Episode 118 - Born to Give Them Second Birth - Make Way for The King Part 6

 We hope  this series, is making you think more deeply about our Savior as we go through the Advent season!  We’re less than a week away from the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth, but we wouldn’t be celebrating His birth if we didn’t have reason to celebrate His death, which is what we’re diving into today! Jesus and the Apostles traveled around a lot during His three-year ministry. But there eventually came a point when He did turn to head back to Jerusalem, knowing He was going to die. In this episode, we delve into Jesus' last week on earth, the Last Supper and Jesus' Crucifixion - some of the most heart wrenching and glorious passages in all of Scripture!

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Transcript

Episode 118 - Born to Give Them Second Birth

           Welcome back! It seems like we’re speeding through this series on the life of Jesus! Although we’ve barely scratched the surface of several aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry, we hope you’re enjoying this series, and that it’s making you think more deeply about our Savior as we go through the Advent season! 

We’re less than a week away from the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth, but we wouldn’t be celebrating His birth if we didn’t have reason to celebrate His death, which is what we’re diving into today! Jesus and the Apostles traveled around a lot during His three-year ministry. But there eventually came a point when He did turn to head back to Jerusalem, knowing He was going to die. Luke 9:51 says, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Some versions say Jesus “resolutely” set out for Jerusalem. He knew was going to be killed. It’s what He came for.  Jesus dying on the cross for the forgiveness of sin was always the plan of our Triune God.

The plan for Jesus to die was God’s plan, but it providentially came about through decisions of wicked men. One of the means to them making these decisions was when Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, got sick and died. t Jesus tells the disciples, “Let’s go back to Judaea.” When they get there, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, and that really causes a ruckus. Raising Lazarus caused many of the Jews to believe in Jesus! Which, of course, worries the Jewish leaders! According to John 11:48, they were worried that if they kept letting Jesus go on as He had been, “everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

The group of Jewish leaders at the time was called the Sanhedrin. They were a group of 70 men made up of Pharisees and Sadducees, plus the high priest – who was appointed by the Roman government during Jesus’ time. The Roman government was definitely in charge, but for the Jews, the Sanhedrin got to make many of the decisions – both spiritual and legal. But under the Romans, they were not allowed to put anyone to death. That is why they had to take Jesus before Pilate if they wanted Him dead. They couldn’t do it themselves. 

Now there were some of the Sanhedrin who were legitimately concerned over losing the ability to worship properly, because when they say they’re worried about losing their “place” they likely mean the temple. But for many of them (surprise, surprise) they’re worried about it for selfish reasons - the Romans taking away “their place and their nation” would change their whole way of life! The Romans could take away their power and their rights. 

And a Sadducee named Caiaphas, who was the high priest then, makes a statement that actually was a prophecy (although he doesn’t know it does). He says it is “better that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” (John 11:50) From that day on, the Sanhedrin conspired to have Jesus killed. Their plans fulfilled the God’s purposes from before the foundation of the world. The plan was always for Jesus to die for His people.    

Six days before Passover, Jesus makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on the colt of a donkey to shouts of “Hosanna!” meaning “O Save!”  The people cover the road in front of Him with their coats and palm branches – a symbol of Jewish nationalism and victory. And they recognize Jesus as the Messiah from David’s line. What they don’t realize is that He didn’t come to be a political savior. For the next several days, Jesus continues teaching and healing. During that week, He goes into the Temple and turns over the tables in the outer court angrily rebuking the pharisees for their corruption. Not only was Jesus angry about detestable practices was going on, He was angry that they were taking up the court where the Gentiles would have to worship. He keeps getting questioned by the Pharisees and Sadducees who are trying to trap him. They had to try to find a way to have Jesus killed, without upsetting the people because according to Matthew 21:46 and Mark 12:12, they were afraid of starting a riot.

And then, they get an answer to their dilemma. Luke 22:3-6 tells us, “Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.”

We’ve already talked about Judas Iscariot in the episode “A Thrill of Hope the Weary Soul Rejoices,” but he’s a big part of the Scriptures covering the Last Supper, and there’s something that has to do with Judas being included in that meal that we need to address – the popular saying: “Judas ate too.” “Jesus knew, but Judas ate too.”  Or “Jesus fed Judas too.” While those are all true statements, the implied meaning of it when people say it may be totally off. We don’t want to take a lot of time on this, but one of the things we do here at Proverbs 9:10 is “take out the trash of false teaching and replace it with biblical truth” so let’s do that.

A lot of people are getting that saying (or some version of it) tattooed on themselves or using it in their teachings – sometimes even in sermons. I think this saying was first a blog post. I’ll read part: “He goes into that room with His disciples. He knows He is going to be betrayed. He knows it is Judas who will turn against him. He knows that He has been sold out for a handful of silver. Stabbed in the back by one He has poured His life into. Yet, in that room, hours before the death of Jesus, Judas ate too. Jesus fed Judas too. Jesus prayed for Judas too. Jesus washed Judas’ feet too. I struggle to fathom that kind of love. A love that would feed the mouth that deceived you. A love that would wash the treasonous feet of the traitor. A love that could forgive even the vilest of betrayals. I honestly struggle to comprehend it. And then, suddenly, I realize that I’m Judas. And in that moment, I’m so thankful & altogether overwhelmed that Judas ate too.”

I tried to wrap my head around why people would tattoo this on themselves or why it seems to give them the “warm fuzzies” when they think about it. The answer that seems to be swirling around is that Judas eating too is an ‘amazing promise that should give us hope’ or another example, ‘Jesus showed “unconditional love” and we should be thankful because we are Judases to’. But Rose, if we’re believers, we’re not Judases – we are Peters! Like we said in “A Thrill of Hope”: Judas was not saved. Judas never repented of his sin; Peter did. 

God uses the wicked to work out His plans as well as the righteous. Judas had a mission to fulfill. He fulfilled prophecy, Zechariah 11:12-13 and Psalm 41:9 which says, “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heal against me.” The prophetic nature of the fulfillment is confirmed in Acts 1:16, “the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.”

     Judas wasn’t of the elect. We’ll see evidence of that as we read some of the accounts of the meal, which we’re getting to now. The Gospel accounts each give us some extra details of the Last Supper that the others don’t, so we’ll read parts from more than one, starting with Matthew 26:20-25. “When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

     Let’s stop and take note of a few things in this passage. First, Jesus says it would’ve been better for the betrayer to have never been born, and He says “Woe to that man.” Woe in the Bible is mostly tied to sin and rebellion against God. It’s exclamation of judgment. Next, notice that all the Apostles address Jesus as “Lord” except Judas Iscariot … he says “Rabbi”, which means “teacher” – not much different than people today who say Jesus was a great teacher, but they never claim Him as Lord of their life. And, third, Jesus tells Judas that he’s the betrayer.

John’s Gospel tells us that the Apostles wanted to know who the betrayer was, and when asked, Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.  Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” (John 13:26-27) 

Another aspect of the Last Supper is about foot washing. John 13:2-15 says, “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.  He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”  Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”  Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”  For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 

Lots of stuff packed in here. First of all, Jesus teaches and demonstrates servant leadership by washing their feet. But that’s not all that’s happening. Foot washing is a picture of washing away of sins. Belief in Jesus’ death on the cross in our place for forgiveness of sins covers all of our sin for all time. But we still go on sinning because we’re not totally sanctified. We still need that conviction by the Holy Spirit that leads to repentance that comes through the “washing of water” by the Word of God – something that we should be doing ourselves by reading and studying. But Jesus tells them in verses 12-14 to do likewise to each other. We should be helping other believers wash with the word, like it says in Ephesians 5:25-26, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,” or Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

This foot washing example and the instructions that go with it also show what the new covenant is going to look like under Jesus’ rule. Jesus taught to love your enemies. Here, Jesus washes Judas’ feet – after Judas had already been prompted by Satan to plot against Jesus and betray him.  As we said in Episode 115 “A Thrill of Hope the Weary Soul Rejoices,” Jesus knows all of this … He says “he knows who He chose.” It was no surprise to Jesus that Judas betrayed Him. 

It wasn’t. Judas is contrasted with Peter who also denies Jesus, but who turns in repentance – something Jesus also knew and told Peter about before Peter denied Him. Like we said already, there’s a contrast – Jesus knows about both. Judas never repents of his sin, and eventually feels remorse, but it never leads to repentance. Peter, just as Jesus said would happen, feels sorrow and turns in repentance. One more thing about Jesus serving Judas, even to the point of washing his feet….. Jesus fulfilled the Law perfectly. He never sinned. He taught loving your enemies, and He lived what He taught. I’ve read people speculating if He twisted Judas’ ankle a bit while doing it. The answer is NO. He was without sin. I would say …. STOP speculating. 

Believers should take Judas as a warning, not as a warm fuzzy. He’s an example of apostacy. He’s an example of 1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” Judas was part of Jesus’ ministry, and yet he wasn’t truly saved. We don’t see anything in Scripture saying that when he went out with the others that he didn’t proclaim the Gospel, or that he didn’t heal anyone, or that he didn’t do any of the good things the others did. He looked the same as the other 11 from the outside, but he wasn’t; as we get glimpses of in Scripture, like that he’s a thief. But those around him didn’t have that info. For believers, we quote Paul all the time and we’ll do it again – examine yourself. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. 

Good point. We have lots of Judas’ in the pulpits today. They’re very similar to Judas in some ways … lovers of money, hand in the till, stealing money from the church they pastor to get things for themselves. But enough about Judas. We have more to learn about the Last Supper/Passover meal that Jesus ate with His disciples in the upper room. Luke 22:14-20 says, “And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat ituntil it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

This was Jesus instituting what we call “communion” today. We do it “in remembrance” of what He did for us on the cross. While we’re talking about that, let’s clear up something that we said a few episodes ago, and likely in other episodes. Chris, you and I have referred to communion and baptism both as “means of grace.” Although many Reformed people do refer to them the same way, me, being ex-Catholic, want to make it abundantly clear that we do not at all mean the term “means of grace” the same with the Catholics do in that those things actually impart saving grace to us from some storehouse that is available.

     No, we do not mean it that way AT ALL. And maybe we need to change our terminology. When we say it, what we mean is that baptism and communion are two things God has given us that will help strengthen our faith. They do not in any way impart forgiveness. What they DO  as we partake is help us remember what Christ has done for us. Let me quote the Heidelberg Catechism about this. Questions 65-68: 

66.

 | 65. | Q. | Since then faith alone makes us share in Christ and all his benefits, where does this faith come from?
| A. | From the Holy Spirit, 1 who works it in our hearts by the preaching of the gospel, 2 and strengthens it by the use of the sacraments. 3
|   | 1.Jn 3:5; 1 Cor 2:10-14; Eph 2:8; Phil 1:29. 2.Rom 10:17; 1 Pet 1:23-25. 3.Mt 28:19, 20; 1 Cor 10:16. | 66. | Q. | What are the sacraments?
| A. | The sacraments are holy, visible signs and seals. They were instituted by God so that by their use he might the more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the gospel. 1 And this is the promise: that God graciously grants us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life because of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross. 2
|   | 1.Gen 17:11; Deut 30:6; Rom 4:11. 2.Mt 26:27, 28; Acts 2:38; Heb 10:10.
| 67. | Q. | Are both the Word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation?
| A. | Yes, indeed. The Holy Spirit teaches us in the gospel and assures us by the sacraments that our entire salvation rests on Christ's one sacrifice for us on the cross. 1
|   | 1.Rom 6:3; 1 Cor 11:26; Gal 3:27.
| 68. | Q. | How many sacraments has Christ instituted in the new covenant?
| A. | Two: holy baptism and the holy supper. 1
|   | 1.Mt 28:19, 20; 1 Cor 11:23-26. 1.Holy Baptism
|   | 
 |   |   
 |   |  

Let’s talk about what happens after the Passover meal, after Judas leaves, and so on. Luke 22:39-45 says, “And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.  And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”  And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.  And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

They’re in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus, who is fully God and yet fully man is struggling in a way that we can never imagine. Being fully God, Jesus knows what He is about to suffer. We just can’t imagine to an extent that we actually “get it.” A good bit of focus is put on the physical earthly torture that Jesus endured. The whipping He’s about to receive with the cat-o-nine tails (leather straps with pieces of bone that rip the flesh), the crown of thorns pushed down across His forehead, not to mention the emotion toil of being mocked and jeered at and having insults hurled at you is all horrible. But Jesus knows that He’ll be suffering the wrath of God. Those earthly things have been done to others. Possibly not to the extent it was to Jesus, because Isaiah 52:14 says, “As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind.” But the wrath of God … that’s something that hasn’t happened to humanity yet – and won’t completely until it happens to the unsaved at the end of the world as we know it.  

So Jesus is truly struggling in prayer with the Father. We’ve said this before, but it bears repeating - although Jesus states “not what I will, but what you will” in His prayer, it’s not saying He (Jesus fully God) had a different will than the Father. That cannot happen. But Jesus fully human prays that. In the accounts of the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus seems to chide the Apostles for falling asleep. Do you want to say anything about that?

I’m the last person to give someone a hard time about someone falling asleep! I get it! They were all exhausted. But so was Jesus! So you can see why there’d be some prodding to stay awake. But if you’ve read Revelation, you can see more there. My first thought when I read this now is, “Don’t be like Sardis, who was sleeping and got sacked!” Believers need to be vigilant too about temptation, as Jesus says in verse 38. Our flesh IS weak, so we need to crush our sinful desires and resist the devil. In Mark’s account, Jesus reiterates this sleeping admonition 3 times. Seems like a warning to believers to be vigilant and on guard.

Soon after that, Judas showed up with “a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.” According to Mark 14:43. The text goes on to say that Judas had given the people with him a sign to point out who Jesus was. Why would they need a sign? Didn’t they know Jesus when they saw Him by now???? Well, it’s another fulfillment of Scripture about the Son from Psalm 2, a Psalm all about the Messianic King. The Scripture says, “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son (capital S) lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.”

And Judas, like many others, has no idea he’s fulfilling prophecy. He thinks he’s just helping a bunch of soldiers identify Jesus in the dark. When they come for Him, Jesus doesn’t try to fight them off; in fact, he doesn’t let anyone else do that either. It’s time for His reason to come to earth to move forward to His death. Plus, He always takes the high moral ground. He’s our perfect, sinless Savior … in every single way. In fact, one of the last acts He does before being taken away as a prisoner is healing someone who, for all intents and purposes, is an enemy. 

Mark’s gospel has another element in it that seems strange to us. Mark 14:51-52 says, “And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.” Mark wrote his gospel based on the accounts of his friend, the Apostle Peter. Was it Peter? Was it Mark himself? The gardener? The Apostle John? There’s a lot of conjecture about who this person who fled naked was, and we’re not told. But these two little verses reminds us of what Jesus told His disciples they would do, ““You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’” (Mark 14:27)

It’s the very thing Peter said he wouldn’t do, and what we could never fathom ourselves doing had we been there. That makes it the very thing we should be wary of… again, another warning. Rose, there’s so many things we could dive into in these parts of Scripture if we had time, but we don’t – at least not in this series! We all know what comes next … Peter denies Jesus three times, feels remorseful and repents; Jesus is taken to the Sanhedrin council and tried before them. They can’t take him to the Roman authorities based on the fact that they say He’s blaspheming … the Romans wouldn’t care about that! So they say Jesus is claiming to be King of the Jews. THAT would be of interest to Rome because that would interfere with the political structure.

Jesus is delivered to Pilate because, like we said, the Sanhedrin weren’t allowed to put anyone to death. Only the Roman government could do that. Pilate, seeing that Jesus is innocent tried to release Him, but the people cry out to let Barabbas, someone who’s truly against Rome and also a murderer, go free instead of Jesus. Pilate perceived the truth behind what was going on fairly correctly. Mark 15:10 says Pilate asked if they wanted to let Jesus go because “he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.” Envy is at the root of all sin. Adam and Eve wanted something the Devil told them God had that they did not.

And then they crucified Him with a placquard on the top of His cross “King of the Jews”. They crucify two robbers also, one on either side of Jesus. Leading up to this time, Jesus had asked His disciples “who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29, Matthew 16:15 and Luke 9:20). Peter’s answer (for all of them) is “the Messiah.” They understood Jesus was the Christ, the promised Descendant of David, the One prophesied about in Scripture. Then Jesus keeps teaching them about being rejected, despised, killed, and that He’ll be raised three days later. But they don’t get it then. Or now that He’s crucified. In fact, Peter rebukes Jesus when He says those things. But Jesus keeps telling them that to save your life, you have to lose it. To be the greatest, you must become the least. To be first, you must become last. And what do we see throughout their time with Jesus? They’re squabbling over who’s the greatest and who will get to sit on Jesus’ right and left in glory. They had no idea what they were asking.

Jesus says, “to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” (Mark 10:40) In John 12:23 Jesus says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified”. The cross was Jesus’ glory. It was His throne in a sense.  He triumphed there, establishing His Kingdom. Viewing the cross, we see the Son of Man with two robbers crucified along with Him – one on His right and the other on the left. Jesus does not interact with one of the criminals. By He does the other one, who (through what can only be attributed to the Holy Spirit’s regeneration of the heart), comes to faith while hanging there.  The cross of Christ with the two either side is a picture of the separation coming on the last day.

          There’s a lot we can’t cover in this episode about Jesus’ death on the cross, but let’s touch on two more things. First, Jesus bore the wrath of God against sin for all who trust in Him. He is the substitute Who stood in the place where we belong and took our punishment for us. Our sin was imputed to Him. But Jesus never became a sinner. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The words are very carefully chosen that Jesus “knew no sin” as in other Scriptures it’s made clear that Jesus was perfectly holy. As Professor Kendall Easely says in his Gospel Coalition article, “Jesus was Not a Sinner but Became Sin,” God made him “to be sin.” God treated Jesus as if He were sin itself.

          Something else to touch on is the question, “Did Jesus descend into Hell?” A lot of people have taught that He did to proclaim judgement to sinners and rescue the saints of the Old Testament, based on Ephesians 4:8-10 and 1 Peter 3:18-20. 

But the Ephesians passage is talking about the grave; not hell. And the 1 Peter passage is talking about the Son of God preaching through the work of the Holy Spirit through Noah to the people of Noah’s time. 

          And, Jesus told the thief on the cross that he would be with Him THAT DAY in Paradise. Not three days later. Some in the WOF movement say that the cross was insufficient to atone for our sin, so Jesus HAD to spend three days in Hell. But Scripture says differently about that too. When Jesus died, John 19:30 records His last words as, “It is finished.” Sounds pretty much like it was finished. But one question, Rose, why does the Apostles Creed in one of it’s earlier forms say, “He descended into Hell”?

           I’ll read what John Calvin says about that: “After explaining what Christ endured in the sight of man, the Creed appropriately adds the invisible and incomprehensible judgment which he endured before God, to teach us that not only was the body of Christ given up as the price of redemption, but that there was a greater and more excellent price — that he bore in his soul the tortures of a condemned and ruined man” (Institutes 2.16.10).

          After Jesus breathed His last breath, he was laid in the tomb of one of the Sanhedrin, who came and asked for Jesus’ body. The way he cared for Jesus after his death speaks volumes about how different he was from the Sanhedrin who wanted Jesus dead. And we know what happens three days later, Jesus is resurrected.

          And that’s a good place to end today. It’s all we’ve got time for. If you like this series, tell a friend! They can catch up on the episodes over holiday vacation. We’ve got one more week to go and then we’re into the new year with a new series called “Be Transformed!”  Have a blessed day!