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March 27, 2016 |
| Choosing Their Lamb | ||
In previous lessons we have seen that the spring feasts that God gave Israel were prophetic descriptions of what the Messiah would accomplish during the first coming. We even know that particular commandments about those feasts were also prophetic. For example the command that none of the bones of the Passover lamb were to be broken, was also a prophecy that none of Jesus bones would be broken while he was on the cross.
God also gave instructions about choosing the Passover lamb, what qualities it must have and even the day on which it must be selected.
3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the 10th of this month [Nissan] they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household. […] 5 Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.' (Exodus 12:3,5)
It was necessary for the people to choose a lamb, on the 10th of Nissan, that was
Like the other aspects of Passover and the other spring feasts, this part is also prophetic, with its fulfillment being at an event called the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. In this lesson we will see how. We'll also look at the triumphal entry in detail to learn what we can from it.
10 And the Chief Priests had deliberated that they would also kill Lazar, 11 Because many of the Judeans were leaving because of him and believing in Yeshua.
These verses aren't directly related to our topic but they will help us to understand something that is said later. The Chief Priests, but not only them, have been actively working to discredit and stop Jesus' ministry. It has gotten to the point where they are considering killing Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Jesus is also on their hit list.
12 And the next day a great crowd which had come to the feast, when they heard that Yeshua had come to Jerusalem, 13 Took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, and they were shouting and saying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the lord Yahweh, the King of Israel!"
Note carefully what the people say here.
Though they may not realize it, their words have selected Jesus as their savior, their representative of God, and their King. Especially in calling him their savior, they have selected him as their lamb. In a short time they will sacrifice that lamb.
It's hard to get an exact day when they said this, but it appears to be about 4 days before Jesus will be crucified, which comes on Nissan 14. That puts it on about Nissan 10 as Exodus 12:3 above had said. At the same time the people were choosing their Passover lamb for that year they were also choosing their Passover lamb for all time.
14 But Yeshua found a donkey and sat down upon it just as it is written: 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion, behold your King comes to you and rides on a foal, a colt of a donkey." 16 But his disciples did not understand these things at that time, but when Yeshua was glorified, his disciples were reminded that these things were written about him and that they had done these things to him.
John quotes Zechariah 9:9 here but says that the disciples had no idea they were fulfilling prophecy when they went out to get a colt of a donkey for Jesus to ride on.
17 And the crowd testified that they were with him when he called Lazar from the tomb and raised him from the dead. 18 And because of this, great crowds went in front of him who heard that he had done this miracle. 19 And the Pharisees were saying to one another, "Do you see that you are not gaining anything? Behold, the whole world is going after him."
The crowd that had been there to see Lazarus raised from the dead are talking in Jerusalem, telling everyone what they had seen and that spreads quickly. As a result huge crowds go out to meet Jesus and choose him as their savior and lamb
The Pharisees, however, saw that their efforts to stop Jesus' ministry were failing. We saw in verse 10 that the Chief Priests were considering killing Lazarus. But now they realize everything they have tried has been a waste. It appeared to them that everyone now believed in him and, though the Pharisees wouldn't have understood it, had chosen him as their lamb.
20 But there were also some of them from among the Gentiles who came up to worship at the feast. 21 These came and approached Philippus, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and they asked him and were saying to him, "My lord, we wish to see Yeshua." 22 And Philippus himself came and told Andreas, and Andreas and Philippus told Yeshua. 23 But Yeshua answered and said to them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Timeless truth I speak to you: Unless a grain of wheat falls and dies in the ground, it remains alone, but if it dies, it yields much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life shall destroy it and whoever hates his life in this world shall keep it for eternal life. 26 If a man serves me, he shall come after me, and where I am there shall also my servant be. Whoever ministers to me, The Father shall honor. 27 Behold, now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say: My Father, deliver me from this hour? But for this I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name." And a voice was heard from Heaven: "I have glorified and I am glorifying it again."
Commentaries have various ideas about what is going on here. The general idea seems to be that these gentiles are truly gentiles, that they are not gentiles who have converted to Judaism. It's more likely that they are polytheistic Romans or Greeks who have come to worship the Jewish God. As such they were allowed only into the outer court of the temple. They are curious about Jesus but they are not likely believers. The probably want to engage Jesus in a Greek style logical discussion. Phillipus' action of going to Andreaus first indicates that there is some concern about whether Jesus would want to spend time these men.
Jesus answer seems to say that he has little time now and unbelieving gentiles are not his first concern. Instead when he, (the seed) dies and brings forth fruit there will be opportunity then for them to believe. He goes on to say "whoever loves his life will destroy it". This would have appealed to Greek dualists of the time. Jesus also talks about those who are his servants. Together the meaning here seems to be, again, these are not my people but I'll give them something quick to steer them in the right direction.
Jesus' answer continues with a discussion of the hour that is upon him and how that is affecting him. Again we see that theme of time being short and that he still has work to do. That theme will continue on through the end of the verses in this lesson
Going back to the story, God has responded to Jesus in a voice that sounds a bit like thunder.
29 And the crowd that was standing there heard, and they were saying, "It was thunder", and others were saying "An Angel spoke with him." 30 Yeshua answered and said to them, "This voice was not for my benefit, but for your benefit. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the Ruler of this world is hurled outside. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." 33 He said this that he might show by what death he would die.
God responds to Jesus in a voice that sounds a bit like thunder to show the people that Jesus is doing the work of the Father. Jesus continues by describing the momentous time they are in, Satan is going to suffer loss and Jesus will be lifted up and draw everyone to him. This phrase "lifted up" was clearly understood by people of that time as death by crucifixion. Next they question him about that.
34 The crowds were saying to him, "We have heard from the Law that the Messiah abides forever. How do you say that the Son of Man is going to be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"
Pay attention to what they have implied by saying this. They believe that Jesus is the Messiah. They also knew that he called himself the Son of Man. So their question to him is this "since you are the Messiah and the Messiah abides forever, how can you be crucified?" and they wondered if somehow this "Son of Man" figured into it.
They hadn't understood who the Messiah would be. The Bible talked about the suffering servant and the conquering King. They had set their focus on the conquering King, which they wanted to free them from Roman rule. The Bible does says that the Messiah will abide forever; it also says the Messiah will be killed Daniel 9:26
35 Yeshua said to them, "The Light is with you a little time longer. Walk while the Light is with you, lest the darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While the Light is with you, believe in the Light, that you might be the children of the Light."
Jesus doesn't engage their question. It's a classic question for the Israelites, one that we have seen from their time in the desert with Moses. It is a faithless question - explain everything to us and then we will believe in you. Instead he returns to the theme of time being short. In this case his point is that they should take advantage of what time is left. The message is that they should learn what's important while there is someone to show them.
37 And whereas he did all these miracles before them, they did not trust in him, 38 That the word of Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled, which says, "My Lord, who is believing our report and to whom is the arm of the lord Yahweh revealed?" (Isaiah 53:1) 39 Therefore they were not able to believe, because again Isaiah had said: 40 "They have put out their eyes and darkened their hearts lest they shall see with their eyes and understand in their hearts and should be converted and I would heal them." (Isaiah 6:10) 41 Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory and spoke about him.
This goes back to the faithless question Jesus had just been asked. Because of all the miracles, they had accepted that he was the Messiah, sent by God, and their King. But they would not trust in him. They would not accept his words in faith. Truly believing in Jesus is more than believing he exists or believing anything about him. Truly believing in him is to trust him with your life and everything you have, to do what he says to do because you trust him, to sometimes move in faith but without knowledge.
Instead of faith Jesus got a people who were spiritually blind and had hearts of stone where the seed of the word would not grow.
42 Many also among the leaders believed in him, but they were not confessing him because of the Pharisees, lest they would end up outside of the synagogue. 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
The story was the same among the religious leaders. Many of them came to believe that he was the Messiah, sent by God, but they would not trust in him. What Jesus had said in verse 25 applies here as well "Whoever loves his life shall destroy it." Their lives were good and they loved them.
As Christians we know we shouldn't love the world or our lives in the world. I think we tell ourselves that we are prepared to give it all up for Jesus. But I wonder if some people deceive themselves. It's easy to say we would give up everything for someone we were certain was the Messiah. That wasn't the case here though.
I often think there are a lot of Christians, who, if Jesus appeared in scrubby jeans and a T-shirt, would reject him. They've come to expect him to look and act a certain way. It was the same way for the people of Jesus' time. They had a bunch of mistaken ideas about the Messiah. As a result they rejected him.
The experiences of Christian persecution show that some people are driven away by the persecution but that there is a core who are prepared to lose their lives in service to him.
44 But Yeshua cried and said, "Whoever trusts in me, trusts not in me, but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who has sent me. 46 I, the Light, have come to the world, that no one who believes in me shall abide in darkness. 47 And whoever hears my words and does not keep them, I am not judging him, for I have come, not to judge the world, but to give life to the world. 48 Whoever rejects me and does not receive my words has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, that shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken from myself, but The Father who sent me, he gave me commandments, what I will say and what I will utter. 50 I know that his commandments are eternal life, therefore, these things which I am speaking, just as the Father tells me, thus I speak."
Jesus laments their lack of trust in him. He says that trusting in him is not just trusting in him but in the Father who sent him. He also returns to his theme of walking in the light while the light is with them. This time he explicitly states that he is the light, though his audience earlier had probably figured out what he meant.
Jesus also makes some important points about his role. In the first coming he did not come to judge the people for their sins nor to judge those who reject him, but he came to give them a way to eternal life. He says a time will come, "in the last day", when there will be judgment. At that time his words will be the judge but not because they are his words but because they are the words that the Father gave him to speak. The book of Revelation talks more about this judgment and says that the Father is the judge on judgment day.
Jesus says that the words he has spoken are also eternal life. The Father has commanded him to speak them that eternal life might be offered to all people
These two paintings from the 1300s have an error in common. What is it?
There was nothing kingly about Jesus appearance yet these artists depict him dressed like a king
and his disciples dressed in fine clothes. In modern times Christians complain about Hollywood not being factual in its
movies about the Bible. The problem didn't start with Hollywood.
You may have noticed Jesus hand sign in both pictures. "It emerged as a sign of blessing in
early Christian and Byzantine art. The sign was originally derived from a symbol used in Roman art to indicate
speaking."1
In this lesson we have learned that it was necessary for the Israelites to choose a flawless, male lamb at the prime of its life to be their Passover lamb. We also learned that it was also necessary for them to choose Jesus, who was all of these, as their Passover lamb.
We also learned that Jesus was very focused on how little time he had left to teach and to heal his people. He continued to try to build their faith in him.
Most people, including some of the religious leaders, believed he was the savior, sent from God, and their King. They were mostly, however, unable to trust in him. They were unwilling to give up their lives to follow him. Instead they wanted proof but Jesus wanted faith.
We need to watch our own attachments to our lives in the world. It is easy to say "I'm ready to give up everything" but are we really ready?
Jesus did not come to judge but to offer a way of salvation. When he comes again he will also not come to judge. In "the last day" the Father will judge
1 http://art-history.yoexpert.com/art-history-general/what-is-the-significance-of-christ-s-hand-gesture-5016.html