In reading about all that happened to Jesus on the evening of betrayal, I am deeply touched by the turmoil he experienced in His soul, and how He shared it with the three friends at Gethsemane, and then, Of course, with His Father.
Sharing our turmoils with closest friends and with my Father is the only way I know to keep my focus and joy as we zigzag through this new season. These meditations will take you through how Jesus did it on the day before His crucifixion, knowing it all. It's all about His Love.
A lot happened this day before the crucifixion, so there's a lot to report. This is a summary, in order of what Jesus experienced.
Surely Not I? Breaking
Bread or Breaking Commitments?
Matt. 2617-30; Mk. 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-23; John 13:18-30
Thursday-1
Wondering
what Jesus wanted to do at Passover,
His disciples asked Him where He
wanted
To sacrifice
the Passover lamb together.
They didn’t realize they were
talking with the final
Passover lamb from all
Eternity.
Knowing all
that was to happen that night,
Jesus told Peter and John
To go find a specific
man carrying a jar of water.
Follow Him and tell Him,
The Teacher
would like to celebrate Passover in his home.
This man would show them a large
upper room, all furnished.
Make preparations there.
So the
disciples went ahead,
Found the large upper room,
Just as
Jesus had said.
Here they prepared the Passover feast.
That evening
they gathered together, around Jesus, at the table.
Here He eagerly told them how He wanted
To
share this meal with them
Before He suffered.
Then He gave
them a demonstration of how
His death and Life would touch the rest of their lives,
The rest of
eternity.
He broke
bread with them, and said,
Take eat, this is MY BODY, given for you.
Then he took
the cup and gave thanks.
Knowing the suffering that was coming,
Knowing the betrayal He would face,
With the
wine He offered these words,
Drink from it, all of you.
This is MY BLOOD of the New Covenant
in My blood,
Poured out for forgive the sins of many.
Poured out for forgive the sins of many.
Do this so you'll always
remembrance of Me.
Then He said
words that surprised them,
Words and truth they only later understood,
“For
I tell you, I will not drink it again
Until I
drink new with you
In my
Father’s Kingdom.
During the
meal, Jesus was clearly troubled. He already knew
That Judas would betray Him.
That Father had put all these things under His power,
That He had come from God and was returning
to God.
Then He openly
told them that there was one at their table who
Would betray Him that night.
This one
would dip his Hand into the bowl with Him--
A deep act of committed friendship.
Jesus
knew it had already been preplanned.
To fulfill
the Scripture,
“He who shares my bread has lifted
up his heel against me.”
He knew who that one would be, and loved him still.
Jesus told
the disciples this so that when they saw it happen,
They would understand and believe
that
Jesus was
the One the Scripture spoke about,
By accepting Him it also meant
They were
accepting Father.
Then He gave
a stern warning,
Knowing that He, the Son of Man,
Would
die for all as the Scripture predicted.
But how wretched it will be for the one who betrays the Son
of Man!
It would have been far better if he had not been born.
It would have been far better if he had not been born.
Distraught
and sad, finding this hard to believe,
They stared at one another, at a loss
to know
Who would do such a
thing?
John was
sitting next to Jesus, and
Peter motioned to John and told him
To ask Jesus which man was
the betrayer.
So John
asked Jesus,
Lord, who is it???
Then the
disciples questioned Jesus one by one,
It isn't me, is it, Lord?
Jesus was
very clear with the disciples then and said,
It was the one who shared the meal
The One to
whom He gave the next dipped piece of bread
Then, dipping his bread, He gave it
to Judas.
Judas was
the last to ask if it was him.
Jesus knew and told him so,
“Yes, it’s you.”
As soon as
Judas took the bread,
Satan actually entered into him--
Different than just
prompting him.
Then Jesus
told Judas,
What you are about to do, do
quickly.
The
disciples thought it had something to do with money
For Judas was in charge of their
group’s money.
But really, he was buying Jesus
life,
And his own death,
Eternally.
As soon as
Judas had taken the bread,
Heard Jesus’ words,
He slipped out.
And it was
night.
So
beware, my friend, that you not listen
To the promptings of Satan,
Lest it turn to more evil and darker
things.
Lest it turn to hatred of the Son of
Man.
Instead,
listen to the words of Jesus,
To His promptings.
Let Him enter and fill you with His
Holy Spirit.
Peace and grace from our
Lord Jesus Christ.
He alone is
worthy.
Washing Feet, Washing Hearts
Mt. 26:31-35; Mk. 14:27-31; Luke 22:24-38; John 13:1-17 (Foot
Washing)
Thursday-2
During that
last supper they shared together,
The disciples also argued over who was greatest.
Jesus told
them directly that
The greatest among them should be
like the youngest, and
The one who rules like the one
who serves them.
He told them,
I am among you as one who serves.
Then, demonstrating
how service works with total humility,
Laying aside His God-given greatness,
Jesus got up,
Took
off his outer robe,
Wrapped
a towel around his waist,
Poured
water in a basin, and
Began
to wash His disciples’ feet,
With
his own hands,
Then
dried them with his towel.
When He came
to Peter, Peter objected,
Surely not I? Are you going to
wash my feet?
Jesus said
simply,
Later you will understand.
Peter said,
No, you will never wash my feet!
Jesus said,
Unless I do this, you cannot be a
part with Me.
Then
impulsive Peter said,
Lord, not just my feet, but my
hands and head as well!
Jesus put
His robe back on, and spoke of being clean,
Knowing one of them wasn’t and
would betray Him that night.
He asked
them all if they understood this washing--
A demonstration of real power and humility,
He told
them,
You rightly call me Teacher and
Lord,
For that is what I
AM.
Now that I, your Lord and
Teacher,
Have washed your
feet,
You too should
wash each other's feet,
As
I have done for you.
No servant is
greater than his master,
Nor
is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
Now that you know
these things,
You
will be blessed! if you do them!
During the
meal, Jesus had more to say to them, and to Peter,
He was direct and personal-
Something that was hard for Peter to accept.
Jesus took
Peter aside and told him, predicting,
“Simon, Simon,
Satan has
asked to sift all of you as wheat.
But I have
prayed for you, Simon,
That your faith may not fail.
And when you have turned back,
Strengthen your
brothers."
Peter
objected strongly, as usual,
Saying He was ready to die for Him.
Jesus then
predicted that Peter would deny him three times,
Before the rooster crowed that
next morning.
Jesus also
predicted they would ALL fall away,
As it was written,
“When the shepherd
is struck, then
The
sheep will be scattered.”
Next Jesus
asked them all if they had previously
Needed a purse, bag or sandals
When He had sent them out—
“Did
you lack anything>”
They said,
“Nothing.”
Next He
showed them what they would need for the future,
That they should
sell what they have to buy a sword.
That all things must be fulfilled
as Scripture said.
The
disciples said they had two swords.
Jesus said,
“That’s enough!”
He knew they needed him more than
swords.
Promises and Prayers, Comfort and Encouragement
Thursday -3- John 14-17
Jesus had
much to say that special night to those He loved so dearly,
He wanted to comfort and encourage
them.
“Don’t let
your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God, trust also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many rooms.
I’m going there to
prepare a place for you.
I will come back and
take you to be with me.”
Jesus told
them many other things that would
Ring in the ears and hearts all
their lives.
He told them
He was the Way, the truth, and the Life,
And that to know Him was to know the
Father as well.
He promised
them all they would need for the journey ahead—
He would send another counselor, the
Spirit of Truth,
The Holy
Spirit who lives with them now,
But would be IN them.
He would never leave or forsake
them.
He promised
them peace in the midst of turmoil and told them
To love one another and explained
that
He was the Vine, His
Father the Master Gardener,
And they are
branches that need to remain in Him.
He warned
them they would be hated, and
Reminded them that they hated Him
first.
The
disciples were confused about what all this meant,
So He promised them that their grief
and confusion
Would be
turned to joy—
A
joy no one could take away,
A joy that was complete.
Then He told
them they would all be scattered,
Each to his own home,
Leaving Him all alone.
What hard
words to understand and believe!
Then He did
something life-giving and encouraging.
He prayed for them.
His last words were to ask God to
Glorify Him
that He may return glory to Father, and
For them to
know deeply that He and Father were One,
For
them to know the only true God and
Jesus Christ
He sent.
Then He
prayed specifically for them,
Just those loyal eleven given to
Him.
He prayed for what they would need
for the rest of their lives.
That they may have the
full measure of joy within them.
That they may be
sanctified by the Truth, and
Know that
His Word is the only Truth.
Last, He
prayed for all believers,
That they may be one just as Father
was in Him, and He in them,
That they may know complete unity,
In order that the love
Father had for Jesus,
Would be in
them and
That He
Himself would be in them.
Jesus told
them so much more, hard to understand stuff.
On that very night all would fall away on account of Him.
That after He is risen, He will go
ahead of them to Galilee.
They’ll be together
again.
His last amazing
promise was something only later to be understood--
You are those who have stood by me in my trails,
And I confer on you a
Kingdom,
Just as My
Father conferred on Me.
A
sphere and responsibility.
A
heritage for this life and the next.
As soon as
Jesus was finished sharing, promises and prayers,
They sang a hymn,
Went
out and
Walked to
the Mount of Olives.
Tears, Betrayal, Arrest, and Desertions in Gethsemane
Mt. 26:36-56; Mark 14: 32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1-11
Thursday 4
When the
meal was done,
When Jesus had finished praying for them,
They walked to a place on the
Mount of Olives called Gethsemane.
Jesus had
more to say to Father so
He told the disciples to sit while
He went to the olive grove to pray.
He took Peter, James, and John with
Him.
Here he
began to be sorrowful and troubled,
Deep in His soul.
He told
these three how overwhelmed He was
With sorrow to the point of death.
He asked
them to stay and keep watch with Him,
And told them to pray that they not
enter into temptation.
Then, going
by Himself a bit further in,
He fell to the ground and prayed,
“ABBA, Father, everything
is possible for you,
So IF IT IS
POSSIBLE,
That this
hour might pass from Me.
Take this
cup of suffering away from Me,
YET not as I will, but
as you will.
Then an
angel from heaven appeared to Him
And strengthened Him.
When He
returned, He found the disciples sleeping!
Heartbroken,
He asked them, directing the question
At Peter who had promised to stick with Him
No matter
what,
Why couldn’t they stay awake for so short a time?
They didn’t
know what to say to Him.
So He warned
them to watch and pray
So they won’t fall into more temptation.
He told them, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is week.”
This
happened twice more.
Being in
anguish, He prayed more earnestly,
Even His sweat was like drops of
blood falling to the ground.
When He came
back to them the last time,
He again found them asleep because
their eyes were heavy,
From sorrow.
He woke them
up and said,
Are you still sleeping and resting?
Look, the hour is near!
The Son of Man is betrayed into the
hands of sinners.
Rise! Let’s go!
Here comes My betrayer now.
While He was
still speaking, Judas arrived.
Judas must
have known that
This was the favorite place of Jesus
Where He
would go next
As He and
the disciples often met there.
Judas came and met Jesus with
A detachment of
soldiers, and
Some chief priests and
Pharisees.
They were all carrying
Torches,
Lanterns and
Weapons!
Judas had
arranged a signal with the other betrayers:
“The one I kiss is the man;
Arrest him and lead him away under
guard.”
But as Judas
the Betrayer went up to Jesus,
Jesus asked him,
“Judas, are you
betraying the Son of Man
With a kiss?
Then Judas said
“Rabbi!” and
Kissed him, thus answering a yes to
Jesus’ question,
Like another sword in the heart of
Jesus.
Jesus then
released Judas to do what was in his heart,
“Friend, do what you came for.”
Jesus knew
all that was about to happen,
So he just asked the contingent,
“Who is it you want?”
When they
said “Jesus of Nazareth,”
He said, “I AM He.”
Then they
drew back and fell to the ground,
Struck by His majesty.
So He asked
the question again and they said the same words,
“Jesus of Nazareth.”
So He
answered their question again with the same words,
“I told you I AM He.
If it’s Me
you want,
Let the rest of these men go.”
This
happened to fulfill His Promise to Father that
“I have not lost one of those You
gave Me.”
Then the men
seized Jesus to arrest Him.
But Simon Peter, perhaps trying to prove
He would not
deny Jesus,
Took his sword and cut off the right
ear of Malcus,
The servant of the High
Priest.
Jesus Immediately
commanded Peter,
“Put your sword back in its place.
Don’t you know that I can call on my
Father and
He will put at my disposal more than
70,000 angels?
But how then would Scripture be
fulfilled?”
And this
same Peter would later command the
Sword of the Spirit.
Then Jesus
said to the crowd gathering around,
“No more of this!”
And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.
Then He said
to the chief priests,
Officers of the temple guard, and
Elders who had come for Him,
“Am I
leading a rebellion?
Put your sword
away!
Shall
I not drink the cup the Father has given me?
The
Scriptures must be fulfilled.”
This is your hour,
When darkness reigns.”
When it was
clear that Jesus would be taken to the authorities.
Everyone deserted him and fled,
Except for a
young man, perhaps John,
Who was
following Jesus,
Wearing only
a linen garment.
So they
tried to seize him too,
But he fled,
Leaving
his garment behind.
And the
disciples scattered,
Each to their own homes.
Just as
Jesus had said.
Challenging
the Name and the Person of God in Christ
Annas and
Caiaphas: The Jewish Leaders Conspire Together
Mat.
26:57-67; Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:66-23:1; John 11:49-53; 18:12-13; 19-24
Acts 5:
27-32
Thursday – 5
Immediately after Jesus’ arrest,
They
bound him.
They
took him first to Annas, who was the former high priest,
And
father-in-law and friend of Caiaphas.
Now, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, had earlier
Prophesied to the
Jews that
It would be better that one man die for the
people,
Than the whole nation perish, and
That Jesus would be that one,
That
He would die for the Jewish nation and
For
the Scattered children of God,
To
make them one.
Amazing prophecy.
Annas then questioned Jesus about
His
disciples, and
His
teaching.
Jesus reminded him that
He
had taught openly to the world
In the synagogue and in the temple
He
had said nothing in secret,
“So
why question me?”
Ask
those who heard, for surely they know what I said!
When Jesus said this, one of the officials
nearby was angry.
He
was so angry he struck Him in the face.
“Is
this how you respect the high priest?”
Jesus answered the question with a question:
“If I said something wrong,
Say
what it is.
But if I spoke truth,
Why
did you strike me?”
Hearing this, Annas sent him bound
Directly to Caiaphas to deal with.
Caiaphas and all the chief priests, elders,
And Teachers of the Law
Had been looking for fake evidence
against Jesus,
So they would have reason to put Him
to death.
But
nothing could be found except for
Many
false witnesses,
Whose
statements didn’t even agree!
Finally, two men came forward and misquoted
Jesus as saying,
“I
can destroy the man-made temple of God,
And
rebuild one not made by man
In three days.”
Jesus was actually talking about his
body,
the temple, to be crucified, then raised.,
But
even their testimony did not agree.
The High Priest, waiting to hear how Jesus
would
Respond
to these crazy testimonies,
Asked Jesus to give
a response to their accusations.
But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Caiaphas, already filled with tension and
anger,
Charged
Jesus under oath, by the living God, to tell them,
IF
He was the Christ, the Son of God, the Blessed One!
Jesus told him openly,
If
I tell you, you will not believe me,
If
I ask you, you will not answer.
But
Yes, you are right in saying I AM He.
And
in the future, you will see the Son of Man
Sitting
at the Right Hand of the Mighty One and
Coming
in the clouds of heaven.
Caiaphas became so angry with Jesus that
He tore his clothes and
Accused Jesus of blasphemy, and
Said they needed no more witnesses, or
testimonies,
For they had heard it from His own lips.
When Caiaphas asked the other leaders what
they thought,
They condemned Him with great conviction,
With
their own lips.
They
agreed He was worthy of death.
They
spit in His face.
They
struck Him with their fists.
They
blindfolded Him and slapped Him and said,
“Prophesy
to us, Christ,
Who
hit you?”
And Jesus remained silent.
This same Caiaphas later could not even say
the Name of Jesus.
Instead,
he accused the apostles of teaching in
“this
name,”
And
making them guilty of
“this man’s” blood.
Thus
distancing himself from
Any guilt over Jesus death
Any recognition of Jesus as Messiah.
The Name of Jesus, Higher than any other, was
the Name he most feared.
The Name of Jesus, High and lifted up, exalted
in heaven and earth,
Prince
and Savior and Deliverer,
Jesus,
the Christ, Messiah, the Anointed.
And
now dead Caiaphas knows the truth,
And one day every knee will bow, including
His.
Then the council of leaders
Spent the night
deciding the best choice
For accusing Jesus before Pilate
In order to get the death sentence passed—
Would it be—
Blasphemy, claiming to be the Son of God,
Or treason, claiming to be the King of Kings.
When they had decided on blasphemy,
They sent Jesus
to Pilate for pronouncing
The death sentence, and
Fulfilling Father’s plan of the
ages.
II Cor. 4:17-18: For our light and
momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs
them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what
is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Peter Meets His Match in a Rooster
Mt. 26:69-75, Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:55-62, John 18:16-18, 25-27
Thursday-6
While Jesus was being questioned,
Based on false testimony alone,
Peter had been brought
into the courtyard early on.
It was
cold and the servants and officials and guards
Stood around the fire they had made
To keep warm.
So Peter joined them, to warm
himself around their fire,
In the very middle
of the courtyard of the high priest.
One of the servant girls saw
him seated in the firelight,
Came up
to Him, looked closely at him, and
Recognized that she had seen Him before.
She said so, that He was with Jesus of Galilee.
But Peter,
Afraid for his life,
Afraid of all that was happening,
Denied it before them all,
“Woman, I don’t
Understand or
Know what you’re talking about.”
So his first denial was based on ignorance of facts.
Then Peter cautiously
moved away, out of the gateway.
But he was identified
again at the entryway there
By a servant girl who recognized Him, and
Said to Peter,
“Aren’t one of his disciples too you
too?
Then said
to the people there,
That he was with Jesus of Nazareth.
That this fellow was one of them!
This time Peter denied it
with an oath—
“Man, I am not his disciple!
I don’t
know the man.”
This second denial was based on
Ignorance of the man, Jesus the
accused.
About an hour later,
A
relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off,
Challenged him saying,
“Didn’t I see you with Him in the
olive grove?
After
awhile others there
Went up
to Peter and said that
Surely
he was one of them, a Galilean—
His
accent gave him away!
To prove his innocence
this time,
He called down curses on himself,
Swore to them—
“Man, I don’t know the man you’re talking
about!
This third denial was a
Personal disowning of Jesus,
Proclaiming his own innocence
Personal assurance of any relationship with Jesus,
Personal assurance of any relationship with Jesus,
That he
didn’t even know Jesus.
Immediately a rooster began
to crow a second time,
THEN Peter
Remembered
the word
How Jesus
had earlier told him
About the rooster.
Felt Jesus’ gaze straight into his heart,
Went outside,
Broke
down, and
Wept bitterly.
Peter Meets His Match in a Rooster
Mt. 26: 34, 75, Mark 14: 30, 72, Luke
22:34-61, John 13:38 and 18:27
Curious
Peter crept back to see what happened to Jesus,
When He was arrested and all His disciples had fled,
Quietly he
sat in the courtyard, with the guards,
Warming himself by the fire,
Watching, listening,
wanting to know
What would happen with Jesus, with
him.
Nearby a
servant girl stood watching him,
Knowing he was somehow different.
Boldly she came to him
and said,
“You were
with Jesus.”
All those
around were now listening,
Waiting to see what Peter would say.
Then, so all could hear
him, he told them plainly,
“I don’t
know what you’re talking about.”
Then,
slipping away from this scene,
Peter stole out to the gateway.
Here another girl watched him,
She too knew
he was somehow different.
But she didn’t speak to
Peter,
She spoke to all the people gathered
there,
“This fellow
WAS with Jesus!”
All those
around were now listening,
Waiting to see what Peter would say.
He denied it
again,
Strongly, this time with an oath,
“I don’t even know the man!”
In a little
while some of those who had been listening,
Accused Peter of being with Jesus,
Because His accent gave
him away.
This time
Peter didn’t care who heard.
First he called down curses on
himself.
Then he swore to them that,
“I - don’t -
know - the - man!”
Immediately,
not even minutes later,
The rooster crowed.
And Peter
wept.
No comments:
Post a Comment