Focus, part 2

Introduction

Last week I promised you the “rest of the story.” If you remember, we talked about Jesus entry into Jerusalem and how, like Nebuchadnezzar, the Jews and disciples had their eyes focused on the kingdom of man. They were concerned with using the ways of man to get what they wanted - power, restoration, being on top. What we will see today is that in the week between the Triumphal Entry and Easter nothing really changes. Right up to, and after, the Crucifixion, the disciples are still looking to the kingdom of man.

Passion Week

The week between the Triumphal Entry and the Resurrection is one of the few times that Jesus life is dealt with in detail in all four Gospels. Because we have overlapping accounts and a few that fill in the blanks we have an excellent record of what happened that week.

With the Triumphal Entry I sure the disciples were excited. Jesus is finally publically declaring who He is. The crowds are primed and ready. I can almost hear them. Our grassroots campaign is a great success. Jesus is not a career politician or religious leader. He won’t be tainted by the temptations to which the others have fallen. He is an outsider that will clean all this up and bring Israel back to glory. You’ll have to forgive me for using modern terminology as I don’t know what they were thinking Israel at the time.

That Monday starts off with a bang. On the way into Jerusalem, from Bethany, Jesus curses a fig tree. He gets to the Temple and really stirs it up. He chases the money changers out because they have turned the Lord’s House of Prayer for all nations into a den of thieves and robbers. He heals many sick, lame, blind, possessed and the people are flocking to him.The entrenched powers are furious and they seriously begin planning Jesus demise. I can also see the hope and nationalistic feelings stirring in the hearts and minds of the disciples. Yeah, Jesus keeps saying he is going to die but, surely that is metaphorical. It’s all going to turn out right in the end.

Tuesday is an extremely busy day. This day is filled with teachings, object lessons, confrontation, and prophecy. For the disciples this is another red letter day. It sounds more and more like Jesus is going to claim his throne and his crown. The list for Tuesday is long.

The explanation of the withered fig tree.

Jesus authority challenged.

Parables of two sons, vine growers, wedding feast.

Question about paying taxes,

Question about marriage in the resurrection.

What is the greatest commandment?

Whose son is the Christ?

Warnings about the Scribes and Pharisees. The seven woes pronounced on them.

The widow’s offering.

Prophecies of the destruction of the Temple, the destruction of Jerusalem, signs of the end, and the coming of the Son of Man.

Parable of the fig tree.

Warning to stay alert.

Parables of the flood, servants, 10 virgins and the talents.

Parable of the sheep and goats at the end of time.

Jesus and the disciples spend the night on the Mount of Olives.

Wednesday is a quiet day. There is little to nothing in the Gospels about what Jesus and the disciples were doing. Except for Judas - he was plotting with the powers that be to betray Jesus.

The rest of the disciples have to be floating in the clouds. Everything Jesus has done and said, to this point, has bolstered their hopes that God is going to return the kingdom to Israel. It’s all playing out according to their understanding of OT prophecy and what they have been taught. Last week we saw that any expectations for a Messiah, at this point in Israel’s history, were mostly looking for a human and earthly king and kingdom.

Thursday continues in the same vein. People come early to hear Jesus teach. There are even some Greek worshippers who want to meet Jesus. His message is getting out. Enquiring minds are inquiring. Who is this Jesus?

Behind the scenes the plot to kill Jesus continues. Caiaphas has stated it is better for one man to die than to lose the whole nation. Expediency in human politics if there ever was. Judas completes his bargain to sell Jesus for 30 pieces of silver - the price of a slave in the Torah.

Meanwhile, Jesus sends Peter and John to prepare for Passover. They finish the preparations and, that evening, they all gather in the upper room to eat with Jesus. It is during this meal that Jesus reveals he will be betrayed. The disciples are aghast! How can this be? You are the Messiah. We have had a triumphant campaign in Jerusalem. All the signs point to what we were expecting.

It is during the meal that Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper. At the end of this he issues a woe to the one who will betray him. Judas, the betrayer, leaves.

Jesus, lovingly, tries to get the remaining disciples to understand. He washes their feet and tells them the Son of Man came to serve, not to be served. He gives them a new commandment. Despite all of Jesus warnings and teachings the disciples still don’t have a clue. The argument begins about which of them will be the greatest in the coming kingdom. They are still looking with the eyes of man at the means of man. Jesus has just turned the world upside down and tells the disciples that the ways of man must be turned upside down.

From here on, Jesus is getting the disciples ready for what is going to happen.

He tells the disciples they will betray him.

He prays for Peter and predicts Peter’s denials of him in spite of Peter’s denials.

What is known, in the Gospel of John, as the Upper Room Discourse begins after the disciples and Jesus sing a hymn and leave for the Garden of Gethsemane.

Let not your hearts be troubled.

The promise of the helper.

The gift of peace. (Not as the world gives.)

Jesus is the True Vine.

Remain in my Love.

The World’s hatred.

The witness of the Helper.

Warnings of persecution.

The work of the Helper.

Sorrow turned to Joy.

Praying in Jesus name.

Another prediction of the disciples abandonment.

The High Priestly Prayer for the disciples.

Jesus prayer for himself.

The betrayal and arrest.

Peter cuts of Malchus’ ear.

The disciples run away.

Jesus taken to Annas’ house.

Friday, at midnight, begins Jesus’ trial before Annas. John and Peter have followed but all the rest are gone. They had such great hopes. They really believed Jesus was the one. Now, it looks like he was just one more, among many, that could turn a phrase and rouse a crowd but, at the end, was just another powerless man trying to make a name for himself. Not to be flip or disrespectful but, as I heard the other day, what do you do when your favored Messiah apparently fails? You go home and look for another one.

We have heard many sermons, throughout our lives, about what occurs next. Even Peter, the rock, crumbles. As we continue through Friday:

Preliminary trial before Annas.

Peter’s first denial.

The trial before Caiaphas.

Peter’s second denial.

Trial before the Sanhedrin.

Peter’s third denial and the rooster crow.

Judas Iscariot’s suicide.

Trial before Pilate.

Trial before Herod.

Returned to Pilate and declared innocent.

Jesus or Barabbas?

Pilate’s wife and her dreams.

Barabbas released.

Jesus condemned. Ecco Homme!

Jesus flogged and mocked.

Carrying the cross to Golgatha.

Speaking to the weeping women.

Simon of Cyrene pressed into carrying the cross.

Arrival at Golgatha.

Offer of myrrh and vinegar.

Crucified at the 3rd hour. (9 am)

Two criminals crucified.

Father forgive them.

Clothes divided.

Pilate’s inscription.

Mocked by crowd, by soldiers, by one of the criminals.

Repentant criminal and Jesus’ response.

Behold your mother, behold your son.

Darkness from the 6th to 9th hour. (12 pm - 3 pm)

“Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani.”

I thirst and sour wine offered.

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

“It is finished.”

Temple curtain torn.

Earthquake.

Dead rise.

Centurion’s proclamation.

Side pierced with spear. Criminal’s legs broken.

Jesus death confirmed.

Joseph of Arimathea requests body.

Jesus wrapped in linen cloth and spices and buried in a new tomb.

Stone rolled in front of tomb and sealed. Guard posted?

Everyone leaves. Women leave to prepare burial spices.

Saturday is the Sabbath. All are observing it but the questions must be flying, fast and thick. Was all this a bad dream? Were we taken in by a charlatan? How could Jesus die - he fulfilled so many of the prophecies? Are we next? Does God really care? Is He behind all this and, if so, what is He doing? How can we go on with no hope? Is the writer of Ecclesiastes right - there is nothing new under the sun and everything just keeps going on as before? The more things change the more they remain the same?

Their grief and despair had to have been palpable. Put yourself in their place. They are celebrating a Sabbath during Passover. They are remembering what God did for the Israelites in Egypt and how he saved them with a mighty arm. They are remembering the Israelites in the promised land and the kingdoms of Saul, David, Solomon, and all the other kings. They are remembering all the times they were dispersed into the nations and gathered again by the power and will of God. They were so sure this time.

What they failed to understand is what we fail to understand. God does not fit into man’s boxes. What they failed to see is what we are allowed to see and still don’t fully understand. Sunday is coming.

Ah, Sunday. That Sunday that has divided the world and brought us the promise of salvation. The Sunday that God revealed the truth of his salvation and the depth of his love. The Sunday that caused all the prophecies to be true and come true in the one true Savior. The Sunday that still made no sense to the disciples.

Early that morning the women go to the tomb to give Jesus body a proper burial. And it begins.

The stone has been rolled away.

The women see the angels and are told Jesus is not in the tomb.

Where has he gone? And then he appears to the women.

The guard run off to the Sanhedrin and tell them what happened.

The women tell the disciples.

Jesus appears to Peter and then to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Jesus appears to the disciples, minus Thomas,

Jesus appears to the disciples and Thomas is present.

Jesus appears to seven at the sea and questions Peter three times.

Jesus appears to more than 500 disciples and to James.

Jesus commissions the apostles.

Jesus is received into Heaven.

We know, from the book of Acts, that the disciples stood there staring up into the clouds. The emotional hurricane they have experienced just won’t end. On Friday there was no hope left, only despair and anguish. Then Jesus reappears from the dead and hope is reborn. And now, he has gone again and left us alone. I don’t know about you but at this point I’m going home, getting under the covers, and never coming out. Which, basically, is what the disciples did. They are all now cowering and praying just waiting for the knock on the door.

Why did the disciples act this way? We have the benefit of looking back to the cross and it amazes us that the disciples just never got it. At least, not until the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Truthfully, we are no different than the disciples. Without the power and work of the Holy Spirit we would have continued in believing that the ways of man will be man’s salvation. We would not understand that the heart of man is deceitfully wicked. That we are sinners in the sight of a Holy and Just God. Without Jesus perfect life, death, and resurrection we are hopeless. That we can do nothing to find God. Indeed, there is nothing in us that would make us seek after God if not for the Holy Spirit.

We can only get to where Nebuchadnezzar ended up by the power of the Holy Spirit. Daniel 4:34-37 “At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

I don’t believe that Nebuchadnezzar became a true believer. But I also know he could not have said what he said without the power of the Holy Spirit working in him. His eyes were turned where they should have been turned all along - to the King of Heaven.

That is where our eyes should continually be turned. Not to the ways and kingdoms of man but to the one who has saved us eternally.

Ephesians 2:1-10 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, that we should walk in them.”

Turn your eyes heavenward and live as a citizen of the Heavenly kingdom.