OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS SON COMPANIONS TO WALK WITH

The book of John chapter 1 verses 35 - 42 records the calling of the first disciples to Jesusˋ ministry.

The day after John had baptised Jesus, Jesus was in the area and again John declared the Jesus was the Lamb of God and two of Johnˋs disciples heard him and they left Johnˋs ministry and followed Jesus. One of these disciples was Andrew.

35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”

39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

Andrew, having heard John the baptist say that Jesus was the Lamb of God immediately followed Jesus and went to where He was staying and hung out with Him until about 4 in the afternoon. He then went to find his own brother whose name was Simon and Andrew told him that they had found the Messiah and brought him to where Jesus was.

Jesus, upon seeing Simon, changed his name to Peter which means ˋa stoneˋ.

Thus the group of disciples began to grow until it reached 12 core members.

Amen.

8

OUR FATHER WHO REVEALED HIS SON TO THE WORLD THROUGH JOHN THE BAPTIST

John chapter 1 verses 29 - 34 says this;

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who [k]is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ 31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”

32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

amen.

4

 OUR FATHER WHO SENT A VOICE AHEAD TO PREPARE A WAY FOR OUR GOD

John chapter 1 verses 19 - 29 captures the confrontation between the religious leaders and John the Baptist.

John the Baptistˋs emergence confounded the religious class at the time because he was proclaiming spiritual rite of repentance through baptism and so they sent priests and Levites to him to find out who he was and get an explanaton for what he was doing.

They asked John the Baptist if he was the Messiah and he denied that. They then asked him if he was Elijah who had pre-figured baptism in the scriptures and John denied that as well. They asked him if he was 'the prophet' to which John said ˋNoˋ.

The prophet is this case is a reference from Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse - 18, which says, "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers".

The identity of this prophet is Jesus who was called a prophet by the woman at the well in the book of John chapter 4 verse 19;

The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.

Our passage for today reads this way;

20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?”

And he answered, “No.”

22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Those who had aproached John the Baptist to question him exhausted the options that they had considered and so they asked him to tell them who he was and he told them that he was the one sent to prepare the way for the prophet (spoken of by Moses) and the Messiah (spoken of by the prophet  Isaiah and the other prophets). This role is captured in Isaiah chapter 40 verse which says;

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHOSE SON WAS THE EXACT REPRESENTATION OF HIMSELF

The book of John chapter 1 verses 16 - 18 says this;

16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

This passage is easier to understand in the Amplified version;

16 For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]. 17 For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God [His essence, His divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him [and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father].

The Apostle John wrote of the experience that they had with the One of whom John the Baptist bore witness.

John describes being innundated with grace being poured upon grace out of the abundance of the Messiah Jesus Christ who, being in intimate connection with the  Father, was able to reveal the nature of God the Father to those listened to Him.

Whereas Moses brought the instrument of law by which favor was earned by obedience to it, the Messiah Jesus brought the instrument of grace and truth which made available the unearned and undeserved favor to us all.

Amen.

8

OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS SON TO SAVE THE WORLD

The book of John chapter 1 verse 15 captures the reaction of John the Baptist when his ministry intersected the life of the Lord Jesus on the side of the river Jordan. 

15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

John had been pre-alerted to some specifications of what the encounter with the awaited Messiah would be like and one day, while John was going about his ministry of preaching repentance and baptising people, Jesus arrived at that location and John saw the signs that he was in the presence of the One for whom he was sent to herald.

John the Baptist broadcast the news that Jesus was indeed the One of whom he had been saying would be coming after him who would be preeminent because He prexisted John even though John had been born before Him.

John positively identified Jesus on the shore of the Jordan River as the awaited One.

Amen.

4 

 OUR FATHER WHOSE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON CAME TO LIVE AMONG US

In chapter 1 verse 14 of his gospel, the Apostle John tells us that the divine eternal Word of God who was at the beginning of creation and through whom everything that exists was made, became a physical man and lived in their midst.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John marvels at how he and and his fellow disciples and other people around them actually set eyes on the One who was the only begotten Son of the Father and they saw His glory and they experienced Him to be full of grace and truth.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE THE WORLD

John chapter 1 verses 10 - 13 is the executive summary of the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John tells us in this elemental passage that the creator of the world came to the world but He was not unrecognizable to the world for who He was. 

There was a set of people kept aside from all the people of the world to be His people who should have recieved Him into the world but they did not recieve Him.

When the officialdom of His people rejected Him, the gates were opened so that anyone who recieved Him by believing in Him were given the right to become children of God.

And those who did recieve Him were born as children of God. This birth was not biological nor intentioned by the flesh nor by the mind of man but born of God.

The apostle John wrote on this spiritual re-birth in more detail in John chapter 3 verses 3 - 8 which says;

3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

A teacher of Israel named Nicodemus came to Jesus seeking insight into His teachings and it is here that Jesus articulated the concept of being born again of the Spirit of God and becoming the children of God.

Amen.

12

OUR FATHER SENT A WITNESS TO THE LIGHT

The book of John chapter 1 verses 6 - 9 tells us of the ministry of John the Baptist who was sent to identify the One who was the light.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

John was stationed in such a way that when the One who was the light arrived at that location, John would recognize Him as the One and would declare that He was the awaited light of the world.

Amen.

12

OUR FATHER WHOSE SON IS OUR CREATOR AND OUR SAVIOUR

To begin our study of the book of the Gospel of John, letˋs start with the first five verses in chapter 1 within which the maginifcent declaration of the eternal and divine status of the Lord Jesus Christ and His covert mission to the earth to rescue men out of the clutches of the kingdom of darkness.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The first verse defines an entity named the ˋWordˋ who was at the beginning of the creation of eveything and who was with the supreme deity and who was the supreme deity.

The second verse gives this deity a singular masculine pronoun and tells us that He was alongside the supreme deity at the creation of everything.

The third verse tells us that everything that was created was made through Him (by His agency)  and nothing in existence came to be without Him.

The fourth verse tells us that this divine being was life itself and it was this life that was a beacon for mankind who sat in darkness. 

The fifth verse then tells us that into the realm which men inhabit, the deity shines as a beacon to summon men out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9 ) and light was smuggled into the world in such a way that the kingdom of darkness could not understand or inteprete what was going on in order to prevent the light from plundering the darkness.

The gospel of John, in telling us the story of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus, reveals to us how the One who was life itself dwelt among us on the earth and launched an outpost of the kingdom of light in the midst of darkness.

Amen.

8

 OUR FATHER WHO SENT HIS SON TO SAVE THE WORLD

The end of the book of Matthew brings us to the great commission where the Lord Jesus met with His disciples in Galilee. Matthew chapter 28 verses 16 - 20 says this;

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 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.

The Lord, appeared to His followers at the appointed location and they worshiped Him. The text mentions that some of His followers doubted. This could be because Jesus did not look like what they expected and so they were not confident that they were actually interacting with the ressurected Lord.

The Lord declared to them that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him and so every executive and adminstrative strand of power were in His hands.

This occured when Jesus ascended after the ressurection to the right hand of God the Father and He was made preeminent over all creation when He was installed as king over Zion as Psalm  2 verse 6 says;

“Yet as for Me, I have anointed and firmly installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

The Lord then His people to go to all nations of the earth and make disciples of them and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and to teach them to follow His commands.

To this charge, Jesus added that He would be with His disciples every step of the way and would be alongside them bringing His power and authority to bear in the fulfilment of the work of the great harvest.

Amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD

The perplexed but elated women ran to report these things and they met Jesus who said to them ˋRejoice!ˋ.

And they held Jesus by the feet and worshiped Him and the women were instructed to go and tell the disciples to go to Galilee where He would be seen by them.

Meanwhile, the guard detail that had been posted to watch the tomb travelled back into Jerusalem and reported to the chief priests what had happened at the grave site.

The circumstances, having changed to make the exaltation of the Lord Jesus among the people more likely, forced the chief priests to change tack from trying to prevent the disciples from stealing Jesusˋ body to spreading information that the disciples had indeed stolen Jesusˋ body.

Matthew chapter 28 verse 9 - 15 records the reaction of the chief priests to the ressurection of the Lord Jesus this way;

9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Even a startling event like the ressurection could not bring the religious leaders ( who were guardians of the religious traditions of the children of Israel ) to reconsider their stance on who Jesus was. Instead, they worked to cover up the news of what happened at the burial site where Jesusˋ body was placed and many people were blocked from faith in Jesus by the cover-up story that the religious leaders propagated and that cover-up is still active to this day.

4

 

OUR FATHER WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD

As we reach the last chapter of the book of Matthew, we see the record of Mary Magdalene and another person named Mary coming early in the morning to the tomb where Jesus was buried.

An earthquake struck the area which was predicated by the arrival of an angel from heaven to roll back the stone that blocked the entrance to the grave.

The guards posted by the religious leaders witnessed the angelˋs apearance and they collapsed into unconciousness.

The angel addressed the women as the arrived and told them not to be afraid because he knew that they had come to look for the crucified Jesus but that Jesus had risen from the dead. The angel invited the women to look into the tomb to verify that Jesus was not there and then to go and tell the disciples that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead.

The angel also told the women to let the disciples know that Jesus would be going ahead of them to Galilee and they would see Him there.

The women were elated at the astonishing news and they ran to bring the news to the disciples.

Matthew chapter 28 verses 1 - 8 reads this way;

1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.

5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”

8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

Amen and amen.

4

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS ONLY SON 

Matthew chapter 27 verses 62 - 66 captured the machinations of the religious leaders the morning after Jesusˋ death.

They wanted to take precautions to prevent the followers of Jesus from stealing Jesusˋ body and then claiming that He had risen from the dead as He had said would happen.  They were afraid that if this happened, the reverence of Jesus would be perpetuated to the detriment of the traditional religious establishment.

They went to Pilate and requested that he decree that the body of Jesus be secured by posting a guard over the tomb that Jesusˋ was placed in.

62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, 63 saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.”

65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

Pilate did not share the concerns of the religious leaders because he was not threatened by the possible theft of Jesusˋ body. He therefore refused to send his own guards to watch over the tomb but told the religious leaders to post their own guards and secure the tomb to their own satisfaction.

The prevention of the theft of Jesusˋ body was now in the purview of the chief priests and the pharisees.

4

 OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS ONLY SON TO DIE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD

Matthew chapter 27 verses 57 - 61 records the burial of Jesus;

57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. 59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus took on the responsibility of burying the Lordˋs body and he requested permission from Pilate to take the body. 

Once granted, Joseph went to cross that Jesus was on and took it down and wrapped it in clean linen. He had a new tomb that he had cut into bedrock for himself and he laid Jesusˋ body in it and rolled a large stone over the entryway to the tomb. Mary Magdalene and another Mary were there during the placement of Jesusˋ body and as such, knew which tomb it was when they would come later to visit the tomb.

Have mercy on us O God.

4

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS SON AS A SACRIFICE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD

Matthew chapter 27 verses 45 - 56 records the last few minutes of Jesusˋ life;

45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

55 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

While the Lord Jesus hung on the cross, a strange darkness lingered over the land from noon to 3:00 pm and at about 3:00 pm, the Lord, His body failing quickly, cried out the first words of Psalm 22 when He said, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Psalm 22 verse 3 prophetically reveals Jesusˋ fortitude while His body approached the point of failure by recording His thoughts of reverence towards God even though He was now reaching the agonizing end of His life;

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. 

Some witness were trying to understand what He was saying while others were tried to offer Him some of the bitter vinegar. Others were scornful and remained close by to see if Jesus was going to be saved supernaturally.

With total heart faiure imminent, Jesus mustered the last of His strength and cried out in a loud voice and released His spirit and bowed His head in death.

A sequence of highly unusual events tooks place imediately after Jesus died;

1. The veil over the holiest part of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom
2. A great earthquake occured
3. Rocks around the are split into two pieces which opened up sealed graves
4. Saints who had died and were burried, arose from the dead went into Jerusalem
5. The saints who rose from the dead showed themselves to people in the city

The strange events that occured when Jesus died scared the soldiers charged with guarding and executing Him. They were able to recognize that the particular crucifixion that had just concluded was diferent from all the others they had done. They declared that the death of the man who died on the cross was so markedly different that He must have been the Son of God as He claimed even though He was being mocked for saying so.

This passage also gives a roll call of the women who had stayed close by and ministered to Jesus up to the time of His death;

1. Mary Magdalene
2. Mary the mother of James and Joses (Joseph)
3. The mother of James and John Zebedee.

Have mercy on us O God.

8

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS SON AS A SACRIFICE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD

In Matthew chapter 27 verses 32 - 43, the Lord Jesus, having been scourged and then handed over to be crucified, was now in a physically weakened state and so a man from Cyrene (which is a port city in the the area of modern day Lybia) was shanghaied into carrying a cross for Jesus until they reached the site of crucifixion at a place called Golgotha.

He was nailed to the cross and lifted up so that the distress to His body would cause a gradual descent into death as His organs failed one by one.

As dehydration set in, Jesus asked for a drink and they gave him a bitter liquid on a sponge to drink but after he tasted it, He could not drink. This is a reflection of Psalm 69 verses 20 - 21 which describes the sour liquid they offered Jesus but also describes the mockery that was leveled at Jesus as He hung on the spikes that held Him to the cross;

20 Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. 21 They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

Our passage in Matthew which describes the scene of Jesusˋ suffering on the cross, reads this way;

32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. 33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.

35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”

36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.

39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. 

As He suffered, the Romans gambled for His clothing which is captured in Psalm 22 verse 18 which reads;

They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

The people who were witnessing the events were many of same people whom he had taught about the kingdom of God and righteousness but they mocked Him and used His words to jeer at Him and they challenged Him to free Himself from the cross since He claimed to be the Son of God and they reasoned that if He were truly from God, God would save Him from the cross.

This too was foretold in the twenty-second Psalm from verse 6 to verse 8 which reads;

6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.

8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

The Lord hung in this deteriorating condition of dehydration and shock for about 3 hours. His breathing became more laboured and His heart started to beat faster and faster trying to distribute oxygenated blood around the body but was increasingly unable to keep up.

The Lordˋs death was approaching.

Have mercy on us O God.

24

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS ONLY SON TO PAY FOR OUR SINS

Matthew chapter 27 verses 15 - 26 records the how the Roman court responded the claims being made against Jesus by the religious leaders of Israel.

It was a tradition in Judea at that time for the governor to release one prisoner back to the people on the day of the feast and so, Pontius Pilate, having diserned that it was envy that had motivated the chief priests to bring Jesus before him, wanted to give them a choice between letting Jesus go and releasing a dangerous criminal named Barnabas.

Pilate believed that the priests, even though they felt that Jesus was outclassing them in the eyes of the people of Israel, would rather have Jesus in their midst than have Barnabas released into to their community. Pilate was wrong.

He had not correctly anticipated how verciforous the religious leaders were going to be in their pursuit of Jesusˋ death and even though he knew Jesus was innocent and even his own wife came to him to warn him to leave Jesus alone because she had been disturbed by dreams she had about Him, Pilate ultimately caved to the intense pressure that was brought to bear against Jesus demanding that He be crucified.

15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude to one prisoner whom they wished. 16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.

19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!”

22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”

23 Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”

24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”

25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”

26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

The Roman governor, realizing that the chief priests were going to go to all ends,   including starting a riot in the city get Jesus crucified, yielded to them. He took water and before all of Jesusˋ accusers, washed his hands of the blood of the Jesus and they all accepted the responsibility for the death of an innocent man saying that ˋHis blood would be upon them and their children.ˋ

Having subjected Jesus to a scourging, Pontius Pilate release Jesus into the hands of the priests who then took the  innocent lamb of God and sacrified Him on the cross out side the city walls.

The majestic phrophecy of Isaiah chapter 53 verses 3 - 8 fortold this sequence of events from the rejection of Jesusˋministry, His intense suffering, His bruising and scourging, His unjust sentence of death, His abandonment by His friends and His expulsion from the city and the sacrfice of His life by execution;

3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.

Have mercy on us O God.

8

OUR FATHER WHO LAID UPON JESUS THE SINS OF THE WORLD

Matthew chapter 27 verses 11 - 14 which records when Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate the Roman governor. 

The strategy the religious leaders of Isreal planned to use against Jesus was to dump a large number of charges against Him before the Roman court and then use public pressure to get Pontius Pilate to acquiece to their demands to have Jesus killed.

Pontius Pilate, wanting to acertain what identity Jesus was claiming for Himself, asked Him directly if He was the king of Jews.  To this question, Jesus answered,  ˋIt is as you sayˋ but He reverted to silence when the religious leaders of Israel introduced a litany of accusations against Him.

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”rges

Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Jesus remained quiet as the barrage of indictiments were leveled against Him in keeping with the prophecy in Isaiah chapter 53 verse 7 which says;

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Jesus did not refute the charges they were pressing against Him and accepted them in the same way that He was accepting the sins of mankind that were laid on Him as His own even though He had not inccured them.

Thus the Lord Jesus did not speak in His own defense but set Himself up to take the fall for us all as Isaiah chapter 53 verse 6 says,

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Have mercy on us O god.

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OUR FATHER WHO KNOWS THE END FROM THE BEGINNING

Matthew chaa

pter 27 verses 3 - 10 breaks away from the main narrative to record the actions of Judas after he had betrayed Jesus and had seen what was happening as a result.

Judas had interacted with the religious leaders beforehand and they had offered him thirty pieces of silver ( about $500 USD ) if he helped them track down Jesus in a secluded area so that they could discreetly arrest him.

He, maybe naively, thought that the religious leaders wanted to question Him or expel Him from the city but at the trial the next morning, Jesus was condemed to death for blasphemy and was taken to the Roman governor in order to get the sentence of death sanctioned.

Not having understood the intentions of the religious leaders, Judas was horrified that the sentence of death was being sought and in remorse, he went back to the chief priests and elders of Israel to repent for accepting their offer. When they rebuffed his attempt to rescind his transaction, he threw the silver back at them and went and hanged himself seeing that there was no pathway out of the mess of transacting in the blood of an innocent man that he was now permanently linked to.

3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, 10 and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

The religious leaders, seeing that the silver as back in their possesion, had to decide what to do with it because it could no longer go back into general funds because of the purpose for which it had been withdrawn.

One of the pressing issues at the time was that when people died while in Jerusalem and remained unclaimed, there was nowhere allocated to bury them and so the religious leaders decided to use the silver to buy an available plot of land that was owned by a potter. If the potter used it to get clay for making pots,  it was probably not good for other uses like agriculture so it was on the market for a low price and the thirty pieces of silver was enough to purchase it.

Matthew, in verses 9 - 10, referenced the foretelling of this unusually specific occurance by the prophet Jeremiah by name and the prophet Zechariah by text.

Jeremiah chapter 19 verses 1 - 4;

1 This is what the Lord says: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take along some of the elders of the people and of the priests 2 and go out to the Valley of Ben Hinnom, near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. There proclaim the words I tell you, 3 and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and people of Jerusalem. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Listen! I am going to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. 

4 For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned incense in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent

Zechariah chapter 11 verse 12 - 13;

12 Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. 14Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

Have mercy on us O God.

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OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS ONLY SON TO SAVE US

As the working day started that morning, the Lord Jesus was still in the custody of the chief priests of Israel 

A meeting was held by the religious leaders to discuss what steps to take now that they had Jesus in their hands.  They wanted to put Him to death but under Roman law, they could not do so unless a Roman court condemned Jesus.

They strategized how they would manipulate the system to make sure that they could have Jesus killed as soon as possible.

Having settled on a plan of action, they retrieved Jesus from their holds, tied Him up hand and foot and took Him to Pontious Pilate who was the Roman governor in authority over Judea at the time.

The Messiah sent by God to the people of Israel was rejected by His own people and was presented to a gentile ruler for judgement.

Matthew chapter 7 verses 1 - 2 records the begining of the manipulation of the system starting with binding Jesus with fetters so that He looked like a dangerous criminal when He appeared before Pilate.

1 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. 2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

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OUR FATHER WHO TRANSFORMS HIS PEOPLE BY HIS SPIRIT

As the Lord Jesus was being questioned, harangued and abused in Ciaphasˋ palace, the disciple Peter was waiting in the courtyard to see what was going to happen to Jesus when in quick succession, three different people confronted him with the fact that he seemed to be one of the accomplices of Jesus. 

Peter, having pledged to the Lord Jesus that he would never deny Him even to the point of death, suddenly found himself under pressure and fear overwhelmed him and he instinctively distanced himself from Jesus using curses and swearing to provide camouflage for himself by seeming to be from a crass underword culture rather than an associate of a righteous prophet.

Matthew chapter 26 verses 69 - 75 captures these interactions thusly.

69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”

74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. 

75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

When Peter had devolved to instinctual behaviour three times, a rooster crowed as morning was breaking and Peter realized that in the face of personal danger, he had denied Jesus in public three times even though a few hours before, he had been boldly proclaiming that he would steadfastly stand alongside Jesus.

This brought Peter to a crisis where he had a sudden loss of confidence in himself and he wept bitterly at the realization that he had been weak and like a reed, was easily blown around by the wind.

Later on, after Jesus had risen from the dead, the same Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, was a new man. He was now very courageous and when he himself was arrested and brought before the religious and civic authorities for propagating  a new message of the risen Jesus and healing people, he declared to their faces that they had rejected the Son of God who was the Messiah whom they purported to be waiting for and as such, were now obsolete vestiges of a by-gone era. This example of Peter's transformation is found in the book of Acts chapter 4 verses 10 - 13;

10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,

   which has become the cornerstone.’

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

The transforming power of Jesus dramatically changed Simon to Peter, a reed to a rock.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS SON TO SAVE US

Matthew chapter 26 verses 57 - 68 records the events that followed the Lord Jesusˋ arrest where they took him to Caiaphasˋ house who was the high priest that year.

(The book of John chapter 18 records that they first stopped that the house of Annas who was the high priestˋs father-in-law who then sent Jesusˋ onto to Caiaphasˋhouse.)

Peter (and another disciple per John 18) followed behind the arresting detachment to see what was going to happen to Jesus.

57 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61 and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”

62 And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”

64 Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His blasphemy! 66 What do you think?”

They answered and said, “He is deserving of death.”

67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”

During the questioning of Jesus, false witnesses appeared to testify against Jesus but there were no credible testmonies until two witnesses presented the fact that they heard Jesus say that He was able to destroy the temple and rebuild it three days.

Through the questioning, Jesus was silent but when the high priest, putting Jesus under oath, asked Jesus directly if He was the Christ, the Son of God.

To this Jesus answered that He was indeed who Caiaphas was asking if He was hand further to that, He would been see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.

This astounding statement by Jesus where He described His future position on the throne of God and His ultimate return to earth in glory scandalized the participants in the trial and they settled that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy and worthy of death.

Once they had determined among themselves that Jesus was guilty, they felt free to degrade Him and they began spitting on His face and striking Him and mocking His claim to be the Christ.

Because Israel was under the control of the Roman Empire at that time, the leaders of Israel had no power to impose capital punishment on anyone and so in order to have Jesus killed, they would have to take Jesus to the Roman authorities to have Him tried in Roman courts so that they could legally have Him put to death and thus the narataive will take us to the palace of the Roman governor of Judea named Pontius Pilate.

4

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS ONLY SON

Judas Iscariot, knowing that Jesus and the disciples would be on the mount of Olives in the garden called Gethsemane, led the enforcers from the chief priests and the elders up to where Jesus was, and indicated who their quarry was by using the prearranged signal of a kiss.

When the enforcers arrested Jesus, Peter the disciple, in a frantic response, grabbed a sword and cut off the ear of the high priestˋs servant. 

Jesus, now under arrest, spoke to His followers not to resist with their weapons because a kingdom sustained by weapons would ultimately die by weapons.

He attempted to assure the disciples that even at that time, he could have asked the Father to make twelve legions of angels available to defend them from the authorities but what was happening was the fulfillment of scripture.

He asked the arresting officers why they had come to take Him in the night when He was with them all day long in the temple. He answered His own question by stating that the fulfillment of prophecy was shaping the sequence of events and the long prophecied 

The disciples who had been with Him, suddenly lost heart and abandoned Jesus in the hands of His captors fulfilling the prophecy of Zecharia chapter 13 verse 7 which said;

ˋStrike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scatteredˋ

Matthew chapter 26 verses 47 - 56 captures when the Lord Jesus was given into the hands of sinners and reads this way;

47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?”

Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. 51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?”

55 In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. 56 But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”

Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

And thus Jesusˋ ordeal began with Him alone and engulfed in the ranks of His enemies.

 Psalm 17 verses 8 - 12 foretold the moment of arrest from Jesusˋ point of view as He prayed to His Father to keep Him in the apple of His eye.

                    Keep me as the apple of your eye;

    hide me in the shadow of your wings

9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,

    from my mortal enemies who surround me.

10 They close up their callous hearts,

    and their mouths speak with arrogance.

11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,

    with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,

    like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

What a great price our Lord paid for us.

4

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS ONLY SON TO SAVE THE WORLD

 Matthew chapter 26 verses 36 - 46 says this;

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

The Lord Jesus, knowing the difficulty of what was to come, was in distress and He asked His three close disciples to be with Him while He prayed.

He fell on His face before the Father and asked Him, if it were possible, to let the cup of intense suffering to pass from Him but He said to the Father that He would submit to the Fatherˋs will.

Jesus travailed for an hour and when He checked His three disciples, they were asleep. He advised them to pray so that they could avoid entering temptation for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

The Lord prayed in sorrow for three hours but at each hour, He returned to find His disciples sleeping. 

On the third hour, Jesus returned and announced to them that the time had come for Him to be betrayed into the hands of sinners and they should get going for the betrayer was getting close.

The Lord Jesus, set His face to flint and with resolve, went to surrender Himself into the hands of the authorities who were seeking to kill Him.

And so the passion of the Christ began.

Amen.

12

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS ONLY SON

After their last supper,  The Lord Jesus, in Matthew chapter 26 verses 31 - 35, prophesied to His disciples that it was not only Judas who would stumble that evening but rather all of them. 

31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

‘I will strike the Shepherd,

And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are [g]made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”

34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

And so said all the disciples.

In this passage, the Lord Jesus referenced Zechariah chapter 13 verse 7 which reads this way;

“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.

Locked into the scriptures written centuries before, was the behaviour of the disciples when their leader was arrested and taken for trial.

The Lord of Hosts, calling the weapon of the state against His Shepherd, a man whom He named His companion (a glimpse into the nature of Jesus being One who was alongside God the Father ), foretells that the sheep would scatter.

When Jesus said this to His disciples, the apostle Peter declared that he would never deny Jesus but Jesus, to make a point that the scriptures cannot be broken, described the specific circumstances (a cock crowing three times) that would surround Peterˋs denial to which Peter replied that he would not deny Jesus even to the point of death.

The other disciples also made the same profession but the scriptures were indeed unbreakable and within a few hours, the disciples were scattered when Jesus was apprehended by the authorities in the garden of Gethsemene.

If a non-metaphoric shepard were to be struck, real sheep would scatter and so it was not against nature that the disciples were prophecied to scatter in the face of an attack on their master. 

When Jesus ressurected and the disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, they no longer had the nature of sheep but rather the nature of their master and they boldly testified about Jesus in the face of the ones who had plotted His death.

Amen.

4