There are many significant things that accompanied the death of Jesus that a lot of people don't know about. To me, they help further explain how amazing God is and how the death of Jesus was His Will.
Mark 15:38- "The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."
In the temple in Jerusalem there are two different parts. The Holy Place, then the Most Holy Place. There was a curtain that separated the two of them. All priests could go into the Holy Place, but only the high priest could go into the Most Holy Place and he could only go in there once a year. He could only go in there on the Day of Atonement. The high priest went in there and made Atonement for himself and the people of Israel, and did it every year. The reason it is called the Most Holy Place is because it is where God's Spirit was. If the priest did one thing wrong while making the sacrifice, he died in the middle of it. You had to be perfect to get into the Most Holy Place and live. Well when Jesus died, His Spirit went into the temple and tore the curtain into the Most Holy Place down the middle from top to bottom. That means that through Jesus, we have access to God because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice.
This next account came from an unbelieving Jew.
The Legend of Azazel (Azazel is the personification of uncleanliness.)
On the day of Atonement, the priest would always have two goats. One of them was always sacrificed and the blood of it would be taken by the high priest into the Most Holy Place to atone for his sins. The second goat was called a scapegoat, and what happened to it was that it was released into the wilderness. This scapegoat bore the sins of the people. When they released the scapegoat, there was a scarlet piece of ribbon tied around his neck. When it was found, the scarlet ribbon had mysteriously turned white- that was a sign that the people's sins had been atoned for. Here is what the Talmud says: "If you assume it was R. Johanan b. Zaccai [who made the rule], was there in the days of R. Johanan Zaccai a thread of scarlet [which turned white]? Has it not been taught: R. Johanan Zaccai lived altogether a hundred and twenty years. For forty years he was in business, forty years he studied, and forty years he taught, and it has further been taught: For forty years before the destruction of the temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red" (Rosh HaShana 31b). The destruction of the temple happened ca. 70 AD. For forty years before that, which would have been ca. 30 AD, the scarlet ribbon never turned white. Jesus died ca. 30 AD. What this means is that God was showing the people that sending the goat into the wilderness didn't atone for their sin anymore because JESUS ALREADY DID IT!
Remember what Jesus went through today for all of us. He did it all out of love. And don't just remember today- remember forever.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday is the last day that Jesus lived on earth, and there are a bunch of things that He left us with. There are three things that always stick out to me when I think about this day: the washing of the disciples' feet, the Lord's Supper, and Jesus praying in Gethsemane.
John 13:7-Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
Jesus washed the disciples' feet during the Passover meal. Foot washing was something reserved for gentile slaves, if someone had slaves. If there were no slaves then everyone washed their own feet. What Jesus was doing was exactly what Paul describes in Philippians 2- humbling Himself. He is also showing them what the command He gives them- to love one another- looks like. Another thing He is doing by this is pointing to the cross. Death by crucifixion is usually reserved for slaves- no one that was high on the social ladder was ever crucified. So what Jesus is showing them is that He will humble Himself from King of Kings and Lord of Lords to a slave. He is telling the disciples at the time of the foot washing that they don't understand what He is doing now, but later they will. By later, He means the crucifixion.
Matthew 26:26-28- While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
Jesus then institutes the Lord's supper. He takes the bread, gives thanks, then breaks it and tells us to eat it and that it is His body. Jesus says in John 6:51, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Jesus is laying down His body (the bread) to be crucified (broken). He then holds up the cup and tells the disciples to drink from it and that it is His blood of the new covenant which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins. During the Passover feast there are three cups used. The one Jesus used for this was called "the cup of redemption." This is symbolic of Jesus' blood being shed for the remission of our sins. What makes this amazing is that right now, through Jesus, God is instituting a new covenant. God knew that the old covenant (the Mosaic Law) would never work, but it was used to show the people that they need a Savior. The new covenant is between Jesus and God with the disciples as witnesses. It is saying that we are saved by grace, through faith in what Jesus has done on the cross out of love for us.
Luke 22:41-44- "He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 'Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.' An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground."
After all of this took place, Jesus took His disciples and went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. In Matthew 26:38 Jesus tells Peter, James, and John that His soul is "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." Jesus' sorrow was dangerously close to shutting down His bodily functions. Luke 22:44 says that He was in "anguish". Jesus was experiencing a level of spiritual conflict that none of us could ever comprehend. Matthew 26:37 tells us that Jesus was "sorrowful and troubled" at the level of intense spiritual conflict that He was experiencing. None of us have ever experienced the level of agony that Jesus is going through at this moment. No matter what kind of anguish any of us has ever been through, we have never experienced what was going on in the body, mind, or spirit of Jesus at this time. What amazes me about this is as He is going through all of this agony, He went and prayed. He prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." The "cup" Jesus is talking about isn't about dying a premature death, it might have a little to do with the fear and pain of dying on a cross, but it was mostly the realization that for the first time ever, Jesus would be completely detached for His Father. What amazes me about this prayer is that Jesus really doesn't want to be separated from the Father, but in the end He wants the Father's will to be done. Jesus is going to become a curse (Galatians 3:13) and sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) on our behalf. Luke 22:44 says that Jesus' sweat was "like drops of blood falling to the ground." This phenomenon is called hemohidrosis. The agony was so great that the capillaries of Jesus' skin burst and blood actually seeped through His pores. That is how much agony Jesus went through the day before He was crucified.
Remember what Jesus went through for us, and thank God for it everyday. It was all out of love for us. The least we can do is love Him back.
John 13:7-Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
Jesus washed the disciples' feet during the Passover meal. Foot washing was something reserved for gentile slaves, if someone had slaves. If there were no slaves then everyone washed their own feet. What Jesus was doing was exactly what Paul describes in Philippians 2- humbling Himself. He is also showing them what the command He gives them- to love one another- looks like. Another thing He is doing by this is pointing to the cross. Death by crucifixion is usually reserved for slaves- no one that was high on the social ladder was ever crucified. So what Jesus is showing them is that He will humble Himself from King of Kings and Lord of Lords to a slave. He is telling the disciples at the time of the foot washing that they don't understand what He is doing now, but later they will. By later, He means the crucifixion.
Matthew 26:26-28- While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
Jesus then institutes the Lord's supper. He takes the bread, gives thanks, then breaks it and tells us to eat it and that it is His body. Jesus says in John 6:51, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Jesus is laying down His body (the bread) to be crucified (broken). He then holds up the cup and tells the disciples to drink from it and that it is His blood of the new covenant which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins. During the Passover feast there are three cups used. The one Jesus used for this was called "the cup of redemption." This is symbolic of Jesus' blood being shed for the remission of our sins. What makes this amazing is that right now, through Jesus, God is instituting a new covenant. God knew that the old covenant (the Mosaic Law) would never work, but it was used to show the people that they need a Savior. The new covenant is between Jesus and God with the disciples as witnesses. It is saying that we are saved by grace, through faith in what Jesus has done on the cross out of love for us.
Luke 22:41-44- "He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 'Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.' An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground."
After all of this took place, Jesus took His disciples and went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. In Matthew 26:38 Jesus tells Peter, James, and John that His soul is "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." Jesus' sorrow was dangerously close to shutting down His bodily functions. Luke 22:44 says that He was in "anguish". Jesus was experiencing a level of spiritual conflict that none of us could ever comprehend. Matthew 26:37 tells us that Jesus was "sorrowful and troubled" at the level of intense spiritual conflict that He was experiencing. None of us have ever experienced the level of agony that Jesus is going through at this moment. No matter what kind of anguish any of us has ever been through, we have never experienced what was going on in the body, mind, or spirit of Jesus at this time. What amazes me about this is as He is going through all of this agony, He went and prayed. He prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." The "cup" Jesus is talking about isn't about dying a premature death, it might have a little to do with the fear and pain of dying on a cross, but it was mostly the realization that for the first time ever, Jesus would be completely detached for His Father. What amazes me about this prayer is that Jesus really doesn't want to be separated from the Father, but in the end He wants the Father's will to be done. Jesus is going to become a curse (Galatians 3:13) and sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) on our behalf. Luke 22:44 says that Jesus' sweat was "like drops of blood falling to the ground." This phenomenon is called hemohidrosis. The agony was so great that the capillaries of Jesus' skin burst and blood actually seeped through His pores. That is how much agony Jesus went through the day before He was crucified.
Remember what Jesus went through for us, and thank God for it everyday. It was all out of love for us. The least we can do is love Him back.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Power of Prayer
Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked. Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew 21:18-22 NIV)
This is one of my favorite things that Jesus teaches the disciples while He was here on earth and probably my favorite during Holy Week.
Jesus was going back into the city and He got hungry. He saw a fig tree. There are a couple of days until Passover which means that it was early spring. Jesus knows good and well that the figs aren't ready yet. I mean, He created them. I can just imagine Him walking up and seeing the fig tree and thinking, "Oh man, I am fixing to teach them something that is amazing."
Jesus didn't find any figs on the fig tree so He cursed it, and it withered immediately! The disciples were amazed and I can just imagine them thinking, "How in the world did that happen so fast?!"
Jesus then starts using this to show them and us something that Is absolutely awesome. Jesus is saying, "Guys, if you will just believe in me with all of your hearts you can ask for anything in my name and it will be given to you!" All we have to do is believe and we can say to a mountain, "In the name of Jesus, throw yourself into the sea!" AND IT WILL HAPPEN!!!
Do you believe in the power of prayer? I sure do. I have been through, heard, and seen too many things not to. Jesus said that all we have to do is believe, so believe with all of your heart that He died on a cross and three days later rose from the dead. Then once you believe that and ask Him for something, believe that He will answer your prayers because He will.
This is one of my favorite things that Jesus teaches the disciples while He was here on earth and probably my favorite during Holy Week.
Jesus was going back into the city and He got hungry. He saw a fig tree. There are a couple of days until Passover which means that it was early spring. Jesus knows good and well that the figs aren't ready yet. I mean, He created them. I can just imagine Him walking up and seeing the fig tree and thinking, "Oh man, I am fixing to teach them something that is amazing."
Jesus didn't find any figs on the fig tree so He cursed it, and it withered immediately! The disciples were amazed and I can just imagine them thinking, "How in the world did that happen so fast?!"
Jesus then starts using this to show them and us something that Is absolutely awesome. Jesus is saying, "Guys, if you will just believe in me with all of your hearts you can ask for anything in my name and it will be given to you!" All we have to do is believe and we can say to a mountain, "In the name of Jesus, throw yourself into the sea!" AND IT WILL HAPPEN!!!
Do you believe in the power of prayer? I sure do. I have been through, heard, and seen too many things not to. Jesus said that all we have to do is believe, so believe with all of your heart that He died on a cross and three days later rose from the dead. Then once you believe that and ask Him for something, believe that He will answer your prayers because He will.
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