Getting to Know Jesus' Passion #7

In Luke 21, Jesus had just explained to His followers the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.  He then pressed further into the future:

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Jesus was now talking about "the coming of the Son of Man." At that time there will be even more fearful signs that the wars, famines, earthquakes, and plagues of previous history. It will seem like the earth itself is shaking in fear, worrying about what will come next. Jesus then says not you will see, but they will see. Whereas the destruction of Jerusalem was something many of His hearers would still be alive to see, this was something for a future generation. Yet, since this is a proclamation to His followers, He gives them a message to pass down through the generations: straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. We are to live our lives in preparation and anticipation of His coming again. 

Getting to Know Jesus' Passion #6

Jesus finally gets around to answering the question the disciples had asked earlier: 

20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."

Many there hearing Jesus would still be alive to witness the siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army. Some did head for the mountains for a stand-off there; many were savagely killed; and those who survived were scattered all over the world for centuries.  The temple has never been rebuilt since. This is not what they had followed Jesus into Jerusalem to hear, but it fits in what Jesus had been saying, and what Luke is recording: It is God's plan to include Gentiles in His Kingdom, and it is not Rome that is in charge of human history; it is God who was going to use Rome to judge Israel for her rejection of the Messiah. 

Getting to Know Jesus' Passion #5

In Luke 21, Jesus informed his disciples that the temple would be destroyed, which prompted them to have a discussion about the future.

10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name's sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

As Jesus talked with His disciples, He told of all the bad things they would experience. They were not just "out there"; they were going to hit home. Despite all these negative things that would impact their lives, they were see them in a positive light: a way to bear witness. Rather than seeing this as just as scary, they were to trust God for Who He is: trustworthy enough to give them the words they needed to say, the safety they needed to make a difference, and the endurance to bear up under the pressures of life lived for Him. Though we see a bit of all these things in our world today, there is nothing that He will not see us through. 

Getting to Know Jesus' Passion #4

Having spent the day at the temple teaching, Jesus and His disciples were heading back up the hillside of the Mount of Olives, glancing back at the temple shimmering in glory.

5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”
7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”

When Jesus makes this traumatic announcement of the destruction of the temple, notice what question is prominent in the mind of the disciples: "When? How will we know when?" There is a natural curiosity for us to want to know about things before they happen. It gives us a sense of control. Jesus tells them not to get carried away with the "when", nor to be taken with those who think they do know.  Maybe what is more important for us to think about is "Why?" Maybe that is a much more meaningful question on which to meditate.

Getting to Know Jesus' Passion #3

We have just seen in chapter 20 how Jesus shut down the attempts of the religious leaders to catch Him in saying something that was unbiblical, unpatriotic, or irrational. He then turned to His disciples to tell them to watch out for such leaders who were more concerned about looking good than doing what is right. The chapter ended: 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Chapter 21 begins:

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.

Jesus had already addressed the showy prayers of the rich man in contrast to the tax collector. He now makes a stark contrast between the gifts of the rich in the temple and those of this poor widow. She gave in faith, entrusting God with all that she had and trusting Him to provide what she needed. There was a big difference both in action and intention. The rich gave as much as they needed to appear obedience and good; she gave all she had to show God how much she loved and trusted Him.  What does our use of our resources show what is important to us and how much we really trust God?

Getting to Know Jesus' Passion #2

As we saw yesterday, at the end of Luke 20, Jesus had silenced His greatest opponents: the religious elite, made up of Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Chief Priests of the temple. He then asked a question they could not answer about His identity as the Messiah. He then turned to His disciples to give a warning:

45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

On the one hand, we know that Jesus was reminding His disciples to not be intimidated by the false religiosity of this men: it was all external and self-centered, but on the other hand, I think the warning also included this idea: beware you do not become like them. We have already seen that the apostles had disagreements about who would be greatest in the kingdom, and they would have them again that week. We all are vulnerable to the desire for recognition, to have others respond to our instruction, and to show others how wonderful and religious we can be. Before we know it, we too can harm others spiritually with our religiosity. That's not the way to go. With everything we know, we are more accountable for it. 

Getting to Know Jesus' Passion #1

Over the past month we have followed alone after Jesus at a fast past as He "set His face to Jerusalem", then once He got there as His opponents threw one attack after another against Him. Yesterday, we ended with this statement: in Luke 20: 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions. Now get to slow down the pace just a bit as We get to know Jesus' Passion.

41 Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David? 42 David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
43 until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”’
44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

Jesus wanted His followers, opponents, and us, to stop and slow down and ask: "Who is the Messiah? The people were following along after Jesus, expecting that while He was there in Jerusalem for the Passover, He would take David's throne.  The problem was, their view of the Messiah was too small; He was, and is, much more than a descendant of David; He is the Lord, who was before David.  The implication is then, that He is even greater than David, and David expressed that here in his song.  We forget that. When we think about Jesus simply as the provider of our needs, healer of our pains, and soother of our discomfort, we are forgetting that He is our Lord, worthy to rule and reign over our lives. Let's remember that today.