Good Friday

 

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:45-54 ESV).

 

When Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” (v. 46) He was suffering separation from God for our reconciliation. The cry on the cross is not a cry of unbelief, confusion, or despair. Jesus was not doubting the Father, and He wasn’t confused about what was happening to Him. We shouldn’t understand His cry from the cross as if He were saying to His Father, “Why are You doing this to Me?” He knew everything that was going on at that moment; in fact, He had foretold this moment (cf. Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 9:31), and He had willingly submitted Himself to it (cf. John 10:17-18). He was confident in the Father even as He experienced abandonment.

 

Jesus’ cry on the cross was a cry of physical agony, spiritual anguish, and relational alienation. He quoted from Psalm 22. Understanding that psalm is key to understanding this cry. Much could be said about the themes in this psalm and their relation to the crucifixion, but for now we should note that this was a cry of physical agony as Jesus physically hung on the cross. Jesus’ physical anguish was very real, and His suffering was intense. Jesus’ cry on the cross was also a cry of spiritual anguish. Jesus experienced the wrath of God, and not just for a moment, but for hours. Shrouded by darkness and seared with pain, He experienced the cup of God’s wrath.

 

In addition, this was also a cry of relational alienation. In a mysterious way, Christ was alienated not only from His friends, but also from the Father. This is the curse of the cross (cf. Galatians 3:13). As He came under the sentence of sin, Jesus was cut off from the Father’s favorable presence. God’s presence was real at the cross, but it was His presence in judgment and wrath toward sin. Jesus was given the full recompense of our disobedience (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus experienced the separation that we as sinners deserve, so that we might receive reconciliation. That is the effect of the cross for all who trust in Jesus. Before the cross, we were cast out of God’s presence; because of the cross, we are now invited into God’s presence.

 

The barrier separating man from God was ripped away by God so sinners could be welcomed safely into the presence of the infinitely holy God. This entrance into God’s presence is why, right after Jesus died, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom (v. 51). Do you see now why the cross is so significant? What happened on the cross was so much more than a naked man dying on a wooden post on the side of the road in a non-descript part of the world. This was the holy God of the universe giving His Son to die our death, endure our condemnation, and suffer our separation so that we could be declared righteous and welcomed into His presence. This is the Jesus we must decide to follow without hesitation. This is the Jesus who waits to welcome us into our eternal life. This is the Jesus who knocks at the door to our lives desiring full fellowship with us. What will you do with this Jesus?

 

Maundy Thursday

 

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” (Matthew 26:26-29 ESV).

 

In our reading today Jesus is celebrating the Passover meal with His disciples, a meal they ate every year to remember God’s deliverance from Egypt (cf. Exodus 12). For Passover, the Israelite homes were instructed to slaughter a spotless lamb and then put its blood above their doorposts. When God came in judgment on the homes of the Israelites and the Egyptians, He would put to death the firstborn son in any home that did not have blood over the doorpost. God provided the blood of a lamb, a substitute sacrifice, to save His people from the payment of sin. God’s people would celebrate this meal every year, taking these lambs to be slaughtered. The Israelites would gather in their homes and remember the original Passover night in Egypt.

 

With that backdrop, Jesus refers to the cup in the Last Supper as signifying “My blood,” which is “shed for many for the forgiveness of sins” (v. 28). He is the Passover lamb (cf. Exodus 12) who saves us with His blood. When God’s wrath and judgment come, we hide under the blood of a substitute sacrifice, Jesus the Lamb of God, and we are saved.

 

The account of the Last Supper also connects Jesus’ death with the law God gave to His people. He is the covenant keeper (cf. Exodus 24) who seals us with His blood. Jesus refers to “My blood that establishes the covenant,” and this is the only time the word “covenant” is used in Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus is alluding to Exodus 24, when the law-covenant that God had given His people at Mount Sinai was confirmed. In Exodus 24:8 Moses sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice on the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you concerning all these words.” This was a picture not only of God’s forgiveness, but also of His binding of the people to Himself in relationship. Now, with Jesus’ death, we have a new covenant (cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27) sealed not with the blood of an animal sacrifice, but with the blood of the Son of God Himself (cf. Hebrews 10:1-18). He is our substitute sacrifice, and He has died the death we deserved to die. What a truth! This is Amazing Grace!

Holy Wednesday

 

Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, a “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you dare not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” (Matthew 24:1-8 ESV).

 

Wednesday was an incredible day. Our reading leaves no doubt that the day of Christ’s return will be evident to all. His coming will be no secret: the angels of heaven will let out a trumpet blast, and every eye will behold the Son of Man in the sky (vv. 29-31). How different this will be from His first coming! The first time He came to a remote, obscure town just outside Jerusalem, where He went largely unnoticed, save for a few shepherds and some farm animals. He came the first time lying in a manger; however, He will come the second time riding on the clouds (Daniel 7:13-14).

 

Just as surely as He came the first time in humility to provide salvation, so He will come the second time in glory to execute judgment. In verse 30 Jesus says that the tribes of the earth will “mourn” when they see Him coming. That day will be a day of judgment, and all who are not ready for that day—that is, those who have refused to turn from their sin and to trust in Christ as Savior and King—will come face to face with the Holy One whom they have rejected.

 

This text should cause us to ask ourselves, “What if this happened today? Would I be ready?” If not, then repent and believe in Christ today. If you are a genuine follower of Christ, are there things in your life that you still need to repent of, sins that you’re holding on to and toying with? What are you doing today that would cause you to be ashamed before Jesus if He were to come this moment? If so, let go of these things. Confess your sin and find mercy in Your Savior, so that you will be ready for His coming.

 

Holy Tuesday

 

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. (Matthew 21:42-46 ESV).

 

There was no confusion for Jesus concerning His authority to do everything He had done up to this point in His life and ministry (cf. John 5:19- 29). Our reading today has already presented several aspects of this authority: Christ came to Jerusalem and received praise and worship from the people, cleansed the temple, and taught in the temple courts. These actions led the religious leaders to ask, “By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority?” (v. 23). The religious leaders were questioning Jesus’ authorization to do what He did. They essentially asked, “Is it from God or from man?” Today people still wonder whether Christianity is from God or whether it is just another man-made religion.

 

We should not think of these questions as merely informationally motivated. Remember the religious leaders had already rejected John the Baptist’s message (v. 32); these questions came from their unbelief. They had already rejected earlier revelation from God, so their rejection of Jesus was not altogether unexpected.

 

However, unbelief isn’t the only reason people question Jesus’ authority. Sometimes these questions come from misplaced fear. Instead of fearing God, which the Bible says is the beginning of knowledge (cf. Proverbs 1:7), they had an unhealthy fear of man. The question for us is, Will we let unbelief and the opinions of others control us, or will we submit to God and His Son Jesus Christ? Jesus responded to the questions of the chief priests and the elders by posing a question of His own. To force their hand, He asked them whether John’s baptism was from heaven or from man (v. 25). John had made Jesus’ identity as the Messiah clear, and the people respected John as a prophet. Therefore, the religious leaders couldn’t reject John, or the people would turn against them. However, if they claimed that John’s authority was from heaven, then they would be guilty of rejecting God, since they denied that Jesus was the Messiah. Don’t fall into their category. Have faith in Jesus. He is the only hope in life!

Holy Monday

 

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. (Matthew 21:12-17 ESV).

 

Never let it be said that Jesus was afraid of conflict. He did not seek it; however, He did not run from it when it presented itself either. On Monday, after the Triumphant Entry, Jesus makes His way to the Temple. There He confronts the “moneychangers.” It wasn’t just the Gentiles who were being pushed to the margins by the business trade in the temple. The poor were also prevented from worshiping God as God intended.

 

God had commanded that no one “should appear before the LORD empty-handed. Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way your God has blessed you” (Deuteronomy 16:16-17). The place for buying animals for sacrifice and the exchange of money had always been outside the temple courts. But the religious leaders had moved the marketplace inside the temple. Worshipers were allowed to sacrifice only those animals they had bought in the temple court. Offerings too were to be of money exchanged only by the official moneychangers. Since the prices charged in the temple were higher than those outside the temple, the religious authorities were making exorbitant profits from the poor.

 

Matthew records that Jesus overturned the benches of the dove sellers. A dove was the offering that someone brought if they could not afford a lamb. With prices so high, the poor could not even fulfill the command not to come empty-handed before the Lord. Jesus’ point is clear. He gets angry when the poor are prevented from worshiping God. I must consider if there are any barriers that I have erected keeping people from the presence of God.

 

Happy Birthday, David!

 

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:23-26 ESV).

 

Happy Birthday, David! Hardly seems possible that he is 44 years old today. I know I haven’t aged any in those years … LOL! Maybe “Bones” is correct in his report to Captain Kirk in our meme today: “I don’t see any signs of aging.” I do know that he certainly isn’t a “new kind of life form though.” Our reading today expresses my deepest desire and petition for him. It is known as the “Irish Blessing” though its roots are far older than that. Here Moses is told to bless the nation of Israel with this pronouncement from the Lord.

 

That thought does remind me a great deal of the time of the year we are presently moving through. Today is Palm Sunday in our liturgical calendar. This is the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time before His crucifixion. He knew His death, burial, and resurrection were essential to bring the ultimate blessing to Israel and the rest of the world. In many ways that’s the way God creates a “new life form.” Through His grace extended to all His children we get a second birthday. It is that moment when we possess life without end. It is at that moment that the Holy Spirit comes to abide in us and guarantee our eternal life and relationship with our heavenly Father. The people who greeted Jesus on the road with palm branches and shouts of celebration had no idea of the real extent of Jesus’ sacrifice. Now we look back on that moment and recognize how great a gift it was.

 

It does remind me of that day 44 years ago when Daivd was born. While I was jubilant to be sure, I did not know how great having him would become. And it simply gets better with each day. Happy Birthday, David! And may the Lord bless you greatly in all your life just as He has in mine with you!

 

Sight to the Blind

 

And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:29-34 ESV).

 

Today is the day before we begin Passion Week. Jesus and His disciples were traveling to Jerusalem where He knew He would end the week being falsely arrested, condemned, crucified, buried, and ultimately resurrected. It could not have been a more difficult week. Yet, we see the compassion and care of Jesus as He stops on the roadside to heal two men who were blind. It is a perfect picture of all that Jesus taught and practiced throughout His ministry. He was full of compassion for those who cried out in their pain and anguish.

 

Even when the crowd rebuked them telling them to be quiet (after all they were just two blind beggars on the side of the road), these men knew that the “Son of David” had the power to heal them. And they simply cried out all the louder. It must have shocked the crowd when Jesus stopped to ask them what they wanted.

 

There is an incredible message for us in this vignette. It certainly ought to remind us that no one is beyond help or undeserving in the eyes of our Savior. These men could not possibly offer anything of value to Jesus in the eyes of the crowd; however, in His eyes, they were priceless. I wonder how many times we have passed others by because of our mistaken evaluation of their worth. We must guard against that error.

 

We ought to also see the clear message that God’s work of grace is designed to “open our eyes.” So much of the time I am consumed with my immediate circumstances that I miss the work of God in my life. We must be diligent to look for the grace God is pouring out all around us, even in the most unexpected ways. Finding that grace we then must follow Him (v. 34).