PASSOVER PLOTS & PASSIONS
This is the script for a series of 10 two minute talks which Pastor Paul recorded for UCB Christian radio.
JESUS SETS HIS FACE LIKE A FLINT
Today we look at how Jesus steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem knowing all that would befall him there. It was a long journey which included the sending out of 70 of his disciples to prepare for his last great preaching tour of all the towns and villages along the way. Jesus knew what the Jewish leaders were plotting against him and three times on the journey he warned the apostles of what would happen, but they couldn’t take it in, and they were afraid to ask him. By the third time, Mark tells us that they were astonished and afraid at the manner in which Jesus was moving with such determination and passion towards Jerusalem.
The prophet Isaiah describes the Messiah as setting his face like a flint and he predicted the terrible things they would do to him: “I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. “For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint.”
Jesus showed the most phenomenal courage and strength in knowing all that was going to happen, but he was determined to fulfil God’s will, and he knew God would help him. Maybe there will be times when we need to set our faces like flint in order to fulfil God’s will in our lives and even though doing God’s will may cost us a lot, it will be just a drop in the ocean compared to what Jesus went through to save us.
The book of Hebrews encourages us to endure hardships by “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
CAIAPHAS
The Easter story has a cast of characters each of whom played a pivotal role in the Passover Plots. Today we look at the High Priest Caiaphas and the crucial role he played in having Jesus put to death. The Scribes and Pharisees and chief priests had been watching Jesus from the start of his ministry. They knew about the miracles he was performing but they refused to believe that he was the Messiah.
When it was reported to them that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead, they were really worried. The Sanhedrin met together and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” Caiaphas stood up and said, “You know nothing at all, can’t you see that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish?” This showed their political motivation because they feared that the Romans would come down on them like a ton of bricks and Caiaphas said it would be better for one man to die. John in his gospel sees this as a prophecy because Jesus would indeed die not only for the nation but also for the whole world.
When Jesus was finally arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin in the middle of the night - which was illegal by the way, he stood before Caiaphas. Here was the Heavenly high priest standing before the corrupt earthly high priest who was effectively the one who saw to it that Jesus was condemned and put to death for what he claimed was blasphemy.As we have seen, the chief priests’ plots were politically motivated. Politicians cannot save the world. They killed the only one who could save the world and here we are today in a world obsessed with politics when we need to turn to Jesus because He is still the only one who can save us.
JUDAS
The Easter story has a cast of characters each of whom played a crucial role in the Passover Plots. Today we look at how Judas Iscariot plotted with the chief priests.
We will never know fully what was going on in Judas’ mind before he decided to betray Jesus, but we do know that he was very obsessed with money. He was in charge of the communal purse, and he was constantly taking money out for himself. Furthermore, he complained when the woman anointed Jesus with spikenard - which cost a fortune, saying the money should have been given to the poor although he couldn’t care less about the poor. And when he went to the chief priests his first words according to Mark’s gospel were “what will you give me if I deliver Jesus to you?”
There was a point at which Satan entered him and Judas left the last supper early to go and prepare for the arrest and betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane where he knew Jesus would be going. He arrived with a great crowd of soldiers who knew he would greet Jesus with a kiss. Jesus said Judas, “are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
That word for kiss in Greek is philema which is a special kiss of love and devotion. When young men came for a lesson with their Rabbi, they would greet him with a philema kiss - on the lips to show how much they respected and valued him. Judas’ philema kiss was ironic, shocking and tragic and makes the words of Jesus all the more poignant and heart wrenching. This was the turning point for both Jesus and Judas, who quickly regretted what he had done. Psalm 2 says kiss the Son… blessed are those who put their trust in Him. That is the kind of passion and devotion we surely want to give to Jesus this Easter because of all he has done for us.
PILATE IS MANIPULATED
The Easter story has a cast of characters each of whom played a crucial role in the Passover Plots. Today we look at Pontius Pilate who had become the governor of Judea at the same time as the ministry of Jesus began.
When the chief priests brought Jesus to be tried by Pilate at about 6 o’clock in the morning, they had refused to go into Pilate’s headquarters because those hypocrites didn’t want to be defiled. So Pilate had to go out to them, which was the beginning of a series of ways that they attempted to manipulate him.
The chief priests accused Jesus of many things before the governor. It quickly became obvious to Pilate that Jesus was no criminal, he was not being accused of being a thief, murderer or leader of an insurrection all of which Barabbas was guilty of, instead the charge was that he claimed to be the King of the Jews.
Pilate did’ t want to be drawn into this case and told them to try him themselves, but they revealed that they wanted Jesus to be put to death. So Pilate went indoors and asked Jesus if he was a King which resulted in a conversation about truth and kingdoms that are not of this world. At this point, Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, and he even sent him to King Herod to try and get out of it, but nothing came of that because Jesus refused to say a word to Herod.
Pilate had rightly judged that Jesus was not guilty of anything deserving of death and that the Jewish leaders had plotted and manipulated everything. So right up to the last moment Pilate wanted to release him. It was only when the Jews threatened to report him to Caesar and when he saw that there could be a huge riot in the city that Pilate sentenced Jesus to death, but he made it very clear that he washed his hands of it – because he knew that Jesus was an innocent man.
JESUS IS IN CONTROL
With all the confusion and chaos around the events of that Passover in 29AD which involved Caiaphas the High priest, the chief priests, Judas, Pilate and the roaring crowd, the one person who was in total control - was Jesus himself.
At any point along the way, Jesus could have escaped crucifixion but he had set his face like a flint to arrive at Jerusalem in time for the feast of Passover at which the Jewish people would be celebrating their deliverance from slavery in Egypt 15 hundred years before.
They would be remembering with gratitude to God, their salvation when the angel of death passed over each home in their Ghetto, because their door posts were painted with the blood of the lamb which had been slaughtered for each family’s last supper before their escape.
Jesus deliberately chose this moment for his Passion because of all of its meaning – after all John the Baptist had proclaimed “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” and Jesus’ death was the only way of taking those sins away.
He could have escaped being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, and he could have refused to go through with it right there, but he chose to do the Father’s will. He could have answered all of King Herod’s questions and shown him some miracles to get him on his side, he could have made it impossible for Pilate to condemn him, he could have shocked everyone by coming down from the cross when they taunted him to do so - but he let religion, he let the world and the devil do its worst in order to deliver us from the slavery of sin and save us from death - so that he could give us eternal life – Hallelujah what a Saviour!
THE THIEF ON THE CROSS
The Easter story has a cast of characters each of whom played a crucial role in what I am calling the Passover Plots and Passions. Today we look at the thief on the cross next to Jesus. It’s the story of a conversion experience that happened during those six hours when they were all in agony as they were being crucified.
In the beginning both of the thieves were cursing and swearing even though they had no doubt drunk as much sour wine mixed with gall as possible, as a drug to take off some of the horror of what they were going through. When those who passed by wagging their heads and saying if you are the Son of God come down from the cross – he saved others he cannot save himself, the two thieves joined in with the cruel mockery.
But something happened to one of the thieves – there was a remarkable turnaround in this man’s attitude. He heard Jesus forgive those who had mocked him, and he saw how Jesus in all of his terrible suffering was more dignified than anyone else on the landscape that day. So when the first thief kept on taunting Jesus and saying if you are the Messiah save yourself and us, the second one rebuked him, saying, “Don't you fear God? we are getting what we deserve but he has done no wrong.”
And he said “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” What a turnaround! First of all he shows that he truly fears God, then he acknowledges that he is guilty and worthy of punishment and then he calls Jesus Yeshua – knowing that his name means Jehovah saves and he asks Jesus to save him.
He got an answer that he probably was not expecting when Jesus said: “I promise you - that today you will be in Paradise with me.” That is where everyone who turns to Jesus in repentance will go to if they die in faith and dependence on Jesus.
THE ROMAN CENTURIAN
The Easter story has a cast of characters each of whom played a crucial role in what I am calling the Passover Plots. The Roman centurion who had been detailed to oversee the crucifixions that day ended up being a witness to this terrible tragedy and drew his own conclusions from everything that he saw and heard.
He saw the terrible state that Jesus was in, with the flesh on his back torn to pieces, he saw the crown of thorns pushed down upon his head and he saw the sign in Latin that said “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
He heard all the things that Jesus said when he was being crucified and this made a big impression on him. He heard Jesus refusing to take the sedative of sour wine and myrrh, he heard Jesus say: “Father forgive them they know not what they do,” and he heard what Jesus said to the thief on the cross beside him, and to his mother Mary.
Finally, he heard when Jesus cried out with a loud voice “Father into your hands I commit my spirit” and as Jesus breathed his last breath he heard him say “It is finished.” The centurion’s reaction to all of this was “certainly this was a righteous man” and then – straight after Jesus died there was a mighty earthquake - and remember that it had been pitch dark from midday - which was astounding and impossible, the centurion’s conclusion was: “Truly this was the Son of God.”
There is one final thing that the centurion was a totally unbiased witness to, and that was the fact that Jesus died. Around 200 years ago there were so called intellectuals who proposed that Jesus never died but swooned - and that’s how he appeared to rise again from the dead. But when Pilate called the centurion to ask if Jesus was already dead, he assured him that he most definitely was. So this most unlikely independent witness assures us that everything that he saw and heard convinced him, that Jesus really died - and that he really is the Son of God!
JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA
Today in our cast of characters who were involved in the Passion of Jesus, we look at Joseph of Arimathea who went and asked Pilate if he could bury Jesus. Joseph is described in Matthew’s gospel as “a rich man who had himself become a disciple of Jesus” and in Mark that he was a member of the Sanhedrin.
Joseph in his capacity of being an important dignitary in Jerusalem had the possibility of access to Pilate and he: “went in boldly” to ask for the body. This was something no one else could do! Jesus’ disciples had dispersed and His friends and the women, were powerless to make such a request. Only Joseph could even attempt to get the body - and by doing so, he saved the day!
He was extremely brave in doing this and exposed himself to strong opposition from his fellow council members, but he was willing to face the consequences out of his passion and devotion for Jesus.
Joseph may not have known it, but he was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah: “From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people of that day realised it was their sins that he was dying for—that he was suffering their punishment? He was buried like a criminal, but - in a rich man’s grave.”
If Joseph had not gone boldly to Pilate, disregarding any consequences to himself it would have been an unimaginably different story! The body would have been left on the cross, as a warning and example to others to quickly decompose in the heat of the day and be ravaged by wild animals.
But by providing a tomb for the body of Jesus, Joseph preserved His body intact and ready for the resurrection morning when Jesus was raised from the dead inside that tomb. The tomb could not hold Him – the stone was rolled away – the guards were struck down – Jesus came out of the tomb - and when the women came early in the morning the tomb was empty!
MARY MAGDELENE
Today in our cast of characters who were involved in the Passion of Jesus, we look at Mary Magdelene who had been gloriously delivered from evil spirits early in the ministry of Jesus and had continued to be a faithful follower, even travelling down from Galilee with other women on His final journey to Jerusalem.
We can only imagine the horror and sorrow she must have been feeling when she stood looking on from afar as Jesus was being crucified - but her devotion and passion never wavered.
After Jesus was taken down from the cross, Mary followed and watched as Joseph of Arimathea laid the body in his personal tomb and rolled the stone to close it. Then before sundown on that Friday evening, she might have found some small comfort and purpose as she busied herself in preparing burial spices with the other women.
As soon as the Sabbath was over on the Saturday evening, she came again to the tomb. There was nothing to see - but she just couldn’t stay away. Then on the Sunday morning while it was still very dark, she came to the tomb again, but she had a big shock because the stone was rolled away.
She quickly ran and reported this to Peter and John who both ran to see for themselves. Mary had followed them back to the tomb and when they left, she stayed weeping and then something made her look into the tomb where she saw two angels who asked her why she was weeping and then she turned and there was her Lord! Mary ran once again and told the disciples the amazing news that Jesus was alive.
Mary Magdelene had the unique distinction of being the first person to see Jesus after he had risen from the dead. That was her reward for her passion and devotion to Him. Jesus still rewards those who are passionate and devoted to him with special experiences of his presence and his love to this day.
PETER IS RESTORED AND COMMISSIONED
These past two weeks we have been looking at the cast list of those who were involved in the Passion of Jesus and on this Good Friday we look at Peter - who always seemed to take the initiative at vital moments.
At the last supper Jesus told the disciples that they would all fall away but Peter declared “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” Then in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus was arrested it was Peter who tried to defend his Lord by cutting off the ear of the High Priest’s servant.
When all the other disciples ran away, Peter followed and got into the High Priest’s courtyard where he found himself denying Jesus three times - at which point he ran away and wept bitterly.
There was no sign of Peter at the crucifixion, and he must have spent all the hours up to Sunday morning in deep shame and regret. When Mary Magdelene came and told Peter and John that the tomb was empty, although John got there first, it was Peter who jumped inside the tomb to see for himself.
We are then told that Peter had his own private encounter with his risen Lord and no doubt this was when he expressed his shame and found full forgiveness and reconciliation with Jesus.
When some of the disciples had gone back to Galilee after the resurrection it was Peter again who took the initiative and suggested that they get their old boat and go fishing. This turned out to be a miserable failure because they caught nothing all night and, in the morning, as they were heading back to shore, someone standing there shouted and told them to try again.
John suddenly realised that it was Jesus and of course it was Peter who in his usual passion jumped into the water and swam to greet him.
During those moments 3 times Jesus asked Peter if he loved him and when Peter answered yes each time, Jesus commissioned him to be the leader of the apostles. That’s what Easter is all about – forgiveness and purpose for the rest of our lives if we have a passion and love for Jesus.