|
-- in humility receive the
word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
The Old, Old Story Preface I would like to start off by saying, one of the most beautiful and magnificent stories in all the Bible is the account of the virgin birth of Jesus, the Son of God. In (Lk. 1:30-33) the angel Gabriel said to Mary; --- “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. --- And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. --- He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; --- and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” --- Yes, this Biblical account of our Lord’s virgin birth is (to say the least) a magnificently wondrous story!! However, the lesson I have chosen for your prayerful consideration took place some thirty three years AFTER Jesus left heaven and came to this earth. The message I humbly submit to you is a far more magnificent story! A story of love and sacrifice. --- You see, Jesus did not come to this earth to be born (although this was absolutely essential). --- Nor did He entertain any thoughts of living a life unto Himself! His whole life glorified the heavenly Father, and He left us an example to do likewise. Jesus, the Son of God came into this sinful
world for the express purpose of suffering and dieing, so that you and
I might have eternal life. --- He was born to die and shed His grace on
all who will trust and obey Him!! --- In this lesson I would like to do
something a little different; --- That is, different from the type lesson
most of us are accustomed to. --- NOT different from New Testament teaching!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lesson 1. Of course, time and space will not allow us to go back too far, so for that reason I thought a good starting point would be in the garden scene of (Mt. 26:) as Jesus and His disciples arrive at one of Jesus’ favorite places of prayer and solitude; --- the olive garden or “Gethsemane”; and we begin our reading iv (Vs. 36-39); --- “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ --- And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. --- Then He said to them, ‘My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.’ --- And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” In this most critical hour of His earthly life, the Son of Man needed very much the sympathy and strength of others; --- even if only a few. --- It is at this point that the man Jesus begins to be filled with anguish and dismay, as He becomes fully aware of the weight; --- the terrifying burden He is carrying as the sin-bearer of all mankind!! --- So, He leaves eight of the apostles (Judas had already left Him) and withdraws on into the moon lit garden taking with Him His closest friends, Peter, James and John (the sons of thunder); --- And after confiding in them that His heart was at the breaking point with the pain of sorrow; --- He requests them to keep awake with Him; --- After all, there was nothing else they could do to lessen His grief. --- But though needing their company and sympathy, Jesus could not fight this particular battle while in their immediate presence; --- The wine press of God’s wrath had to be trodden alone!! The custom in those days was to pray standing, with eyes raised toward heaven; --- However, on this very solemn occasion Jesus knelt down and fell on His face. --- His prayer reveals a natural human shrinking from the terrible suffering, separation (from His Father) and ultimately His death which lay ahead; --- And thus He prayed, --- “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” --- I find it rather interesting that Luke, the only physician of the four gospel writers, and was the only one to mention the phenomena which took place as Jesus prayed with such fervency that (Lk. 22:44) tells us; --- “And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” Every attempt imaginable has been made by modernists to explain away this phrase, apparently under the misguided impression that this sort of thing just doesn’t happen. --- However, a great deal of effort could be saved simply by consulting a good medical journal. --- Though very rare, the phenomena of “hem-ti-drosis”, or bloody sweat is well documented. Under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can rupture. When this occurs, obviously blood literally mingles with sweat. This process alone could very well have caused marked weakness and shock. When Jesus rejoins His disciples after this first struggle, --- there they are, sound asleep! --- He expresses pained surprise that these three able bodied fishermen who had spent no telling how many sleepless nights toiling alone on the Sea of Galilee; --- Yet are so lacking in strength that they couldn’t stay awake for the Master for just one hour. --- So He bids them once again to keep awake and pray; for it is only by staying spiritually alert and prayer that they will emerge triumphant from the testing time that surely awaits them because of their association with Him. --- So Jesus warns them; without discipline and strengthening prayer the human spirit is all too easily overcome by the impulses of the flesh. In the second prayer, during the next phase of His struggle, Jesus seems to show advance; --- Now He seems to have steeled Himself to accept the bitter cup of suffering. And in this second prayer we notice the words of (Mt. 26:42); --- “He went away a second time, and prayed, saying, --- ‘My Father, if this cannot pass away except I drink it, Thy will be done!” --- And then, of course He repeated this second prayer verbatim when He withdrew from His disciples the third time. But as Jesus indicates, --- The time for slumber was over; --- the decisive hour had struck. --- The traitor was already approaching ready to perform the blackest of deeds! ************************************ 2. Let us move on, picking up our reading with (Vs. 47-50); --- “And While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. --- Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, ‘Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.’ --- Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, ‘Hail, Rabbi!’ and kissed Him. --- And Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, do what you have come for.’ Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.” Though the Lord was not at all surprised to see Judas, one of His very own apostles and to see that he had sold his Lord for a pitiful days wages, thirty pieces of silver! --- What did seem strange to Him at first was the manner by which the chief priest and elders chose to bring about His “downfall”. --- Rather than arresting Him earlier and openly in the temple where He had taught daily; --- They stooped to methods usually used for bringing about the capture of dangerous criminals! --- But here against the Savior of the world they had collected an army of blind followers, armed with swords and clubs to round Him up. Of course, it was about this time the
impetuous Peter, impulsive Peter so rashly displayed his willingness to
go down “fighting for Jesus”; --- by promptly whacking off the right ear
of Malchus, one of the high priest’s slaves. --- It’s interesting to note
that Luke tells us in (Lk.22:49) that before any action had taken place
in Jesus’ defense, they asked first; “Lord, ‘Shall
we strike with the sword ?”
And can’t you just imagine later on, as
Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate trying to justify Peter’s behavior, if
He had not healed Malchus’ ear and rebuked Peter? --On the contrary; ---In
(Jn. 18:36)
Now, Jesus turns His attention to the
crowd who came to arrest Him, as we continue our thought in (Mt. 26:55);
--- “Have you come out with swords and clubs to
arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the
temple teaching and you did not seize Me!” --- Jesus was astonished
at their underhanded methods; --- But His amazement was quickly transformed
into resignation as He remembered that to be treated as a dangerous outlaw,
was to be numbered with the transgressors!
****************************************** 3. Now, here’s where the sequence of events get just a little bit sticky; --- And to see this, we need to refer to John’s accounting in (Jn. 18:12-13); --- “So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, --- and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.” --- Now, if we take the text of John at face value; --- The Jewish trial appears to at least begin under Annas’ jurisdiction; --- for not until (Vs. 24) is there any mention of Jesus appearing before Caiaphas! --- (Vs. 24) says; --- “So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.” For whatever the reason, John’s account got put into the text by the translators in sort of a confusing sequence. But when you read the account in the proper sequence, it makes a whole lot more sense. --- (vs. 13) : Jesus was led to Annas first. --- (Vs. 24): Annas sent Him to Caiaphas the high priest. --- (Vs. 14-15): Explains that Caiaphus was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people; --- Peter and another disciple who was known by the high priest entered into the courtyard of the high priest. --- (Vs. 19-23): The high priest questions Jesus. --- Jesus answered him saying, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in the synagogues, and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. Why question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; behold, these know what I said.” --- Then came the first physical abuse; ---The officer standing by, gave Jesus a blow, because he was indignant by the way Jesus answered Caiaphus. --- Jesus’ reply; “If I spoke wrongly, bear witness of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me? Now, let’s skip past a lot of wonderful material and we find back in Matthew’s account that finally, Caiaphus and the rest of his cronies were satisfied they had enough “evidence” to condemn this imposter to death. --- (Mt. 27:1-2); --- “Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death; --- and they bound Him and led Him away, and delivered Him up to Pilate the governor.” ****************************************** 4. Next comes the trial before Pontius Pilate; ---
Now Matthew does not relate at once to this trial; --- But first , he turns
aside to the sinister death of Judas, beginning with (Mt. 27:3); --- “Then
when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt
remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and
elders,” --- It might have been the sight of Jesus being led
away as a criminal in chains; --- A criminal condemned that filled Judas
with sorrow and remorse, prompting him to a desperate act of vain compensation
in attempting to return the blood money; ---
Again, let us get back to the proceedings,
as Jesus stands before the cowardly Pilate; --- Although
Now, I’m persuaded that if more Christians would take time out of their busy daily routine to seriously and reverently reflect on the pure agony their Savior underwent for them, we would manifest a lot more honor, respect, loyalty and faithfulness than we do sometimes! Please fix this picture in your hearts and minds; --- In the early morning, Jesus, battered, bruised, dehydrated and exhausted from a sleepless night; --- is taken across Jerusalem to stand trial on lies and trumped up charges before Pilate!! --- Pilate and Herod says; “Not guilty!” --- But Pilate has Jesus tortured, scourged and crucified none the less! --- The preparations for scourging are methodically carried out; --- The prisoner is stripped of His clothing, and His hands are tied to a post above His head! --- Under Jewish law, such whippings were limited to thirty nine lashes, save one; --- However, it’s highly doubtful whether these Roman soldiers made any attempt to follow Jewish law in this manner of scourging, for they were fierce and deliberate. --- Then a Roman Legionnaire steps forward with a rather short whip, called a flagellum which consisted of several heavy leather cords with two small lead balls or sometimes jagged pieces of bone woven into the ends of each strap; --- A terrifying and deadly weapon. --- And then with brute force this heavy whip is brought cruelly down, again and again across Jesus’ shoulders, back and legs! At first, the heavy thongs cut through the skin only; --- Then as the blows continue, they cut deeper and deeper into the underlying fleshly tissues, producing at first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin; --- and finally the spurting of arterial bleeding. --- The small pieces of shrapnel first produce deep bruises, which are broken open by subsequent blows! --- Finally, the skin of His back is hanging down in long bloody ribbons and the entire area of His back becomes an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding pulp!! When it is determined by the Centurion in charge that the prisoner is near death, the beating is finally stopped. --- Many prisoners under such torturous scourging lost consciousness or died. --- Now, half fainting, Jesus is untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement which is literaly drenched in his own precious, sinless blood! --- The scourging is complete. Matthew adds in (Mt. 27:27-31); --- “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. --- They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. ---And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ --- They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. --- After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.” Now, these Roman soldiers see it as a great joke in this native Jew claiming to be a king! --- They throw a robe around His bleeding shoulders and place a stick in His hand for a scepter; --- Oh, but they still need a crown to make their grotesque comedy complete; --- So some ingenious soldier fashioned a small bundle of branches covered with long sharp thorns into a crown, very fitting for this King. --- And it was this crown, this thorn infested crown which was placed on our Savior’s head and pressed into His scalp! --- Again, more blood was shed and more pain as they relentlessly mocked and ridiculed Him. Finally, they grow tired of their sadistic sport and the robe is torn from His back. --- Of course, by this time the material of the robe would become adherent to His wounded raw back! --- And it’s removal would be comparative to someone carelessly ripping away a patient’s surgical bandages, causing excruciating pain; --- almost as though He were being whipped again; --- And His back and shoulder wounds again began to bleed. At this point the soldiers returned His garments and tied the approximate 110 pound cross arm, or “patibulum” across His shoulders, and led Him from the pretorium into the so called “Via Dolorosa”, or the “Way of sorrow” to be crucified! --- But as Jesus and the crucifixion party began the slow and agonizing journey, in spite of His efforts to walk erect the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock and shear exhaustion proved to be too much for this carpenter’s son, so He buckles and falls. --- The rough wood of the beam gouges into His lacerated skin and muscle of His shoulders; He tries to rise, but human muscles have been pushed beyond endurance!! The Centurion, anxious to “Get on with it” notices a healthy looking North African, Simon of Cyrene who was coming from the country and they compelled him to carry the cross of Jesus on to Golgotha; --- And there, God’s matchless grace was poured forth for all mankind!! ****************************************** 5. The crucifixion ritual begins: Note: The first known practice of crucifixion was by the Persians. --- History tells us that Alexander The Great brought it back to the Mediterranean, to Egypt and Carthage; --- From here the Romans later picked up the cruel practice, and rapidly developed a very high degree of efficiency and skill in carrying it out. Jesus is offered a sedative drink of wine and myrrh to help ease the pain, but He refused it. --- The cross beam is placed on the ground and Jesus is quickly hurled backward with His shoulders pinned against the wood. Now, here’s a miss-conception that we need to address. --- Most paintings and sculptures we have seen today, always depict the nails through the palms; --- However, Roman history and experimental work have shown that by using this method, due to the human body weight, the nails would strip out between the fingers. --- this miss-conception may well come from the language of the risen Christ in (Lk. 24:39); --- “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself;” --- But anatomists, both modern and ancient have always considered the wrists as part of the hand. --- Now, having said this, I would not make it a point of contention. So we can see now, the Roman Legionnaire
as he feels for the small depression at he front of Jesus’ wrist and begins
driving a heavy square wrought iron nail through one wrist and into the
wood! ---
The cross arm is then lifted and placed
on top of the upright beam called the “stripes“; --- And the
At this point, another phenomenon occurs;
--- As the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles,
knotting them in deep throbbing pain. ---And with these cramps comes the
inability to push Himself upward. --- After some time of hanging by His
arms, the pectoral (chest and breast) muscles become paralyzed and unable
to respond! --- Consequently, air can be drawn into the lungs, but cannot
be exhaled. --- Jesus fights to raise Himself in order to get just one
more precious breath.
(1) Looking down on His tormentors including the soldiers casting lots for His garments He prays, --- “Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing!” (LK. 23:34) (2) Secondly, to the penitent thief He promised; --- “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” (Lk.23:43) (3) Thirdly, looking down at the terrified grief-stricken John (the disciple whom Jesus loved, as John often referred to himself); and His mother, He said to His mother. --“Woman, behold your son!” And then to John; --- “ Behold your mother!” (Jn. 19:26-27) (4) “And about the ninth hour (3:00 P.M.) Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ’ELI, ELI, LAMA SABCHTHANI?’ that is, ’MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME? Was the fourth cry. (Mt. 27:46) Hours of unbearable pain and cycles of twisting, joint rending cramps, accompanied with partial suffocation; --- searing throbbing pain as tissue continues to be torn from His lacerated back and shoulders as He moves up and down against the rough and splintery timber; --- And then, still another agony begins! --- A deep crushing pain, deep inside His chest as the pericardium (a thin membrane sac enclosing the heart) begins to slowly fill with fluids, in turn creating pressure on the heart. Let us remember the words in (Psalms 22:14):
--- “I am poured out like water, all my bones
are out of joint; My heart is like wax; it is melted within me.”
--- It is now almost over; ---
(5)Jesus gasps His fifth cry; ---
“I am thirsty!” (Jn. 19:28) --- Again we refer to (Ps. 22:15);
---
Next, a sponge soaked with cheap sour
wine is lifted up to Him; --- evidently He did take advantage of this.
--- However, the body of Jesus was now in it’s final pangs, and He can
now feel death’s chilling hand closing in on Him; --- And this realization
brings out His sixth utterance --- possibly little more than a tortured
whisper; ---
Then with one last desperate surge of
strength He once again presses His torn feet against the nail and straightens
His legs, takes in one precious final deep breath, and utters His seventh
and final cry;
****************************************** 6. The rest you know; --- In order that the Sabbath not be profaned, the Jews requested that the condemned men’s legs might be broken to hasten their death, and their bodies be removed from the crosses. (Jn. 19:31) --- The common method of ending a crucifixion was to break both legs! --- And of course this prevented the victims from pushing themselves upward; --- and the tension could not be relieved from the chest muscles and rapid suffication occurred. The two thieves legs were broken; ---
but when they came to Jesus they saw it was unnecessary. ---
In this lesson we have witnessed the epitome of evil which man can exhibit toward man and indeed, toward God! --- I realize that it has not been a pretty picture, and is apt to leave some despondent and depressed. --- But dear friends we need to be ever so grateful to a loving God, that we can take even a glimpse at His infinite mercy toward you and I, who are so unworthy!! “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. --- But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. --- All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.” (Isa. 53:4-6) ****************************************
So, what is The Old, Old Story???
---
Are YOU ready if Jesus were to come right
now? --- Do you BELIEVE this Bible account of Jesus?
Questions and comments more than welcomed: ewilburn@austin.rr.com
 |
