Does fence straddling glorify God?

 

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.  --Psalm 1:1-2

American stand-up comedian Ralphie Gray (1972-2017) was credited with saying, "I've got one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel."  He may have been referencing his morbid obesity that ultimately caused his untimely death at age 45.  However, I think the phrase perfectly sums up the human condition, especially if we are prone to being as inoffensive as possible.  We don't want to rock the boat, so we spend our lives on a tightrope, not moving to the right or to the left for fear of offending one group or another.  Our perpetual fence-straddling results in us becoming bland and ineffectual.  Not only does it impede our influence in the world, but it makes us susceptible to error.  "He who stands for nothing," the saying goes, "will fall for anything."

This is the situation we find the Apostle Peter in when we read today's passage from Mark 14

And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus."  But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you mean."  And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed.  And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them."  But again he denied it.  And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean."  But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know this man of whom you speak."  And immediately the rooster crowed a second time.  And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times."  And he broke down and wept.  --Mark 14:66-72

 We all remember the scene leading up to this point.  Jesus had taken His disciples to the garden at Gethsemane to pray.  Instead of praying with Him, the disciples (including Peter) slept.  Then Judas led a group of men with authority to arrest Jesus, and Judas kissed Him.  Peter tried to stand up to the men, drawing a sword and raising it above his head, striking with a downward blow to anyone who stood near.  This resulted in his cutting off the ear of Malchus, the servant of the High Priest.  Jesus rebuked Peter, healed the man's ear, then voluntarily left with the soldiers.  Frightened and confused, Peter and the other disciples all ran away.

In our passage today, we see Peter now followed Jesus from a distance.  Staying on the fringes and in the shadows, he wanted to remain incognito while still being close enough to see what would happen.  We know he was in sight of Jesus, because in Luke's account, after the third denial, Jesus turned and looked at Peter (Luke 22:61).  Peter was close enough to see what was happening, but trying to maintain a safe distance.  Safe from what, you may ask?  He was still close enough to be tested and found wanting.  There were still consequences; maybe not harm to his physical body, but close enough to feel guilt and shame.

I want us to notice the progression of sin here.  There was a slippery slope, and although Peter may not have begun with the idea of denying Jesus outright, at each opportunity there was a greater distance between him and the Savior, and the wedge that separated the two was sin.

The first accusation came from a girl, a servant of the high priest who may herself have been on the fringes of the arresting party as they came toward Gethsemane.  She may have seen Peter in the garden with Jesus, may have witnessed him attacking Malchus.  In any case she accused Peter of being a follower of Jesus.  Peter brushed her off, saying he couldn't understand what she was saying.

My wife and I enjoy watching British television programs, especially ones with a historical story line.  In America we may poke fun at regional accents--the Southern drawl, the Midwestern twang, the clipped cadence of the Northeast--but at least we can understand one another.  Accents are more marked in Great Britain, as the Irish brogue or the Scottish allusion to Gaelic roots might make it difficult for a typical Londoner to understand.  In these TV dramas, you may often hear the phrase, "Can't you speak the King's English?"

In this way, the servant girl may have had a pronounced regional accent, and Peter, whose speech was apparently recognizable as a regional Galilean accent (as we see in verse 70) could reasonably say that he didn't understand a word she was saying.  In this way, he sidestepped her accusation and didn't give himself away.

The second accusation came from some bystanders, because the servant girl went and told them.  Peter's initial response to them may have been accusatory, like "Where did you hear that?  From the servant girl over there?  She doesn't know what she's talking about."  Again, a more forceful denial but still not stating his position clearly.  If it had ended here, some might still be able to come to Peter's defense.

How often do we identify with the World rather than admit our wholehearted devotion to the Son of God?  When we hear a non-Christian mocking a televangelist, do we join in and attack the straw man, or do we take the opportunity to point them to Christ?  How often do we adopt New Age phrases like Mother Nature or Mother Earth to avoid conflict with worldly people, rather than introducing them to God the Father, maker of Heaven and Earth?  Surely these practices do not equate with denying Christ outright, at least in our own minds.  Sometimes, though, self justification is a slippery slope; see Psalm 1:1.

At the final opportunity, the bystanders have been talking amongst themselves, putting two and two together.  The servant girl, who may or may not have been an eye-witness of Peter following Jesus, confronted Peter.  Peter's accent showed him to be from Galilee, and wasn't that where Jesus was from as well?  If so, what was Peter doing in Jerusalem, in the courtyard of the High Priest on the very night that Jesus had been arrested?  The evidence was growing.  When they put it to him plainly, however, Peter swore he had never met Jesus.

Unfortunately, this was Peter's MO.  We know he repented of this particular sin, but years later there was an incident at Antioch described by the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter 2.  Peter had been preaching to and fellowshipping with the Gentiles, but when the Jews of the circumcision party came, Peter withdrew from the Gentiles and sat with the Jews, following their rituals and kosher diets.  Galatians 2:11 says that Paul "opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong."  Hypocrisy can be seen at either end of the spectrum, as Peter clearly demonstrates.  Sometimes, we do too.

The only other time Peter is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark is at the resurrection, when the Angel appeared to Mary Magdalene.  The Angel proclaimed that Mary was looking for Jesus in the wrong place, that he was not here (in the tomb) but had risen from the dead.  Then the Angel gave Mary specific instructions: "But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee.  There you will see Him, just as He told you." (Mark 16:7).  Imagine Peter's reaction to being singled out in this way.  Was he not one of the disciples?  Was he excluded because he had denied Jesus?  The story is not complete without the extension of grace shown to Peter by Jesus as seen in John chapter 21.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?"  He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."  He said to him, "Feed My lambs."  He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"  He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."  He said to him, "Tend my sheep."  He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"  Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" and he said to Him, "Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You."  Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.  Truly, truly I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go."  (This He said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this He said to him, "Follow Me."  --John 21: 15-19

Peter had denied Jesus three times.  Three times Jesus asked him, "Peter, do you love me?" and Peter was given three opportunities to profess his love for the Savior.  Jesus gave him his purpose and his vocation when He said, "Feed My sheep."  Jesus showed him grace by saying that when he was younger, Peter was in charge of his life; now, he was to follow Jesus even unto death.  His life was not his own.  1 Corinthians 6:20 tells us the same thing: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God with your body."

Jesus gave Peter another chance, then encouraged him to glorify God the rest of his life.  He bids us do the same, for His glory.

A Kangaroo Court

Definition of kangaroo court

1 : a mock court in which the principles of law and justice are disregarded or perverted. 2 : a court characterized by irresponsible, unauthorized, or irregular status or procedures.

We all seem to love courtroom dramas, as they are one of the most successful genres on television.  The program Law & Order ran for 20 years from 1990 to 2010, with many successful spin-offs.  The original series was brought back, premiering again February 24, 2022.

Many of us who have never actually been in a courtroom base our understanding of procedures and practices from those successful movies and television series.  Most of us can spot plot holes before we can identify a holes in a legal argument, but a good writer can point them out to us.

In the Bible, we see an example of a kangaroo court, with the legal procedures thrown out the window and the witnesses all contradicting one another.  Let's read about it in Mark 14.

And they led Jesus to the high priest.  And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together.  And Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but they found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimony did not agree.  And some stood up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands'."  Yet even about this their testimony did not agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, "Have You no answer to make?  What is it that these men testify against You?"  But He remained silent and made no answer.  Again the high priest asked Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  And Jesus said, "I AM, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  And the high priest tore his garments and said, "What further witnesses do we need?  You have heard His blasphemy.  What is your decision?"  And they all condemned Him as deserving death.  And some began to spit on Him and to cover His face and to strike Him, saying to Him, "Prophesy!" and the guards received Him with blows.  --Mark 14: 53-65

 Here's what one commentary had to say about the proceedings: "Lawyers who have studied these proceedings say the trial of our Lord was a travesty of justice and a mockery of legality. The place where Jesus was tried was illegal. The Sanhedrin was required to hold its hearings in the hall of stones in the temple, but Jesus was tried in the private residences of Annas and Caiaphas. A case could not be tried at night, yet Jesus was tried at night. A person was not to be tried on a feast day, yet Jesus was tried during Passover. The proceedings themselves were illegal as the judge was the prosecutor and the one who actually pressed the case against Jesus. The witnesses had to agree, but these witnesses did not agree. Jesus was convicted before He was tried." (Ref: https://www.family-times.net/commentary/mark-14-53/ ).

I saw something interesting in my study of this passage, with some help from Greek scholars online.  Verse 55 says they were trying to find witnesses to testify against Jesus.  The word for "witness" used here is martyria, from which we get our English word "martyr."  We all know what that means--someone who stakes his life on his testimony, and is willing to lose his life for the sake of the Truth.  In the trial of Jesus, there were people who gave false witness, and the Greek word used there is pseudomartyreo.  We all know the word "pseudo" means not genuine, or a sham.  When you put the prefix pseudo in front of the word martyr, you either get someone who is willing to give up his life for a lie, or someone pretending to stake his life to his words (but not really.)

So the trial was illegal, the witnesses were telling blatant falsehoods and contradicting each other, and the high priest asks Jesus to say something in His own defense.  Jesus remains silent.  Isaiah 53:7 says, "He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth."  This is why Jesus is the perfect sacrificial Lamb.

He was perfect, without blame.  The book of Leviticus sets out the rules for blood sacrifice, and each time the lamb is mentioned, it is emphasized that it must be spotless, without blemish.  Many stood to accuse Jesus, but their accusations did not stick, because they were patently false and easily contradicted with truth.  He was sinless, without blame.

His blood was sprinkled by the priests.  Leviticus states that the priest should take the blood of the lamb and sprinkle it on the altar, making atonement for the sins of the people.  In other places the priests were to lay their hands on the animal, transferring their guilt to it.  In this violent scene outlined in Mark 14, the priests were likely the first ones to draw blood, beating Jesus about the head and shoulders before handing Him off to the soldiers, who continued the beating.  If He was bleeding before this, then by slapping Him in the face they sprinkled His blood on themselves.  His blood was literally on their hands.

He was acceptable to God.  Many of the sacrifices in the Old Testament were burnt offerings, and God's acceptance was noted by the phrase, "an aroma pleasing to God."  Being from Texas, I know that a good barbeque can have a pleasing smell, and the aroma can be carried throughout the air.  I think, though, that God was speaking there not so much about burning flesh and the smell of it as the pleasant scent of obedience to His commands.  So when the high priest asked Jesus if he was the Son of the Blessed One (that it, God), Jesus answered, "I AM."  This was the name that God called Himself to Moses, and the priests all knew that.  Furthermore, Jesus prophesied that He would be seated at God's right hand, and would come down on the clouds from His exalted position to be seen and worshiped by all men one day.

It is interesting that the one argument that is recorded from the false witnesses was what Jesus had said about the Temple.  John 2:19 says, "Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up'."  A couple of verses later it is explained that "He was speaking about the temple of His body."  In their pseudo testimony, they used the phrase "not made with hands."  The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus became our High Priest, and continues the same metaphor.  

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.  For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. --Hebrews 9:11-14

 Because of His sacrifice and His position as High Priest, we who are chosen by Him are assured a place in heaven.  2 Corinthians 5:1 says, "For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

Jesus was condemned by a sham court and sentenced to death so that we might be covered in His blood so that we are not condemned and can attain eternal life.  Praise God for His unspeakable gift!

I am NOT Spartacus

 

When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them.  Now Joab was wearing a soldier's garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out.  And Joab said to Amasa, "Is it well with you, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.  But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand.  So Joab struck him with it in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died.  --2 Samuel 20:8-10a

In the 1960 film Spartacus there is a dramatic scene near the end of the movie.  An insurrection against Rome has been put down, and the title character played by Kirk Douglas has been captured along with his fellow slave/insurrectionists.  A Roman general addresses the group, asking them to identify their leader, so that he can be executed.  Kirk Douglas stands and declares, "I am Spartacus," bravely sealing his own fate and ostensibly saving the lives of his fellow soldiers.  In a grand show of unity, his friend Antonius, played by Tony Curtis, stands up and says, "I am Spartacus!"  In response, all of the prisoners stand one by one, each declaring, "I am Spartacus," each assuring the others that he is willing to die along with their leader.

Near the end of Jesus's life on earth, there was a similar scene with a very different outcome.  A group of Roman soldiers, along with chief priests, scribes and elders (all the sworn enemies of Jesus) came to the Garden where Jesus and His disciples had been praying.  If they had called out, "Who among you here is Jesus?  Send Him to us and you will live," I am sure that Jesus would have stood up and identified Himself to them.  Unlike the movie Spartacus, however, that is not what happened.

And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas came, one of the Twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man.  Seize him and lead him away under guard."  And when he came, he went up to Him at once and said, "Rabbi!"  And he kissed Him.  And they laid hands on Him and seized Him.  But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.  And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?  Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.  But let the Scriptures be fulfilled."  So they all left Him and fled.  And a young man followed Him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body.  And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.  --Mark 14:43-52

None of the disciples were willing to stand up and say, "I have dedicated my life to this Man--if you take Him, you must arrest me also."  Instead, they all fled.  Of the twelve that Jesus had hand-picked to follow Him, one betrayed Him to the authorities who would arrest Him and eventually kill Him, and the others all ran for their lives.

In the melee, one tried to stand up and fight.  He drew a sword and took a swipe at somebody in the arresting party, cutting off his ear.  Mark doesn't tell us who this is, but John 18:10 says it was Peter.  Luke 22:51 says that Jesus healed the man's ear.  Again in John 18:10 we learn that the man's name was Malchus, and that he was the servant of the high priest.  This might mean that Jesus healed the very one that was leading the raid to arrest Him.  What a merciful act of compassion.  

Malchus may have led the posse sent to arrest him, but Malchus was not in charge.  Judas may have led the group to where Jesus was, but Judas was not in charge, either.  Luke 22:3 says, "Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the Twelve."  Judas was working the in spirit of the antichrist, influenced by Satan himself.  Yet ultimately, Satan was not in charge, either.  

Jesus said in John 6:38, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me."  God is ultimately in charge.  He had decreed it from old that Jesus would come and live among us and die for us, becoming the ultimate sacrifice for us.  Jesus acknowledged this when He said, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?  Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.  But let the Scriptures be fulfilled."  Jesus may have been thinking about Psalm 88:8, "You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them." (NIV)

Judas had been close enough to Jesus to come and greet Him with a friendly kiss.  The kiss as an act of betrayal and even death has become known as "the kiss of death" or "the Judas kiss."  As we see in 2 Samuel, this was not the only time in the Bible that a kiss was a prelude to a murder, as we saw David's trusted general Joab approach Amasa, an officer who had allied himself with a pretender to the throne.  Joab kissed Amasa and then ran him through with a sword.  Judas called Jesus "master" or "teacher", then kissed Him and turned Him over to be arrested.

Satan, who had entered Judas and controlled his actions, was acting like a Sioux warrior.  In American history, Sioux warriors gained their status by being brave in battle.  One way this was done was called "counting coup."  What these warriors tried to do was to get close enough to the enemy to touch them without getting injured or killed.  It was one of the traditional ways of showing bravery in the face of an enemy and involved intimidating him and, it was hoped, persuading him to admit defeat without having to kill him.  Jesus knew that Satan had entered Judas.  In getting close enough to kiss Him, Satan may have been trying one last time to tempt Jesus into avoiding the cross.

What might have happened if Jesus had lashed out against the betrayer?  He certainly would have been justified in killing Judas right there.  Then it would have been more than just the disciples battling against the priests and scribes and elders.  Surely God would have sent a host of angels to do battle against Satan and his army of demons.  The end of the world as we know it might have happened right then and there, but then God's redemptive plan would have been thwarted, and the sacred prophecies left unfulfilled.  That's why it is important to recognize that Jesus "humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8).

So they all left Him and fled, even Peter who had said, "I will die for you" dropped his sword and ran.  There is an unnamed man in in verse 51 that showed up in his pajamas.  He was wearing only a linen garment, which may have been used for sleeping.  Some commentators say this may have been the owner of the garden, who was awakened from sleep by the sound of the fracas going on between the soldiers and the disciples.  Most Bible scholars, however, agree with Church tradition that this was actually Mark, the one who is named as the author of this particular Gospel.  Like Spike Lee making a cameo appearance in the movies based on Marvel superheros, they say Mark inserted these two verses to affirm "I was here."

Acts 12:12 says that the disciples used to meet at the home of Mark's mother, so it is not too much of a stretch to imagine that the Last Supper occurred at Mark's home.  It may be that Judas first led the arresting party to Mark's home since that was the last place Judas had seen them.  Mark, then, could have gone out in his bedclothes to try to warn Jesus.  As he approached, the soldiers may have thought him to be one of the close followers of Jesus and tried to detain him.  Like the others, he fled, leaving his linen cloth covering in the hands of the soldier.

When we stand before God on the day of judgment, we will stand naked before Him.  If we are not covered by the blood of Jesus, we will be held in shame and dishonor, and be cast out into utter darkness.  All our pretenses will be stripped away, with nowhere to hide.  Thankfully, Jesus did humble Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross.  He bore our shame, and if we believe in Him and trust wholly in His work and Word, we will be covered by His righteousness.  We will be unable to speak on Judgment Day, unable to say, "I am a Christian."  Thankfully Jesus will be there at the right hand of God, and will say, "This one is Mine."  Better to hear those words than, "Depart from me, I never knew you."

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.