Passion Week – Ministry of Grace Church

Category: Passion Week

Luke 2:8-10; Matthew 28:5-7 – He Is Risen!

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Will

⁸Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And behold, an angel of the Lord stood over them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people … ⁵But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ⁷And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead,

Truth to Learn

Let us proclaim the good news that He is risen!

Behind the Words

The word “angel” is transliterated from the Greek word angelos. This word literally means “messenger.” Hence, we see that angels are God’s messengers.

The expression “Do not be afraid” is translated from the Greek words mē phobeisthē. The word mē means “not” and the word phobeisthē is a form or phobeō, meaning “to frighten” or “to make afraid.” It is expressed here in the passive voice (to be frightened) and the imperative mood (a command.) Hence, it means “Do not be frightened!”

Meaning Explained

So, what in the world am I doing using a Christmas verse to talk about the resurrection? Have you ever noticed that at both Jesus’ birth and His resurrection, there were angels ministering to people? At His birth the angel delivered the glorious message to the shepherds that the Savior, Christ the Lord, was born. At His resurrection, it was angels who announced the glorious message that He had risen from the dead. And, in both cases the people who saw the angels were afraid. As a result, the first message from the angels was, “Don’t be afraid!”

But, after encountering the angelic messenger, those who saw them immediately went into action. The shepherds immediately went into town to see the Christ child, then went out praising God and spreading the message of His birth. On Resurrection Sunday, the women, Peter, and John, immediately went to tell others that He has risen! In each case, the witnesses started out being afraid and in each case they left full of joy, spreading the word of peace and joy.

At the end of the day on Resurrection Sunday, our Lord gave His disciples the following instructions:

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

This year, as we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, let us not be afraid. Let us go out and spread the good news!

Application

Do you ever get afraid? In addition to the angels giving comfort, our Lord frequently comforted His disciples with the words, “Don’t be afraid” and “Peace be unto you.” Therefore, let us not be afraid, let the peace of God rule in our hearts, and let us proclaim the good news that He is risen!

In God's service, for His glory,

Matthew 27:39, 41; Luke 23:39, 40, 42, 43 – The Father’s Will

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Will

³⁹And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads ⁴¹Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders … ³⁹Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." ⁴⁰But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴²Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." ⁴³And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

Truth to Learn

Jesus was submitted to His Father’s will regardless of what He might have wanted for Himself.

Behind the Words

The word translated “mocking” in Matthew 27:40 is the Greek word empaidzō, which is a compound of en, meaning “in” and paidzō, meaning “to play.” It means “to make sport of, to deride, to mock, or to scoff at.”

“Criminals” is translated from the Greek word kakourgos, which is composed of kakos, meaning “bad” or “evil” and a form of ergō, meaning “to work.” Hence, this word means “one who does evil works or evil deeds.”

Meaning Explained

Jesus was mocked and jeered at by nearly everyone present at his crucifixion. Those who passed by the site abused Him verbally and shook their heads. The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders (all the religious leaders of the people) ridiculed Him and challenged Him to come down off the cross to prove that He was the Messiah. He could have done that, but He was more committed to doing what the Father called Him to do than to prove to those around who He really was. Even one of the criminals crucified with Him insulted Him. It seemed that everyone was against Him

None of these people believed He could actually come down off the cross because they didn’t believe that He was the Son of God. But one of the criminals believed He was who He claimed to be, and he rebuked the other criminal for speaking evil against Jesus. If it were you or me hanging on that cross and someone finally spoke up in support of us, we would most likely respond with a “Thank you!” But that would only have highlighted our focus on self. Jesus was not focused on Himself. He was focused on doing the Father’s will. As a result, He assured the believing criminal that although he was going to die, he would find himself in Paradise with his Savior after he died.

Jesus’ purpose in life was clear, it was to do whatever the Father wanted Him to do. As we saw from His intense agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, he didn’t want to suffer. But He was more interested in doing His Father’s will than His own. His purpose on the cross was to give His life to pay for your sins and mine. If He had been thinking of Himself, He would have come down from the cross and we would be going to Hell

Application

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins? Have you submitted your will to Him as your Lord and Master? If your response to all of these is yes, then you too will be with Him in Paradise!

In God's service, for His glory,

Luke 23:13, 14; 20-22; John 19:4 – Spotless Lamb of God

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Will

¹³Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, ¹⁴and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. … ²⁰Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ²¹But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" ²²For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. … ⁴Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him."

Truth to Learn

Jesus is the true Pascal Lamb, sacrificed for you and me!

Behind the Words

The word translated “examined” is the Greek word anakrinō, which is a compound word made up of ana, used here as an intensifier meaning “repeatedly” and krinō, meaning “to judge.” It specifically refers to a thorough legal examination.

“Wanting” in Luke 23:20 is translated from thelō, which is most often translated “will.” But it implies more than just a wish or a desire, it implies a determination. Hence, it implies that Pilot was determined to release Jesus.

Meaning Explained

In Exodus chapter thirteen the LORD gave Moses instructions regarding the Passover. On the tenth of the first month, they were to select a lamb without spot or blemish. On the fourteenth of the month, they were to kill the lamb and sprinkle its blood on the two side posts and the top of the doorway. This was to be the sign to the destroyer to “pass over” the house and not kill the first born within the house. Any family in Egypt which did not have the blood sprinkled on the door posts of their home would wake up in the morning to find their first born son dead.

After the Israelites entered the Promised Land and built the temple, they rigorously followed this ritual. Each year on the 10^th of Nisan (the 1^st month), they selected the paschal lamb, leading it through the streets of Jerusalem to the temple. As it entered the temple, the people waved palm branches in all four directions and sang “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” laying palm branches before the lamb. This lamb was kept under observation until the fourteenth of the month when it was declared to be without spot or blemish. Then it was sacrificed by one of the priests for the sins of the people.

On the 10^th of Nissan, Jesus entered the gates of the city to the cries of “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” while palm branches were laid in His path. On the 14^th of Nissan, Jesus was judged by the Sanhedrin and no fault was found in Him except that He claimed to be the Christ, the Messiah. Pilot then gave Him a thorough legal examination and declared, “I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.” Then, even though Pilate was determined to set Him free, the Jewish religious leaders, including the chief priests, insisted on having Him crucified.

Application

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was declared to be without spot or blemish and His blood was shed to pay for your sins and mine. Has that blood been applied to your sins?

In God's service, for His glory,

Mark 14:55, 56, 61b-64 – Christ the Messiah

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Will

⁵⁵Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. ⁵⁶For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree. … ^61bAgain the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" ⁶²Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." ⁶³Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? ⁶⁴You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

Truth to Learn

Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “Christ” is the Greek word christos, meaning “the anointed one.” It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew meshiach, or Messiah. The Jews believed the Messiah to be the Son of God (making Him equal with God) and that He would come as a ruling king.

The word “blasphemy” is transliterated from the Greek word blasphēmia, meaning “verbal abuse of the most slanderous kind, particularly anyone claiming equality with God.” By claiming Himself to be the Christ, Jesus was saying that He is God and the anointed one for whom the Jews had long been waiting.

Meaning Explained

The night that He was arrested, Jesus underwent trials before the Jewish political rulers. Annas had been appointed High Priest more than twenty five years earlier. This was a position which the Jews believed was retained for the remainder of the High Priest’s life. The Romans, however, chose to change High Priests more frequently. After Annas questioned Jesus, He was sent to Caiaphas who was the High Priest then recognized by the Roman government. He gathered the Sanhedrin, the religious rulers of the Jews, to judge Jesus’ case.

By Jewish law a person could not be convicted of a capital offense unless two separate witnesses could independently corroborate the charge. When Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin could not find two such witnesses (because they were all lying) and Jesus made no defense against the charges brought against Him, he asked Jesus directly, “Are you the Christ?” When Jesus admitted being the Christ, He was claiming that He was God in the flesh. This claim of being God was recognized by the High Priest and the Sanhedrin whereby they accused Jesus of blasphemy, which was a capital offense for the Jews.

The most interesting part of this exchange is the fact that the Messiah was standing before the religious rulers of the day claiming to be who He really is. And, they condemned Him to die for it.

Application

Who is Jesus to you? Is He simply a historical figure, a good man who did great things and was executed on a cross? Or is He the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior, the Lamb of God who gave up His life to pay the penalty for your sins and mine?

Your answer to this question is the most important one you will ever give, and it has eternal consequences!

In God's service, for His glory,

Mark 14:44, 45; John 18:4-6 – Deception vs. Righteousness

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Will

⁴⁴Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely." ⁴⁵As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him … ⁴Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?" ⁵They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. ⁶Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.

Truth to Learn

Those who are righteous are bold even in the face of danger.

Behind the Words

“Kiss” is translated from two different Greek words in this passage. In Mark 14:44 it is from phileō, meaning “to be fond of.” It is used here to indicate an act of fondness, in other words, a kiss. In verse forty-five, however, it is translated from kataphileō, which is a compound made up of kata, used as an intensifier and phileō. This represents “a fervent kiss.”

The word translated “knowing” in John 18:4 is a form of eidō, meaning “to know.” It is expressed here as a participle in the perfect tense. The participle indicates ongoing action and the perfect tense indicates action that occurred before the main verb (He went forward). In other words, previous to this event, Jesus already knew all that was going to happen to Him.

“Drew back” is from aperchomai, which means “to go away from.”

Meaning Explained

There is a very dramatic contrast in these verses between the manner in which the works of darkness and the works of righteousness are carried out. We see Judas, who selfishly betrayed Jesus, acting under false pretense with subtlety and deceit. He could simply have pointed to Jesus and told the others, “He’s the one.” If he had, however, the other disciples would immediately have known that he was a traitor.

Instead, Judas told the mob ahead of time that he would kiss Jesus as a sign that He was the one to take. This gave Judas “reasonable deniability” with the other disciples. Even though both actions would have accomplished the same purpose, in Judas’ mind the kiss would not appear to be a betrayal. Also notice that it was not the kind of kiss that would normally be expected from a disciple to his teacher, it was a fervent kiss which would indicate to the casual observer as if Judas greatly admired and respected Jesus. This was outright deception.

Jesus’ actions represent the polar opposite. Even though He already knew what was going to happen from the moment He surrendered Himself, to his death on the cross (and beyond), He boldly approached His captors. He asked who they were looking for and readily admitted that He was the one.

His response to the mob is interesting. He said “I am.” The word “He” does not appear in the Greek text. Notice that this is precisely the name that God gave to Moses when asked what His name was – “I am.” And the power of His name drove His captors flat onto their backs!

Application

Even in the face of serious consequences, being honest and forthright is the way the righteous behave. Do you have the courage to follow your Lord’s example?

In God's service, for His glory,

Mark 14:32-34 – Man of Sorrows

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Will

³²Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray." ³³And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. ³⁴Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."

Truth to Learn

Jesus felt terrified and intensely sad before His death.

Behind the Words

The name “Gethsemane” is of Chaldean origin and is transliterated from the Aramaic gath, meaning “a press” and shemen, meaning “oil.” Thus, it is called “oil press garden.”

The word “troubled” in verse thirty-three is translated from ekthambeō, meaning “to be utterly amazed or astonished.”

“Distressed” is from the Greek word adēmoneō, which implies a “feeling of terrified surprise.”

“Exceedingly sorrowful” in verse thirty-four is translated from perilupos, which is made up of peri, meaning “around” and a form of lupē, meaning “sorrowful or sadness.” Hence this word means “grieved all around” or “intensely sad.”

Meaning Explained

When Jesus took his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane for the last time, he knew he was about to offer his life as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus is completely God, so in His divinity He knew exactly what was about to transpire. But, He is also completely man, subject to the same emotions that we are. He knew that His obedience to the Father was about to undergo the supreme test and His human emotions surfaced. He was not surprised because He hadn’t known what was coming. He knew what was coming because He is God. But, in his humanity, He may have been surprised by the intensity of emotion He was experiencing.

Perhaps, while He was in the upper room only minutes before, He was so occupied with caring for His disciples that He didn’t really think about the abuse and torture that was about to come upon Him. Once in the garden, however, He knew that it was only a matter of time before the humiliation and physical suffering began. Even worse, His closest friends were sleeping in His time of sorrow and they would soon desert Him.

The Prophet Isaiah foretold this sorrow:

He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Isaiah 53:3)

Mark tells us that He was not merely troubled, but astonished. Perhaps it was the thought of all the sin He was about to take on at the cross. Perhaps it was the wrath of His Heavenly Father that was about to be poured out on Him. Or, perhaps it was the knowledge that on the following day His Father, too, would turn His back on Him for three hours! He was about to face the worst time of His life – completely alone.

Application

The next time you are very sad or even terrified about the prospects of the future, think about Jesus and pray. He knows what it feels like. He can identify with you and comfort you.

In God's service, for His glory,