Watch, and Pray

 

Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  --1 Peter 5:8

Imagine if you had been alive during Jesus' day.  Imagine that He had called you to be one of His select followers.  Think about what it would have been like to know that the Messiah of Israel, the Son of God, was walking in your midst, and that He had called you to learn from Him, to go where He goes and to do what He does.  Your mind can't fully grasp what He tells you, but you are amazed at His words and at His deeds.  For three years you follow Him, and you think you might be getting to know Him pretty well.

Then He starts talking about death, His death.  You don't want Him to die, so you say you'll defend him.  You'll die for Him, die with Him if necessary.  He calls you out by name, and says that you specifically will deny Him 3 times in the next 24 hours.  Those words are like a punch in the gut.  You can't believe He'd call you out like this.

Jesus says He wants to go and pray, and you know something is weighing heavy on His mind.  He tells the whole group to follow Him to a garden, then He tells you and two others to follow Him on into the garden a little further.  He tells you to keep watch.  He takes few steps and falls on His face, calling out to God.  You don't really understand what He's going through, but you feel bad for Him.  You start to think about what He told you at dinner, about the rooster crowing three times, and your mind wanders. 

Roosters...chickens...eggs...colorful feathers....colorful eggs. Suddenly He calls your name again, and you realize you have dozed off.  "Could't you watch with me one hour?" He asks.  You try to shake the cobwebs out of your head, but it's so late, and you're so tired.  "Watch, and pray, that you might not enter into temptation," Jesus tells you.  "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

As  you have probably guessed by now, this was Peter's perspective in the 14th chapter of Mark's gospel.  Let's take it up at verse 32.

And they went to a place called Gethsemane.  And He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."  And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.  And He said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.  Remain here and watch."  And going a little farther, He fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.  And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.  Remove this cup from Me.  Yet not what I will, but what You will.  And He came and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep?  Could you not watch one hour?  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  And again He went away and prayed, saying the same words.  And again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer Him.  And He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?  It is enough; the hour has come.  The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand."  --Mark 14:32-42

There are some truths here I would like us to explore further.

Being fully pressed, and poured out

The place they had come from was a Passover meal involving bread and wine.  Jesus had made a metaphor of this, saying that His body was the bread, and his blood was the wine.  In order to make bread, grain must be crushed and milled into fine flour.  In order to make wine, grapes must be crushed in a press.

The place they went to was called Gethsemane, which literally means "olive press."  This area just outside of Jerusalem was known for its olive groves, and the production of olive oil.  I think this is significant here, because before this the Gospels had said He and his disciples went to the Mount of Olives, but this is the first mention of Gethsemane.

Jesus was about to pour out His heart to the Father.  He was facing execution by the Romans, yes, but it was more than that.  He was facing the fact that the Father was going to place the weight of sin on Him--the sin of the whole world, and the just punishment for them.  Isaiah 53:6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

There is a phrase in verse 33 that says, "He began to be greatly distressed and troubled."  The King James Version says He "began to be sore amazed."  The Greek term literally means to throw into terror or amazement; to alarm thoroughly, to terrify.  Yes, Jesus had left heaven and come to earth in human form.  Yes, He had seen sinful men in their natural habitat.  What made this different, I think, was that for the first time He caught a glimpse of the full measure of sin--the unholiness, the ugliness, the stench of it all.  Isaiah 53:5 says, "But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed."

Pierced, crushed, wounded.  The process started here, in the garden because it was here in Gethsemane, the place of an olive press, where He foresaw the cross, where He would physically be pierced, spiritually crushed, and mortally wounded.

But if not, He is still good

My wife and I have a plaque hanging on the wall in our dining room that says, "But if not, He is still good."  It brings to mind the story of Job, whose riches were stolen, whose family was killed, and whose health was taken away.  Job cursed the day he was born, but He did not curse God.  It also brings to mind the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to bow down to the image of Nebuchadnezzar.  They were threatened with death, and the means of death was a fiery furnace.  Daniel 3:17-18 records their answer: "If this be so, our God who we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.  But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

Verse 36 shows the agonizing prayer of Jesus.  "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.  Remove this cup from me.  Yet not what I will, but what you will."  I don't think that the word "Abba" as a reference to God the Father had been used in Scripture before this.  Every Hebrew child called their father Abba and their mother Imma; those were some of the first words a baby would learn to speak.  It was a term of familiarity denoting an intimate relationship.  It shows the kind of relationship Jesus had with the Father.

Jesus confessed the power of God over all things.  He asked that God would spare Him from this experience.  It was unfathomable but unavoidable; intolerable yet imminent.  Jesus humbled Himself, subjecting Himself to the will of the Father.  Philippians 2:8 says, "And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."  

Jesus asked the Father to spare His life, but He knew that God's will was more important that His desire.

It is enough

When I was a kid our family would watch The Doris Day Show on television.  The theme song, sung by Doris Day herself, was titled Que Sera Sera, meaning "What will be will be."  A form of this phrase, "It is what it is", has come into common vernacular since then.

I'm not a Greek scholar by any means, but my Strong's Concordance says that verse 34 is the only time in the New Testament that the word apechei is used in this form.  Other forms of the same word are found in other verses; in some contexts it is use as a form of the verb to be; in other contexts it is used for having received in full.  When Jesus came to the disciples the third time, he said something that is translated "it is enough" or "enough of that."  In today's vernacular we might say "it is what it is."  The time had arrived that no amount of prayer would change the outcome.

Sometimes you can't change God's mind no matter how much you beg.  When the answer to your prayers is "no", you must accept the answer as God's will.  We would do well to remember that even Jesus, God's only Son, got a "no" to His prayer.

In conclusion, when we are asked to intercede for someone, we must take that request seriously.  Even Jesus asked His disciples to watch and pray while He pleaded for His life with His Father.  The reason He gave was so that temptation would not overcome them.  Perhaps Peter remembered that when he wrote, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, "Be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."  When praying with someone, we should encourage them to submit to the will of the Father, because no matter the outcome it is God's will alone that is primary.  Every prayer we pray is for His glory.  We must also remember that when God's will is evident, and it is apparent that the answer to our prayer is no, then we should say it is enough and go with it. 

I am forever grateful that Jesus is our example and our teacher in the area of prayer.  I am also overwhelmed when I think of the sacrifice He made for me, in taking my sin upon Himself and becoming the sacrifice for me.

These are my people

 

They will call upon my name, and I will answer them.  I will say, "They are my people", and they will say, "The Lord is my God."  --Zechariah 13:9b

 It always amazes me how patient a teacher Jesus is.

Have you ever been in a lecture hall or a church and the professor or pastor starts reciting a familiar passage?  When that happened, did you zone out, because you had heard it so many times before?  If a teacher or preacher starts reciting a familiar nursery rhyme, something like "Mary had a little lamb," I am prone to let my mind wander.  As a result, I often miss whatever point the speaker is trying to make.

I wonder if that's how the disciples reacted to Jesus when He would quote Old Testament scripture to them.  They had probably heard it so often that their minds would go into neutral, keeping them from hearing what He was trying to say.  That's got to be frustrating for any teacher.  Thank God Jesus is patient with us.

Let's look at our passage in Mark 14.  Jesus had just completed the Last Supper, where He had given new meaning to the Jewish Seder.  He identified His body with the bread that was broken and consumed, and He identified His blood with the wine, which was poured out and then drunk.  In hindsight, we now know that He was showing them (and us) a picture of His sacrificial death on the cross, where His body would be broken and his life-blood poured out.  We can further extrapolate the appropriate response to this metaphor--we must use the bread and wine as a memorial of Him every time we take it, but we must also incorporate Him into our lives in order to enjoy his blessing.  The hungry man will only be nourished if he eats; the thirsty will only be satisfied if he drinks.  It is possible for a man to starve to death in the presence of food if he does not eat, or to be dehydrated to the point of death if he refuses drink.

Now we see Jesus pointing to an Old Testament prophecy and applying it to Himself.  Unfortunately, the disciples don't immediately understand.

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'  But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter said to Him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not."  And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  But he (Peter) said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you."  And they all said the same.  --Mark 14:26-31

Now, with our post-resurrection eyes, we know that Jesus was prophesying about His death and resurrection.  He also prophesied that Peter would deny Him three times.  We all know the story.  What I want to focus on here is the passage Jesus referred to when He said, "It is written."  He was quoting Zechariah 13.  I want us to read a bit of that chapter to get some context.

Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me, declares the Lord of hosts.  Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.  In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive.  And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.  They will call upon my name, and I will answer them.  I will say, "they are my people"; and they will say, "The Lord is my God."  --Zechariah 13:7-9

 I want to make three points here about what Jesus was trying to teach them in light of the passage He quoted from Zechariah.

Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered

This is the line that Jesus quoted, and that Peter and the other disciples took literally.  While Peter and the other disciples all vehemently denied that they would ever fall away, Jesus knew God's word would not return void.  He knew that the entire passage pointed to Himself.

Awake, O sword

Jesus was not a victim of circumstances.  Yes, He had enemies:  The Romans controlled His people, the Jews, with a heavy hand, but they would not have crucified Him if it had not been God's plan all along.  The Jewish religious leaders hated Him because He called out their hypocrisy, and because His teaching did not always line up with their own; but they would not have arrested Jesus if it had not been God's will for them to do it.

When the time was right, God spoke.  He awakened the sword.  He set things in motion so that Jesus would be arrested, convicted, and sentenced to death--not for breaking the law, but to fulfill it.  The disciples did not understand this at the time, so they vowed to defend Jesus to the death.  Eventually, they would be called upon to die for Him, but not now.  It was God's will.  He called out the sword for His own Son, not for the eleven disciples who learned from Him.

Strike the Shepherd

Jesus is called the Good Shepherd, because He laid down His life for His sheep.  The prophecy of Zechariah was being fulfilled this very day, because God was calling out the sword.  People forget the nature of God: He is holy.  He requires a sacrifice for sin.  We are not holy.  We are in need of a sacrifice in order to call on Him and not have God turn His back on us.

Prevailing religious teaching today is that God is love.  This is a half-truth, and if it is our sole view of God, then it is heresy.  One cannot appreciate or love mercy if he does not first understand God's wrath or justice.  If we sugar-coat the gospel, then it is no gospel at all.

The sheep will be scattered

God knew before time began that the disciples would run like scared rabbits once Jesus was arrested and crucified.  He also knew that Jesus would be resurrected.  Jesus knew He would be raised up from the dead, and that's why He told the disciples to meet Him in Galilee.

Dispersion is a common theme throughout religious history.  When men decided to build a tower in Babylon that would reach the heavens, God confused their language and dispersed them throughout the world.  Both Jews and Christians have gone through a diaspora on several occasions, so that the message of the Gospel could be heard throughout the world.  We would do well to remember that it all plays into God's hand, so that His will and purpose can be fulfilled.

Two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive

There is a particular heresy that is being preached in the Church today, and that is that God will not allow anyone to go to hell.  This is derived from the whole "God is love" cult.  The teaching, even among evangelicals, goes something like this: if grace exists, then it exists for all.  Therefore God would not, could  not, allow any of His creation to experience something as bad as hell.  The conclusion is that even if those who reject God all their lives and never repent from their sins go through "judgement", eventually they will all end up in heaven anyway, because we are all God's children.

This cannot be further from the truth.  "Enter through the narrow gate," says Matthew 7:13-14.  "For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the way and narrow is the gate that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Zechariah mentions a mathematical formula--two thirds will go the way of destruction, and only one third will follow the truth.  I am not sure of the numbers, but it is clear that a majority of people will reject Christ and suffer judgment, and a minority of people will follow Christ and be shown grace and mercy.  Grace for all is not grace at all, because it does not take into account God's wrath from which we are saved.  Said a different way, our natural state is sinful, and justice demands that we receive punishment for our sins, or at least separation from a holy God; grace is God overlooking our sin and granting us mercy and pardon for our sins.  The Bible clearly teaches that the minority of people will receive grace and mercy.

And I will put this third into the fire

Grace does not mean we will be able to do as we please.  God will accomplish His purpose in us.

And refine them as one refines silver

If you go see a silversmith, you will see that the ore is melted, and when it turns into a liquid state, the craftsman will skim off the dross.  In other words, whatever is not pure will be scraped off the top and thrown away, until only pure silver is left.  Then, when it is still heated and in liquid form, the metalworker will pour the pure silver into a mold that was set up in his shop already.  The final product is shaped into eating utensils or ornate jewelry or whatever the silversmith had willed it to be beforehand.

This is how God uses us.  He will increase the heat until our very nature is changed and we are ready to be poured out, then He will pour us out into whatever shape He purposes for us according to His will.  Only after this process are we useful or beautiful or valuable.

(I will) test them as gold is tested

A goldsmith will scrape a tiny amount of the gold item on a touchstone, and put a drop of nitric acid onto it.  Gold is the only metal that is dissolved by this acid.  Nitric acid reacts when brushed onto real gold and you will see fizzing if the gold is genuine.

In 1 John 4 we are told, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.  By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God...by this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." (1 John 4:1-3a, 6b).  When Paul preached to the Jews at Berea, we are told, "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." (Acts 17:11).

They will call upon my name and I will answer them

This, then, is our hope of glory.  When we see the wrath of God poured out we will seek Him with all of our hearts and minds and soul and strength.  We will be tried and tested, and if we are found faithful we will call on the name of the Lord and He will answer us.

This, too, is a recurring theme in Scripture.  The people of God are identified as His when they confess Him.  

For He said, "Surely they are my people, children who will no deal falsely."  And He became their Savior.  In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old." (Isaiah 63:8-9)

 Psalm 95:6-7 says, "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker.  For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.  Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."  In our passage in Mark, Peter hardened his heart and stiffened his neck at the Lord's words, but because he was called by Jesus he was forgiven and shown mercy.  Peter later used that grace to become a church father, an Apostle and preacher of the Gospel.  He was purified by fire and poured out into a vessel used by God for His glory.  Let us endure testing and show ourselves faithful, so that we can say He is our God, and He will say to us that we are His.

The Life is in the Blood

 

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.  --Leviticus 17:11

For is is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.  --Hebrews 10:4

It is a fairly common theme in literature for an outcast to be shown grace by the finding of a new will and testament from a benefactor.  Whether set in a family situation in which the black sheep of the family is redeemed by the reading of an elder's will after their passing, or an orphan who is adopted and granted access to the family fortune, we all enjoy stories of people who get what they don't necessarily deserve by right or by heritage.  It is the picture of grace that warms our hearts.

In today's study of Scripture we see this very theme played out for all mankind.  In our last study, we saw Jesus prepare for and partake in a seder or a Passover meal, which had originated in Jewish tradition to show God's hand in the lives of the Jewish people.  For thousands of years Jews have commemorated their peoples' redemption from slavery in Egypt by the very hand of God by participating in a celebratory meal.  We will see in the following passage the institution of a new celebratory meal, not limited to Jews only, but one that has been commemorated by Christians for two millennia.  

Luke 22:20 says, "Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you'." (emphasis added, but I'm getting ahead of myself.)

And as they were eating, He took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body."  And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank of it.  And He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.  Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."  --Mark 14:22-25

Many theological arguments occur over this passage, because people get caught up in whether "this is my body" means that the bread somehow becomes the actual body of Jesus, or whether "this is my blood" means that the wine somehow changes into the actual blood of Christ.  Without wading in too deep into the argument of transubstantiation versus consubstantiation versus pure symbolism, I want to point out that this is the point at which God provides a new will and testament, so that all of us, whether Jew or Gentile, can approach God and be accepted by Him.

We know that all of those in attendance at this last Passover meal and first Christian communion were Jews, with strict dietary laws.  Levitical law strictly forbade consuming the blood of any animal, much less human blood.  Jesus was not calling them to cannibalism.  Rather, He was presenting them with a new covenant, based on His blood which would be shed on the cross when His body was broken for them.  It is the covenant that is important here.  The Greek word for covenant diathēkē can be translated, "A disposition or arrangement of any sort which one wishes to be valid; the last disposition which one makes of his earthly possessions after his death; a testament or a will." (See Strong's Concordance).

In the arena of estate planning, all are encouraged to leave a last will and testament, a record of one's desires for the distribution of property among family or charities, as well as instructions on how to dispose of one's body.  It was Jesus's express will that His followers (His family, if you will) engage with one another in partaking of this remembrance in the form of communion.  By identifying with Him and with one another in this way, we become members of His Body, the Church.  Unlike the Jewish Passover, in which many lambs are slain in commemoration of the exodus of a specific race of people from slavery in Egypt, the will of Jesus was that we commemorate His death as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Thank God for a New Testament, a new expression of God's will.  Where we were excluded, now we are included.  Where we were condemned, now we are redeemed.  Where we were dead, now we are alive.  "Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere." (2 Corinthians 2:14)

We've all heard the expression "blood is thicker than water."  We use that saying to justify family loyalty over friendship.  The origin of the phrase, however, is much different.  It is derived from the phrase, "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb," meaning when you covenant together with those for whom you would shed blood then you forsake your family.  A squad of soldiers who have been through a deadly battle together share a bond that is closer than mere family.  The Christian life should be like that.  Jesus said, "Everyone who has left houses or bothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for My Name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life." (Matthew 19: 29)  Not only is the blood of the covenant thicker than the water of the womb, but the life is in the blood.

The significant sorrowful Seder

 

Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.  Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin.  None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.  For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when He sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.  --Exodus 12:21-23

The Old Testament looks forward to Christ, the Lamb of God.  The New Testament alludes to Old Testament themes and gives them new meaning.  Nowhere is this more evident than in Mark 14:12-21

The Symbolism

And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?"  --Mark 14:12

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was a period of seven days, during which no yeast was to be consumed.  In fact, in preparation for this week, observant Jews would go through and remove all leaven from their homes.  In this way, they were commemorating the holiness of God.  Leaven symbolized sin, and they were using this as a symbol of removing sin from their lives.

During this time, a sacrifice would take place at the Temple.  A lamb without blemish would be killed, commemorating the first Passover instituted by Moses when the people were still slaves in Egypt.  Moses commanded them to make bread without leaven, because there was not time to let the dough rise.  He also commanded them to take the choice lamb, the perfect one without spot or blemish, and prepare it to be eaten.  Each year thereafter, a Passover lamb was sacrificed on the altar in the Tabernacle or the Temple, to memorialize the salvation of the Jews from slavery and bondage.  As Christians, we know that Jesus is our Passover Lamb, without spot or blemish, sacrificed for our salvation.

The Passover meal included lamb and bitter herbs, as well as wine and unleavened bread.  The bitter herbs represented the hardship the people of Israel endured during their time in Egypt.  It took time to prepare so that all the elements could come together when the time was right.  Similarly, God chose this particular Seder, or Passover meal, when all the preparations had been made and the time was right.  "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6).

The Sign

And He sent two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.  Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"' And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us."  And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as He had told them, and they prepared the Passover. --Mark 14:13-16

When I was growing up, I was taught that Jesus was giving the disciples easy and obvious directions.  Carrying water, according to first century customs, was woman's work.  To find a man carrying water would have been out of the ordinary, and easy for the disciples to see and follow.  

As I was studying for this devotional, however, I discovered that in a remote corner of Jerusalem there lived a sect of monastic Jews known as the Essenes.  These people were set apart from the rest of the Jews, and devoted themselves to studying the Scripture and searching for Messiah. The Essenes were only comprised of men; there were no women members of this sect.  Therefore, if they needed water, it was a man who would go fetch it.

Further, as part of their culture, the Essenes would always have a room prepared for guests.  Jewish tradition held that people should take in travelers and sojourners, and show hospitality to them.  The Essenes held fast to this tradition, so it would not have been unusual for them to have a room ready for anyone that had need.  So while the Essenes are not specifically mentioned in the New Testament, they may have had a part in the life and ministry of Jesus.

In any case, the signs point to Jesus as the Passover Lamb, the symbol of salvation and hope, the one true Messiah.  He is Prophet, as He predicted that these events would unfold as they did; He is Priest, as He intercedes for His people and provides the sacrifice for them; and He is King.

The Sorrow

And when it was evening, He came with the twelve.  And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me, one who is eating with Me."  They began to be sorrowful and to say to Him one after another, "Is it I?"  He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with Me.  For the Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."  --Mark 14:17-21

Jesus made a prediction, that one of those in the room with Him that evening would betray Him.  I want you to notice how each of them responded.  This was a time of introspection, of setting aside all pretense.  There were no loud denials, no cries of, "Not me, Lord.  Not on Your life!"  Not even Peter, who had earlier rebuked Jesus when He predicted His death.  No one even said, "May it never be."  Instead, each man humbled himself, and admitted his own sinful nature.  Each of them knew they had the capacity to be the very one of whom Jesus spoke.  As holy as they tried to be, as blameless and perfect as they wanted to appear, they each knew in their hearts there was hypocrisy.

And what of Judas?  For three years he had been in the inner circle of the Son of God.  He had listened to the teaching.  He had seen the miracles.  He had witnessed Immanuel Himself, God with us.  Yet his heart was hardened, and he succumbed to his sinful nature.  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21).

These twelve men were devout.  They had removed the leaven from their homes in preparation for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  They had confessed their sins, and were following close to Jesus, yet even they knew that repentance is met with sorrow.  Yes, the Passover is a celebration of God's provision and mercy, but it includes the bitter herbs, the sorrowfulness for the sin that made grace necessary.  It is with this attitude that forgiveness is best received and appreciated.

The Sovereignty of God

 

Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? --Lamentations 3:37

One of my favorite stories of faith is from a man identified only as "Brother Andrew."  In the early 1960s he felt impressed by God to smuggle copies of the Bible into Iron Curtain countries where communist leaders had outlawed it.  His book, God's Smuggler, recounts how Brother Andrew was able to sneak across international borders and past tight security.  Somehow, God blinded the eyes of the border guards, or distracted their attention, so that the Word of God could be read by underground Christians.

"Persecution," he said, "is an enemy the Church has met and mastered many times.  Indifference could prove to be a far more dangerous foe."  Christian persecution began with Christ Himself, but unless God allowed it, the will of men who meant evil toward Jesus would have been thwarted.  Let's turn to Scripture to see what I mean.

Plotting by deception

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest Him by stealth and kill Him, for they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people."  --Mark 14:1-2

The Jewish leaders had finally had enough.  They wanted to take Jesus into custody and have Him put to death.  However, they saw the large crowds that had gathered in Jerusalem for Passover celebration, and they feared riots in the streets if they arrested Him openly.  So they sought ways to sneak around and do it in the dark, quietly without raising a commotion.

The irony was that they were attempting to exert their will on a situation that God had firmly in His control.  One would think that their plan at this point would be to wait until after the Jewish holiday, and make their move when the crowds in Jerusalem disbursed.  God had other plans.  It was His will that Jesus be arrested, tried, and executed in a short time, so that the significance of the Passover would not be lost--Jesus would Himself become the Passover Lamb. 

Preparing for death

And while He was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over His head.  There were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment wasted like that?  For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor."  And they scolded her.  But Jesus said, "Leave her alone.  Why do you trouble her?  She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want you can do good for them.  But you will not always have Me.  She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for burial.  And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."  --Mark 14:3-9

Jesus knew He would be killed, and that the time was near.  If you are familiar with the crucifixion story, you know that because it was the Passover and the Sabbath, His followers were not able to properly prepare His body for burial, but had to go to the tomb with spices and ointments the day after the Sabbath (only to find the tomb empty--but that's another story.)  This is why Jesus said that by anointing His feet with sweet smelling perfume, she was doing the work that was normally done to a dead body prior to burial.  She was not just honoring Him with an expensive gift; she was not only glorifying Him by washing His feet and applying the sweet smelling ointment; she was actually preparing His body for burial.

God will work out His will in His time, and there is nothing we can do to stop it.  Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  We often misinterpret this verse to say that all things work out for our good if we love God; that's not what it says.  God is in charge, and He works out all things for His own good (that is, the way He likes), and we who love God and are called to His purpose recognize this fact and run with it.  We can see the good that God does after the fact, and even though it seems to be for our benefit, it is only according to His sovereign will.  If we abide by His will, we will recognize that whatever He wills is best, whether it benefits us directly or not.

Penetrating the Darkness

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them.  And when they hard it, they were glad and promised to give him money.  And he sought an opportunity to betray Him.  --Mark 14:10-11

Both Matthew and John wrote in their accounts that Satan entered into the heart of Judas so that he would betray Jesus (see Luke 22:3 and John 13:2).  If this is true, then even Satan does not work by his own power and will.  God is all-powerful.  He is not subordinate to Satan, and Satan does not hold a station equal to or greater than God, no matter what the world looks like today. 

Remember that the Pharisees were afraid to arrest Jesus during the Passover celebration?  When Judas approached them, however, it was an opportunity they could not pass up.  Here was one of the twelve, one of Jesus' inner circle, willing to sell Him out to them.  Sure, they would go under cover of darkness, but they would conduct His trial and execution during the height of the Passover feast.  God's will above their own.  God's will above that of Satan.  God's will above that of yours or mine.

God penetrates the darkness of sin and sadness to bring us to Himself.  He will accomplish His will, whether it means overcoming our plans or even the plans of Satan, the prince of darkness.  He is King, the Lord over all.  Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

How then can we be complacent?  We must do the work of the ministry in order to be used by Him, lest the rocks and trees themselves cry out in praise (Luke 19:40).  He will work out His will, for He is sovereign.  His will above all.

It's not quittin' time

 

He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority."  --Acts 1:7

 The Oxford Dictionary defines "object lesson" as "a striking practical example of some principal or ideal."  Jesus was a master teacher, and was masterful at using object lessons.  As He was walking and talking with the disciples, He adeptly changed the subject from the Temple, which they had been admiring, to a leaf on a ripe fig tree that illustrated His point.

Let's rejoin our text at Mark 13:28 and following.

From the fig tree learn its lesson; as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.  So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.  Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. --Mark 13:28-31.

Clearly Jesus was speaking of the destruction of the Temple, which occurred in 90 A.D., and not the end of the world.  That event actually happened within a generation of the time that Jesus was speaking.  In all probability, however, John may have been the only Apostle still alive when the Romans destroyed the Temple.

Some dispensationalist denominations teach that every time the Bible uses the term "fig tree", it is a reference to Israel.  Thus, they would make a big deal out of the phrase "budding of the fig tree," or "putting out it's leaves" as referring to the time that Israel became a nation again in 1948.  They believed that within one generation of Israel becoming a nation, Christ would return for His church.  A lot of time has passed since 1948 and some have amended their prediction to say that the Second Coming might occur within one generation of Israel's Six Day War in 1967.  Again, a lot of time has passed since that event, so perhaps a different method of interpretation is needed for this text.  I believe that Jesus and His disciples were walking along and saw some fig trees in bloom, and Jesus used them as an object lesson for the first part of their question, when will His prophecy of the destruction of the Temple take place.

As to the question of the end of the world, Jesus was quite clear: it is not for you to know.

But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Be on guard, keep awake.  For you do not know when the time will come.  It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.  Therefore stay awake--for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning--lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.  And what I say to you I say to all:  Stay awake.  --Mark 13:32-37 

 Only God knows the day and the hour of Christ's return, and He didn't tell us.  There is wisdom in this: if we thought that the end of the world was not imminent, we may not be faithful.  On the other hand, if we knew it was coming within the year, or within the month, or within the week, we would be tempted to act differently as the time approached.  I think the point that Jesus was making was that we should not act differently.  The command to "stay awake" means to always live as if He were coming back tomorrow.

When the Apostle Paul was giving instructions to Timothy, a young pastor in the early Church at Ephesus, he wrote these words: "As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."  I think it is interesting that every action movie Hollywood has ever made encourages the hero to fulfill his own destiny.  No matter how discouraged or despondent the main character becomes through the course of the story, someone always appears who will encourage him or her to try harder, to overcome, to fulfill their destiny.

We as Christians, on the other hand, know that our destiny is secure.  Heaven is assured for us, and nothing can take that away.  However, lest we become complacent, we are encouraged to fulfill our ministry.   We each have a ministry given to us by God, who has put in in our current circumstances on purposes.  Like Queen Esther in the Old Testament, we are put in our current circumstances "for such a time as this."

Will there be suffering?  Yes.  Will we make bad decisions sometimes?  Yes, unfortunately; but even if we get a crazy idea stuck in our heads, we are to be sober-minded.  Will we get discouraged and tired of being salt and light, revealing Jesus to the darkness?  Yes, but that is our job, to evangelize our corner of the world.  Jesus Himself said just before He ascended into heaven, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:18).

Last week we talked about "the abomination of desolation."  If we get so discouraged about Jesus not coming back after 2000 years that we stop doing the work of the ministry, then we have made being desolate (abandoned by God) our idol (and idolatry is always referred to as an abomination).  In other words, we must never act as if God has abandoned us.  Instead, we are to fulfill our ministry, the work that God has placed us here to do.

The abomination of desolate darkness

 

And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.  --Daniel 11:31

We live in a period of spiritual darkness.  In the 1900 years since the biblical canon was closed (with the death of the Apostle John ca 100 A.D.), there has been no new revelation from God.  With God seemingly silent for so long, Satan has succeeded in confusing the hearts of men as to the true source of light.  Men have called good evil and evil good for so long that at the very least lines are blurred, and at the very worst sin has overcome the world. 

This is what Paul wrote about in Ephesians 6:12: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  Evil evolves over time to appeal to changes in the hearts and minds of humanity.   With each news cycle comes a new lament, a new injustice that must be made right, yet the solutions put forth by the world have no basis in Truth, because truth is relative; they have no foundation in Faith, because so many faiths lead to an incoherence of inclusiveness.  We have made an idol of Science, yet we refuse to acknowledge basic biology--people born with either an X or Y chromosome can ignore science and determine their own gender based on their own proclivity for sinning.

Christian author Frank E. Peretti wrote in This Present Darkness, "I understand that sometimes the truth of God's word can become a divider, an irritation, a stone of stumbling.  But that's only because it remains unchanged, uncompromising, and steadfast.  And what better reason could there be to build our lives on such an immovable foundation?  To violate the Word of God is only to destroy ourselves, our joy, our peace, our happiness."

I think that's what the Bible means when it talks about "the abomination of desolation."  When God seems so far from us, we feel desolate, and are prone to making choices antithetical to scripture.  In Scripture, there is a close relationship between idolatry and the idea of abomination.  Therefore, when desolation or the feeling of being abandoned by God becomes our idol, and the result is abominable.

Continuing our study of Mark 13, Jesus continues his discourse with the disciples about the end of the world.  If you read my last post, you will recall that the disciples marveled at the construction of Herod's Temple, and when Jesus predicted that it would be torn down with "not one stone left upon another," they thought that its destruction would signal the end of the world.  They asked Jesus about the end of the world, when the Temple would be destroyed.  Jesus tried to separate the two events, but in verses 14 through 27 He transitions from one event (the destruction of the Temple) to the other (the time leading up to the end of the world).

But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.  And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that it may not happen in winter.  For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be.  And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved.  But for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.  --Mark 13:14-20.

As we have mentioned before, Herod's temple was destroyed by the Romans in 90 A.D.  From that time on, animal sacrifices stopped, signifying no further means of atonement for the Jews.  Jesus knew that Jews would be tortured and killed like never before, so He warned them to flee to the hills and take refuge in the rocks.  He prayed that this event would not happen during winter, and He bemoaned the fate of pregnant and nursing women during this period.  Skeptics might look at this passage and say it is patently false, pointing to the holocaust in the 1930's as the worst persecution of the Jews ever.  While the scale may have been greater, I would argue that death by gas chamber is more humane that being dragged through the streets by a Roman soldier, being killed by the sword (a gruesome way to die).  Imagine seeing your friends and family members being dismembered by a soldier's blade, or a pregnant mother having her belly cut open and seeing the unborn child as she slowly bled to death. 

Please understand, I am not downplaying or denying the holocaust.  The death of six million Jews was a terrible thing in world history.  However, the reason there were that many Jews in Europe was due in large part to the disbursement of the Jews, or diaspora, resulting from the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the unspeakable things that happened to them there.

Moving on, Jesus's words regarding tribulation could have more than one meaning.  They could describe more than one event.  This is not uncommon in Jewish prophecy.  Take for example Isaiah 7:14, which is universally accepted as being a messianic prophecy: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign.  Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."  While we all agree that it pointed to the birth of Jesus some 500 years later, it also had meaning to Ahaz, the king of Israel at the time.  Isaiah goes on to tell Ahaz that before the child reaches the age of accountability, being able to tell right from wrong, the two kings whom Ahaz feared would be dead, and their lands deserted.

Keeping this double-meaning in mind, we can also apply Jesus's prediction of persecution to also mean the future persecution of Christians.  Let's re-read the passage again, beginning in verse 19 and move on to where it obviously means an event occurring in the distant future, not just the next 60 years.

For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of creation that God created until now, and never will be.  And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved.  But for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.  And then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there He is!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will arise and  perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.  But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.  --Mark 13:19-27

The days will come, Jesus said, when persecution would seem to prevail, but He would protect His chosen people, the elect.  As time goes on, false messiahs would appear, and some would be quite convincing, even to the elect.  We were warned to be on guard, and watch for this to happen so we would not be deceived.

Jesus seemed to foretell a period of time when there would be no light; the sun would be darkened and the moon would not shine.  I believe we are in that period of time right now.  Darkness seems so pervasive that it appears we are abandoned, desolate.  The world has made an abomination of this desolation, proclaiming that there is no God, or if there ever was, He has abandoned us.  Thankfully, we do have something to look forward to.  Jesus will come in the clouds, and be seen in the sky.  He will gather His people, the elect, to Himself to take us home with Him forever.  Then He will judge the Earth.

Peretti wrote in Piercing the Darkness, "No amount of lies, no matter how cleverly couched, will ever outstrip or outlast God's truth, nor will any lie outreach His grace.  The Lord knows those who are His, His sheep here His voice, and the arm of the Lord is never so short that He cannot save."