DAY 6 - COUNTING TO ASCENSION

DAY 5:  POST RESURRECTION

BACKTRACKING TO ‘GOOD’ FRIDAY:  LESSON 3

(6 p m ‘Thursday’ to 6 p m Friday)

Specific readings for today:
John 13:18-30
Luke 22:24-30

Timeline for this portion of the evening:
Jesus told them that one of them would betray him and identifies Judas Iscariot as the one – the writers of the Gospels disagree on the timing of when that happened in the dinner
Matthew 26:21–25
Mark 14:18-21
Luke 22:21–22
John 13:18-30 Judas went out – and it was night….

While they were eating Jesus broke bread and said, “Take. Eat. This is my body.”
Matthew 26:26
Mark 14:22
Luke 22:20

Took the cup and instructed them to drink from it, telling them ‘This is my blood of the new covenant.”
Matthew 26:27-29
Mark 14:23-25
Luke 22:17-18 (says it was after the supper)
I Cor 11:23-25

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial – accounts disagree on placement
Matthew 26:31-35
Mark 14:27-31
Luke 22:33-34
John 13:31-38 John has this in the upper room – he was there….

Jesus tells Simon ‘When you have turned back’ strengthen your brothers
Luke has this happening before they go out to the Mt of Olives
Luke 22:31-32

Luke adds a bit about carrying swords….
Luke 22:35-38

Luke adds Jesus’ citing the prophecy that he was to be numbered with the transgressors
Luke 22:37

A dispute arose among them as to whom was considered to be greatest
Luke 22:24-30

After being questioned why I didn’t include some of the most significant events during Jesus journey to the cross – I decided to go back and play catch-up. In that pursuit of trying to figure out the exact timeline I spent several hours going through all of the gospels and linking where and when….

We are still in the upper room in what I am referring to as Lesson 3….but by their accounting of time, it was part of Friday. The 24 hours I am addressing in this part of the ‘post-resurrection reversal to events that preceded it’ is linear from 6 p m – 6 p m…. I’m being redundant in stating that – but someone may pop in to take a look midstream and be totally confused otherwise.

When Judas went out and ‘it was night’ that was true in more than one sense. He had just had his feet washed by the Lord, knew that it was he who was ‘not clean’ with Jesus’ statement during the foot-washing – and yet he stayed, tried to act normal, until at last Jesus identified him specifically as the one who would betray him. Still, not everyone ‘got it.’ They supposed he was ‘going quickly’ to do something for Jesus. They weren’t paying attention. But, then, there was a lot of wine – and a lot of conversation. To them this was just another Passover commemoration. They had no idea, no clue…they hadn’t ingested Jesus’ prophetic warnings. Their ears couldn’t have helped but hear the words – but their hearts hadn’t received the message.

When Judas left that night – he knew what he was about to do. He had already made the arrangements, and now all he had to do was go alert those who would arrest Jesus. Was Judas trying to manipulate Jesus into ‘revealing His true power and showing who He really was?’ We aren’t told. The lesson for me is to pay attention to is the climate of my own heart and attitude. That Judas could walk with Jesus for all that time, and reject him compels me to pay attention. I know that my Redeemer lives. I believe in Him. And now I walk – beyond belief – to follow in His footsteps. His will. His way. His timing. It is a daily challenge.

It is very possible that Judas grew impatient with Jesus and tried to force Him to ‘play his hand’ and become the kind of Messiah the Jewish world awaited. Instead, Jesus was who they needed, not who they wanted. They wanted a vanquishing king who would rid them of the heavy yoke of Roman tyranny – but Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world, and He didn’t come in their preconceived way.

(Thank you, Lord, that so often you give me what I need – not what I think I want. Help me trust you completely for the entire journey….)

The other thing I want to comment on briefly for today is the dispute that Luke reports. Hello!?! They had just had their feet washed by Messiah, God incarnate – and now they are arguing about which one of them is top dog? It is even possible that this conversation occurred during the foot-washing. The message fits. “I am among you as one who serves.” They liked the part about having a kingdom conferred on them – the part about sitting on thrones and judging – but they didn’t understand what that would mean.   Not yet….

In fact, it occurs to me that their conversation fit perfectly with the notion that Judas could have been motivated by good intentions taken into his own hands. Palm Sunday had just occurred. They were still basking in the glow of the proclamation of the Messiah – and they believed him to be the Messiah. They were focused on his kingdom coming in the way they had presupposed it would, so they were thinking about position – and who would be greatest….

Their misconception of reality was about to be challenged…seriously challenged.


Sharing for today:

WHOM?
By Lola Cain

I cannot say that I am truly a poet by set standards.
What do I remember of sonnets and iambic pentameter,
rules of line and meter,
the labor of rhyme and verse.

I can barely say that I write poetry,
but I have attempted such in times past,
spilling words onto a page
…evoking memories still.

And what is this now called poetry
which is snippets of prose –
intentional phrases woven together
to elicit response.

It is, it seems, the heart that is the poet;
the way of seeing the world,
the hand rushing to record
what the eyes of the soul perceive.

Life is poetry
and the one who absorbs it
and writes what is thereby gleaned
is a poet, by whatever means.

Written January 10, 2007

(Inspired by reading the poetry of Donald Hall in 2007, and Ted Kooser in 2006; both have been U S Poet Laureates – both write wonderfully – but neither write what I call poetry….so I played with their method, and this was the result.

It certainly doesn’t satisfy my criteria for ‘poetry’ – but I think there is a place for ‘Snippets of Potpourri’ aka ‘free verse.’)

Journey to the Cross 2017, Day 38

Thursday, Day 38:  PASSOVER             

Countdown – 3 days

Reading for today:
Matthew 26:17-29
Mark 14:12-25
Luke 22:7-38
John 13 & 14 (+15-17 for full discourse)

Exodus 12 (especially verses 7 & 22)

The synoptic gospels record some of the basic facts – from varying points of view, of course – but John was there. He and Peter were the two disciples who were sent per Jesus’ instructions to prepare the Passover feast. They had undoubtedly celebrated two or three prior Passovers with him, so when it came to the day of Unleavened Bread – and time to make preparation – they asked him where – and he told them.

The annual seven-day celebration of Passover commemorated the Israelites’ escape from Egypt, when God directed the people (through Moses) to bake unleavened bread for their journey – bread that would not spoil – and then slaughter a lamb and put its blood on the outside of the door casing on the top and sides of the door frame so that when the angel of death ‘passed over’ their homes would be spared. It was a huge celebration every year after that – in remembrance of the miraculous deliverance of the Jewish people from 400 years of captivity in Egypt.

The lamb they were to eat would have been slaughtered at sundown (the night before in our thinking) – as that was the beginning of their day –  and the daylight hours would be spent doing the food preparation for the dinner they would share later in the day. 

It was customary for a servant to wash the feet of the guests when they entered a home. It was a practical and appropriate gesture. They wore sandals, and the dusty – or occasionally muddy – roads soiled their feet. On this night, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. In fact, in John’s report of the evening, Jesus modeled the kind of behavior He wanted His followers to emulate. It is tender reading – both a mirror and a plumb line....

Matthew lets us know that there was more than one cup. I don’t recall what tradition says about how many there were in their remembrance celebration – and it doesn’t really matter – but what does matter is that Jesus used this moment to change the celebration to be about Him from that Passover forward instead of about the history of the Israelites.

There is a discrepancy of whether he gave them the bread first or the cup first. I’ll acknowledge that – then move on.... The words He said are reported differently as well, so the following is a summarization – with the intent intact – though they are certainly not precise quotes.

The Passover feast used unleavened bread – just as the Israelites would have baked in preparation for their flight from Egypt. Jesus took a crisp wafer of unleavened bread and graphically snapped it between His hands, then passed it to his disciples and said, “This is my body, broken for you....  Take and eat. Do this in remembrance of me.”

He also took the cup, gave thanks, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.... Drink all of it....”

The most bizarre thing is that John reports 5 long chapters of information –  most not mentioned in the other gospels – and he doesn’t report on this ‘sacrament’ at all.

Just a couple of additional observations: John may have felt the others already covered that – and he could fill in all of the other details they missed. He was there. Jesus would have followed the prescribed Passover, which slaughtered a perfect lamb to become the substitute for sin – and now He made this a model to be followed with a different application.

The Passover meal would go into the night, and in ‘their day’ move them from Thursday to Friday, since Friday (for them) began at 6 p m...

And – as a ‘sacrament’ that we follow, the words of institution say, “As oft as you do this, do this in remembrance of me.” They did it once a year – and only once a year – at Passover, at the ‘Feast of Unleavened Bread.’ And every time it was done from that day forward, instead of remembering the Israelites being rescued from the land of Egypt under Moses’ leadership, those who were followers of Christ celebrated the amazing gift of God’s love poured out for man...the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world…Jesus’ sacrificial gift which freed us from the curse of sin.

I realize I am being repetitious, but the importance of what he changed Passover to be is monumental and is worth reiterating.  

I cannot write all the things that fill my heart....  In John’s account, it appears they leave the Upper Room at the end of Chapter 14 – but on their journey to the Mount of Olives Jesus continues teaching them.... Re-reading these words now with all of this clearly in mind: knowing Judas has left to betray Jesus – yet Jesus’ focus is on final teaching moments – with some of my most favorite messages shared – between the upper room and the Mount of Olives, as they cross the Kidron Valley....

Read them for yourself, from His perspective.... I am the vine, you are the branches.... My command is this: love each other as I have loved you....

What amazing love....

Jesus gets no sleep tonight….

Journey to the Cross 2017, Day 37

Postscript for April 12  for yesterday's post.   I am repeating it here in case someone already read yesterday's and would miss my addition:

Oh my goodness!  I was just given the insight to understand Jesus' cursing of the fig tree.  I was bewildered because it wasn't even fig season.  This morning the Holy Spirit provided the revelation in response to my query.  (Thank you, Lord!)

Jesus, as Creator, knew the trees – just as he knows us – and he would have known that this particular tree didn’t produce any figs in the prior season.  He cursed the tree for not producing any fruit – and it hadn’t been! 

I am reminded that sometimes there are those who profess to be Christians but who aren’t producing any fruit.

That is the proof for Christian faith.  And if the tree is not producing – or in our case, the vine, then it is pruned…. 

Lord, help me be fruitful!

Wednesday, Day 37: The Final Week 

Countdown – 4 days

Reading for today:
Matthew 26:14-16
Mark 14:10-11
Luke 22:1-6


Jesus very likely went back to Bethany on Tuesday evening, and since the evening is the true beginning of the Jewish day, he was there Wednesday morning.

Wednesday is a quiet day as far as Biblical records show. Jesus may have spent the day quietly with friends in Bethany, may have spent the day alone in quiet contemplation, or ‘more of the same’ – talking to people who came out to Him on the Mount of Olives. We don’t know. What we do know is that the prince of darkness was working overtime in his attempt to destroy the Prince of Peace. Today’s readings make that very apparent.

We’ve known for several days that the Chief Priests and Pharisees were looking for a way to kill Jesus. In the accounts we’ve read they didn’t plan to do it during the Feast of the Passover because there were just too many people in town, and they feared a riot...but all of the events over the recent days were just too much for them. Jesus enraged them by not quelling the worshipping crowds on Sunday when He rode into the city in a way that clearly declared His status as Messiah. Jesus had the audacity to overturn the money-changers’ tables and drive out those who were selling doves. Jesus dared ask the Chief Priests and Pharisees a question instead of answering theirs when they asked by whose authority He did these things. Jesus was going to cause them to lose their political place if they didn’t silence Him. It was all about self-preservation in their view. They didn’t realize they, the religious, were being used as pawns in Satan’s direly destructive devious plan.

They were searching for a way – and Judas, one of his ‘devoted’ followers provided them exactly what they wanted. They must have thought it was “God’s will” when it worked out so ideally for them! Luke tells us: ‘Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.’

This is a Lola ‘bunny trail’ – me trying to understand what Judas’ line of thinking really was. Was he in it for the glory – believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and wanted to ride his coattails to personal aggrandizement and position? Did he recognize Jesus truly was the Messiah and feel Jesus needed a nudge to pull out all the stops and be the militant-victor-type many believed the Messiah would be? Did Satan somehow deceive him into ‘taking things into His own hands’ to help that happen – convincing him that the end justified the means? Did he start out good – and then fail because of too much temptation in being the one who handled the money for the group? Was he just purely self-centered and a tad miffed that Jesus reprimanded him for saying the Oil of Nard Mary poured on Jesus’ head should be sold and given to the poor. Did he think it unfair that he didn’t have that money at his disposal? I don’t know.... We do know he had an unhealthy greed for money.... Perhaps that alone was his Achilles’ heel.  But he was one of the chosen.  He walked with Jesus.  He heard what Jesus taught.  He saw the miracles....  He is of all men to be most pitied.

We know that those who wanted Jesus destroyed were delighted with the arrangement, and that their scheme involved Judas’ giving Jesus to them when no crowds were present so they could do their dastardly deed in secret. Plotting pitiful perpetrators of unparalleled proportion.

Back at the ranch – meaning what was happening with Jesus and his followers – we just don’t know. In Jewish tradition the evening began the day, so they could logically have begun their preparation for the Passover feast ‘last night’ – any time after 6 p m on Tuesday – which to them would have been Wednesday.... I don’t know.

What I do know is that Jesus’ heart was full – and heavy. Full of love for us, and heavy for all that was soon to come....  He couldn’t know exactly what the pain would feel like – but He knew it was going to be horrific. He knew the events and the timing. He knew He would suffer intense agony. All for you. All for me. What amazing love.