Category: Easter Week

The Gospel Message – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

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Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised the third day according to the Scriptures,

Truth to Learn

The most important part of the Easter message is the Gospel (the Good News).

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “gospel” in is the Greek word euaggelion, which is a compound of eu, meaning “good” or “well” and aggellō, meaning “to proclaim.” It means “good news.”

“Received” is translated from the Greek word paralambanō, which is composed of para, meaning “from” and lambanō, meaning “to take” or “to receive.” This word means “to receive to oneself something that is offered.”

 

Meaning Explained

We spent a lot of time these past few days analyzing Scripture and doing calculations to determine exactly on which day of the week Jesus was crucified. However, it doesn’t matter one iota whether He was crucified on a Wednesday, a Thursday, a Friday, or any other day of the week. The important thing is not what day it happened, but that it really did happen. The perfect man, without sin, suffered on the cross to pay the penalty for imperfect mankind, steeped in sin. He died for you and me and he was buried. But even that is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that He didn’t stay dead. He rose from the dead and now lives forevermore.

One day this life will be over and when it is, you and I will stand before the Judge. When we do, it won’t matter whether we know for sure what day of the week the crucifixion occurred on. And, it won’t matter how many times we went to church. It won’t matter how much money we gave to the church or to the poor or to the homeless. In fact, it won’t matter how many good and benevolent deeds we have done at all. The only thing that will matter is whether or not we have believed the gospel message. I mean “believed,” not on an intellectual level, not in our head, but in our heart. Paul describes it as having “received” the gospel message.

If you truly believe the gospel, then the Bible says that you “have been bought with a price” and it says that you were purchased, “not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish of spot.”

 

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,

Copyright © 2019 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Spotless Lamb of God – John 19:31

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Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.

Truth to Learn

Jesus is the true Pascal Lamb, sacrificed for you and me on the day before the Passover!

Behind the Words

Several days ago we looked at the word “Preparation” and learned that this was the day before a Sabbath. We also learned that this particular Sabbath was the day of Passover.

Meaning Explained

We have gone to great lengths to show that the Bible does, in fact, indicate that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday. Most Biblical scholars will read these posts and say, “This guy is full of baloney” or something equivalent. However, if you will bear with me for just a few more paragraphs, I will show you conclusively that this is so.

The first thing we need to determine is when Jesus was born. We all know he was born on December 25th, right? Well, actually we don’t know the exact day of the year. It was most likely in the springtime. The Roman Catholic monk who calculated Jesus birthday was Dionysius Exeguus (this literally means “Dennis the Little”). He lived during the 6th century. He made an error, however. He was three years off. So, by the reckoning of our calendar (which is the Gregorian Calendar) he was born in the year 4 BC. Jesus began his ministry as he was baptized by John the Baptist when Jesus was 30 years old. This was the specified age at which a prophet or priest began his ministry. Jesus was crucified some three years later. Thus, the year of his crucifixion was AD 30. (When you do the calculations to check my dates, keep in mind that there was no year zero. It went from the year 2 BC to 1 BC, to AD 1 to AD 2, etc.)

Now we need to talk about the Jewish calendar. It consists of 12 months of 30 days each. It is based on the lunar cycle (from new moon to new moon is 29.5 days). Every 6 years or so an additional month is added to make up for the 5 ¼ day error incurred each year. The Jewish year is counted from the year of creation. This is expressed as Anno Mundi, meaning “Year of the world” (abbreviated as AM.) Every month of the Jewish calendar begins on the day of the new moon and the first month of the year is Nisan. Passover is always in the month Nisan and it is always on the day of the full moon (the 15th of Nisan). So, the Preparation day is and was always the 14th of Nisan. Conversion from the Jewish Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar is a complex process. However, in this age of computers and the Internet we can determine exactly what day on the Gregorian Calendar that Jesus was crucified and what day of the week it was.

Below is a table showing the years AD 25 through AD 40. The day of the week is based on three different website calculations and they all agree. You will notice that the 14th of Nisan was on a Wednesday in the year AD 30. That’s what the Bible tells us too!

Application

Although it is very hard for us to accept this, Jesus was not crucified on a Friday and he was not raised from the dead on Sunday. He was crucified on Wednesday and resurrected on Saturday evening.

Tomorrow we’ll talk about the implications of this revelation.

What day of the week was the crucifixion?
                 
Jewish Gregorian Day of the week
Day Month Year (AM) Month Day Year (AD) *1 *2 *3
14 Nisan 3785 March 31 25 Monday Monday Monday
14 Nisan 3786 March 20 26 Friday Friday Friday
14 Nisan 3787 April 7 27 Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday
14 Nisan 3788 March 27 28 Monday Monday Monday
14 Nisan 3789 April 14 29 Saturday Saturday Saturday
14 Nisan 3790 April 3 30 Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday
14 Nisan 3791 March 24 31 Monday Monday Monday
14 Nisan 3792 April 12 32 Monday Monday Monday
14 Nisan 3793 April 1 33 Friday Friday Friday
14 Nisan 3794 March 20 34 Monday Monday Monday
14 Nisan 3795 April 9 35 Monday Monday Monday
14 Nisan 3796 March 28 36 Friday Friday Friday
14 Nisan 3797 March 18 36 Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday
14 Nisan 3798 April 5 38 Monday Monday Monday
14 Nisan 3799 March 25 39 Friday Friday Friday
14 Nisan 3800 April 13 40 Friday Friday Friday
                 
                 
*1 http://bsswebsite.me.uk/Daysanddates/hebrew-date.html    
*2 https://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1346139486      
*3 https://www.abdicate.net/cal.aspx        

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2019 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Twisting Facts – Matthew 12:38-40

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Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But answering, He said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Truth to Learn

We don’t need to “twist the facts” to believe that Jesus always told the truth.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “just as” is the Greek word hōsper . This is made up of hos, meaning “as” and the emphatic particle per. Hōsper literally means “just as” or “exactly as.” It does not mean “kind of like” or “similar to.”

The words “three days and three nights” are a literal translation of the Greek, treis hēmeras kai treis nuktas.

 

Meaning Explained

I have studied the teachings of numerous scholars and esteemed teachers of the Bible and I do not cease to be amazed at the lengths they go to in order to make the crucifixion on Friday and the resurrection on Sunday. The most common explanation is to say that by Jewish reckoning a part of a day is reckoned as a whole day. Others say that “evening and morning, or night and day, is the Hebrew phrase for the natural day. The Greeks called this nuchthemeron, meaning “nightday.”

You may recall that when God created the heavens and the earth we are told that He said, “And there was evening and there was morning, the first day” (Genesis 1:5)

However, you will notice that Jesus did not say “three nightdays” and he did not say “three nights and three days,” either of which would be a Hebrew reckoning of days, and could indicate parts of three days. Instead, Jesus said, “three days and three nights” which is a Roman reckoning of days and means “three complete days and three complete nights.”

You may recall from yesterday’s post that the women who went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, purchased the spices on the day after the Sabbath. Our immediate conclusion is that this indicates that the women purchased the spices on Sunday. But, as we pointed out earlier, there was not sufficient time to purchase the spices, prepare them, and still arrive at the tomb very early in the morning. We seem to be at an impasse! But wait! Remember that some of the Jewish holy days were Sabbaths in addition to Saturday Sabbaths. Passover was one of those holy day Sabbaths, called a “High Day.”

If Jesus was crucified on Wednesday (the Preparation Day of the Passover), then the following day (Thursday) would have been a Sabbath, and Friday would have been the “day after the Sabbath.” The women could have purchased the spices and prepared them on Friday. Then, early in the morning of the day after the Sabbath (Sunday) they went to the tomb to anoint His body.

Consider this: if Joseph placed Jesus in the tomb at 6:00 on Wednesday and Jesus was in the grave for three days and three nights (Wednesday night, Thursday day, Thursday night, Friday day, Friday night, and Saturday day), then he would have been raised at 6:00 on Saturday evening. That would be three days and three nights in the tomb.

 

Application

I know what you’re thinking, “You claim that Biblical scholars try to twist the facts to make their idea fit and now you’re doing the same thing.” Tomorrow we’ll look at the calendar to determine precisely what day of the week Jesus was crucified.

 

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2020 Will Krause. All rights reserved

After the Sabbath – Mark 16:1, 2

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When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that coming they might anoint him. And very early in the morning on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.

 

Truth to Learn

We need to read the Scriptures very carefully if we are to glean the truth.

 

Behind the Words

“Was past” is translated from the Greek verb diaginomai, which is made up of dia, meaning “through” and ginomai, meaning “to be” or “to begin to be.” Thus, we see that diaginomai means “to be through, to be past, or to have elapsed.” In other words, it was no longer the Sabbath, it was the day after the Sabbath.

The word translated “bought” is agoradzō, meaning “to purchase something.”

“Very” in verse 2 is from lian, which means “very much” or “exceedingly.”

“In the morning” is translated from the adverb prōi, which is from pro, meaning “before.“ Prōi means “early in the morning.” When this is combined with lian it means, “exceedingly early in the morning.”

 

Meaning Explained

Most of us, when we read these two verses, see no problem with what is said. We know it was after the Sabbath and the women got up very early, bought the spices to anoint Jesus’ body and then went to the tomb to anoint Him. Except that’s not what these two verses tell us. “Say what!” Verse one says that they bought the spices on the day after the Sabbath and verse two says that they went to the tomb exceedingly early on the first day of the week.” Still don’t see it?

OK, we’ll take it slow. Verse one says that the women bought the spices on the day after the Sabbath. It does NOT say that they bought the spices very early in the morning on the day after the Sabbath. They couldn’t have done that because the shops weren’t open very early in the morning. And even if they had been able to purchase the spices early in the morning, the preparation of the spices took a fair amount of time. So much so, in fact, that they would not have been able to go to the tomb “exceedingly early on the first day of the week,” which is what verse two says.

So, there wasn’t enough time on Sunday to have purchased the spices, prepared them, and then visited the tomb very early in the morning. Don’t feel bad if you missed this. I have read many Biblical scholars and learned preachers who missed this. For some of them, the explanation is that on the Preparation Day, shops frequently stayed open past 6:00 because of a little wrinkle in the laws governing the Sabbath. This would have allowed the women to purchase the spices on the day Jesus was crucified. The problem with this explanation is that verse one says they bought the spices, “When the Sabbath was past.” Remember, Jesus was crucified on the Preparation Day, the day before the Sabbath. The next day was the Sabbath and it was the day after that in which the spices were purchased. They did not purchase the spices on the Preparation Day.

Okay, you say, but what if they didn’t have to prepare the spices. They could have purchased them already prepared late on the Preparation Day. The problem with this is in Luke 24:1 which says:

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.

This tells us that they did not purchase the spices already prepared for them. The two Marys and Salome prepared them and they prepared them on the day after the Sabbath.

 

Application

Careful reading of the Bible sometimes gives us a different picture than what we have been taught in Sunday School and from the pulpit. Tomorrow we will talk about how to make sense of all this.

 

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2020 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Preparation Day – Mark 42:42-47

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Preparation Day – Mark 42:42-47

And evening having already come, since it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable member of the Council, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God, boldly came to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate marveled that He had already died. Having called the centurion, he asked him if He was already dead. And ascertaining it from the centurion, he gave the dead body to him. And having bought a linen cloth, and having taken Him down, he wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a tomb that had been cut out of a rock, and he rolled a stone against the opening of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where He was laid.

 

Truth to Learn
————–

Jesus was crucified and buried on the Preparation Day (the day before the Sabbath).

 

Behind the Words
—————-

The word “evening” is opsios. The Jews actually had two evenings. The first began at 3:00 PM and the second one began at 6:00 PM. This was most likely the former (3:00 PM) which was the time that the Passover sacrifice was to be killed. By law, dead bodies were not allowed to remain on the cross after 6:00 PM.

The words “Preparation day” are translated from paraskeuē, meaning “preparation.” The day before a Sabbath was called Preparation Day;. It was on this day that the Sabbath meal was prepared. The Sabbath began at 6:00 and no work was allowed on the Sabbath, so the meal had to be completely prepared before 6:00 PM.

“member of the Council” is translated from the Greek word bouleutēs, which can refer to a “councilman,” “a senator,” or “a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin.”

 

Meaning Explained
—————–

Over the next few days we are going to look very carefully at a number of verses regarding the Crucifixion of Jesus. I am sure that many of you will see things that you have never seen before and you will very likely react negatively to them. You will not believe at first because of what has been ingrained in us since we first became Christians.

We all know that Jesus was crucified on Friday and that he arose from the dead on Sunday, right? Well, not only is that not what the Scriptures teach, it is not what really happened. The key to understanding this paradox is the fact that there was more than one kind of Sabbath for the Jews. Every week there was a Sabbath which was the seventh day of their week. They considered this so because God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th. But in addition to these weekly Sabbaths, there were a number of special holy days that were considered Sabbaths as well. This Sabbath was referred to as a “high day.” One of these was the Passover Sabbath. This Sabbath could fall on any day of the week (we’ll get more into this in tomorrow’s verse.) Preparation day referred to in these verses was the Preparation day before the Passover Sabbath (considered a high day).

Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. (John 19:31)
Jesus, just like the Paschal Lamb, was sacrificed on the day before the Passover.

 

Application
———–

The Christians in Berea had a special place in the Apostle Paul’s heart. He said, “they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

I encourage you to do as the Bereans did. Search the Scriptures to see whether these things are so. Don’t believe it because I said so. Believe it because you have searched it out.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2020 Will Krause. All rights reserved

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

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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 they 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,

Copyright © 2019 Will Krause. All rights reserved

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

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39And those who passed by blasphemed Him, shaking their heads … 41And in the same way 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, “Don’t you even fear God, since you are under the same condemnation? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. 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,

Copyright © 2019 Will Krause. All rights reserved

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

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13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. … 20Pilate addressed them again wanting to release Jesus. 21But they shouted saying, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 22And the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What evil has this man done? I have found in him no cause for death. … 4Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no fault in 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 10th of Nisan (the 1st 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 10th 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 14th 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,

Copyright © 2019 Will Krause. All rights reserved

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

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55And the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and found none. 56For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies were not alike. 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, “Why do we need any more witnesses? 64You heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” And they all condemned Him as 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,

Copyright © 2019 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Mark 14:44, 45; John 18:4-7 – Deception vs. Righteousness

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44Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “The one I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead him away safely.” 45And directly coming to him, he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him … 4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that were coming  upon Him, went and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 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 went backward 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 45, 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.

“Went backward” is from aperchomai eis ta opisō, which means “to go away backward.”

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,

Copyright © 2019 Will Krause. All rights reserved