the Messiah they were expecting. Jesus was The Messiah, but He wasn't their Messiah; they were accusing Him of being a fraud. Even though Jesus does not claim to be the Messiah before them, they twist His words and say He has just admitted it. 

Jesus before Pilate and Herod (23:1-25)

Jesus wasn't the Messiah they were expecting. Ironically, if He were, if the intention was to take over the authority from them by force, they would have cause to condemn Him. That's why phase two of their plan actually doesn't work. 

The Sanhedrin not only accused Jesus of claiming to be the Messiah (a king), but they add another claim they knew to be false: that Jesus opposed paying taxes to Caesar. They couldn't trap Him on the tax issue earlier in the week, but they falsely accuse Him of that anyway. They charge Him with crimes He would have been guilty of if He was actually the Messiah they had expected. 

When Pilate asks Jesus if He is the King of the Jews, Jesus gives basically the same reply He gave The Sanhedrin when they asked if He was the Messiah: "That's what you said." In other words, "that's the accusation." Pilate at least has the integrity to admit Jesus is not making a confession. Jesus knows He isn't about leading an insurrection; He's not wanting to take over Judea by force, so He does not admit to what they're actually asking. 

Herod [Antipas] wants to have some fun with all this. He is called in when Pilate discovers Jesus was from Galilee. Herod has been wanting to see Jesus for some time now, not because He wanted to hear His teachings, but to see His miracles. The Sanhedrin keep making accusations, but none of them stick. Still, Herod and the soldiers dress Him like a king and mock Him, sending Him back to Pilate. Pilate apparently likes the joke, because he and Herod become friends after being long-time enemies. 

Pilate declares that he and Herod have not found anything to justify Jesus being killed, but he says he will punish Him and release Him. But the crowd demands that Jesus be crucified. And Pilate bows to them. The people want the real insurrectionist to be released, not the One who tried to teach them another way. This is a scene which has been reproduced over and over throughout history. The people choose the violent warmongers over the loving peacemakers, to their own detriment. A few decades later, Jerusalem will be sacked and destroyed. The people will reap what they have sown. 

Jesus before the people (23:26- 49)  

As Jesus makes His way down the streets to the crucifixion, He talks about the destruction to come. Women were weeping and mourning, but Jesus tells them someday things will be much worse. This is actually a time of a "green tree." Compared to what is coming later, these are actually good times. If people do things like what they are seeing in the good times, how horrific it will be when the times of the "dry tree" come. "Don't weep for Me. Weep for yourselves and your children." A warning we should always heed when we reject the way of peace and love for the way of violence and hate. 

But there is hope, even during this horrific scene. For those who are killing Jesus using one of the most barbaric and cruel methods of torture devised, He offers forgiveness. Most of the crowd is standing around laughing and jeering, but those who knew Him stood at a distance watching. In the end, He is not completely abandoned by His disciples. One of the criminals crucified with Him insults Him, but the other realizes Jesus had done nothing wrong. In an amazing display of faith, this criminal asks Jesus to remember Him when He come into His kingdom. Here is someone who from all appearances is defeated and has lost the day, but this man understands He will be victorious. Don't discount those who we see as being justly punished. Some of them can surprise us with faith beyond what we ever thought possible. His faith is rewarded. 

Then there is that enemy Roman soldier, the centurion. Even our worst enemies are not beyond hope. He comes to the realization that although this Man was dead, He not defeated. What he had witnessed convinced him. He had probably seen uprisings in his day led by would-be Messiahs. This One was different. He spoke words of forgiveness to those abusing and torturing Him. Some might call that crazy. Some might call that weak. This hardened soldier knew and truth, and called him righteous.  

  

Who Is Jesus: Part 12: Maundy Thursday, The New Mandate

 

Luke 22: 7-65

The word "maundy" comes form the Latin mandatum, from which we get the English word "mandate." It refers to Jesus' new command to "love one another, as I have loved you." (John 13:34) Although Luke does not specifically use those words, the command to love one another is the underlying theme of what Jesus was teaching the disciples. Unfortunately, the passage about Thursday night of Holy Week is mostly about those who in some way or other failed to love. 

The disciples are told to prepare things for the Passover meal (22:7-13). The Passover commemorates Israel being freed from bondage in Egypt. His followers were sure that Jesus was going to free them from Roman bondage, but He has something else in mind. He wanted to free them from the bondage to the world's way of doing things.

Judas chooses betrayal over love (14-23; 47-48)

The body and the blood are being offered up for all at the table, but there is one there who will betray Him. Jesus lovingly is giving Judas a chance to reconsider what he is doing, warning him of the consequences. I have often wondered if Judas was trying to force Jesus' hand so He would destroy His attackers and bring in the Kingdom. Maybe he was tired of Jesus' soft approach. Sure, talking tough to the Pharisees was good, but how about some action? Of course, all of this is highly speculative, but I think there are a lot of Christians who can't wait for Jesus to come and throw some lightning bolts into His (meaning "our") enemies. How exactly the opposite of what Jesus was about (Luke 9:54-55 NKJV), and how unloving of us to even think that way. 

The disciples choose false benevolence over loving servanthood (24-30)

The disciples had completely the wrong idea about what the kingdom is supposed to look like. They each wanted greatness, but Jesus told them that leadership in the Kingdom looked like servanthood. The leaders of the gentiles longed to be called Benefactors (verse 25). They seek to maintain control by making it look like they are doing things to help the people, when what they are really after is power, glory, and control. In America, it is easy to get caught in the trap thinking one certain politician or Party is going to solve all our problems, when what most of them are really after is power and accolades. 

Back in 2015, when I was writing for Screenfish during the runup to The Force Awakens, I wrote a series of articles about the previous Star Wars movies. This was during the middle of Obama's last term, way before anyone had an inkling Trump would be the center of politics in America for years to come. In my review of A New Hope, I wrote this:

Vader's response to criticism of his "religion" is to squelch the argument. When you have an "all-powerful Force," which Obi-Wan Kenobi says not only controls you, but "obeys your commands," that is definitely an option. A very dangerous option.

As Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem with his disciples, the Samaritans refused to provide a place for them to stay. James and John ask, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did (Luke 9:54 NKJV)? Their new-found authority as the Apostles of Christ had gone to their heads, and was becoming dangerous. Jesus had to rebuke them: You do not know what manner of spirit you are of (9:55).

Our religion becomes dangerous when we use it to control and destroy. The purpose of our authority in Christ is not so we can force others to our point of view, but to be able to serve others. Jesus put it this way (Luke 22: 25-27 NIV):

“The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”

As we will learn in The Revenge of the Sith, Darth Vader thinks of himself as a ‘benefactor’. His dream of spreading peace and stability through the Empire is what motivates him--and what excuses his use of power to control and destroy.

Obi-Wan takes an opposite tack. He gives up his life in order to become, as he tells Vader, "more powerful than you could possibly imagine." But the old Jedi was not talking about a power to control and dominate, but to help. His death would not only lead to the escape of his friends, but would allow him to help Luke become the Jedi he was meant to be. The parallel with what Jesus Christ did is striking (John 16:7 NKJV):

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”

The disciples were grieved when Jesus told them He was going away. But it was for their benefit, because Jesus would send them the Holy Spirit. God was about to do something new. Luke was grieved, shocked, and confused when Obi-Wan was struck down. But now Obi-Wan's spirit would be able to help Luke in a way the old man couldn't have.

Most of us will probably not need to give up our physical lives for the cause of Christ. But Jesus did talk about "taking up our cross" and following Him. Yes, many disciples were martyred, but there is another meaning Jesus had in mind with His words. It involves giving up what we want for the benefit of others.

While the concept can sometimes be abused, "dying to self" is an integral part of what it means to be a Christ follower. It's not about becoming a doormat, but it is about serving others instead of lording over them--using force to get them to come to our side.

What we need is not a religion that gives us power to direct the world as we see fit, but an attitude of allowing God to use us to help others.

Jesus does tell His disciples that they were the ones who had stuck by His side, and they would be rewarded. There was love there, even if their ideas were still a bit mixed up. I'm glad to hear that; it gives me hope. God is still working one me. He's still working on us.

Peter will fail the test of unwavering love (31-46; 49-51; 54-62)

Simon Peter is not the only one who will be tried. Look how the NIV translates verse 31: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat." (Emphasis added.) The trial which would separate the good from the bad was going to be the experience of all the disciples. They would all fail in various ways, but Jesus tells Peter when he turns back, he is the one the group will turn to for strength. Again, Jesus gives hope in the midst of coming failure. 

The disciples fail Jesus by not staying awake with Him. Jesus continues to show unwavering love for the disciples. He will go through with what needs to be done, even though He has to be comforted by an angel instead of those who should have been watching with Him. 

They also fail the test of following Him when He is arrested. While someone asks if they should use the swords, before Jesus answers, another takes a swipe and cuts off an ear. Now's the time for lightning bolts, right Jesus? Following the lead of his impetuous Hobbits, Gandalf holds up his staff and... Sorry, it doesn't end that way. That's not how the Kingdom is to come. Jesus reaches out and restores the ear. He practices what he has been preaching. He was serious.  

Okay. Why did Jesus have them take the swords in the first place if He didn't intend for them to use them? Didn't He just tell them to sell their clothing to buy swords if they didn't have any? Was Jesus using hyperbole to emphasize the peril that was coming? Frankly, I don't know, and I have yet to see an answer that satisfies me. And that's okay. It's enough to know that even in this situation Jesus is living out what He preached, and we should, too.

After this, Jesus is taken into custody. As He predicted, Peter denies Him three times. But he is still capable of weeping over his lack of courage. His story isn't over. Ours isn't either. 

The Temple guard followed the way of the gentiles, not the way of love (63-65)

The Jews who made up the Temple Guard did not treat prisoners any differently than the gentiles did. Jesus is mocked, beaten, and insulted. You can tell so much about a society by how those who police it treat prisoners. I better stop there, or I'll be up all night. I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to how that applies today.

Who Is Jesus part 11: Spy Wednesday, The Betrayal

 

Yesterday we saw that the Jewish leadership sent spies to try to trap Jesus in His words. "Spy Wednesday," as it is called, is about the turncoat Judas who agrees to be a spy for the chief priests in order to betray Jesus (Luke 22:1-6). Luke is very sketchy about Judas, so we don't get many details about what might have motivated him to betray Jesus. Verse 5 does tell us there was money involved. We learn later in the chapter that Judas leads a group of the temple guard to Jesus. Judas was aware that Jesus and the disciples were spending the evenings on the Mount of Olives (21:37), so he knew where He would be. 

Somehow Judas had come to the conclusion that he was on the wrong team. Luke says that "Satan entered him." Satan is the Hebrew word for "adversary" or "accuser." In chapter 4, Luke uses the Greek term "devil" (Slanderer), which basically means the same thing. In the temptations, the devil tried to trip up Jesus as His adversary by suggesting He leave the way of love and mercy, and choose the way of power. Now he betrays Him to the "powers that be" so He can be falsely accused and slandered. 

Have we taken Satan's side? Do we choose the way of power and accusation instead of mercy and love? Are we on team Love, or team Power? 

Who Is Jesus part 10: Holy Tuesday, Teaching in the Temple

Luke 19:47-21:38

"Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words." Luke 19:47-48

The leaders of Israel had a problem. Their anger at the message of Jesus was so extreme that they wanted to kill Him. But His popularity with the people was at a high point. If they tried to arrest Jesus in public, there would be a huge ruckus, and they would be in danger of upsetting their tenuous relationship with the Romans. They had to be sneaky about this. They needed to trip up Jesus with His words so they had an excuse to arrest Him. 

The leadership question Jesus' authority, but were in danger of losing their own authority 20:1-19

The leaders first try a direct confrontation. Who gave Him the authority to do what He has been doing? He wasn't a chief priest. He wasn't an official teacher of the law or even an elder. What gave Him the right to teach the people and proclaim to them a message of good news? 

The answer should have been obvious to them. There was authority in His message, and the good news He was preaching was confirmed by the healings and changed lives. But Jesus turns the question back on them: Was John's baptism--His message of a transformed heart and forgiveness--of God, or did it originate from human origins? This is a question they were afraid to answer. They were afraid of the reaction of the people. The people recognized John the Baptist as a prophet. But they couldn't acknowledge that because it would show their hypocrisy for not believing him. They don't care about the truth; they only care about holding on to power. How like politicians today.

Since Jesus knew the leaders didn't really care about the truth behind Jesus' authority, He refuses to give them a direct answer. He does go on to give them a parable which is a warning to them. The vineyard owner sends three servants, each in turn, to the tenants of the vineyard, but they are beaten and sent away empty-handed. Perhaps the servants represent Moses, the Prophets, and John the Baptist. The message of God came through each of them, and was refused. Israel also had a history of mistreating the prophets sent to them. The son is obviously Jesus. The leaders are shocked that Jesus knows they are plotting to kill Him, and cry out against the punishment of being removed as tenants and being replaced by others. 

They have been warned, but they still think they can get away with killing Jesus. Instead of changing their hearts and their ways, and following Jesus, they insist on the way of empire and power.

Spies try to trap Him so they could have Him arrested by the Roman authorities 20:20-26

The spies try to butter up Jesus by flattering Him to try to make Him think they were sincere. They are thinking if they can get Him to answer honestly about taxes, they could accuse Him of defying Rome. They misunderstood what Jesus was trying to do. They thought Jesus was going to try to take on the Romans by force, so they were amazed at His answer. The coin used for taxes had Caesar's inscription, so it was technically his. He let you use it, so it's only right that you give him back what he requires. As Paul reminds us in Romans 13, it is proper to pay taxes to Rome because the government provided protection and services for those being taxed. 

While we legitimately owe taxes and obedience to the government, we also should be giving to God that which has His image. We are made in the image of God, and it is only right that we give back to Him ourselves. What does He want? He wants us to take up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23).  He wants us to follow the way of mercy and love, even for those who hate us and mistreat us. 

C S Lewis famously wrote, "If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don't recommend Christianity." Christ does not save us to make us comfortable. Carrying a cross is not comfortable. But being rid of our guilt and condemnation, and being loved and forgiven, is worth it. Beware a Christianity that takes comfort in its lifestyle while condemning and guilt tripping those that it doesn't think measure up. That's what the Pharisees did.

A trick question by the Sadducees turns into a lesson on the resurrection 20:27-21:4

The concept of resurrection is not a major theme of the Old Testament by any stretch. It is a concept which developed over time, and came to be widely held by the Jewish community during the intertestamental period. The sect of the Sadducees, among some others, did not believe in the resurrection. I can just hear the discussion among that sect over how easy it would be to get Jesus on this one. This passage has been highly debated over the years, and much of that discussion, including some personal thoughts of my own, would best be saved for elsewhere. What I do want to focus on is verse 38 (NIV): "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive."

There is more to us than just this life. Without the hope of the resurrection, death would indeed have a sting (1 Corinthians 15:55). Loved ones who have passed away would be lost to us forever. How this is all going to work, and what the resurrected life will be like, we have few details given to us. But the indications of scripture are that we will have real, physical bodies that will be able to interact with each other. Somehow what we did in this life transfers over to our resurrected life. Jesus indicates that there will be some who are counted worthy to live the resurrected life in the age to come (verse35). So what we do here counts.

Somehow those who did not live worthy, like the leaders who like to show off and receive accolades from people, and take advantage of widows, will be punished (49-47). What exactly this punishment is, Jesus does not say. But there will be many who where first in this life who will be last in the age to come (Luke 13:30). And the giving heart of a poor widow will be rewarded more for her generosity than the rich who kept plenty back for themselves (21:1-4).

The coming destruction of Jerusalem: You will be put to death, but you will live 21:5-38

This is one of the easiest passages to interpret, yet one of the most controversial. It is easy because it very much fits what happened to Jerusalem in 70 AD. The beautiful architecture, which the rich and the widows gave their treasure to maintain, will be destroyed. Most of the passage fits that historical event, but especially the scene of the Son of Man coming in a cloud (verse 27) is seen by many interpreters of scripture of a future event probably associated with the resurrection that begins the age to come. Some see this as a more metaphorical scene that refers to things that already occurred in the first century. Whatever the meaning, The hope within it seems to come from the intriguing verses in the middle of the passage (12-19 NIV):

But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. And so you will bear testimony to me. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life.

These verses are telling what will happen to the disciples before Jerusalem is destroyed. The disciples were persecuted, and even some became martyrs, but ultimately it will be like nothing had ever happened to their bodies. They would be resurrected. Life will win. 

Who Is Jesus Part 9: Holy Monday, Time to Turn the Tables

 

Luke 19:44-46

The scene of Jesus turning over the tables of the moneychangers seems rather incongruous if you have been paying attention. Jesus has just come into Jerusalem on a donkey colt, demonstrating His humility. His ministry was characterized by love and mercy. There was never a hint of violence. So, what's the big deal now? 

Jesus has always reserved His harshest words for those leaders in Israel who unfairly treated the poor and marginalized. The merchants were taking advantage of the fact many had traveled for for the Passover feast, and it wouldn't be convenient to bring a sacrifice with them. They were robbing the people with overpriced animals to make a profit. The phrase "den of robbers" comes from Jeremiah 7:11. The passage talks about oppressing the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. The people thought because they worshipped in the Lord's temple that they were fine even though they were oppressing people, and committing adultery, perjury, and idolatry (7:5-9). 

How much we have become like those who were warned by Jeremiah. We oppress the poor and marginalized, cheat and tell lies, and worship people and things instead of Jesus. When His people act this way, it is time to turn the tables. 

Sometimes things need to be shaken up a bit. Have we lost the ability to realize when God is the One doing the shaking? 

Who Is Jesus? Part 8: Palm Sunday, Not the Triumph They Expected

 

An unexpected task and an expected animal Luke 19:28-34

Of all the things Jesus ever asked his disciples to do, this had to be one of the hardest. He tells them to go to a certain place and take a donkey--a colt of a donkey, actually--one that was tied up, so it obviously belonged to someone. "Just untie it and bring it to me." It would be like stealing a motorcycle would be today. 

But there is no hint of argument, even as Jesus hints that someone might object. "Just tell them I need it," He says. The disciples had at least learned enough about Jesus that this task was not too much of a stretch for them to obey. They trusted Him. Perhaps they also realized the important symbolism of what Jesus was about to do. Perhaps they remembered that passage from Zechariah that spoke of a righteous, victorious king coming to Jerusalem on a donkey's colt (Zechariah 9:9). It would have been more fun to see Him race in on a big white warhorse, but God does things differently sometimes, they have learned. They didn't need horses and chariots when they had Jesus. 

An expectant crowd and a fear-filled opposition Luke 19:35-40

I have heard interpretations of Palm Sunday where the crowd that praises Jesus is the same crowd that calls for His crucifixion later in the week. I do not think that was the case at all. Luke identifies the people loudly praising Jesus as "the whole crowd of disciples." While the disciples will abandon Him when He is arrested, it is hard to believe they are the same ones the Pharisees later stir up at His trial. Most of the disciples were hiding somewhere hoping they wouldn't be arrested as part of an insurrection. 

Right now, the crowd of disciples understood the symbolism before them, and quote Psalm 188. Their King was here, and they were excited to see Him openly make this display. The Pharisees, however tell Jesus that He should tell the disciples to be quiet. A crowd proclaiming a new king would certainly have implications that could rile up the Romans against them, and they certainly didn't want that. 

Jesus foresees an unexpected result 19:41-44

The crowd is excited, but Jesus foresees a result they are not expecting. The disciples are still expecting Him to rid their land of the Romans and reestablish the ancient kingdom of Israel. Jesus has come to establish a kingdom, but it is to be a heavenly kingdom of the heart based on love, not an earthly kingdom brought in by vengeance and war. While His disciples celebrate, Jesus weeps. Jerusalem, for the most part, will reject His way of peace and love, which will lead to their destruction in 70 AD. There will be victory, but not a victory His disciples are expecting. 

Who Is Jesus? part 7: Jesus has a Job to Complete

 

My intention when I started this series on Luke was to finish on Easter. In order for this to happen, I am going to have to just hit some highlights of the next section. Someday I hope to come back and edit these posts into a more complete and better edited form. 

This blog post will cover parts of Luke 9:51 through 19:27

Luke 9:51 is a transitional verse. Jesus had been concentrating His ministry in Galilee, but now it was time to head for Jerusalem. Almost half of Luke is about what happens during the journey there. Early in Luke, Jesus had one forerunner, John the Baptist, who prepared the way for His ministry. Now Jesus will have over seventy disciples preparing the way to Jerusalem. 

Following Jesus means understanding what the mission involves 9:51-10:24

Jesus has a mission to complete. Note how Luke phrases this in verse 51. The completion isn't when He's crucified. It's not when He's raised form the dead. It's when He's raised up (by implication, to heaven, as many translations put it). His job is only finished when He returns to the divine realm. His reign is not as an earthly king; His reign is to be from Heaven. (John 18:36) 

His disciples still have it wrong. They thought it would be appropriate to call down fire and destroy the people of the Samaritan village. Jesus rebukes them. In the majority text, He goes on to tell them their spirit is wrong; He did not come to destroy people's lives, but to save them. The completion of His mission (the ascension) will be the final stamp of approval that this is God's plan, and that Jesus completed the plan.

Jesus invites people to participate with Him and the plan. But those who follow Him must give Him their allegiance above all else, including comfort and family. (57-62) Jesus gains enough of a following that He is able to enlist seventy-two others to go before Him and spread the good news of the kingdom. Satan is losing His power as the demons are cast out. But Jesus tells them not to rejoice because of this authority they were given. He tells them to rejoice that their names were written in Heaven. (10:20) They are now part of the kingdom of God--the kingdom of Heaven Jesus is now establishing. 

Following Jesus means understanding a new way of loving 10:25-37

The purpose of Jesus' parable was not that, as Anakin Skywalker put it in Stars Wars I: The Phantom Menace, "The biggest problem in the universe is that nobody helps each other." People do help each other. I see it every day on the internet. I see it in the grocery store and along the road. I actively look for it. For the most part, people are kind, especially when things are going well in their lives. The way the "expert in the law" questions Jesus, I am sure he had specific instances in mind when he was loving toward a neighbor. He thought for sure he would be able to get the upper hand and show everyone how knowledgeable and righteous he was. 

But Jesus showed there was a deeper meaning in the command to "love your neighbor" than the "expert" had thought of. He turns the command on its head by asking "who was a neighbor" to the one in need. It wasn't one of the respected leaders who fit the bill; it was a despised heretical foreigner. It's not enough to be neighborly to those of one's own ken. 

Following Jesus means putting first things first 10:38-41

For most of us, doing what Mary did is much harder that what Martha was doing. It is much easier to spend time fretting about things and trying to make sure all the "preparations" are taken care of than it is to just sit still and listen. One of the reasons for this is because people don't understand why you are "wasting time" on things that aren't "important." But Jesus understood that taking time to listen to Him is the most important thing of all. 

Following Jesus means not putting unfair burdens on others 11:37-52

Jesus was not afraid to insult those who were abusing their privilege. The most loving thing He could do for them was to point out their hypocrisy. Note how when the "experts of the law" complained that His insults applied to them, Jesus just adds some more specific things they needed to be warned about.

We need to be careful about just checking off the less important commands while neglecting the most important: the mercy and love of God. We need to stop adding requirements that are not actually God's requirements. Instead, we should do everything we can to relieve people of the unfair burdens they carry. 

Following Jesus means storing treasure in the right place 12:13-34

Jesus told a parable (Luke 12: 15-21) about a rich man whose crops are so abundant that he has huge barns built to store them. But the barns are not the problem; his attitude about his wealth (the grain) is. Having abundance is not in itself wrong; it’s what we do with our abundance that makes the difference.

The rich farmer decides to quit working and live off what he has accumulated. He has enough for “many years.” Instead of investing that grain into the ground where it would provide an income for his workers, and support the poor from its gleanings, the farmer became a miser. His thoughts are all about what his riches can do for himself instead of what it could do for others. Greed takes root when we depend upon ourselves instead of God.

That's the point of next section (12:22-34). Jesus tells His disciples that constantly worrying about what you have, and running after after material things, is how the pagan world works. The Father knows we need these things, and if we seek His kingdom first, those things will be ours, too. In one of His letters, C S Lewis put it like this:

Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: put second things first & we lose both first and second things. We never get, say, even the sensual pleasure of food at its best when we are being greedy.

Those who follow Jesus understand their value Luke 15: 1-32

In chapter 15, Jesus tells the parables about the sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. These are in response to the Pharisee's attitude about those they considered "sinners." Those who the Pharisees thought were not worth spending time with were valuable to Jesus. It was worth spending effort find the lost sheep and coins. 

The third parable is more about the older son than about the prodigal. The one son takes his inheritance and spends it on wild living. When he realizes how much better even the servants have it at home, he returns, and the father throw a party for him. But that is not the end of the story.

Rather than rejoicing that his brother has returned, the older brother is angry. He has been the "faithful" son all this time, and his rogue brother gets a party after abandoning him to do all the work? That's how the Pharisees thought when they saw Jesus paying attention to those sinners when they are the ones who had worked so hard to obey God. And Jesus lets them get away with not holding to the traditions we worked so hard to follow. 

It is much harder for God to reach an older son with this frame of mind than it is to reach a prodigal. 

  

Who Is Jesus? part 6: Jesus is a Trustworthy Lord

This blog post will cover Luke 7:1 through 9:50.

Jesus is bringing something new; it's not a patch job; it's not something new hidden inside an old wineskin. It's not a façade of saying the right words to Him, but trusting what He says and doing what He says. Calling Him Lord, and acting like He is Lord are not the same thing. In this next section, Luke contrasts those who actually trusted Jesus and those who just wanted to butter Him up to gain their own advantage. 

Those who trust Jesus understand His authority 7:1-17

The centurion was not consumed by his own power. He cared about his slave who was ill. Even though the people thought the centurion deserved this favor for the slave because he built a synagogue for them, the centurion does not see himself as worthy for Jesus to come into his house, or even come to see Him. He understood enough about Jesus that he trusted that He could just speak and his slave would be healed. 

Jesus marveled at his faith. True faith in the Bible is more than just "believing" something like we use that word today. True faith is trusting. Jesus said the centurion had a type of faith that He had not encountered in all of Israel. He recognized and trusted His authority.   

In the next scene, Jesus exerts His authority over death. Unlike earlier in Luke, Jesus has become more open about his healing ministry, and wants people to know who He is. He is giving people a choice whether to put their trust in Him or not. The divide between those who believe in Him and those who are just playing games will get wider and wider.

Those who trust Jesus are the "children of wisdom" 7:18-35   

Circumstances in life can shake our faith. John the Baptist was most likely in prison at this point, so it is only natural he would have doubts. "If Jesus is the Messiah, why am I still here?" Jesus points to the evidence: the miracles, and the Gospel being proclaimed to the poor. Jesus is using His authority to proclaim mercy and forgiveness to those who need it most, and is backing His claims with miraculous healings. "Don't stop trusting me now." (vs.23) 

Jesus turns to the crowd and tells then in effect that John the Baptist was the greatest prophet ever. But there is something better coming in the kingdom. Those who had believed John were now beginning to follow Jesus; those who didn't believe John were now beginning to reject Jesus. The divide will keep growing. Jesus compares those who rejected both John the Baptist and Jesus as children playing a game (vs32 NIV):

We played the pipe for you,

     and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge,

    and you did not cry.

As we saw back in chapter 5, there are appropriate times for feasting and appropriate times of fasting. Wisdom is the ability to know what is appropriate for each situation as it comes along. The "children of Wisdom" understood why it was appropriate for John the Baptist to fast, and for Jesus to eat and drink. We need to recognize what type of music God is playing. 

Those who trust Jesus are grateful for forgiveness 7:36-50   

The "Pharisees and experts in the law" (vs. 30NIV) were tone deaf to what God was doing. They certainly could not understand the forgiveness and mercy being offered to the so-called "sinners." It is not stated why the Pharisee invited Jesus to dinner. Whether it was because he just wanted to keep an eye on Him, or he was just trying to take advantage of Jesus' popularity, it is obvious the Pharisee did not trust Him or even bestow customary honors on Him that were fitting for guests of His caliber: no water to wash His feet, not customary kiss to greet Him, no oil for His head. 

The Pharisee didn't trust Jesus because He couldn't possibly be a prophet and allow that "sinful" woman to touch Him. Those who trust their own righteousness have a tendency to be judgmental. Jesus, on the other hand, freely forgave, and those forgiven responded with a gratefulness the self-righteous could never understand. 

Those who trust Jesus are given more light 8:1-21

So, is Jesus playing games with people by teaching in parables? Is He purposefully keeping people in the dark? He tells His disciples that they are allowed to know the "secrets of the kingdom," but others are spoken to in parables so (vs 10 NIV)

though seeing, they may not see; 

though hearing, they may not understand.

First of all note that the disciples were also taught with parables. In this particular case they are given more information, but that is because they asked. Secondly, the reason people did not understand is not because there was something underhanded going on to keep them from the truth. The problem was not with the seed (the word), but with the ground. The farmer provided perfectly good seed, but not all the ground was prepared to receive it. 

Note also that Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 6. The following verse reads as follows in the Septuagint:  

This people’s heart has become calloused;
     they hardly hear with their ears,
     and they have closed their eyes

Again, the problem is not with what Isaiah was preaching, but with those who heard. God is not hiding the light inside a jar or under a bed. Unfortunately, sometimes those who claim Jesus to be their Lord obscure the light by presenting a distorted message or by not showing God's mercy and love by their lives. But whatever light we have been given we are responsible for. If we live up to the light we have, God will give us more. If we do not accept the light we are given, we will lose the light we think we have.

Those who hear Jesus and do what He says are given more truth, and a new relationship with Him. (19-21)

Trusting Jesus is the antidote to fear 8:22-56 

Sometimes we get in frightening situations when we don't listen to Jesus. But sometimes those situations come because we do exactly what He tells us to do. It was Jesus' idea to cross the lake that day. Whether the knowledge of the storm coming was given to Him beforehand we do not know. Whether the experienced fishermen had seen any signs of a storm brewing is not stated either. We do know from earlier passages that Jesus did have a history of following the Holy Spirit's leading, so the storm was not a sign from God they were doing something wrong.

It is amazing to me how often people who claim to know the scriptures point to calamities which happen and say that what happened was the wrath of God. AIDS was said to be God's wrath on the "sexually immoral." More recently, the fires in California were proclaimed as God's anger toward the supposed profane lifestyles of those in Hollywood and the liberal parts of the state. Those who were thought as unworthy in Israel because of their circumstances were looked down upon. Certainly there must have been some kind of despicable sin in their lives. 

But that is exactly the opposite of what Jesus taught. Luke reminds us over and over that calamities come so that God can show his mercy and love. He cares about what we are going through, even when it looks like He is asleep in the back of the boat. Jesus had dozed off, apparently so tired the storm didn't wake Him. But He is always more than capable of saving us through the circumstances of life, or providing peace when things continue to be dreadful. 

This time Jesus' calms the storm, even though the disciples are still filled with "fear and amazement" (vs. 25 NIV). He saves their lives, but their view of Him has been shaken. They had seen Him heal people and even raise people from the dead, but His mastery over Nature itself is unexpected. They are still learning who He is. 

The demons in the next passage know who Jesus is; at least they knew His rightful title was "Son of the Most High God." Their reaction to Him being there was similar to the reaction of the disciples after the storm: fear. They were afraid Jesus would torture them and send them to "the Abyss." It would take a study way beyond the scope of this blog to try to identify what "the Abyss" is, but suffice to say it is somewhere the demons do not want to go, and is somehow associated with torture. 

However, Jesus shows them mercy, and grants them their preference of going into the pigs. Stop. Read that sentence again. Jesus shows demons mercy. In a time when so many are so willing to not show mercy to human beings created in God's image, people need to read this passage over and over. Justice and restoration does not require torture, even of demons. And human beings, even one inconvenient man who frightened people because of his lot in life, are more important than pigs, even if they are part of someone's livelihood. The people of that region should have rejoiced that the demon-possessed man was now in his right mind, instead the reacted in (Here is that word again.) fear. 

Those who have yet to understand Jesus as they should react in fear. 

In the last portion of this chapter, people react in fear, even though Jesus intervenes in their lives. The woman with the bleeding problem is afraid of asking Jesus directly for healing. So she apparently just sneaks up to Him and touches His cloak. When she realizes she is going to be found out, she comes to Him trembling. Whatever her reason for wanting to be incognito, Jesus recognizes her faith, and tells her to go in peace. The more we know about Jesus, the more peace He gives us.

Jesus tells Jairus not to fear; his daughter would be healed, even though it looks like everything is lost. I love how practical Jesus is after He raises her back to life. He has just performed an astounding miracle, and he tells them to give her something to eat. We might not be able to perform a miracle like God can, but there is always something practical for us to do. 

Trusting Jesus leads to further responsibility 9:1-50 

True faith in scripture includes trust. If we trust Jesus, we will do what He says. When we do what He says, He gives us more light to respond to--more about Him that we are to trust--more truth that we are to act out on. Doing what He says leads us to understand more and more how trustworthy He is, which helps us to do what He says. When we continue to trust Him more, He gives us more responsibility. 

Learning by doing is not comfortable, because we often fail when we are trying to do something new. If we never get out of our comfort zone, we will never learn how to do anything. As the disciples start to go out on their own without Jesus beside them, they accomplish some amazing things, but they also fail at times.

The disciples are sent out to do the same things Jesus was doing--healing people and preaching about the kingdom of God. They had learned enough from Jesus to pass along the good news, and Jesus gave them the power to heal people. They are making such an impression that Herod is getting curious about Jesus. This will become important later.

Note that the disciples were not just going full steam all the time. They would report back to Jesus, and He would take them aside to hear what they had done and have a time to relax by themselves until the people found out where they were. Never forget to consistently take time to reflect and refresh yourself, no matter how urgent things seem to be.

In the next scene, the disciples are told to do the impossible. There is no hint of backtalk about how crazy an idea that was. They had come to trust Jesus enough to know He could do amazing things. They probably don't understand what was going to happen, but they know the best course of action was to be straight with Him and tell it like it is. Well, we have five loaves of bread and two fish. that's the good news. The bad news is we estimate there are about five thousand people. Do you have some way we could buy enough food for that kind of crowd?

Jesus has another idea. Rather then stretch thin the resources of those who have been providing for them (vss 2-3), this was a time for a miracle they apparently haven't seen before. Talk about stretching food on a budget! And they end up with much more food than they started with. 

If Peter hadn't been convinced before, he was now. Herod and others were confused about who Jesus  was, thinking He might be a resurrected prophet. But Peter knew; He was the Messiah. 

Peter had come to understand that Jesus was the Messiah, but Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone that. If this fact about Jesus was so important, why didn't He want them to tell everyone? Is Jesus trying to hide that light under a jar? No. It's because they weren't ready to accept the next truth about Him, even though He is going to tell them that truth right now. 

The disciples were still hung up on the theology of the day about what the Messiah would come to do. They believed the Messiah would come and defeat Rome by force. This is not how the kingdom is coming. Jesus didn't come to bring in the kingdom by force, but by love. But the world was still so unready for God's way of this happening, something dramatic was going to take place. In an ultimate display of His love for humanity, Jesus is going to allow Himself to be killed. His disciples are so sold on the false impression Israel had for the Messiah, they will not understand. Over and over Jesus will tell them what will happen, but they just don't get it. He doesn't want them to tell everyone He is the Messiah and then give them the wrong answer about what was coming!

The same false notion about the Messiah is prevalent today. Many who claim to follow Jesus believe He is going to return to this world to massacre most of it so justice can be done. I do not believe this is what the Bible teaches about God's justice. The Lion of Judah in Revelation never appears as a lion. Never. He appears as a slain lamb (chapter 5). He does not wield a sword in His hand; the sword imagery is coming out of His mouth. He defeats the enemy by what He says. (chapter 19) What are the words of Jesus but love and mercy? That is how Jesus defeats the beastly kingdom--this world's system, filled with war and hate, and replaces it with the kingdom of God, full of mercy and love. The iron "scepter" of Revelation 19:15 is actually the shepherd's rod, and the phrase is properly translated in many translations as "shepherd them with a rod of iron" rather than "rule them with an iron scepter." The rod refers to the same shepherd's rod David wrote about in Psalm 23. It is the system of the world that is being destroyed and devoured, not the people. Jesus is shepherding people back to Himself.

We are to follow Jesus' self-sacrificial example. We are to be willing to suffer persecution, even martyrdom, to show the world the love and mercy of God. 

When does the kingdom come? Look very closely at verse 27. Go ahead, read it. Read it again. How many people standing there have died. Jesus isn't playing some sematic game with us, or trying to trick us. He is telling them some of them would see the kingdom come. The only explanation is that the kingdom must have come in the first century AD. When? I think the passage tells us.  

Eight days later, Jesus goes up the mountain with Peter, John, and James. They see Jesus transfigured. Is this the coming of the kingdom of God? If Jesus was telling the truth, it has to be at least a partial fulfillment of what the coming of the kingdom is. Moses and Elijah are there, most certainly representing the Torah and the Prophets. They are talking about what Jesus was going to do in Jerusalem, but the subject is still so far beyond the three that they get drowsy. When they do wake back up, they see the vision, and Peter talks about building shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.

What Peter missed while he was drowsing off was that Jesus is going to accomplish something new. The Law and the Prophets were meant to lead to Jesus. The voice from Heaven leaves no doubt: "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him." The importance of the Law and the Prophets are fading. Jesus is about to completely fulfill them. His words are now what is important--His message of mercy and love. Again, the disciples are told not to tell about this. They don't have a good enough grasp of it to share it with others.

The disciples are being given more responsibility, but there is a limitation to what they could do because they were stuck on the fact Jesus was going to bring in the kingdom in a different way than they thought. They had power over some demons, but now there is one they couldn't handle that Jesus had to cast out Himself. His words of frustration were because He knew the disciples were at a point where their faith was not able to grow much. He again tells them about His death, but they still can grasp what He is saying. 

The disciples are so stuck by not being able to take this next step of faith that they began arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. They were still of the mindset that Jesus would do things the way the world does it. Those who want to get ahead must jockey for position. But that's not how God's kingdom works. The kingdom is not about gaining power so people will treat you with favoritism; it is about lifting up a child and others who seem unimportant. Not vying for position, but making room for the underprivileged to succeed. 

The disciples also were also becoming jealous of others who were able to do things they were failing at. That's what happens when you reject Jesus' way of love and mercy. You begin to make everything a competition about who is the best and who doesn't belong. Mercy and compassion can easily give way to competition and exclusivity.