Secret sadness and public celebration
The little group of twelve disciples, had been three years with Jesus and they were experiencing more sorrow than they had expected to. After they finally realised that Jesus was God made man, come to teach and show them the kingdom of God, Jesus had surprised them by saying that was going to be killed at Jerusalem. Peter, you remember, had argued against this, and Jesus had been angry because he did not accept the fact that Jesus, the God-man, was going to make of himself an offering to God. Sometime later, Jesus told them again; this time they did not argue but they began to be sad.
Many of the people who crowded around Jesus had left, offended because he made himself equal to God, a sin amounting to blasphemy. Jesus asked the disciples, “Are you also going to go away?” Peter, acting as spokesman, had replied, "Where can we go, only you have the words of eternal life? So, already, before they saw the end of the story, this little group of twelve men (and the women who travelled with them) were convinced that Jesus was the teacher and giver of eternal life. They stayed with Jesus, fearful and bewildered, but nevertheless convinced that he was trustworthy.
Their sadness and fearfulness increased during the days of the passover celebration. One reason for their bewilderment was that Jesus was alienating the powerful. The priests challenged Jesus by questioning him in public. His answers put the priests on the defensive so often that they stopped questioning because by his answers Jesus was convincing the people listening he was indeed the future king of Israel. Although this should have made the twelve disciples happy, it did not because Jesus was still talking of his death and had begun to warn them that his followers would suffer persecution. What a welcome to the Kingdom of God! Sad amongst the joyful crowd, bewildered amongst the certainties of the powerfully ligious; they followed Jesus and hoped that one day they would understand.
Jesus remained a Jew, even though he pointed up the weaknesses of the religion as it was being practiced at that time. A Jewish prophet had said, that God requires three things; doing justice (which did and does. mean cting with equity) loving kindness and walking humbly with the Lord our God. Then as now, people think that being humble means not questioning. For Jesus humility towards God meant examining faith; examining what it believes and how it is practiced. Jesus respected the Jewish law in a way the priests could not understand, he had come to put it into action.
The festival meal commemorated the Jewish nation being led out of slavery and into freedom. Jesus celebrated the meal with only his twelve close followers. He had made plans that ensured no one knew where the group were eating. Jesus took the flat-bread and broke it saying, “This is my body that is broken for you.” He drank from the cup of wine and said, “This is my blood, shed for many for the forgiveness of sins, This do in remembrance of me.” The word ‘remembrance’ signified to the disciples that their three years with Jesus was ending, but they did not know how. They sung hymns and went out into the street.
There was another secret gathering, the gathering of the priests. They too were fearful, but not sad. They were afraid the masses would try to make Jesus into the king of the Jews. That was a risk that the nation could not take, because it would offend the Roman empire and bring the Roman soldiers to work vengence on the population. Without knowing he was prophecying the high priest declared that it was better that one person die for the good of the nation, than that the whole nation suffer. Jesus was pre-tried, and condemned; just as he had known he would be. One man would die for the good of many and the many would be made free from sin.
Jesus sat on the hillside with his disciples, they were exhausted mentally and physically, but Jesus was still preparing them for his death, they heard and remembered the promise, “After I am raised up I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” They watched for a little while as Jesus prayed and they noticed how greatly he had to struggle in order to continue his submission to the will of God. Then they fell asleep.
Matthew chapters 22 to chapter 26 verse 44.
Many of the people who crowded around Jesus had left, offended because he made himself equal to God, a sin amounting to blasphemy. Jesus asked the disciples, “Are you also going to go away?” Peter, acting as spokesman, had replied, "Where can we go, only you have the words of eternal life? So, already, before they saw the end of the story, this little group of twelve men (and the women who travelled with them) were convinced that Jesus was the teacher and giver of eternal life. They stayed with Jesus, fearful and bewildered, but nevertheless convinced that he was trustworthy.
Their sadness and fearfulness increased during the days of the passover celebration. One reason for their bewilderment was that Jesus was alienating the powerful. The priests challenged Jesus by questioning him in public. His answers put the priests on the defensive so often that they stopped questioning because by his answers Jesus was convincing the people listening he was indeed the future king of Israel. Although this should have made the twelve disciples happy, it did not because Jesus was still talking of his death and had begun to warn them that his followers would suffer persecution. What a welcome to the Kingdom of God! Sad amongst the joyful crowd, bewildered amongst the certainties of the powerfully ligious; they followed Jesus and hoped that one day they would understand.
Jesus remained a Jew, even though he pointed up the weaknesses of the religion as it was being practiced at that time. A Jewish prophet had said, that God requires three things; doing justice (which did and does. mean cting with equity) loving kindness and walking humbly with the Lord our God. Then as now, people think that being humble means not questioning. For Jesus humility towards God meant examining faith; examining what it believes and how it is practiced. Jesus respected the Jewish law in a way the priests could not understand, he had come to put it into action.
The festival meal commemorated the Jewish nation being led out of slavery and into freedom. Jesus celebrated the meal with only his twelve close followers. He had made plans that ensured no one knew where the group were eating. Jesus took the flat-bread and broke it saying, “This is my body that is broken for you.” He drank from the cup of wine and said, “This is my blood, shed for many for the forgiveness of sins, This do in remembrance of me.” The word ‘remembrance’ signified to the disciples that their three years with Jesus was ending, but they did not know how. They sung hymns and went out into the street.
There was another secret gathering, the gathering of the priests. They too were fearful, but not sad. They were afraid the masses would try to make Jesus into the king of the Jews. That was a risk that the nation could not take, because it would offend the Roman empire and bring the Roman soldiers to work vengence on the population. Without knowing he was prophecying the high priest declared that it was better that one person die for the good of the nation, than that the whole nation suffer. Jesus was pre-tried, and condemned; just as he had known he would be. One man would die for the good of many and the many would be made free from sin.
Jesus sat on the hillside with his disciples, they were exhausted mentally and physically, but Jesus was still preparing them for his death, they heard and remembered the promise, “After I am raised up I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” They watched for a little while as Jesus prayed and they noticed how greatly he had to struggle in order to continue his submission to the will of God. Then they fell asleep.
Matthew chapters 22 to chapter 26 verse 44.
posted by Jessie Coates at 6:12 PM
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