Chapter Twenty-six

The week of July 15


The Hour of Darkness

Jesus had faced the powers of darkness head-on before, in the wilderness temptations, with the demoniacs and when Peter was trying to prevent Jesus from dying an untimely death. Now the Prince of Darkness and the Prince of Light would have a final conflict surrounding Jesus’ death.

Pp 367-9  Having spent the week in the foothills of Jerusalem and commuting to the Temple template each day, Jesus mentally prepared for Passover, and to give His life as a Passover for sins. In the same unique way the disciples found the foal of a donkey for Palm Sunday, they were instructed to find an upper room, a little secluded place to celebrate Passover.

As the twelve were surrounding Him in that room, Jesus began washing His disciples feet. A servant should be doing this and no one stepped forward to offer this cleansing courtesy. Peter protested and then realized Jesus was serious and that He was symbolically cleansing the disciples. Jesus knew where He had come from and where He was going; His washing of feet was a loving-to-the-end gesture to His own people. He used it as a lesson to the disciples: Do to each other what I have just demonstrated. How may we wash people’s feet in our day? Also, Jesus tipped His hand to identify the betrayer. Judas dipped bread at the same time as Jesus. Then Judas left to betray Him.

Pp 369-71  Jesus portrayed the first Lord’s Table by eating bread and drinking the cup with His men, demonstrating His intentional death for them. What difference does it make knowing that the Lord’s Supper took place in the midst of a meal? He provided security to them by telling He was preparing a place for them. Jesus was the Way to the Father, the Truth of the Father, and the Life of the Father. He was the visible expression of the invisible Father.

Relationship between the Father, Son, Spirit and the followers were described in John 13-17. Jesus had a bitter-sweet time, allaying their sorrow and giving last words for future hope. What would your last words be like at a time like this? Jesus ended this time praying for His disciples and for those who would be future disciples. He wanted them to know the only true God and Jesus, Whom He had sent. And Jesus wanted future disciples to know God loved us, even as He had loved Jesus (John 17:23). Can you absorb the depth of that statement?

Pp 371-3  Leaving the upper room, Jesus led the disciples to the Mount of Olives. Jesus again predicted that they would fall away. Peter was adamant that even if the others did, he would not. Jesus told Peter he would indeed deny Jesus three times. How demoralizing to Peter.

Peter and the Zebedee brothers accompanied Jesus and Peter to Gethsemane. They were to pray for Jesus while He went apart to pray, but the three could not stay awake. This happened three times. Jesus was strengthened by an angel as He prayed with the intensity of sweating blood. Alas, they were again asleep. God was indeed answering Jesus’ prayer: There was no rescue from this situation and He must go on and die for these followers. They needed saving.

Judas led a gang of guards to arrest Jesus. When He identified Himself as Jesus of Nazareth, they fell to the ground. Jesus appealed for them to let the others go but Peter almost was arrested for cutting off a servant’s ear. Jesus brought things to a close as he healed the ear. He had again displayed His authority and the disciples ran for their lives. Jesus did not fight but gave Himself over to the guards.

Pp 374-5  A first trial was held before Caiaphas the high priest and the Sanhedrin. Only when two false witnesses testified that Jesus would destroy the temple (surface info as Jesus meant his own body) was there ‘evidence’ for a capital crime. Jesus claimed His Messiahship, His Sonship at the Father’s right hand, and the fact that He would return. Enough! He was judged as blasphemous, beaten and sentenced to death. 

Peter fulfilled the Lord’s prophecy about denying Him three times and ran away. Judas had a remorse that led to death, throwing the blood money into the temple before he hung himself.

Pp 375-7  The Roman Governor Pontius Pilate was the next judicial stop. Pilate personally questioned the claim that Jesus was the King of the Jews. Pilate saw Jesus as not a political threat and tried to have him released, as customarily happens with a given prisoner. The people chose Barabbas instead, a known insurrectionist and murderer. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, the recognized king and then Jesus was returned to Pilate. He again tried to release Jesus but only heard a rising chorus of ‘Crucify him’. Jesus calm answering made Pilate squeamish but Pilate could not be seen as a weak governor. So he acquiesced to have Jesus crucified.

Pp 378-80  The one to be crucified bore His own cross. When this became too much (sleepless Jesus had been maligned and beaten over several unauthorized trials) Simon from Cyrene was drafted to carry the cross.

While on the cross, Jesus was taunted and abused. ‘Come down off the cross’ was a challenge given to Him. Little did they know that He actually could have done so but that was not His Father’s will. Jesus asked forgiveness for those who were killing Him. Would we have been so generous?

Jesus was crucified with common criminals. Both verbally abused Jesus, but one relented and asked Jesus to remember him. Jesus said he would. 

Jesus would ultimately succumb to asphyxiation. The real cause of His death was the wrath of God coming down on Him, not for His own sins (He had none) but for the sins of the world. Jesus cried out: My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?, both an Old Testament quote and the feeling of abandonment. For the first time ever, the Father turned His back on the Son, only to salvage mankind. Then Jesus gave up His Spirit to the Father.

Remarkable events followed: the thick curtain of the temple tore top to bottom, the earth quaked and dead people were released alive from tombs. It was a memorable day. But it seemed like the end of a hopeful era, not the beginning of one.