Jesus Shares the Passover Seder with His Apostles, and the Washing of the Feet

Jesus Shares the Passover Seder with His Apostles, and the Washing of the Feet

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Elizabeth Kirkley Best

Jesus Share the Passover Dinner with his Apostles

Jesus, the betrayal of Judas already in the works after his anointing for burial,
instructs his disciples regarding preparations for his last Passover Supper with them. Two days elapse and the disciples and Jesus finally arrive at the evening of the Passover Dinner. The Passover dinner, commemorating the great work of God in saving his people, the Children of Israel alive in Egypt was commandedto be observed several times in the Scriptures:


That ye shall say, It [is] the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed overthe houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, anddelivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. Exodus 12:27(See all of Exodus 27)

Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season. Numbers 9:2Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for inthe month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.Deuteronomy 16:1

In addition to the command to keep the Passover, the dinner Christ eats with the apostles at the Last Supper before the crucifixion, there were a few times during the course of Israel’s history when they neglected to celebrate the Passover and had to re-establish the Passover dinner to be right with God and come again under his protection and blessing. Two of these times include the return from Exile described in Ezra and Nehemiah, and in the days of Josiah when portions of the Torah were discovered in the wall:


And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover unto the LORD
your God, as [it is] written in the book of this covenant. Surely there was not
holden such a Passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in
all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah; 2 Kings 23:21-2

For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them [were] pure,
and killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their
brethren the priests, and for themselves. Ezra 6:20




Israel at times forgot another critical holy day, the Feast of Tabernacles such as in Ezra 3:4 and Zechariah 14:16-18, when it is noted that the festival of Sukkot, or Tabernacles will be kept by all nations coming up to the Summit of Jerusalem, in order to receive the blessing of rain accorded to those who obey God and favor the children of the Prophets, the Jews. With this sense of importance, and the commandment of God, Jesus meets with his disciples for the last time during his earthly ministry for the ‘last supper’ which commemorates:

1. The Sacrifice of a Lamb
2. The Blood on the Door which Saves Israel’s firstborn from death, and
3. The commemoration of the bitter sufferings of Israel in the Wilderness,
until the promised land would come into view.

The Seder dinner which is set before the the disciples of Yshua, includes wine, bitter herbs which commemorate the bitterness of life in the wilderness, the bread of covenant and other items: today each item is set in array on a seder plate, and eaten sequentially, recalling the struggles and deliverance of the Children of Israel, over 3500 years since there release from Egypt.


It is easy to see why this last supper was so significant, beyond the paintings and its mention in certain services: the supper would not only be the traditional Passover, but will point to the work of God about to occur. The supper though, not only points to the suffering and passion about to
take place, but to its meaning to Israel, and it also encompasses several facets (not in exact order:



1. The prophetic revelation of the betrayal of Judas (John 13:26)

Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped [it]. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave [it] to Judas Iscariot, [the son] of Simon.


2. The beautiful prayers and proclamations of the Messiah in declaring who he is, and praying for his apostles and disciples when he is gone (John 15-17) *

*We often separate these prayers into a separate category, but they appear only in the Gospel of John, and are chronologically in the events of the Last Supper.

3. The Washing of the Apostles’ Feet as a sign of Servant-hood and humility John 13:5

4. The breaking of the bread of Covenant, and (Matthew 26:26)

5. The Offering of the Wine, the blood of the New Covenant.(Matthew 26:27)

Due to time limitations in this series, we have skipped over the triumphal entry and preparation of the dinner, and since we have in the last study dealt with the betrayal of Judas, in this study we will concentrate on the Washing of the Apostles Feet, and the breaking of the bread and wine, setting apart those other topics for a more in-depth treatment in the future.


Christ Will Gird Himself & Serve Us, With Sweet Manna, All Around: 

The Washing of the feet of the disciples. While not endorsing Catholic doctrine, it was interesting that in the writing of this, the Roman church’s new Pope Frances was noted on the news as going to an Italian prison and washing the feet of 10 young prisoners in a ‘Holy Week’ service representing the humility of Christ. I have also seen this as an institutional ‘service’ like communion performed once a year at a Grace Brethren church as a foot-washing service in which the congregation gathers for a dinner followed by the ceremonial washing of one another’s feet. The point of the foot washing though, was not to institute another religious ceremony set in stone, but to point to the life and heart that Messiah, who ‘thought it not robbery’ to declare his Sonship,

After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe [them] with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also [my] hands and [my] head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash [his] feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
John 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am. If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done toyou.16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye dothem.18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.19 Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

Jesus girds himself, much to the chagrin of some Baptist churches, wearing something akin to shorts, and begins to wash the disciples’ feet. It is a deeply humbling act to wash someone else’s feet. In the times of Yshua, foot washing was not a ceremony, but an act by most walking into a house off of dirty roads: something akin to the mothers of today insisting that shoes be removed at the front door so that one does not track mud through the house. In those days though, it was also considered a courteous greeting for guests, implying  sympathy and respect for their journey and their presence among friends. When the woman at Simon the Leper’s house washes Jesus’ feet with her  tears, the men are appalled, questioning Jesus why he let a woman of ill  repute touch him, he replies:

And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed myfeet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Luke 7:44-Luke 7:43-45

He commends not his host as human courtesy expects, but he commends the despised woman thought to be so lowly compared to the guests at the dinner, for he washing of his feet, an expected grace that had not been offered him. He is commending not the expected or ceremonial act, but the heartfelt humility of counting another better than themselves and taking on the servant’s heart and role, to better and comfort another person. How unusual that must seem to many in today’s push and shove world! Now, here at the Supper, the LORD himself, girds himself with a linen cloth and washes the feet of his disciples who object, seeing that he is far superior in every way, in rank, in stature, and certainly in power, knowledge and love, and they are seemingly humble in their not wishing to have him provide the simple service or treating them with the dignity reserved to a favored guest.


As soon as he is finished though, he asks them why they think he did this for them. He answers his own question, in telling them that he is indeed their Master, or rabbi or teacher, and that what was done was a lesson: that in serving in humility, it is not rank, order or superiority, but love that is at issue.  He directs them to ‘wash ye one another’s feet’ because he is indeed their superior: how could God incarnate be otherwise. If he is without question above them in every way, and if he steps down from his divine post to take the role of the lowliest and least, how can any of us bear any excuse or
expectation why we should not do likewise? Who is to boast in rank or excellence before the serving Messiah, the servant King? Who is above any task that is given on earth, whether it be the washing of feet, the cleaning of pews, the cutting of grass or any other? In Church today we so often seen certain tasks as beneath our dignity when we have reached a certain level,such as deacon, pastor or teacher. 

Those who have learned the secrets of walking with God and have seen the ways and work of God though understand that it is not in only doing highly ranked tasks, nor even of always doing lowly ranked tasks if they are not commanded, but in utter obedience, doing fervently all as unto the LORD without question of whether or not the task is ‘worthy’ of us, an attitude which exalts us to spiritual pride.


A pastor Ralph Sexton gave a well known sermon once in which he admonished believers to ‘start in the basement’ if called. The point was,  not to use any fake humility where we abase ourselves just to abase ourselves  like some cultures who even use self flagellation or infliction of pain to keep adherents ‘humble, but to a sincere and true humility, of bending to the LORD’ s will with no exceptions.


Are you a bank executive? Do you go into church and offer to help, expecting they will ask you to speak or host a dinner, and yet at that moment they need someone to clean the bathrooms? Would you be offended, or take it as an insult? Most, even the daily bible readers would, though they might chip in cheerfully.  Our humility in love and service though I have found over the years leads both
to the work and power of our LORD and SAVIOR not only in our lives but in those of others and the world.

Many years ago, I was out of work, with two children to support and prayed and prayed for a job. I hold an advanced degree, and was hoping for a well-paying job, perhaps steady at least for awhile and commensurate with my skills and background, but the only answer to my prayer was a two week cleaning job at a local children’s museum paying a pittance. Putting aside my pride, I took the job and did it heartily unto the Lord, receiving compliments on the work, and setting it aside as ‘unto the Lord’. The result was, that during those two weeks, I was informed about a teaching position at the local university for which I applied and got, and the work lasted for a semester instead of a few weeks and led to other similar work, and provided the facilities and equipment I needed for my ministry work in their public facilities. We do not know when taking a small task what God has in mind: he may have for us a redirection, a new friend or spouse, or even a lesson: I learned during that time that God sometimes uses a basic task to explain to us part of our true ministry: cleaning up can make one understand that they are set to ‘clean up’ chaos in the church, or clear up doctrinal error,or
perhaps for someone else, to administrate and ‘put things in order’.


Yshua the Messiah did not spell out every detail of that arrangement at the last Supper, Commemorating the great deliverance of the Children of Israel on the night the death angel bled into Egypt killing all the firstborn who were not blood covered, behind the door (John 10), but it became very clear to the disciples, that obedience was not a matter of rank or importance, and that the disciples who once fought over who would sit at his right hand in heaven, would in the not too distant future be asked to stand in a desert and wait, attend to widows, or to go to a Gentile’s house and lay hands on him to receive the Holy Spirit.


The washing of feet at the last Supper was to set in place the template for dying-to-self obedience, with a servant’s heart in love, denying our passion since the Fall of Man to exalt ourselves to become ‘as gods’. It would also set the stage for the next act of faith, to believe the incomprehensible lesson
of the bread and wine of the New Covenant God was forming with Israel and the rest of mankind.

ekbest

The Last Passover Supper of Messiah and His Apostles

Jesus Share the Passover Dinner with his Apostles

 

Jesus, the betrayal of Judas already in the works after his anointing for burial, instructs his disciples regarding preparations for his last Passover Supper with them.  Two days elapse and the disciples and Jesus finally arrive at the evening of the Passover Dinner.   The Passover dinner, commemorating the great work of God in saving his people, the Children of Israel alive in Egypt was commanded to be observed several times in the Scriptures: 

That ye shall say, It [is] the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. Exodus 12:27  (See all of Exodus 27)

Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season. Numbers 9:2

Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. Deuteronomy 16:1

 

In addition to the command to keep the Passover, the dinner Christ eats with the apostles at the Last Supper before the crucifixion,  there were a few times during the course of Israel's history when they neglected to celebrate the Passover and had to re-establish the Passover dinner to be right with God and come again under his protection and blessing.  Two of these times include the return from Exile described in Ezra and Nehemiah, and in the days of Josiah when portions of the Torah were discovered in the wall:

And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover unto the LORD your God, as [it is] written in the book of this covenant. Surely there was not holden such a Passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;  2 Kings 23:21-2

 

For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them [were] pure, and killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. Ezra 6:20

 

Israel at times forgot another critical holy day, the Feast of Tabernacles such as in Ezra 3:4 and Zechariah 14:16-18,  when it is noted that the festival of Sukkot, or Tabernacles will be kept by all nations coming up to the Summit of Jerusalem,  in order to receive the blessing of rain accorded to those who obey God and favor the children of the Prophets, the Jews.    With this sense of importance, and the commandment of God, Jesus meets with his disciples for the last time during his earthly ministry for the 'last supper' which commemorates:

1.       The Sacrifice of a Lamb

2.       The Blood on the Door which Saves Israel's firstborn from death, and

3.       The commemoration of the bitter sufferings of Israel in the Wilderness, until the promised land would come into view.

 

The Seder dinner which is set before the the disciples of Yshua,  includes wine,  bitter herbs which commemorate the bitterness of life in the wilderness, the bread of covenant and other items:  today each item is set in array on a seder plate, and eaten sequentially, recalling the struggles and deliverance of the Children of Israel,  over 3500 years since their release from Egypt. 

It is easy to see why this last supper was so significant, beyond the paintings and its mention in certain services:  the supper would not only be the traditional Passover, but will point to the work of God about to occur.   The supper though, not only points to the suffering and passion about to take place,  but to its meaning to Israel, and it also encompasses several facets (not in exact order0:

1.       The prophetic revelation of the betrayal of Judas (John 13:26)

Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped [it]. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave [it] to Judas Iscariot, [the son] of Simon.

    

 

2.       The beautiful prayers and proclamations of the Messiah in declaring who he is, and praying for his apostles and disciples when he is gone (John 15-17) *

 

*We often separate these prayers into a separate category, but they appear only in the Gospel of John, and are chronologically in the events of the Last Supper.

 

3.       The Washing of the Apostles' Feet as a sign of Servant-hood and humility John 13:5

4.       The breaking of the bread of Covenant, and (Matthew 26:26)

5.       The Offering of the Wine, the blood of the New Covenant.(Matthew 26:27)

 

Due to time limitations in this series,  we have skipped over the triumphal entry and preparation of the dinner, and since we have in the last study dealt with the betrayal of Judas,  in this study we will concentrate on the Washing of the Apostles Fee, and the breaking of the bread and wine,  setting apart those other topics for a more indepth treatment in the future.

 

Christ Will Gird Himself & Serve Us, With Sweet Manna, All Around:

The Washing of the feet of the disciples.

 

While not endorsing Catholic doctrine, it was interesting that in the writing of this,  the Roman church's new Pope Frances was noted on the news as going to an Italian prison and washing the feet of 10 young prisoners in a 'Holy Week' service representing the humility of Christ.  

--

 

Elizabeth Kirkley Best PhD

Director Shoah Education Project Web

elizabeth.best@gmail.com

Note: This gmail account is registered by Dr. Elizabeth Kirkley Best ONLY.  No other users are authorized in any way.   Please contact Dr. Best at this gmail address or at shoaheducation@gmail.com or elizabethkirkleybest@gmail.com should any one use this email beside Dr. Best.

Judas Iscariot Betrays the Way, the Truth and the Life

Judas Betrays the Way, the Truth and the Life

What we know about Judas is almost entirely from the Scriptures:  we know he is mentioned in the list of apostles,  called by Jesus, usually paired with Simon:

       Matt 10:4  Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

        …
.........................................................................................

Matt 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his

        brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon,and Judas?

We also know that Judas was from Kerioth, from his surname “Iscariot’, meaning a man,

(Ish)  from Kerioth, a town about 10 miles south of Hebron, which Wikipedia notes as associated with the modern ruins of ‘el-Kureitein’, a town or village which was decimated in a 1967 bombing.   Judas (Judah) was the son of Simon, but as mentioned in the previous study, whether or   not it was Simon the Leper, or Simon Zelotes or whether the two are related cannot be perfectly determined, although it has generally been held by tradition that Judas was a Zealot.  At least one substantial resource, a dissertation in German, “Die Zeloten”, is cited by Schwartz (1992) as suggesting that his last name rather than come from the traditionally mentioned Kerioth, might have come from the term ‘Sicarius’, the rubric of a group of zealots, or nationalists. 1

The nationalist movement in ancient Israel during the Roman occupation is not often given much attention in Bible studies, but included such incidents as a visit to Rome to Caligula to plead for religious rights (civil during the meeting, but met with violent retaliation) , and the burning alive of 70 protestors who tore the Roman eagle insignia off the Temple.   The Roman occupation of Palestine did not occur without opposition: there was no bloodless coup.  Long before Masada, before the birth of Jesus, the Roman outpost had already been established, and crosses filed with Jewish rebels lined the paths into Jerusalem.   Crucifixion was a Roman form of death, not a Jewish form of death.  [See Psalm 22 notes]  The Romans were brutal, arrogant, and had no concern whatsover for Jewish sensibilities and worship.   Examples of this are seen throughout the gospels such as in the  capricious concerns of Pilate regarding Jesus (e.g. Mt 27),  the mocking and scourging of Jesus, and the crucifixion,  but it should also be noted that the compromised leaders of the day such as the Herodians, were hardly less cruel providing the slaughter of the innocents in search of the infant savior, and invoking such fear that the holy family fled to Egypt until the death of the elder Herod,  (Matt 2:19) but even after his death under the rule of Archelaus, Joseph still had trepidations about the return (Matthew 2:22).  It was in this environment that the Zealots arose,  not only in defense of national Israel, but in defense of the faith as well.   

First Century Judaism and the Problems of the Times

The first years we designate as a.d. or anno domini,  were tubulent years, due to the nature of changes which had occurred in Israel.   Contrary to popular thought, the sect of the Pharisees had not always been a negative influence: after the Maccabean revolution,  the sect of Pharisees actually arose to restore Judaism to its roots, to return to a true form of Temple worship and adherence to the Word of God.  Over a few hundred years, though, they had degenerated into legalists, in Jesus’ words, “straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel.”  They were of little aid in resisting Rome, since by the time of the Messiah, they were more often in collusion than in opposition. (e.g. “We have no King but Ceasar”)   Enter also the Hasmonean Dynasty which had fallen to Rome in 63 BC, though the household was still around, which compromised with Rome, so that by the time of Messiah, the rule was Roman, and offices in the Temple were far from Torah observant, and the Levitical priesthood and office of High Priest had fallen to positions ‘purchased’ from Roman,  the purchase price exacted from an exorbitant temple tax.  2 Caiphas and his father-in-law were not levitical.

By the beginning of the first century then, Israel was inhabited by a mix of Jews and Gentiles in the northern regions where the ten tribes had settled since Jeroboam, in Hazor, Galilee and above, and toward Jerusalem (though also throughout Israel) were the occupying Romans, the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Herodians, and often persons from as many as 16 nations during Jewish feasts conducting commerce. [The 16 nations mentioned are named in Acts, as present on the day of Pentecost].  Rome ruled with an iron fist, though, and most succumbed,  though the Romans were hated by many for their murderous treatment of the Jews.

Paul Maier in an historical novel about the time, adds some intrigue in that Pilate may have been appointed as a merciful appointment rather than stay in Rome and receive a death sentence for being among the friends and cohorts of those who had plotted an assasination of Ceasar,  since Palestine was an outpost and seen as somewhat of a punishment or sign of disfavor. One can easily see his reluctance to follow anything other than the strictest Roman law and policy, including entertaining the idea of a King seen as an insurrectionist arising out of ‘nowhere’ (Nazareth).  The Zealots, watching death after death in slaughters and crucifixions, watching injustice after injustice, believed that Israel should rise in resistance to Rome,  They, like the faithful of Israel were also watching for a Messiah, a King, long promised who would lead them to a literal victory in an earthly battle over Rome, restoring Israel to the Jews.   It appears that two of the disciples were of that background, Simon Zelotes, or Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot. 

Judas the Treasurer

While we know little of Judas, we do know that he travelled with Jesus from the earliest days, and that he handled the money for Jesus and the disciples, and that he was focused on ‘earthly things’.   Before the Last Supper, and the prophecy that Judas would betray him,  Judas, following the anointing by the woman with the alabaster jar, Judas, incensed no doubt that the ointment was not sold and added to the treasury, has become disillusioned with Jesus.   Judas the Zealot expected talk of revolution, but instead he was taught of the reign of the Kingdom of Heaven in the life of Israel.  Judas expected a conquering king, raising troops and empathy, but instead listened as Jesus prophesied his suffering, death and resurrection, of which the disciples do not show a great comprehension before Pentecost.   Disappointed, feeling Jesus was somehow making ‘foolish’ decisions about money,  Judas slips from the great standing of an apostle, having seen the healings, the power over winds, waves, demons, and having listened to a depth of teaching never before heard in Israel,  and decides that perhaps Yshua may be a danger to the Jewish people, and seeks a betraying covenant with the religious leaders:

14 Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas Iscariot--went to the chief priests 15 and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over

Even here, though, one sees a motive of selfishness and avarice,  as his first request of the Chief priests is ‘how much’ will be paid for the betrayal:  he was more interested in the price of the spikenard than of the anointing of Christ, and he was more interested in the prize money for betraying the Lord, than even the reason for the betrayal.  He is willing to hand over the Lord: Jesus has been hard to track down from the Temple in Jerusalem, travelling the circuit around the nation, but now the chief priests, collaborators with Rome, have inside information:  they will be able to take Jesus in arrest based upon the information of the insider, Judas.   Unperturbed in his plot to betray his friend, with his eyes on the thirty silver coins, Judas ventures to the Last Passover supper he will spend with his friend and teacher, Yshua.   Even then, seeing the work of God in the arrangement for the Supper, he listens intently as the Messiah of Israel tells those gathered around the table, that one of them will betray him:

21 And as they did eat , he said , Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 And they were exceeding sorrowful , and began everyone of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? 23 And he answered and said , He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed ! it had been good for that man if he had not been born

Jesus first tells his disciples it will be one of them.  Each questions whether it could possibly be them: they have maintained their love for him even through the most difficult teachings, two of them having seen Jesus glorified in the transfiguration.  They recognize though their own weaknesses and frailty, and say to him, “Lord, is it I?”.    Jesus though as prophet tells that it is one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with him,  and then pronounces the forthcoming judgment on the one so near as a friend, and so hard hearted that he would betray the Son of God, the Son of Man, reminding them even once more of his imminent demise,  but no doubt purposely failing to spell out the wretched details of the end of the accuser:

“it had been good for that man if he hadnot been born.”

The evening not yet over, Judas is about to make his nonchalant exit:  but Yshua will not let him leave so easily:

Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said , Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said .

It is noted before the Supper when Judas leaves Simon’s house to betray Jesus, that ‘Satan entered into Judas’:  this was not merely an act of man against man, or even of man against the Savior, but a divine battle.   Judas leaves to betray Jesus, and the disciples depart for the evening to the Garden.

The agony of the Garden for the moment is parenthetical: after the prayer of surrender in the Garden, with the Jewish disciples unable to withstand the slumber that falls on them,  the ultimate betrayal of the kiss, alerting the guard Judas has brought with them occurs but not before one more prophecy of the impending duplicity:

behold , the hour is at hand , and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise , let us be going : behold , he is at hand that doth betray me.

Judas brings the temple guard against people who have done him no harm, and against the good Shepherd of Israel, believing he is doing Israel a favor, he commits treachery against both the Lord and the nation.

47 And while he yet spake , lo , Judas, one of the twelve, came , and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now he that betrayed him gave them assign, saying , Whomsoever I shall kiss , that same is he: hold him fast . 49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said , Hail , master; and kissed him. 50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come ? Then came they , and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.   

It is fascinating to note that in the history of mankind, the most non-violent leaders are met with the most violence:  it is irony of the first order to send ‘swords and staves’ and armed guards to arrest the one who healed a centurion’s servant.  Yet they come with Judas: he finally has his much desired army, not to resist Rome, but to resist Christ, the Messiah.  Even to the end he attempts to deceive Jesus,  acting as though he is merely encountering a friend, with a holy kiss, and ‘Hail, Master’, though he has forsaken his master for another.  Jesus, knowing why he is there, nonetheless queries him about his presence, and at that moment, Jesus is arrested.

In another Gospel though, there is more information as the betrayal unfolds:

Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth , and said unto them, Whom seek ye ? 5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6 As soon then as he had said unto them , I am he, they went backward , and fell to the ground. 7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye ? And they said , Jesus of Nazareth. 8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way

As the soldiers confront Jesus,  he asks whom they seek, and they say ‘Jesus of Nazareth’.  Jesus says,

“I am he”.  He actually, in the Greek says “I Am”,  but the he is italicized since the English requires the direct object,  but Jesus says “I Am”, and a curious thing happens:  “they went backward and fell to the ground.”.  Despite the cruel trespass of Judas, the King of Israel is still in charge,  and the pronouncement of his name sends his subjects rolling backwards.  He does this to make clear to Israel that the sacrifice they are about to call for,  is a willing one,  which love for Israel demands.  There is power in the name above all names.   A healing of the servants ear,  the abandonment of the disciples, and Jesus is arrested, but the judgment against Judas is almost immediately put in place:

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned , repented himself , and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying , I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said ,What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed , and went and hanged himself .

Immediately Judas notes the magnitude of his sin and he must have sensed the great judgment awaiting for the one who would be called the son of perdition.  Lost for all time, he repents, but the betrayal of the Holy One of Israel to the point of having him arrested as a common criminal and insurrectionist (which Judas was), results in a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, as by the betrayal he is claiming that the works of God are the works of Satan.  He casts down the money, finally comprehending why it is the root of all evil, and goes to hang himself, falling from the rope, his bowels gushing out.  Dante’s Inferno places Judas at the right hand of satan in the lowest level of Hell,  the just higher level reserved for the treacherous and those who betrayed guests and those entrusted to them.    The lights of flamed torches though,  with swords and staves in the Garden, mark the beginning of the Battle back at Eden’s doors, about to be fought.

Till next time. ekbest

                       

Jesus is Anointed for Burial

It has been a long time in the three previous years, that Jesus and his disciples have encircled Israel, preaching the Kingdom of God, healing the sick, lame and infirm and showing utter sovereignty over nature.  Nearing the end of the three divine years of ministry,  the disciples are commanded to prepare for the oncoming Passover feast.   Jesus never lessened the importance of the Law or Torah and commandments of God:  he made it clear he had come to fulfill the law and not to do away with it---and here in the hours before the 'agony and ecstasy of the surrender and the Cross,  before the Last Supper, and before the agony of the Garden, Jesus and his disciples enter the house of Simon the Leper,  for a dinner.

The title of the man 'the Leper' adds an element of surprise to the dinner, as no Jewish citizen of Israel would normally dine with a Leper.   Most lepers had to abide by both Torah and civil laws regarding leprosy: until declared ceremonially clean, by a Priest of the temple, one could neither dine nor fraternize with a person who had leprosy, a term which included many diseases and conditions of the skin,  but certainly also the one now known as 'Hansen's Disease'.   Most likely,  fellowshipping with the man before the Passover at so close a range it is likely that by this time, the man was pronounced 'clean', or possibly even he had been among the leprous persons whom Jesus had healed.  The designation of 'the Leper' probably remained as a warning, though to many even after a person was either allowed to stay in their residence, isolated and quarantined, or return from an isolated village of lepers.

There are several Simons listed in the Scriptures: one is even noted as a brother of Jesus.  There is not enough evidence in the scriptures to definitively say which Simon this is,  but it is worthy to note that Judas and Simon are mentioned together in at least two passages (Matt 13:55 10:4) in which Simon is referred to Simon the Canaanite, and later mention of Simon Zelotes, but the 'Zelotes' rather than a surname is a political designation meaning 'Zealot', an Israeli nationalistic movement of the time. (Acts)

John 5:71 He spake of Judas Iscariot [the son] of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Jesus rebukes Simon and his guests during the course of the dinner, which might have insulted Judas more personally than is generally considered, but Thayers counts the 'Simons' as different people though others do not.

The Woman of Ill Repute and the Anointing for Burial

6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation , saying , To what purpose is this waste? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial . 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done , be told for a memorial of her.

The Precious Ointment and the Alabaster Box As Jesus dines with Simon the Leper, a woman enters carrying an 'alabaster box' which contains a 'precious ointment'. Other gospels report her as a woman "who was a sinner", and at one point, someone at the dinner is astounded that the Holy Lord would allow such a woman to touch him.

Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman [this is] that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. John 7:39

Prophets were holy, and often like priests, did not allow any to touch them, particularly in the course of the office of a priestly function, and in ancient times, as with some Orthodox and Hasidic Jews today, women other than wives or family members are not to touch observant men at all. This woman however, according to the account in Mark, pours the ointment from the jar over the head of the Savior, and washes his feet in tears with her hair, which, under normal circumstances would certainly raise eyebrows. Jesus however was not given to the legalities of religion: He saw the heart of the woman, and was not constrained by his religious host and his guests. More than one thing is going on in the pouring of the ointment over his head: 1. The woman is deeply repentant, and the Messiah receives her repentance: he notes elsewhere that those forgiven much, loves much:

7"Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little.

Loving much was the Messiah's theme so often, and during his earthly ministry he never turned away the repentant. Whatever the woman's sin, or whatever she had seen the Messiah do, she was deeply moved to take what was to most women of the time a costly substance often used as 'savings' and pour it out over his head in utter gratitude and a fragrant thanksgiving. The alabaster jar 'alabastron' in Greek, was a large jar fashioned as one piece, with a tall neck that came without a lid, but instead sealed or as part of the jar. When one used the ointment, identified both as 'myron' and as 'spikenard' or 'nard' or a mixture, one broke the neck of the bottle and then poured it out. The woman appears to have had only this costly thing in her life, and in recognition of the great forgiveness he had afforded, it was a heart felt gift to the one who had already shown he could forgive sin.

2. The Pouring of the Ointment Denotes the High Priesthood of Jesus, Yshua

uoIn Leviticus and in Exodus, there are specific instructions for the pouring out of a special Temple fragrance which dedicates and graces the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, the priests and High Priest:

Leviticus 8:12 And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.

The spices for the priests and the furniture and fixtures of the Ark were specific: one ointment or fragrance was for the Ark , and others for the rest of the Tabernacle and priests. The mixtures were so specific, and so commanded by God, that if any made the mixture or used it for any other purpose, they were 'karet' or to be cut completely and finally off from the Congregation of Israel. Among the ingredients was Myrrh:

Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred [shekels], and of sweet cinnamon half so much, [even] two hundred and fifty [shekels], and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty [shekels]

Nard or spikenard is mentioned in the Song of Songs in the 'garden enclosed' in the perfect place of communion with the Lord and Savior, or King of Israel. These are the substances poured out on the Messiah. The pouring out of ointment on the High Priest is also mentioned in Psalms:

Psa 133:1 [[A Song of degrees of David.]] Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psa 133:2 [It is] like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; Psa 133:3 As the dew of Hermon, [and as the dew] that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, [even] life for evermore.

Psalm 133:2 directly points to the unity of the brethren in conjunction with the 'precious ointment' which flows down the beard of Aaron the High Priest, running down to the hem of his garments marked with bells and pomegranates: the reminder of the unique office of the High Priest, and the Garden which must never be forgotten.

3.The Pouring Out of the Precious Ointment Marks His forthcoming Sacrifice and burial.

Jesus himself refers to the pouring out as the anointing for his burial. In this we have a prophetic similitude, in which the expression of the preparation in the pouring points to the soon to come death and burial of the Lord. There is yet another consideration, that the woman with the oil is utterly commended by Yshua, Jesus for the outpouring: why? There is no sacrifice or sin/trespass offering that was not accompanied by an anointing:

And thou shalt offer every day a bullock [for] a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.

Jesus commends the woman, and notes that wherever the Gospel is preached, she will be remembered: this is fulfilled prophecy.

The Poor Ye Have Always With You Many who read this passage, like the disciples wonder at the waste of the ointment. Jesus recall was the one who told the rich young ruler to forsake all that he had, sell it and give it to the poor, and follow me. Jesus cared more about the poor than any other religious leader or founder of a man made religion: he constantly commended the poor to Israel's heart, calling them 'blessed. Here though, the concern is for the cost of the ointment, since the apostles and Yshua were 'travelling light'. Neither Jesus nor the woman though were being carelessly extravagant: Jesus could see all that the event meant and how holy it was, and wished nothing more than that it was done as a prophetic expression which would point to the work of God. He was King and Priest: Spikenard and Myrrh were both Kingly spices as well as pertaining to the ministry of the Temple, which Jesus was trying to communicate was the body which would built as the 'temple that could not be destroyed'. The premiere lesson is that obedience was better than sacrifice: in this instance the thing was of God, and all the gifts to the poor could not compensate for what God was commanding must be shown. The great anointing of our priest and King superceded for moments the sweet gift of alms for the poor, and left us all, rich beyond words. Till next time, ekbest

Jesus Prophesies His Suffering, Death & Resurrection

in progress..THIS STUDY HAS BEEN TAMPERED WITH AND SHORTENED.  Please be patient and I will repost next week..elizabeth k best

In the last short study we looked at the wondrous event of the King of Israel, crossing the Kidron, or Cedron into the Garden in a victory march:    by putting under foot the idolatry of Israel,  crushed into dust, and for centuries thrown in the 'brook in the way'(Kidron),  Jesus fulfills the first messianic promise given as Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Gen 3:15

Jesus crushes under foot the sins of Israel as he crosses the Kidron, or 'Cedron' into the Garden.  The battle for souls though is not complete: an agonizing night lies ahead as the Messiah of Israel counts the cost of going to the cross, and willing 'thinking it not robbery' to to abase himself even further than he has in surrendering to God's will, death on the Cross at pagan hands, for the salvation of mankind, and the great work of the plan of God in redemption.

One would think that the next thing to consider in the 'Passover Blogs' would be the agonizing surrender in Gethsemane as his Jewish disciples loose the battle to stay awake and at his side, while a process they cannot comprehend takes place.   However, this consideration is somewhat parenthetical,  for we must consider first what has just occurred,  the 'Last Supper'  and the betrayal  of the Messiah, fulfiling the Promise of Messiah, and the dedication of the Lamb of Israel  and the selling of the 'rebel slave', unrecognized by so many at the time.

The 'Last' Supper or Passover Dinner of the Lamb

In High Churches in the United States and Europe, part of the observation of the Easter season is the "Last Supper",  and many churches claim that the practice of communion, particularly those who celebrate 'transubstantiation'  or who believe that a communion wafer 'becomes' the body and blood of the Lord and Savior, clergy and theologians refer to the pattern for church 'communion' as deriving from the Last supper of Jesus with his disciples,  in which they are commanded in the offering of the bread and wine, to 'do this in remembrance of me'.   Many Christians, sometimes even in Messianic circles go for years not really understanding the interchange and teaching of the Last Passover supper,  as Yshua, seeing his imminent death to come,brings back into focus the priesthood of Israel.  'A nation of Priests' they are called 

Exodus 19:6 KJV

And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

The closest of the disciples, the apostles, the twelve foundations of the city foursquare, have met with Jesus, as per his commands, for the passover in obedience to the Torah, the command of God.  Jesus was not introducing a new religion to replace Judaism:  Jesus did not require nor teach the breaking of the Law or the doing away of the Law,  but adhered to every command.in the Penteteuch.

Before the Dinner:  Jesus Prophesies His Betrayal and Death

Before the agony in the Garden, before the betrayal,  two noteworthy events occur:  

     1. The prophecy of Jesus regarding his death and betrayal, and
     2. His anointing for burial at the house of Simon the Leper

Due to the nature of today's church with our emphasis on liturgies, calendars etc, even fundamental Baptist churches focus with regard to the Gospel on the things which most people focus upon,  unfortunately no longer taking time to study and meditate on the Word.  For this reason,  and because man denominational doctrinal positions ignore it or exclude it,  it is not surprising to find that many do not attend to the office of Prophet which Jesus held:  yet throughout all four Gospels, we find him teaching his disciples, and foretelling them of his suffering, death and resurrection.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 26:2 Jesus prophesies:

     2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified .

This is not the only passage, though, as there are numerous prophetic statements to his disciples throughout his ministry, though they are seldom heard or attended to:

Matthew 20:19 KJV- And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock , and to scourge , and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again 

Mark 8:31 KJV

And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejectedof the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed , and after three days rise again 

Mark 10:34 KJV

And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again

John 12:23 KJV

And Jesus answered them, saying , The hour is come , that the Son of man should be glorified 

While these are not the only passages in which Jesus prophesies his suffering, betrayal and death, it is interesting to note that while none of those who heard seemed to pay much heed to it, it was nonetheless clearly heard and even deeply troubling as his enemies lay the words against him in making their charges:

Matthew 27:63 KJV

Saying , Sir, we remember that that deceiver said , while he was yet alive , After three days I willrise again .

Even in the moments before the Last Passover supper, Jesus is trying to reach his disciples regarding what is about to occur.   Their deafness to his words are not new, though for in one of the most famous passages in the Gospel, where Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ or Messiah of Israel,  they are still "Pre-Pentecost" and they hear and see part of the truth,  but still think with carnal minds:

13 When Jesus came into thecoasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying , Whom do men say that I the Son ofman am ? 14 And they said , Some say that thou art John the Baptist : some, Elias; and others,Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am ? 16 AndSimon Peter answered and said , Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesusanswered and said unto him, Blessed art thou , Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath notrevealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou artPeter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind onearth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed inheaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus theChrist. 21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go untoJerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed , andbe raised again the third day.

Note that Peter exhibits such faith in his Messiah, that Jesus declares that the keys fo the Kingdom will be his, and yet immediately after Jesus' prophecy,  Peter in a misguided kindness fails to receive the prophetic untterance, and is literally called 'Satan' by Jesus, or at least the spirit behind his denial:

22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying , Be it farfrom thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned , and said unto Peter, Get theebehind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God,but those that be of men.  

 Still, by the time that Jesus commands his disciples to prepare for the Passover,  the prophecy of his betrayal and death has been heard several times,  but as on the mount of Transfiguration, the disciples in their fledgling faith, comprehend and believe on some things, but others are too far above their understanding, including the idea that the long awaited Messiah would be betrayed, suffer, and die a death on the Cross.   The prophecy though is about to come true, and the Supper about to be set.

We will continue tomorrow with studies on the anointing for burial, and the meeting in the upper room for the most critical passover supper in history.

elizabethkbest