All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,
Matthew 13:34
But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
Mark 4:34
JESUS STYLE OF TEACHING AND EXPLAINING
Both Matthew and Mark note Jesus’ particular style of teaching. It was through the use of parables. In fact, both of them tell us when He spoke to the multitude, He always used a parable. So we can conclude that when Jesus is talking to a great number of people, He used objects, persons, or situations to not just tell an inspirational story, but to reveal a truth about the God and His kingdom. We should, therefore, be careful to force a literal application to a parable, but rather look for the message which almost always comes at the end of the parable.
There is another important fact we can glean from Matthew and Mark notes. It is in the last sentence of Mark’s account:
And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
Mark 4:34
Jesus explained the parable to the disciples if they didn’t understand, Here is a good habit for us. When we are alone with Jesus, desire to know truth, and we are willing to follow him as a disciple, He will explain it to us, Since we are not in the literal presence of Jesus, we are promised the Holy Spirit, sent by Jesus, to guide us into all truth (John 16:13). This would certainly include parables. But, like our last study on literalism, there are too many who want to turn a parable into something literal. Examples will be given in another study.
JESUS’ STYLE OF TEACHING WAS PROPHESIED
Jesus fulfilled the words of David who prophesied the Messiah would use parables:
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. Psalm 78:2-3
Understanding parables is an important part of understanding Jesus’ teaching, But as noticed from above. The truths that come forth from a parable is something “…we have heard and known.” It is not some new truth, but a well-known and documented truth from the Scriptures which are the writings of Moses, the Prophets, and Psalms.
“...all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.”
Luke 24: 44-45
Here we see Jesus calling the books we call the Old Testament, “Scriptures.” There was no New Testament when he spoke in parables. So you may ask, “How do I understand the parables?” As mentioned above, you must not be part of the crowd. You must be a disciple, Going to church to hear a preacher might inspire you, but it may not always reveal to you the deep things of God if your heart is not right.
Now this may seem harsh, but Jesus explained His use of parables after the disciples asked,
“Why do You speak to them in parables?”
Matthew 13:10
MORE OR NOTHING
“He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables,;
Matthew 11:11-13
Why was it given to the disciples to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven? Are we talking predestination here? It was because they were followers ready to do His bidding regardless of the popularity of majority at the time lead by the Scribes and the Pharisees. We can be that type of follower. Can’t we?
Also, it is a kingdom truth that the more you know, the more you will know….IF YOU ARE WILLING TO BE DOERS AND NOT HEARERS ONLY (James 1:22) James goes on to say we will deceive ourselves if we are not doers. Jesus said it another way,
“If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine,.”
John 7:17
If you have a little knowledge and not willing to do God’s bidding, the little you have will be taken away and your experience will likely become legalistic or weak. This was the case of the Scribes and the Pharisees! They were not followers of the Messiah and were content in their knowledge of God and their traditions. They were doers, but the legalistic judgmental kind.
Jesus parable of the talents speaks to this, which ends with these words:
‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” Matthew 25:29
Here is another way to understand parables. The message Jesus wants to get across is almost always given plainly at the end of the parable.
In part 1, I used the example of how context can determine a course of literalism or symbolism. One of Jesus’ statements bewildered some disciples and the sneaky religious leaders:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6: 53, 54
Because of literalism, it caused some disciples to walk away and never follow Him again. It was a difficult saying to understand on the surface.“ Therefore, many of His disciples, when they heard this, said,
“This is a hard (difficult) saying; who can understand it?”
These are the surface readers and those who don’t listen closely. Often, they are lazy and desire quick and plain answers. Especially answers that fit their own way of thinking or beloved traditions. Others want to force the literalism and therefore miss the point that Jesus made regarding the words of God. Who can understand it? It is those who listen closely to context and love Him. His point can easily be lifted out of the symbolism as he explained to the twelve who stuck by him. even though their understanding of His kingdom was still growing.
They comprehended Jesus was comparing bread with words, and His blood with sacrifice. By these two things a person has eternal life and will “be raised up in the last day “(Verse 39, 40, 44). If not, they will not be “raised up at the last day.”
A steady diet of Jesus’ words will give real life-saving faith. Here are the plain words that a majority of the crowd missed:
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Verse 63
God’s Spirit are contained in the words! How can that be? Let’s use a real-life example:To eat breakfast and skip on eating God’s words every day results in deterioration of the soul. A famous evangelist once said, “Little time with God, little faith. Much time with God, much faith.”
If we are not reading and digesting God’s word every day, we will become spiritually skinny, weak, and die. We may be overweight on the outside, but starving on the inside. Remember, you must do the spiritual eating yourself. You can’t have your pastor or anyone else eat for you.
So, turn off those recordings and let God talk to you directly. Also keep in mind, it is not the habit of reading that helps, it is the understanding of God through this exercise and then doing his will (John 4:34). As James said,
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22
Please do not turn daily devotions in a works oriented exercise. If you miss a day or two, it doesn’t mean you are lost. Now how about those who would force literalism into this sermon of Jesus? Yes, it has happened in our world over the ages. Have you heard of transubstantiation? In the Roman Catholic church, during the taking of the Eucharist (Lord’s supper for the Protestants), the priest claims that he turns the bread and the wine into the literal body and blood of Christ even though the bread and the wine remain the same in their appearance. Thereby, the literal body and blood of Jesus are consumed! It totally discounts the point Jesus makes about the context and connection of living by His words.
Therefore, the message of Jesus is turned from an important spiritual lesson regarding eternal life and growing spiritually to a religious ceremony with all its pomp and display. As He said,
“It the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Verse 63
If the audience that day had listened closely, and had only a slight understanding of Jesus and the context of His ministry, they would have known Jesus was using symbolism to make a spiritual point of vital importance. It is a point that separates many church goers into those who are real and growing and those who have the “form of godliness, but deny the power.” 2 Timothy 3:5Tomorrow, we will look at the symbolism contained in parables.
A popular and witty saying among Bible Teachers goes like this,“
A text without context is a pretext.”
Pretext, in the spiritual context, is a justification to act or establish some religious beliefs based on a misapplication of a verse or two.” A good understanding of context will help a Bible reader know when to take passages as literal or symbolic. This we learned in a recent year-long zoom study of Daniel and Revelation. Both Daniel and Revelation are highly symbolic, but they also contain literal scenes and truths. It is the lazy man’s way to say, “The whole Bible is symbolic.” This implies no one can understand God’s word and therefore we are unable to apply its literal applications.
A powerful example using context and therefore discerning between literalism/symbolism is found in John 6.
“Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is [drink indeed.” John 6: 53-55
Wow! That sure sounds like Jesus is promoting cannibalism! But, if the religious teachers and disciples had just listened closely to ALL the words of Jesus (Context), they would know He was using symbols of bread and drink to tell a very important truth about eternal life and living a strong life in Him. But, some of the disciples were so confused that they never followed Him again,
“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more (verse 66).
This they did even after hearing Jesus’ explanation,
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Verse 63
If they had been listening to the context of what Jesus had said before, they would have been prepared for this symbolic reference to God’s word. Jesus said in Matthew 4,
“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Verse 4
Jesus is quoting from the Book of Moses in Deuteronomy 8:30. Here God’s words are like bread that gives live (Spiritual life). The Twelve seemed to understand Him. Jesus asked them a question that Peter quickly answered showing He and the others closest to Him understood,
“Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE. (Verse 67, 68)“
Another form of spiritual nourishment is found in the story of the woman at the well. Jesus’ disciples brought Him some food and He said,
“I have food to eat of which you do not know” (John 4:32).The disciples wondered, “Where did He get food?” He said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me” (verse 34).
So, when we do the will of Christ, we’re feeding our souls.
What is the spiritual lesson from Jesus’ reference to eating His flesh and drinking His blood? Do we take it literal? No! Jesus compares His words to bread or food. His blood is believing and trusting in His sacrifice for us. We need his “flesh” and “blood” every day to live. Just as we need food every day to live literally, we need to eat God’s words (read), absorb it (understand), and apply it to stay alive.
We must thirst and hunger after righteousness and then be satisfied in our souls by God’s word. This must be a daily ongoing experience for the believer, otherwise, we will find ourselves growing skinny, weak, and then dying from lack of spiritual substance. We must feed ourselves; we can’t depend on someone else to eat for us.
The result of “eating His flesh” and “drinking his blood” is this: Jesus will
“raise us up in the last days.”
This term is used 4 times in this chapter alone. What does this mean? It is the resurrection when Jesus comes in the last day! Wow! What a wonderful thought. A different topic for a different time. Next time we will look at how some religious teachers of today have taken this story and tried to turn it into a literal application of eating his flesh and drinking His blood.
Have you heard this statement? “So heavenly minded that he (she) is no earthly good.”?
Can we become so concerned about our religious routines, ceremonies, getting to heaven, and acts of worship that we are of little use to those around us….including, sadly, our own families?
Is our religion filled with the Christian dialect that only other religious people understand? Do we earnestly protect and hold fast to denominational arguments in order to feel comfortable and superior in our “religion? Are we more concerned about being right than the needs of others? In other words, are we more religious than real?
Jesus had a lot to say about this. To the clean-looking religious people of His day He said,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” Matthew 23:27
These were very religious people who turned God’s royal law of liberty (James 1:25) into burdens to the people Their religion became a list of do’s and don’ts. It was all about the list and not the Lord. Appearances meant every thing to them. Is that still the case today?
But the ones who loved Jesus, loved people and became servants. Why? Because Jesus set the example in His life. He said,
“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,” Matthew 28:20
His followers did things to relieve suffering and shared the path or good news that brings freedom and relief to hurting souls through Jesus. This didn’t get rid of God’s simple 10 commandments, but gave them power to resist the strength of sin and focus on servitude for the Lord. Their focus was on the Lord and following Him to relieve all sorts of suffering rather than being religious. Their story was not about weekly routines of “going to church,” but teaching, preaching and serving people.
The real followers of Jesus are easily identified as is the fruit on a tree. They are doers. They put others before themselves even their religion
Jesus asked, ““But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” Luke 6:46
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”Philippians 2:3-4
The real followers of Jesus don’t seek to save their lives, they seek to lose it. They don’t count the costs. They put their hand to the plow and don’t look back! They move forward in faith without worry about the obstacles. If they move forward, they know the Lord will provide the resources.
“No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9: 62
He who looks back is not concentrating on the task at hand.. He is, at best, a halfhearted worker.
Jesus’s brother James gives us the definition of pure religion. It has nothing to do with perfect theology, going to church, the church building, or even your morning/evening devotions. It has to do with servitude and not following the selfish ways of the world.
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27
When Jesus returns, He will not look at your church attendance nor the money you gave to keep up a building and pay the bills, Here is what He will say,
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Matthew 25: 34-36
If we fail to be servants, He will say,
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Matthew 25: 41-43
Is your religion real? If servitude for Jesus is difficult for you to do, but religion is easy…maybe you have not been reborn. Jesus is knocking at your door. Open it and invite Him in…then become a servant.
I hate to bring this up, but some of us in your church are uncomfortable with a few things you have said and we want to suggest a few changes in your management style. Below are a few things we have documented (with references) to give you an idea of where we are coming from. Let’s start with your speech at the mountain. Here are your exact words as recorded by Matthew:
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-19
John also recorded this:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15
“He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:4
“Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.” 1 John 2:7
We understand what you are saying, but we want to be sure your management style is a little easier and more in line with what everyone else is doing. We feel your communications are a little narrow. As a church, we don’t want to come across to our folks as legalistic and too strict. We want to respect the feelings of everyone.
Also, the board of directors have decided that your “commandments” are old school and actually no longer necessary since the culture of our church is focused on grace and, after all, we are living in the 21st century. We also feel that since you have kept the commandments, there is no need to follow them as strictly as you did. We appreciate your example, but we aren’t up to that kind of lifestyle. Anyway, it is also our understanding that it is impossible to obey your laws and we are living under grace. Therefore there is no need to obey any longer.
Therefore, please see the recommended changes below. We will start with the 10 commandments below (in red). Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
“You shall have no other gods before Me. No big changes here. It is OK. I see where you are coming from, but we should be careful to not offend anyone who may give all their time and attention to making money and accumulating things. Also, their sports, music, and entertainment give them joy. So we suggest we not be too strict and not make a big deal about it. These people still show up at church for an hour or two on the weekend. That should be enough.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor [b]serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting[c] the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.This has already been eliminated in the Catechism, The church has statues, pictures, and things as part of their worship service. Again, this commandment does not go along with what a majority are doing. It’s not that big of a deal, they are not actually worshiping the image anyway.
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. There should be an exception for those people in TV, movies, and people that are angry. We should also allow for people to use the word Jesus as an extension to an exclamation in a sentence.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.This should read: Go to church and worship every Sunday Everybody is busy on Saturdays to keep it holy even if it is in honor of your creation. Anyway, a majority of the people go to church on the first day of the week in honor of your resurrection. Although I can’t find this change in any of your writings, I am certain that tradition carries enough weight to make this change. Most have already changed it anyway. Their thinking is this is for the Jews only even though the Sabbath was instituted long before there was a Jew. Isn’t it legalistic to honor a whole day anyway?
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. An exception should be made if they don’t live up to your expectations or hurt you in any way. Maybe they could donate some money to avoid having to follow this one.
“You shall not murder. This is a good one. Again an exception should be made for a child not yet born who is not wanted and is an inconvenience to the mother and father.
“You shall not commit adultery. Of course, if people are living together this is not applicable because that is what everyone is doing anyway. Should this apply also to the same-sex couple? Oh yes, we forgot to let you know that we have determined that one woman and one man for marriage doesn’t fit today’s society. We don’t want to exclude anyone, so we took the liberty to allow marriage between the same-sex. I am sure you understand.
“You shall not steal. Again a good rule, but let’s allow for situations where stealing is necessary for survival or if they really want something and don’t have enough money to buy it.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Unless the situation calls for it where telling the truth will get someone in trouble. Again, we should consider the situation.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” This is definitely old school. Who has an ox, a donkey, or a servant? People want what other people have. It gives them the drive to accumulate as much as one can possibly obtain to be happy.
Jesus, we know you will understand. Thank you for efforts to change our hearts, but some feel very comfortable in their weekly routines of simply showing up for church and being nice to people.
As crazy as this memo sounds, this is exactly what is happening in both the world and, sadly, in many churches. While we know that faith in the death and resurrection of Christ saves us, it does not give us the authority to change one sentence in His eternal law. How would Jesus respond to this? How about Peter James and John?
Jesus: “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. Mark 7:7
Paul: Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. ” Romans 3:31
John: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12
James: be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ..For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty James 1:22, 2: 10-22
Solomon: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13
“When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
Ezekiel 33:33
AUTHOR NOTE: THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS REVELATION STARTS IN DANIEL. TO OPEN THE BOOK OF REVELATION WITHOUT READING DANIEL PUTS THE READER AT A DISADVANTAGE. THIS IS WHY WE START IN THE GREAT BOOK WRITTEN CENTURIES BEFORE THE BOOK OF REVELATION
PLEASE READ DANIEL 2 BEFORE PROCEDDING.
Have you ever had a dream you could not remember? Did you feel that the dream was very important, but you just could not remember it?
This is exactly what happened to an ancient king. His name was King Nebuchadnezzar. In his second year as king he “had dreams” which troubled him so much that he could not sleep. His story is found in Daniel 2.
The Fakers
He needed help in remembering his dream so he sent for the people who claimed to know about dreams and spiritual matters:
Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.”
Daniel 2: 2-3
These wise men tried to impress the king so they spoke in his language “Aramaic” and made a simple request,
“Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”
Daniel 2:4
Here is the first sign, these guys were fakes. If they were so knowledgeable of matters of the spirit, etc., why did they not know ahead of time that the king did not remember the dream? They were not even good listeners because the king was anxious to “know the dream.” This meant he couldn’t remember the dream!
They were anxious to give an interpretation and get back to whatever they were doing, but they did not realize that the true God of heaven would soon separate the true prophets from the false prophets.
These men had something new thrown at them. The king had never before asked them to tell him the dream. Usually, he would tell them a dream and they would interpret. Interpretation is easy. You can make it up so it sounds plausible. But reading the mind of someone else is something altogether different. Only God has that ability.
So these fakers were in a pickle! The king made a threat that he intended to execute. Wow! That dream must have really impressed him!
“My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.”
Daniel 2:5-6
They couldn’t believe what they were hearing so they requested again that the king would tell them the dream,
“Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.”
Daniel 2:7
But the king was wise to their tricks and he said,
“I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.”
Daniel 2:8-9
Yes. They were stalling. The fakers then informed the king that his request was not fair. But, unwittingly they said a couple of things that were true:
“There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.”
Verse 10
Truth #1-There IS no man “on earth” who can help the king. Only the Omnipotent God of heaven has answers about the future.
“…there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
Verse 11
Truth #2 -The “gods” do not dwell with flesh. Why? Because they are not real. They are not alive. They are dumb idols, but the Creator Himself would one day become flesh and dwell among flesh. In fact, He would come in the flesh:
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
None of this mattered to the king. He was extremely angry. He was furious and made a decree to have all the wise men killed. In the king’s mind, he knew they were all fake, they would attempt to deceive him and therefore they were useless to him.
For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men;
Verse 12-13
In today’s world, there are many who claim to know more than they really do and surprisingly there are many who know the true God who are given wisdom by Him. They are confident and humble in their knowledge and wisdom. Daniel was such a man.
True Prophets
Daniel asked the king for more time, which was obviously granted even though the fakers wanted time too, but I think the king had heard of the God of Daniel and gave them extra time expecting they would deliver.
Daniel went back to his three friends and they had a prayer session and sought God.
“Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”
Verse 17-19
These four men, asked for mercies regarding the secret. The secret was revealed to Daniel. His first action? “Bless the God of heaven.” May we never be in such a haste that we fail to stop to thank our Creator for His mercies. There is a blessing for us when we take time to thank God.
Daniel’s prayer of blessing to the God of heaven is below. In his blessing, he describes God’s abilities.
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.
“I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”
Verses 20-23
Notice the things Daniel confirms about God:
1.) Wisdom belongs to God
2.) He changes “times” and “seasons”
3.) He sets up kings and removes kings
4.) He gives wisdom to the wise (Notice who gets the wisdom. It is the wise! Who gets the knowledge? Those who have understanding!)
5.) He reveals secret things (This fits with our opening verse from Amos 3:17-He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets.)
Next, Daniel intercedes for the wise men, even the fakers! He could have just saved himself and his three friends, but the character trait of the person who knows the true God of heaven is to save life, not destroy it, even if the “wise men” are fakers.
Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wisemen of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.”
Verse 24
Daniel is taken in before king Nebuchadnezzar. The king asks,
“Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”
Verse 26
Before Daniel answers the king, he demonstrates, with power, the comparison between the fakers and the true God in heaven.
“The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.”
Verse 27
Daniel has a mini-sermon before he starts to reveal to the king what he wants to know. The mini-sermon is this: There is a God in heaven (He is real). He reveals secrets or things that man on earth would not know. These secrets are given to man through God’s servants the prophets. It is not only for the prophets benefit, but also it is for the benefit of the ones who are hearing the message from God through His prophets.
I can image the king on the edge of his seat. He can sense through Daniel’s confidence that what he is about to hear is the truth and there is no guile (falsehood or fakery) from the mouth of this prophet of God. It is one man (Daniel) and his God (Jehovah) in comparison to the many astrologers, magicians, and soothsayers.
Truth does not come through the majority. It comes from the God of heaven and His prophets. It has always been a testimony to the power of God, that one with God is stronger than the majority.
Daniel begins to explain the dream:
Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.
Verse 28-30
The dream is for the benefit of both the prophet (who makes known the interpretation) and the one who is receiving the interpretation so that the thoughts of the heart may be revealed. Notice the phrase:
“for OUR sakes…”
What a wise and powerful Creator! Daniel is telling the king that God’s revealing of the dream and God’s secrets are for both the speaker and the hearer!
When I read Bible prophecy, it has a strange effect of letting me know where my heart stands with God. The effect can be fearful or it can be comforting. All people have the invitation to move from fearful (lost) to comforting (saved from the penalty of sin i.e., eternal death)
Daniel tells they king the topic of the dream. It is about
“….what will be in the latter days.”
“The term “latter days” is simple to understand in the context of the dream. Since this dream will be about the “latter days” of the kingdom of Babylon and its kings we can use it in that context. But, it is also about the end of all kingdoms as well. So the “latter days” can also refer to the end of time and this earth as we know it.
The Dream Revealed
To the amazement of the King, Daniel begins to recount the dream for him. As he talks, the king starts to remember and cold chills run throughout his body:
“You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs[ of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.[ You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”
“This is the dream.”
Verses 31-36
An artist’s idea of the image the king saw:
The king must have been amazed as he recalled each detail. Before the king could say anything, Daniel began the interpretation. We will let Daniel interpret for us. Then we will look back at history to see if it was true. Finally, we will look into the future using the foundation of the interpretation.
Here is how Daniel interpreted the king’s dream as God showed it to him:
“Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold.”
Verses 36-38
So what does the head of Gold represent? Daniel said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “you are this head of gold.”
Nebuchadnezzar and the kingdom of Babylon are represented in both time and space as the “head of gold.” Could there be any other interpretation with something so plainly spoken?
The King must have been proud as he thought, even if just for a moment, that he was the top and the most valuable metal in the image. But, he was soon to be disappointed. Daniel continues with the interpretation of the great image,
The Interpretation
But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.
Verse 39
As great and wonderful as was King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon, it would fall to another. Not just another, but an inferior kingdom. Just as silver is of less value and strength as gold, the next kingdom was to be inferior.
The Second Kingdom
Does the Bible tell us who this next kingdom was to be? Yes! The story can be found in Daniel 5. It is an interesting story about Belshazzar (The son of Nebuchadnezzar and the then current king of Babylon) The king and his subjects were having a feast with debauchery, and disrespect for things God had made holy. During the drunken sacrilegious feast, a man’s finger appears and writes a message on the wall.
This supernatural act made the king’s “countenance” change. Like his father Nebuchadnezzar, he was troubled as to what it meant so he called for the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. Remember them? They are the fakers. Just as they could not see Nebuchadnezzar’ s dream. They were unable to read the writing and make an interpretation. Sound familiar?
Fortunately for the king, the queen remembered Daniel. She told the king,
There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans,and soothsayers. Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”
Daniel 5:11-12
Daniel’s interpretation confirms what he had told King Nebuchadnezzar with the image of God falling to an inferior kingdom,
And this is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Daniel 5:26-28
The king was slain and Babylon fell to the dual kingdom of the Medes and Persians led by Cyrus and Darius.
That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
Daniel 5: 30-31
The Medes and the Persians were represented by the arms and shoulders of silver. (Two arms-two kingdoms)
It is interesting and shows the foreknowledge of God as to how Babylon fell and the way the enemy was able to get into the walled city.
Also, before Cyrus was born, God called him by name as the conqueror of Babylon
Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut…
Isaiah 45:1
So how were Cyrus and Darius able to get into the walled city of Babylon?
*They dried up the river Euphrates (a familiar prophetic term in Revelation! )! This diverted the river that ran under the walls and through the city. Along the river within the city was another set of walls with gates. The citizens were protected should someone swim in under the outer walls. The enemy swimmers would then need to get through the second set of gates. But on the night of Babylon’s fall, the gates had been left open due to drunken feast! So the Medes and Persians were able to walk under the walls and up the banks through the leaved gates and into the city!
God is so amazing! He knows the end from the beginning!
* See pages 265, 266 of Volume 1 of the book The Great Events by Famous Historians in the chapter on “Conquests by Cyrus The Great B.C. 538,” by George Grote. — University Edition, copyrighted 1905, by The National Alumni. See also The Golden Age, as of June 7, 1922. page 572.
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Third Kingdom
But, there was to arise yet a third kingdom represented by the belly and thigh of brass.
“And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.”
Verse 39
The deciding point in the fall of the Persians was reached on the field of Arbela, B.C. 331, in which the Grecians, were entirely victorious; and Alexander became absolute lord of the Persian empire.
More could be said on this third kingdom, but let’s move on. We will talk more about each kingdom as we study the prophecies that provide more detail.
The events really pick up when the powerful fourth kingdom comes on the scene,
And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.
Verse 40
History tells us that this fourth power of legs of iron is none other than the “iron monarchy” of Rome. Rome became the world power after it crushed the third kingdom of Greece.
Rome was in power during the life of Christ on earth and continued on for hundreds of years afterward.
4th Kingdom-Forever Division
But the prophecy does not stop there, there was to be a time when this iron would mix with clay (partly strong and partly weak substances)
It is interesting that Rome eventually was divided into 10 divisions by the invading nomadic tribes. These divisions became the modern day countries of Europe. Three of these 10 divisions were eventually annihilated so that there was only 7, but even those events are part of the prophecy were will study later in Daniel and Revelation. Those divisions of Rome are as follows:
10 Toes or Divisions of Rome
Heruli
Ostrogoths
Vandals
Franks
Visigoths
Burgundians
Lombards
Anglo Saxons
Alamanni
Seuvi
Daniel continues on and informs the king of something that stands to this day. These divisions of Rome would attempt to unite, but as iron does not mix with clay, they would never unite:
Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
Verses 41-43
This 4th kingdom would be divided and would never reunite. Throughout recent history, there have been attempts to reunite the old divisions of Europe, but it has always failed and it always will because the God of Heaven has spoken. Those who have tried were:
Charlamagne, 8th Century;
Charles V l6th Century;
Louis XIV l5th Century;
Napoleon, l9th Century;
Kaiser Wilhelm and Hitler, 20th Century.
All of these men invested enormous resources and countless lives in their efforts to unite Europe, but each one failed. Even today the leaders of Europe are trying to unite as one, but God says this will never happen!
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Our Day-The Soon Coming Eternal Kingdom
Daniel ends the interpretation of the dream with a dramatic ending!
You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Verse 34, 35
Jesus is the Rock that was cut out without hands.
For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
I Corinthians 10:4
Daniel takes the king and the reader of this chapter to a time when God would set up his kingdom that would never end:
And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
Verse 44
My Friends, we are living in the “days of these kings.” The old divisions of Rome!
When Jesus returns the earth is melted and no trace of anything left on this earth will be found. Then He will make a new heaven and a new earth.
About 500 years before Jesus came to this earth the first time as a lamb to pay for the sins of a planet in rebellion, we see a prophecy concerning his second coming when he comes to “break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms.” It will stand forever!
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matthew 24:30
When Jesus returns the earth passes away.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Matthew 24:35
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
II Peter 3:10
And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Mark 4: 62
When God destroys the earth, he creates a new heaven and a new earth that will last forever:
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
“The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”
Verse 45
After hearing Daniels recalling of the king’s forgotten dream and the interpretation, there wells up in the heart of this heathen king both fear and joy!
Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel
Verse 46
This is what each of us should do as we see that God is in control of the history of planet earth and of our own lives. He knows the exact number of hairs on your head. He is all-powerful but most important, He loves each one of us so much as to send His son to pay for the sin we have committed.
His law, that can never be changed, shows we are sinners and deserve to die for eternity, but God makes a substitutionary sacrifice (atonement) for us so that we might live and enjoy the greatest gift he could have given us: Life to the uttermost!
The king understood that there is a God in Heaven who reveals secrets
The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”
Verse 47
I hope you have been blessed by this study. Next, we will look at a vision given to Daniel that repeats this dream but expands it. He will receive other visions that will demonstrate that God knows the end from the beginning.
It was like I had been reading the scripture the way I wanted it to read instead of letting it talk to me!
The following is based on Luke 24
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“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.” Luke 24: 1-9
It was early in the morning and the sky was getting brighter as we walked the dusty road speaking in low tones. My new friend Cleopas talked in pain about the things that had transpired over the last few days. So many things! All very bad!
The disappointment started with the arrest of Jesus in the Garden east of the city. During the night and into the early morning of the Preparation Day (Friday) the soldiers and mob began to move him between the governor and religious leadership. Then they beat him to a pulp. Eventually they crucified him on a Roman cross on the hill outside of Jerusalem later in the afternoon of the Preparation Day. I watched as he hung his head and took his last breath. I think I saw Peter off in the distance. He appeared to be on his knees with his face in his hands. His disappointment must be very great! We all loved the gentle Jesus and will miss him. He certainly went about doing good. I just don’t understand these series of events. Cleophas and I both repetitively ask, Why?
I will certainly be labeled as a fanatic believer by my brothers, the Sadducees. The religious leaders have declared Jesus a blasphemer and made sure He was no longer a factor in our religion. They have won and put an innocent precious soul to death. Not just death, but the cruel and tortuous death on a Roman cross. Why were they so determine to do away with Him?
There had been an earthquake and the sun refused to let go of its light. Darkness took over the land like a thick wet smothering blanket. Everything seemed out of place. It was frightening. The large curtain in the temple had been ripped from top to bottom by some unseen hands. There were even reports of people, considered saints, coming out of their graves and appearing to many in the city! (Matthew 27: 51-53)
My personal disappointment because made me weak. I have a lot to lose. I believed everything He said and was amazed at His great miracles and works of kindness. We thought him to be the Messiah prophesied by many of the prophets hundreds of years ago. He was going to set up his kingdom and deliver the Jews from the iron rule of Rome. He was the coming king upon which I hung all my hopes. But, it seemed like he did not want the office of king. I had left everything to follow him and learn his teachings, but all this seemed to come to nothing on that Friday afternoon when He died.
Now only doubt, sadness, and breath-taking disappointment draped themselves on Cleopas and me. My head is spinning with confusion. I want an explanation, but the reality of possible deception by this Nazarene was creeping into my thoughts and it made me feel sick and foolish. On top of everything else, the body of Jesus is missing! The women said He was alive, confirmed by a couple of other disciples, but I know better. It is just wishful thinking on their part. No one could have survived the beating, the nails, the loss of blood, and finally the sharp sword in the side. I saw it and refuse to believe anything but what my eyes can confirm. There was no mistaking… the vision of so much blood and the pale appearance of death was real and convincing.
We are on our way to Emmaus to start over; a walk of about 8 miles. It will take me the usual 3 1/2 hours or so to walk…maybe longer today because of our conversation and a heavy heart. This dusty walk will give us plenty of time to try to put all the pieces together….to try to understand and make sense of everything and to decide what to do with the rest of our lives. My clothes are now those of the common person. I have removed my garments worn by the other Sadducees. My self-identification is stuck between tradition and my disappointment.
All of a sudden, and unexpected, a stranger walks up from behind and joins us. He scared us a little then he asks,
“Why are you so sad and what are you discussing?”
I find these two questions odd in the light of the excitement and well-known events of the weekend. Slightly agitated and amazed Cleopas speaks before I can open my mouth and he answers the question with a question. He throws in some sarcasm for good measure.
“Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem that does not know the things which happened there this last few days?”
I am even more amazed when the stranger asks,
“What things?”
In disbelief, we began to explain to the stranger the events of the last few days. Reviewing everything does not help my mental and spiritual pain. We rush through what we saw as a courtesy to the stranger.
“These things concern Jesus of Nazareth who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people . The chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. Then they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” Luke 24: 19-24
Then the stranger calls Cleopas and me “foolish ones” and that we are “slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken” This is certainly not so! I have always believed the prophets. I have come from a family who believes in the Tanakh (Old Testament) and I have read it often. The prophets said, that the Messiah would come and deliver Israel from its enemies.
But the stranger began to recite the writings of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy) and all the Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Micah, Malachi, etc) of the Tanakh and explain things I had missed before.
The stranger clearly points out passages that were references to Jesus. For the next 3 hours, I am amazed at the knowledge and clarity of the stranger’s words. As I listened to him recite our ancient books, I begin to see that it was necessary for Jesus to die for the sins of the world, but that He would be raised up the third day! How had I missed that? Why had we not believed Jesus when he said it was necessary for him to die and that he would rise again?
It was like I had been reading the scripture the way I wanted it to read instead of letting it talk to me! Indeed, we felt foolish but encouraged by the words of the stranger. My heart burned within me! I wanted to hear more! This was all exciting and new to me! Hope was starting to spring up in my heart! What if Jesus really was alive again?
As we near the village, the day is in its final hours. it is getting darker. I don’t want the stranger to go and I look for excuses for him to stay the night so we can hear more. Thankfully, He agrees to have supper with us.
As He breaks the bread, I recognize those hands and the manner in which he breaks it! I finally look across the table into his eyes about the same time as Cleopas.
It is Jesus!
As soon as we recognize him, he disappears! We had been talking to Jesus the whole time and we didn’t recognize him!
With intense excitement and joy, Cleopas and I jump up and run the 8 miles back to Jerusalem in the dark! We must tell the others who were behind closed doors…those who share our confusion and disappointment. When we arrive, we find them huddled in a group in fear and disappointment. Out of breath, we begin to tell them what had happened over the last several hours. As we are telling them, Jesus appears in the room!
Everyone jumps back. They think they are seeing a spirit, but Jesus tells them it is Him and that He is not a spirit. To prove it, He invites them to touch Him and He asks for something to eat. They give Him some fish and some honeycomb. After everyone settles down and the scales of their eyes begin to fall away, Jesus repeats the same type of study Cleopas and I heard on the road to Emmaus. This time, He uses the entire Tanakh including the Psalms to explain how He is found all through scripture. All the disciples begin to understand that He had to die, but that He would rise on the third day. How could we have been so slow to understand? It was right there!
Then He said to us,
“These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you. that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. And He opened our understanding that we might comprehend the Scriptures.”
Now I understand! He is alive! It is right there in the scripture that He must teach us, die for us, and then rise up for us! He is all about us. We now must be all about Him!
The only disciple not with us is Thomas. The disappointment of the cross was too much for him. We have not seen him since Friday. It will be 8 days before Thomas shows up…
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Next, we will take a look at Jesus through the eyes of one who is a well-known doubter (Thomas) and attempt to understand why the resurrection of Jesus is an absolute cornerstone of the Christian faith. In fact, without it, Paul says we are most pitiful of all men (1 Corinthians 15: 12-19). But, after we see through the eyes of Thomas we will exclaim as he did:
As a member of the religious class and a Sadducee, I am allowed to be within feet of the crucifixion. The mother of Jesus, her sister (also named Mary), and the wife of Clopas (a third Mary) (also known at Salome) are restricted as to how near to Jesus they could stand. With them are the only two male disciples (James and John) that had not run away.
As the crowd and the three scheduled for crucifixion stumble to the place where they will die a horrible death, the soldiers began to move people back and proceeded to methodically lay the two criminals on the cross and lift them up for all to see. Then they came to Jesus. Putting him last is designed to make him suffer the thought a little longer and that he will follow a similar fate. It is like watching your family killed before it happens to you.
The soldiers are very rough. They strip off the seamless tunic and his other outer garments. The executioners had been careful to avoid damage to even one thread of the tunic because it is a very nice garment. Later, the soldiers would gamble for its ownership. Jesus is striped down to nothing but a small cloth around his mid-section. They want to disgrace him and cause great suffering. He is shoved violently onto the wooden cross. His weakness prohibits his arms from catching Him or breaking his fall. So He falls down with a thud right on top of the cross face down in the dust. His face is so marred and scratched! He was already bruised and swollen from the merciless beatings. The crown of thorns is so deeply embedded in His skin! They have become part of His head!
The soldiers rudely and cruelly flip Jesus over quickly. They are surprised when Jesus does not fight them nor curse. Each of them pause as Jesus stretches out his hands and places his palms up at the exact spot where they will nail them to the rough wooden cross! The nail bag tingled with the sound of cold iron as one of the soldiers reaches in to take out the first long spike. He pricks his finger on the sharp tip of one of them and curses as he pulls out the first spike. He feels only a microscopic amount of pain that Jesus must be feeling. Next, the soldier places the nail in the fleshy center of his palm. This palm has done nothing but brings healing and blessing to so many people! The soldier draws back the heavy wooden mallet and swings hard to the large nail head. It is driven through the skin, dodging bone and piercing muscle before entering the wood to cut the lovely hands of Jesus used only to bless, heal, and soothe.
The routine is repeated on the other hand. I hear Jesus praying for these men by their names! The look at him in wonder and amazement! But, they shake it off and bring his feet together. An especially long spike is driven through both feet and on to the small platform, which will bear most of the weight of Jesus’ body.
Jesus moans, but does not let out any cry for mercy. The soldiers pick it up from the top part of the cross, where Jesus head rests, and walk it into the hole. it quickly falls to its final resting place with a thud. As it hits bottom, cries from the crowd can be heard. It was as if each person felt the ripping pain.
The women weep and bow their heads! They are then allowed to move closer. They ignore me and look up into the bleeding face of Jesus! How long can He last? What will become of Him, His family, and His followers? At this point no one knows.
The soldiers begin to drink and gamble. It is not long before the alcohol kicks in and Jesus seamless tunic is thrown into the dirt for the prize of casting lots. The other garments are made into four parts before the gambling begins. They are like dogs! So are the religious leaders who are consumed by the spirit of hatred for Jesus. They curse Him and tempt Him.
” “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
The religious leaders are still angry over the fact that Pilate had placed a sign over Jesus’ head in the three languages: Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:
THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Even the robbers are reviling him! Finally, one of them has a change of heart and rebukes the other robber,
“Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
I think I actually saw Jesus smile when the thief said this! It was the only encouraging words He has heard all day. Jesus turns, the best He can, and looks at the repentant man who wants to be remembered. Jesus confirms his request. Jesus looks at him and says,
“I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”
While there seemed no hope, Jesus was promising him on this day of pain and grief that he would be with Jesus in Paradise when He comes into His kingdom. That is the day, when He comes, the thief will experience the gift of eternal life.
There are no more encouraging words for the remainder of the day. Many people walked by and wagged their heads repeating the words of the priests,
“If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”
The wind begins to pick up and the sky starts to turn dark. Jesus appears to be fading. He is suspended between heaven and earth with no comfort from anyone. It seems the mental anguish of loneliness and the sin of us all is hurting him more than the nails. He is suffering greatly as the sun refuses to shine and the clouds gather as if they planned to attack everyone around the hill. There is a low rumble as the earth begins to shake lightly as first.
Then Jesus cries out for the first time. He says in Hebrew,
“Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”
The Jews think he was calling for Elijah. But this made no sense. Why would he call for Elijah if He is the Son of God. Would He not call for his heavenly Father? Then, in a pitiful cry he yells out,
“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
The soldiers put a sponge on the top of a stick soaked in a mind-numbing liquid to bring some relief, but after He tasted it (He is expecting water), he spits it out and denies it.
The rumble is now louder. We are having a major earthquake. The wind is turning into a massive storm. Jesus cries out something else to the heavens loudly and then he drops his head and dies.
Word has come up from the religious leaders to break the legs of those on the cross to hurry the appointment with death. The Sabbath is about to begin and they don’t want the bodies on the cross. They will need to take them down to avoid defiling its hours. What hypocrisy!
The thieves legs are immediately slammed with a heavy large mallet. Within seconds they die because they can not lift up on their legs to get a breath. So they smoother from their own weight.
When they come to Jesus, one of the soldiers draws back the mallet, but the other says, “Wait! He is already dead!” But, to be sure, one of them brings out a sword and pushes it into the side of Jesus. Out of His side flows water and blood all over the soldier. He stands transfixed and bewildered. He seems to be melting in the liquid that is spilled on him. He bows his head and cries out loud for mercy!
Then I remember! The scripture says that His bones would not be broken and that He would be pierced. Thank God for the prophecies of the Tanakh! They do speak of Jesus!
“Not one of His bones shall be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
Psalms 34:20, Zechariah 12:10
Now the storm rises even more and the earthquake hits us hard and violently. Many are knocked to the ground. Later, I will hear from the fearful religious leaders that the massive curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place in the temple has been perfectly torn in half from top to bottom. It is if some unknown powerful hand ripped the curtain, which separated priest and sinner from the presence of God. This room (The Most Holy Place) was visited only once a year on the day of Atonement and only by a high priest. Now, everyone could look into this sacred spot! The Spirit of God has departed!
As I watch all this events, a centurion cries out what I am thinking and feeling in my heart,
I race back into Jerusalem, with a choking mixture of emotion (disgust, fear, anger, and a tinge of hope). The city is in an uproar and commotion! Fear is etched on the faces of the people as if they are waiting for judgment and eternal death. The sacrificial animals have all escaped and fled. There are cracks in the rock pavements and the buildings. It is like God is angry. Many of the people begin to pray for mercy thinking they will be destroyed like Sodom.
The most incredible thing I saw were the people who had died and buried walking the streets talking of the love of God and His son Jesus. These people were known for their righteousness and closeness to God. Many of the priests who only hours before had been cursing Jesus were now falling to their knees screaming for forgiveness and mercy.
I have never seen anything like this! I manage to find the disciples who had found each other. They are in a small room gathered in the same fear, I saw in the faces of the people on the streets. They are terrified of many things including the same fate as Jesus. What will we do? Our leader has died! They have killed the Son of God!
When things settled down, I was drawn back to Jesus on the cross. Later as the beginning of the Sabbath drew near, a man named Joseph takes down the body of Jesus from the cross. I help him and feel the lifeless cold body of Jesus as we pry out the nails from the wood and flesh and slowly lower His body by a rope. Pilate has been given him permission to bury Jesus in a tomb owned by Joseph and his family.
We are accompanied by soldiers who will guard the tomb. The unconverted and cold religious leaders know that Jesus promised to rise on the third day. It is ironic, but Jesus followers have forgotten this or simply refuse to believe it is possible. I feel the same as they do.
As we wrap the body of Jesus in a clean cloth, the women observe the body and decide to rest according to the Sabbath. Anyway, they are tired and it is now dark. They will return when it is light in the morning on the 1st day of the week to prepare his body with burial spices.
That night and the entire next day (Sabbath), there is nothing to report. All his disciples, including myself, quietly talk about Jesus. They try to bring comfort to each other despite knowing they will never see Him again. Thomas is not with us. He is so disappointed and discouraged that He goes to his own home to rest and think. He has always been the doubting type and all this seems to confirm his skepticism. He is likely to never be the same.
As I rest my head for the night on the 7th day, I determine to rise early on the first day of the week to travel to Emmaus with one of the other disciples called Cleopas. But, before I go, I will change my clothes. The robe I have always worn as a Sadducee no longer seems appropriate for me. I will change into something clean and simple. I no longer desire to be a “religious leader.”
“And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled…Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death. Matthew 26: 57, 59
Yesterday as the sun was setting on the Mount of Olives, Jesus came and looked directly at me saying in the hearing of the disciples:
“As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
Over the last few days, I have known Him to be truthful and wise, so I am left speechless and blurt out words before I can think,
“Jesus, I will follow you. What can I do to help you?”
His smile and the gentle look in His eyes responded in a small unspoken voice telling me to be strong and trust.
My heart was beating wildly as I asked Him, “Help me,” I felt, with hard certainty things were about to change for Him, His followers, and me.
We spent the evening at the house of Simon the Leper. I watched as a woman anointed Jesus by lightly pouring expensive perfume on His head. She performs the ritual quietly like a woman preparing Him for burial. The disciples, much like the religious leaders would do, complain that “the money could have been used to feed the poor,” but Jesus told them,
“Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
This is why I have come to love Jesus. He cares for people and defends them especially if they are doing something for the kingdom of God.
When everyone leaves Simon’s house, I part company with Jesus and His disciples as they go to an unknown spot for supper. I feel that I am an intruder, so I go away to give them time alone with each other.
It is late on the 5th day of the week. But as the sun sets, it becomes the 6th day aka the Preparation day. You Gentiles refer to it as Friday.
The temple is busy and loud. Every religious leader in the city of Jerusalem is here talking with passion in small groups. Just as I enter, Caiaphas raises his voice to bring order to the meeting. It doesn’t take long for me to understand why everyone is present. They are devising a plan to take Jesus by force and kill Him!
He has done only good for the people. He has healed them all! I have listened closely to His words and his teaching. I am convinced He is all He claims to be! He is our Messiah!
Everything that comes from the mouth of Jesus has both the ring of truth and the support of scripture. His words cut to my heart and I am slain by them. My sins rise up before me. I desire relief from the guilt and the agony of restlessness. Yesterday, as I had a short conversation with Him directly, I felt the burdens of my life lifted. He had forgiven me and told me to walk in a life as a servant. It is taking some time for me to become accustomed to this new feeling of freedom.
Now I want to work for Him in spreading the message of the Kingdom of God. It is so strange that earlier in the week, all I could think about was making money off the people during the Passover. Now, it is of no consequence to me. I only want to serve Jesus in some capacity. I hope to talk with Him again tonight. It is my understanding He will be in the garden later.
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Before I can say a word at the meeting, the Scribes and Pharisees along with the chief priests come up with a couple of dubious witnesses who claim Jesus will destroy the temple. I am terribly surprised to see one of Jesus’ disciples at this meeting as well. I think they call him Judas. In a flash, the mob assembles and heads out to the garden where Judas claims Jesus regularly spends time in prayer.
Why is Judas doing this? What is his reasoning? Does He not know what these insane men will do to Jesus? This is a mystery to me, but I follow to see if I will have the opportunity to influence these men back to their senses. It seems as though an evil power has entered their emotions for there is no intelligence at work only pure evil that seems to come from Satan himself!
When we arrive at the garden, Judas walks up to Jesus to give him the kiss he promised the religious leaders in order to identify Jesus. Much like a line-up in a criminal case where the accused is selected from among others. But, Jesus appeals to Judas with these words:
“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
Jesus’ words are with kindness, pity, and understanding. It is as if Jesus is giving Judas a chance to repent. Jesus’ words cause Judas to back up and stare at Him for a moment. Judas has an expression of deep thought and decision. I think Judas, at that moment, realized he had made a devastating mistake, and sadly, chose to run away sobbing hysterically. His opportunity for confession and repentance had gone as fast as he left the scene.
About that same time, Peter drew his sword and swung wildly at the closest person near him which turned out to be the servant of the high priest. The servant tried to duck. Otherwise, Peter would have taken off his head! Instead, he nicked an ear and sliced it off! What a grisly scene!
But, Jesus slowly knelt down picked up the ear and placed it back on the servant”s head! What kind of man is this, that He has power over life and healing? This should have stopped the mob, but they were under the influence of their evil leader. Just before they take him, a bright light comes from Jesus and they fall back. When the light diminishes, they are like blind men and Jesus says,
“Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
By the evidence of the scene, Jesus could have escaped, but he was willingly giving himself to “the power of darkness.”
As the mob takes Him to the high priest’s house, I can see Peter in the distance following us. He seems afraid, but curious at the same time.
The rest of the night goes fast. It is as if they are in a hurry to find the right authority to support their murderous scheme. First, we are the house of the high priest. It was here where I see Peter with a small group outside. He is talking to someone and then I hear him swearing. Very clearly and loudly he says,
“I do NOT know the man!”
As soon as he says this, a rooster in the distance crows welcoming the rising of the early morning sun on the day of preparation. This immediately catches the attention of Peter. He rises up from the warmth of the fire and begins to tremble as Jesus turns his head from inside the house and looks with compassion at Peter. Peter begins to weep hysterically as did Judas and he runs away too. I could see in Peter’s face the agony of failure and remorse resting upon weary shoulders. I would learn later, the Lord had told Peter he would deny Him three times! Peter’s passion for Jesus was overtaken by fear at that moment and he was ashamed, no doubt. I am not sure what will become of him and the disciples. This does not look good for the kingdom of which Jesus spoke. But, then I remember His words…He will be crucified!
The sun is taking its time casting its light on the dreadful scenes before my eyes.
The high priest said to him,
“I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
Jesus responds,
“You have said so,”Jesus replied.“But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered.
Those who were retaining Jesus began to beat Him and spit in his face! They even blindfold Him and mock his ability to prophesy.
They shout at Him,
“Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
It was a disgusting sight! I no longer want any part of this or these men!
The charge of blasphemy is added to the threat to the destruction of the Temple. But, I see in Jesus truth and royalty that is a deep contrast to the evil of these men in their fancy robes. Like animals, they only want to kill him. Although Jesus is beaten and bloodied, He stands erect and seems to be the only person who is in control. I detect that He is permitting this to happen for some reason. At this point, I just don’t understand the evil that is in this room and the non-action of Jesus to allow them to do this to Him! Then the words of the prophet come back to me:
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Isaiah 53:7
We next go to Pontius Pilate. Here they try to claim that Jesus teaches to ignore the payment of taxes to Caesar. But, instead, he asks Jesus,
“Are you the King of the Jews?”
Without hesitation, Jesus responds,
“It is as you say.”
Pilate can find no fault in Jesus and because Jesus is a Galilean, he sends Him to Herod who has the proper jurisdiction. Pilate is such a mouse and weak ruler. He could have let Jesus go, but he desires the popularity of the people.
It is here where Herod underestimates the working of evil. He figures there will be pity on Jesus if He is flogged and if he gives the people the option to release a known criminal. But, the crowd calls for the crucifixion of Jesus. It is as though the evil one himself is walking and talking to the crowd encouraging them to have no mercy on the Son of God!
The sun is far in the sky now. I am tired and overwhelmed by what I am seeing and hearing. Has the world gone mad?
I have been up all night and the day is just starting. What happens next is unbelievable, but it must be told.
Today, is the third day since Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey!
He continues to occupy the temple and teach to the Rabble. The religious leaders, including the chief priests, are close by to listen intently to His words so they might trap Him. Every word is examined so they will have an excuse to eject Him from the temple, and even kill Him!
The Passover is near and I am exhausted! These last few days of activity has created a dramatic change of heart for me. It started off with His entry into Jerusalem. Then He threw out the money changers and took over the Temple area.
Then, my brother Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the chief priests have called me and the others into many meetings to discuss and plan on how to condemn Him. The results have been much less than expected. In fact, many are simply embarrassed and angered by Him. But, the people love Him and this creates a particular problem in dealing with Jesus.
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When Jesus began to teach at the temple, it has been almost non-stop. After His parable of the owner of the vineyard, the religious leaders have become like crazy animals pursuing their prey. They will not stop until He is gone and life can return to normal! Can you believe that? As far as I can tell, the man has done nothing wrong, but challenge their authority and their pompous religion. I have never seen them so determined to hurt Jesus or anyone for that matter. It is as if their very lives depend on destroying Him.
As I have listened to the teachings of Jesus, I feel that He knows their plans, their intentions, and their hearts, but despite the danger to himself it does not seem to matter. He is in control despite what they want to think. Strangely, I am affected by this man…I can feel a change coming over me, so I continue to listen to Him even though my assignment is to trap Him with His own words.
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The self-righteous Pharisees got wind that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees. So, they got together and chose a young lawyer from among them who is an expert at scripture and skilled at debate. I saw everything. The lawyer with a condescending air about him asked Jesus this question:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment of the law?”
Jesus then quoted the book of the law known as Deuteronomy,
“‘The most important one, ‘is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
The young lawyer knew these passages well, but then Jesus said something very insightful. As it rolled off his lips, it brought a moment of pause to the lawyer:
“On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Brilliant! All the law can be lined up under these two commandments! The first 4 under the first commandment to love the Lord and the last 6 under the second commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. They are not new commandments, but a summary of each table of God’s will for mankind. A person who lives under those two commandments will naturally follow in the letter of the law of all 10 commandments.
As I understand Him, a person who loves his neighbor as himself will not steal or lie to him. He would especially not kill him or take his wife in adultery. He showed the connection between the spirit of the law (love) and the letter of the law (loving obedience).
To follow in the spirit of the law, you will naturally obey the letter of the law. Try telling your wife that you believe in the spirit of the law, but not the letter when it comes to adultery. Do you think she will expect obedience to the letter if you really love her? Of course! To ignore the letter or specific command his to deny the spirit of the law!
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Then the young lawyer was impressed and he said,
“Well said, teacher, You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
As I listen to the exchange between Jesus and the young lawyer, I am reminded of the prophet Hosea when He wrote:
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
Samuel also said in the Tanakh,
…to obey is better than sacrifice,
Some time ago, one of the priests told me Jesus said,
“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus seems to be separating the religious works of animal sacrifice from the merciful works towards each other. His mission is for those who recognize their sin as opposed to those who indulge in their own self-made righteousness. He is saying the two great principles of love and mercy towards God and our neighbor outweigh all the sacrifices and religious acts any man or woman could do!
Jesus then compliments the young lawyer and says,
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
My mind is flooded with thoughts as I think back on the history of our people. Our story as recorded in the Tanakh is one of disobedience and failure to love God and those around them. Had they done so, things would be different.
All the prophets taught the absolute necessity of loving God first so they could love their neighbors. But the people often turned their back on the spirit and letter of the law and chased after the popular false gods of the heathen. All this made sense and seemed to silence the bright lawyer. He stalled and became quite as he contemplated the simple but profound truth of Jesus’ answer.
But, Jesus did not let him relax for long because He asked him a question:
“What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”
The lawyer knew the scripture well and responded exactly as scripture revealed the Messiah or Christ. He said very quickly,
“The Son of David.”
Expecting this response, Jesus then asks him a very deep question that required the young man to think deep thoughts rather than a programmed memorized answer:
“How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:
‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’?
Then Jesus goes right to the heart of the question:
“If David then calls him “Lord,” how is He his son?”
What a tough question! How can David call his offspring son and then call Him Lord? All of this is in the context of the coming Messiah. The answer is really quite simple. The Messiah would come through David’s line. The Messiah, Christ the Lord, would sit at the right hand of the Father until the Messiah would be born into the world as the Son of God or Lord!
This question and its implications silenced the lawyer and the other Pharisees did not dare to ask Him any more questions. They knew that the Christ would come from the line of David, but to admit that the Christ would be Lord was tough for them to accept. Jesus seemed to be saying that He is Lord! This would eventually be a reason for his demise. Himself being a man makes himself God. This is blasphemy according to our law. But I was beginning to understand more about Jesus as He taught. I was not ready to buy the false prophet argument any longer. Never had a man spoke and taught like this!
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For the next two days, Jesus taught on many topics and performed many more healings. His actions spoke of urgency and deep feelings.
He talked about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, particularly the Scribes and Pharisees. I saw him weep over Jerusalem like a mother would over her dying children. He described his desire to protect Jerusalem like a mother hen with her little chicks. I was with the disciples when Jesus told them about the coming destruction of the temple and the end of the world. He compared the tribulation and destruction of Jerusalem with the tribulation at the end of time. He then talked about a second coming and that no one would know when it would happen…not even himself or the angels.
Jesus talked about the faithful servant and the evil servant. The evil servant went back to his evil ways because the coming of the Lord seemed to be delayed.
Then he began to teach with more parables. He talked about the wise and foolish virgins. The foolish did not prepare for a long wait. Then there was the story about the talents and then one who was wicked and lazy and buried his talent. So profound! All in the context of the 2nd coming of Christ!
Indeed I am exhausted because I have listened carefully to the words of Jesus all week and I am convinced He is the long-awaited Messiah. I want to tell Him this, but my position in community prevents me from publicly acknowledging Him. So I am caught between my respected life as a Sadducee and a new follower of this man they call Jesus.
More tomorrow. For now, I have been called to the palace of the high priest by the other religious leaders and elders. This seems like an important meeting so I will go. No doubt the meeting is about Jesus. I wish they could just slow down and consider what they are doing.
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DAY 4
THE TEACHER-HYPOCRISY, PARABLES, AND WARNINGS
Hypocrisy
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Matthew 23: 1-3
Parables
“And with many such parables, He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable, He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.”
Last night, in our “Jesus meeting,” the religious leaders determined that the only way to rid the city of Jesus was to hire false witnesses. As I reported to them, we are unable to catch Him in his words, so they have resorted to developing a plan to lie and make up false reports about what He has said, so as to present Him as a threat to the nation and the people in Jerusalem. They can see how the people love Him, so it is going to be tricky arresting Him and eliminating His influence from the minds of the people.
My constituents do not know that I am becoming a secret follower and I desire to save Jesus from His fate. My inside position as a trusted Sadducee is valuable to Jesus and His disciples. I want to warn Him and I will as I have the opportunity to talk with Him alone.
Last evening before I retired, I read the following from Micah in the book of prophets,
Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
I am watching the fulfillment of this before my very eyes! Jesus speaks with authority, but it is mixed with pitiful emotion for everyone, even the Scribes and the Pharisees.
Today we are just a few days before the Passover and it seems Jesus’ intensity in teaching has accelerated….as if He knows His time is short.
He started the day talking directly to the people and His disciples about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders and ended by instructing His own disciples in a private meeting…of sorts. Of course, there were some of the religious leaders on the fringes of the crowd looking for an opportunity to catch Him in His words.
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
He is being exact. It is as if He has observed them from their youth. They are like this! Sadly, so am I. I feel conviction moving inside me as I listen to His words. He shows my true heart and it hurts. But, somehow, I feel hope also. He just wants me to hear and respond to Him as an acknowledged sinner.
He advises us to call no man teacher or instructor. He is the only instructor. Then He talked of being humble and putting others ahead of yourself. A hard thing for me to understand or to do for I have been taught differently.
The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
I counted 7 times he used it! Those teachers of the law and Pharisees who were there heard it, well most of them. Their faces turned red as if Jesus was revealing their minds to the crowd. It surprised and astonished them and several left His presence, but some stayed to hear more. I watched the faces of the religious leaders as they heard these 7 warnings. Many were angry, but some seemed to be melting under the truth of His words and judgment.
As he continued, He spoke directly to the haters….those who were determined to do away with Him. He read their mind and left the most intense words for the last:
“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?”
With this judgment came some light of mercy, for He said,
Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages (wise men) and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town…Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.
Jesus is now prophesying, but despite the fact He knows their future actions, He sends more prophets, teachers, and wise men to appeal to them, knowing they will treat them badly
In the most pitiful way, and with tears in his eyes, Jesus ends His talk with them. Jesus reveals his love for them, despite their terrible sins. In His voice, I hear the disappointment and a mixture of mercy and judgment…He knows He is going away and they won’t see him again.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Jesus leaves the temple with His disciples. I follow from a distance. Suddenly, Jesus looks back directly at me. Those eyes penetrate my soul and I am compelled forward to follow. I want to hear more and to be with Him.
We seem to be headed towards the Mount of Olives. The disciples are stunned by Jesus’ remark,
“your house is left to you desolate”
In response, they bring to His attention the grandeur and beauty of the temple and all the buildings. The sun is setting and the temple is glowing. His next words stop me and the disciples in our tracks. Our mouths open to speak, but we can’t say anything,
“Do you see all these things?” Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
The image in my mind of a flattened Jerusalem seems impossible! What strange event would cause this? Who or what could do this?
After our short walk from the city to the Mount of Olives, the disciples finally speak and ask Jesus,
“Tell us, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Since I am a new follower of Jesus, there is much I don’t know. What do they mean by His “coming?” He is already here! What is the “end of the age?” Despite my limited understanding, Jesus begins to teach me things I had never heard in all my years as a “religious teacher.” I draw close, forgetting my position in the community as a religious leader. At this point, I feel like a little child who is learning how to speak.
“Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
This seems easy to understand. He is going away and while He is away, many people are going to be deceived by false Messiahs! Then there will be plenty of wars! Not very good news, but it is followed by comforting words. We are not to be troubled as we see these wars happening.
There will be plenty of unrest among the nations as they take up arms against each other. Perhaps because of these wars, people will be starving and conditions will lead to diseases and plagues! But even then, there will be more sorrow to come.
Then He turns to tell the disciples of their fate after Jesus leaves to wherever He is going.
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Things do not look good for His followers. They will be killed and hated by everyone! I can understand the thought, “many will be offended” because it seems people are so sensitive about their traditions and their personal lives. It is all about themselves and not the people around them. So if Jesus comes with words that warn of judgment, they will not hear His words of mercy and redemption. Indeed, it seems that people can not think any higher than themselves.
Despite all this trouble, they will be successful in giving the “gospel of the kingdom” to the entire world. That is a lot of people to cover. The end He spoke of earlier will come after everyone has the opportunity to hear and respond!
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Next, He talked of a warning especially for them and those who are living in Jerusalem
“…But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.“
(See Author’s note on the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD at the end of this writing.)
As I hear the urgency in His voice and His desire for me to understand, I believe Him and desire to warn others.
I learn more as Jesus continues to speak. I feel fortunate to be hearing His words.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
This is what I understand…Right after the tribulation, He speaks of, He will return. He is returning on the clouds from heaven, that is where He is going for a time…heaven!
And when He comes, it is going to be magnificent and glorious! Even the sun, moon, and stars will be affected! There will be the loud sound of a trumpet and the work of the angels will be seen as they gather His people from everywhere under the son! But for some, they will mourn as they see Jesus coming in the clouds!
He really makes it clear! He goes on to use another parable of the fig tree. When the leaves begin to come forth, we know that summer is near…Same way when Jesus comes…There are signs we know that His coming is near.
“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!
As I hear more, His coming is made more clear. He uses more comparisons from the Tanakh to explain His coming. He compares what happened to those who did not go into the ark with His second coming. Those that did not go in the boat drowned or were “destroyed.”
“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”
In Noah’s day, the people are going about their normal routines. Then it begins to rain lightly at first, then a downpour! Soon the water begins to rise and the water under the earth breaks to the surface. But, it continued to rain for 40 days! Those who were left alive were only 8 souls. A small number in comparison!
Then He uses another story from the Tanakh. The story of Lot!
“Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.”
Both stories are similar: There are people caught up with the normal routines of life, but lose it when they are caught unaware. Their opportunity to get in the boat or out of the city came and went. Then, sadly, they were destroyed. One group by water, the other by fire. Those who were left were only a few people in comparison.
These two stories tie in with Jesus’ second coming and His warning to get out of Jerusalem when the armies surround the city and finally destroy it. It seems there will be many so caught up in their earthly life, that the warning and signs are ignored. The end result is eternal destruction.
But, Jesus takes the warnings one step further. He provides a warning to His servants that forget who they are and the times they are living.
“…Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”
Good for them but, not good for those who do the opposite!
But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Even though this group was God’s servants at one time, they move to the same class of those in Noah’s day and Lot’s day who ignored the Lord and were destroyed. They did not endure to the end and were put in the category of hypocrites.
This is where we started. Hypocrisy is a dangerous place to be according to Jesus. This time with Jesus has been good. I’ve had learned and unlearned many things.
As I stand to leave, he begins with more parables, but then He stops and looks at me. He calls for me by name. I didn’t know He knew my name! This will be my opportunity to warn Him! As I walk over to Him, He walks towards me and a new chapter opens up in my life.
In 70 AD, the Roman armies guided by Titus surrounded Jerusalem. The lives of those who remembered and obeyed the words of Jesus were spared. The followers of Christ who would later be called Christians left the city and soon it was attacked and leveled.
Below is a small portion of Chapter 1 from a book called “The Great Controversy” which describes the circumstances of the city’s demise. The scope of horror and ruin are hard to imagine. This event forever changed the culture of the Jewish people. If you want to read the entire Chapter, click here.
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Chapter 1-The Destruction of Jerusalem
“If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” Luke 19:42-44.
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“The hour of hope and pardon was fast passing; the cup of God’s long-deferred wrath was almost full. The cloud that had been gathering through ages of apostasy and rebellion, now black with woe, was about to burst upon a guilty people; and He who alone could save them from their impending fate had been slighted, abused, rejected, and was soon to be crucified. When Christ should hang upon the cross of Calvary, Israel’s day as a nation favored and blessed of God would be ended. The loss of even one soul is a calamity infinitely outweighing the gains and treasures of a world; but as Christ looked upon Jerusalem, the doom of a whole city, a whole nation, was before Him–that city, that nation, which had once been the chosen of God, His peculiar treasure.”
“Prophets had wept over the apostasy of Israel and the terrible desolations by which their sins were visited. Jeremiah wished that his eyes were a fountain of tears, that he might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of his people, for the Lord’s flock that was carried away captive. Jeremiah 9:1; 13:17. What, then, was the grief of Him whose prophetic glance took in, not years, but ages! He beheld the destroying angel with sword uplifted against the city which had so long been Jehovah’s dwelling place. From the ridge of Olivet, the very spot afterward occupied by Titus and his army, He looked across the valley upon the sacred courts and porticoes, and with tear-dimmed eyes, He saw, in awful perspective, the walls surrounded by alien hosts. He heard the tread of armies marshaling for war. He heard the voice of mothers and children crying for bread in the besieged city. He saw her holy and beautiful house, her palaces and towers, given to the flames, and where once they stood, only a heap of smoldering ruins.”
