IN HIS FOOTSTEPS 11 '...these things         have I spoken unto you'

A HARMONISING OF THE GOSPELS
IN ONE CONTINUAL NARRATIVE
First published in March 1993 as 12 individual A5 booklets
These are still available in the original form upon request.
As we approach the end of the story of the Gospels, walking in the footsteps of the Man Christ Jesus, it is important to remember that we are in reality walking towards a beginning. If we merely consider that this is the end then we are in a similar position to those first disciples of Jesus whom He `drew apart onto a level place on the mountain' at the beginning of His walk. Their backs were against Judaism - all that was past - and their faces were set towards the new life in the Kingdom of God, but they had not yet moved off that `level place on the mountain'. Still today, many disciples of Jesus are in that same place between the old life of religion and their new life in Jesus. Like those first disciples, their eyes are not yet fully opened to the on-going walk with the Man Christ Jesus and they are content to stay secure where they are. But Jesus would have His disciples walk off that level place into His new life in the Spirit and move on with Him! This is what now confronted those first disciples, for just as the blind man's eyes were healed in stages, so their eyes were only partially open, and very quickly their old ways would begin to assert themselves. But Jesus firmly, yet patiently, continued to teach and encourage them forward.

As we begin this study we find Jesus exclusively teaching His disciples - preparing them for what lay ahead. They were puzzled, indeed often confused, even though they had heard their Master talk of what would happen in the final days in Jerusalem. Their minds were still full of the memories of the miracles - of seeing Him on the mountain, glorified and shining with the Shechinah of God, and his compassionate acts of mercy and forgiveness to all who crowded around Him. Little wonder they could not comprehend the death that lay ahead of Him, let alone understand that only through that death could come new life. Yes, they had heard the words, `I am the resurrection and the life', and as far as they were able they understood the words. Very soon they would see that resurrection in all its glory - but first would come the cruel death. And so Jesus now takes His disciples aside and teaches them things they could only grope towards understanding. That understanding would fully come after these events had taken place. So, too, for His disciples today! We understand in part; we grope towards understanding, seeing dimly, yet knowing there is more as we walk together, each one of us on our own unique path and yet all of us walking together in the footsteps of the Man Christ Jesus.

All three of the synoptic Gospel writers deal with this intensive period leading up to the Feast of Passover and the Passover meal eaten by Jesus and His disciples. We therefore open this study with the words recorded in Matthew 24: "Jesus left the Temple and was walking away when His disciples came to Him to call His attention to its buildings. `Do you see all these things?' He asked. `I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.' As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. `Tell us,' they said, `when will this happen, and what will be the sign of Your Coming and of the end of the age?'" (24:1-3). The words of Jesus must have struck home, and at last the veil was being lifted from their eyes. At last they were beginning to understand the momentous times that faced them, and "the disciples came to Him privately'. `Tell us,' they said"! At last they were ready to listen! The reply of their Rabbi was very sombre: "Watch out that no-one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, `I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many" (24:4).

We need to keep these words very firmly in the contextual setting of the Gospel narratives. Jesus had already told His disciples that He must be put to death, but that He would return. Speaking now to His disciples - and in particular pointing forward to a future generation of Jewish people - He warns them to watch out for false Messiahs claiming that He has returned. `There will come a time,' said Jesus, `when once again in the land of Israel there will be a yearning for the Messiah to come and save His people. The long night of waiting following on from their rejection of His Messiahship would be very nearly over. A future generation of Jews would be prepared and waiting and yearning for His Coming, but because of this they would be open to the deception of many false messiahs `who will come in My name, claiming, `I am the Messiah''. In Scripture we often find that it is the small seemingly insignificant words that speak volumes. It was this kind of careful study of the Scriptures that led Daniel `to understand from Scriptures, according to the Word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem will last seventy years' and later led to a faithful man called Simeon to `wait for the consolation of Israel'. These words spoken by Jesus are packed with rich revelation.

Verse 3 speaks of `the sign of Your Coming and of the end of the age', and we need to have an understanding of these two aspects of the Coming and the Return of Jesus. The first aspect of His Coming is later expounded by Paul: (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

" For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, and with the voice of the arch-angel and with the trumpet call of God . . . . . . . After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air. "

The second aspect of His Return will be at the end of the Great Tribulation period - known also as the Day of Jacob's Trouble - when He returns in all His Glory to the nation of Israel who have called upon Him as Messiah, and so He comes to His own: (Jude 14)

" With thousands upon thousands of His holy ones to judge everyone. "

Jesus now continues; "You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All of these are the beginning of birth pains" (24:6-8).

Verse 9 now gives a change of emphasis. Prior to this Jesus had been warning of things that would happen, describing them as birth pains - `see to it that you are not alarmed'. But from verse 9 onwards we have entered into a new phase . . the Tribulation period that is yet to come! "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most people will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come: (24:9-14). We need to hold clearly in our minds to whom these words of Jesus are spoken, for they are referring to His Coming and to the end of the Age. His Coming will be as Messiah to the nation of Israel, although the catastrophies prior to that will also engulf the Gentile world. Therefore the words of verse 9 are directed primarily to a future generation of the Jewish nation who will receive Him as Messiah. These words are NOT intended as a warning to the true Church of the Firstborn for they will be `caught up in the air to be with Him for ever' prior to this second aspect of His Coming!

Verse 10 warns of many Jews who, in the middle of the awful days of the Tribulation, will turn away from trusting in a Messiah who will come to save His people.

Verse 12 reveals that even the most devout Jew will grow weary and their love for their Messiah will grow cold.

Verse 13 tells of the enabling of the Holy Spirit, exhorting those Jews to stand firm and so be saved.

Verse 14 tells of the 144,000 Jewish people who will preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in the whole world as a testimony to all nations.

Verse 22 tells of God's mercy towards His elect, the Jewish people, that He will limit this dreadful time to seven years.

Throughout this discourse Jesus gives warning after warning to a future generation of Jews that only Jews would understand: "The abomination that causes desolation . . . Those who are in Judea flee to the mountains . . . Let no-one in the field go back to get his cloak . . . Pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath . . . At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Messiah performing great signs and miracles' do not believe it, for false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders (even as I have performed great signs and wonders, proving that I am the Messiah, which was confirmed by the teachings of your own Mishnah). They will do these things so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (of My Jewish people). See, I have told you these things beforehand (so that you will not be deceived) for when I come it will be `as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the Coming of the Son of Man'" (Paraphrase of verses 15-27). "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels out with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect (the Jewish people scattered over the earth, to come to the land of Israel for the great Millenium reign of the Messiah of Israel) from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (30-31). "I tell you the truth, this generation (the future generation who have witnessed these things) will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened" (v34). Jesus then gives another warning: "No- one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (v36).

He continues by using the story of Noah, who faithfully preached to the people before the Flood came and took them all away, and He warns `so it will be at the Coming of the Son of Man'. At that future time, when Israel will have been gathered back into the land in unbelief regarding the things of God, they will be `locked into the Ark of Israel, and as a nation they will pass through the `judgement waters' of the Day of Jacob's Trouble - the Great Tribulation. "That is how it will be at the Coming of the Son of Man: Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left" (24:39-41). Some will be taken away in physical death during this dreadful time; others will pass through the `judgement waters' and will then call upon the Messiah of Israel to come and they will then enter into the Millenium Kingdom of God. "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (24:42). This teaching does not refer to the true Church of Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, for they will have been caught away to be with their Lord. But because this period will engulf the whole world it will eventually effect that element of the unbelieving `Christian Church' as she continues on a parallel walk with the unbelieving nation of Israel. However, the primary object of that dreadful time will be to bring the nation of Israel to the point of crying out to her Messiah that He will come to save her . . `Hosanna, save us, Holy One of Israel'!

Luke finishes the narrative with these words of exhortation: "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you will be able to stand before the Son of Man" (21:36). Jesus then goes on to give two powerful parables on how to watch and pray: There were ten virgins, five of whom were faithful and waited and watched, and although they grew sleepy whilst they waited and watched for the Bridegroom, they kept their lamps trimmed and filled with oil. The other five grew tired of waiting, and although they had taken their lamps with them they forgot the oil, so when the Bridegroom finally came they found their lamps had gone out . . . and they were barred from the Wedding Feast! The second parable concerned servants who, whilst waiting for their master to return used, or did not use, their talents. Concerning both groups - the ten virgins and the servants with the talents - the message was clear! There would be a time of waiting in the land of Israel before the Messiah returned - a time of sleeping for some whilst others would bury their talents in the ground - but He will come like a thief in the night. No-one knows the time, but come He will for faithful Israel, those who keep their lamps trimmed and use their talents to keep alive the expectation of the promised Messiah!

Staying with Matthew's account, Jesus finishes this period of teaching His disciples concerning His Coming with a discourse on what will happen "When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all His angels with Him (and) He will sit on His throne in heavenly Glory" (24:36). This parable is more simply known as `the Judgement of the Sheep and the Goats'. Again, it is one of many Scriptures usually taken out of context, and it is greatly loved by Humanists in their sincere desire to reach out to suffering humanity. But sadly it is often taken out of context by many equally sincere disciples of Jesus in their compassionate desire to reach out to the same suffering humanity. The passage - taken in its contextual setting of Jesus teaching His disciples what to expect at His Coming - clearly indicates that in the time of the Great Tribulation an appalling wave of horror and war will be directed by the Gentile nations against the Jewish people - a time unheard of before and never to be seen again, making the Holocaust of the Second World War almost like a shadow of what will happen in those days to come. Jesus will come in His glory with His holy ones, and "He will sit on His throne in heavenly Glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right: `Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world' . . . Then He will say to those on His left, `Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and His angels'" (24:31-41). This act of judgement by the One who sits on the throne is over one issue only. What the individuals of the nations did or did not do `for the least of one of these brothers of mine'. Here Jesus is referring to people's attitude of heart in assistance and help for His brothers (the Jewish people) during the period of the Great Tribulation - and the sheep and goat nations are judged accordingly! To the sheep, who cared for His brothers, He will say, `Take your inheritance'. To the goats, who persecuted His brothers, `. . . into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels' - a clear warning to the nations as to how He see the Jewish people!

We are now two days away from His betrayal and Jesus has returned to rest at Bethany: "When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He said to His disciples, `As you know, the Passover is two days away - and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified'" (26:1-2). Luke 22 refers to this time as `the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover'. We see here that in the Jewish thinking of that time the three prescribed Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and the First Fruits had become so interwoven that either names were used to describe them. Again this was pointing forward to the rich tapestry that had been prepared for the Coming of the long-awaited Messiah - now deliberately put aside by the leaders of the nation of Israel in their mad desire to kill `the Man Christ Jesus'. Matthew continues: "Then the chief priests (the Sadducees) and the elders of the people (that is, the Pharisees, the Teachers of the Law and the Scribes) assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas (this indicates a formal meeting of the Sanhedrin) and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill Him. `But not during the Feast,' they said, `or there may be a riot among the people'" (26:3-5). From what is recorded here there is little doubt that Judas Iscariot had already made contact with the Sanhedrin as `they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way'.

It was Judas Iscariot who informed them where they could find Jesus alone with His disciples at a time just before the official Feast of Passover began, and we now see the cancerous root of treachery beginning to break out! "While Jesus was at Bethany in the house of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to Him with an alabastar jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He was reclining at the table" (26:6-7) Whether or not Jesus had performed a miracle of healing for Simon we do not know. The fact that Jesus was welcome in his house indicates a grateful heart, and the Gospel of John tells us that the woman was named Mary. We have read of a similar event earlier (Luke 7) where the Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus by allowing Him to be ministered to by a Pharisee called Simon, but this event occurs in the house of Simon the Leper, with Lazarus, Martha and Mary all present - the circumstances of the meal are entirely different and at a different time in Jesus' ministry and should therefore not be confused with the earlier event recorded in Luke. John records that Mary (who on another occasion had anointed His head with perfume) continued her act of love, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit she "took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume: (and) she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped His feet with her hair. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray Him, objected" (12:3-4)

Who knows how long Judas had allowed unbelief in the Messiahship of Jesus to fester away in his heart? But we do know from the continuing narrative that Judas had been pilfering from the common purse and was seemingly seeking to excuse his actions, at least in his own mind, by objecting to what he thought was a waste of money. This brought a rebuke: "`Leave her alone,' Jesus replied. `It was meant that she should save this perfume for the day of My burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me'" (12:7-8). Mary seems to have clearly understood her own actions, and perhaps out of all the disciples who had crowded around Jesus in the past three years she had listened and had begun to understand what was to come. If nothing more, it was certainly an act of love, going one step beyond what was required for an honoured guest - and so she lovingly washed her Lord's feet and anointed His head with an anointing oil for burial! Jesus, deeply moved by her actions, informs them: "I tell you the truth, wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her" (Matthew 26:13). Judas, stung by the rebuke, now throws off all restraint and seeks out a member of the Sanhedrin. He had now moved beyond any mental and emotional disillusionment, and indeed Luke records that: "Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and officers of the Temple Guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money" (22:3-5).

Returning to Matthew's account we read that Judas asked: "`What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?' So they counted out for him thirty silver coins" (26:15). Both Judas and the chief priests knew what was being done! They knew that the Law of Moses instructed that in the event of a slave being killed by a bull, the owner of the animal must pay thirty coins of silver to the owner of the slave (Exodus 21:32). The price paid, and the price accepted, revealed their utter contempt for `the Man Christ Jesus' - worth only the price of a slave. But with their blind eyes and hardened hearts they could not understand that as they counted out for Judas the thirty silver coins these coins were taken from the Temple Treasurey funds - which were used for the purchase of sacrifices. We have seen earlier that Jesus cleared the money changers from the Temple courts (His Father's House) and now the same coins were being used to purchase God's chosen Passover Sacrificial Lamb! Oh, that we would only stay quiet before the Lord in the events unfolding today, we would be able to see such an unfolding of Scriptural prophecy . . sometimes dramatic, as seen in the act of the crucifixion . . sometimes quiet, as seen in their contempt in handing over the tawdry price of a slave for Jesus!

It was now the fourteenth day of Nissan, the prescribed day set aside for the Feast of Passover. It was the Day of Preparation, and as we have noticed, the names of the three Feasts had become interchangeable. Luke records the event: "Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, `Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover'" (22:7-8) According to the custom, this would mean Peter and John either taking a lamb to the Temple (or purchasing one there) to be killed. Its blood would be collected in a basin and then poured at the base of the altar. Singing Messianic psalms, the Levites would prepare the lamb by skinning and cleaning it, the internal organs being burnt on the altar and the prepared lamb being taken to the house for the Seder meal on the evening of Passover. They were to look for a house big enough for them to meet in for the Passover meal, and Jesus gave them a clear sign as to how they would know which house would be offered. In response to their enquiry, "He replied, `As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner, `The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?'" (22:10-12). The menial task of water-carrying was performed by only the women in that patriarchal society. Jesus gives the disciples a clear sign: `You will see a man carrying water. Follow him, ask the owner of the house . . where is the guest room?' The Seder meal would be eaten under the supervision of a Rabbi or, failing that, under the family head of the house. As their Rabbi, Jesus would be leading the Passover meal which was conducted with great ceremony and liturgical dignity. Every action taken and the words recited during the meal were full of symbolism and prophetic revelation for those who would be open to the prompting of the Spirit of God.

The seven Feasts of the Book of Leviticus are (or will be) totally fulfilled in the work of Jesus, and disciples of Jesus are not required to keep the Feast of Passover today. But as the Holy Spirit leads His disciples into a deeper understanding of their Jewish roots there will come a genuine desire to take part in these ceremonies, with the obvious danger of unwittingly placing themselves under the yoke of the Mosaic Law - from which Jesus came to set the nation of Israel free! This is a subtle deception of Satan which, if not resisted, could spiritually blind the eyes of over-zealous disciples. The letters of Paul reveal that the disciples of Jesus today are called to partake of the Lord's Supper `as often as we meet in remembrance of Him' - a joyful and thankful remembrance of what He has fulfilled completely - whereas the Jewish people who partake of the Seder meal of Passover look forward to their Messiah (who they say has not yet come). But He will come! (Hosea 6:3)

" As surely as the sun rises, He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth. "

"They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and His disciples reclined at the table. And He said to them, `I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds its fulfillment in the Kingdom of God'" (22:13-16). Jesus was clearly pointing to a future time after the Great Tribulation period and His return to this earth, when He would be sharing a Passover meal in the fully restored Messianic Kingdom of God with the people of Israel (for the Passover meal was meant for the Jewish people and the proselytes). These Feasts are recorded in the end chapters of Ezekiel and point to a physical Temple being built and used during the Millenium reign of Jesus the Messiah: (Ezekiel 43:1-5)

" Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the Glory of God coming from the east . . . The Glory of the LORD entered the Temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the Glory of the LORD filled the Temple. "

Many Christians have difficulty over these chapters in Ezekiel, but the confusion arises because they have `appropriated' the Gospels for themselves, not reading them in their contextual, historical setting within the Bible. In breaking through that mental (perhaps we should say spiritual) barrier, many difficult passages of Scripture fall into place and completely harmonise with each other - but we must return to the Gospel narratives!

We read, almost in unbelief, that the disciples still have only partial understanding of the events unfolding before them, for a dispute arose over who would have the place of honour at the Seder table and contention arose over the seating arrangements at the Seder table - part of the intricate ceremonial liturgy worked out during this meal (Luke 22:24). With great love and patience Jesus uses this contention to once again demonstrate the Kingdom life. John takes up the narrative: "It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love . . . so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him" (13:1-5). Jesus, as the Rabbi conducting the meal, would have been at the head of the table, clothed in special robes of authority, with a mitre (a special ornate hat of authority) on His head. At one point in the highly symbolic Seder meal a servant would enter and wash the hands of the people around the table before they moved into the next part of the Seder ceremony. Jesus, in a Messianic prophetic move, `now showed them the full extent of His love'. He stood up, clothed in His divine robes of majesty, with the mitre of authority on His head . . Jesus the Messiah, the Anointed One of Israel . . and removed His outer clothes . . took off all the robes and trappings of authority . . took the place of a lowly slave . . kneeling not to wash their hands but their feet . . a King amongst them . . clothed with all the panoply of Divinity . . but now kneeling as a lowly slave washing their feet! What thoughts flashed through Judas Iscariot's mind? He had on his person the price of a slave - the 30 silver coins given to him by the Sanhedrin!

We know the reaction of Peter: `No,' said Peter, `You shall never wash my feet.' This was not a defiant act of bravado. It sprang from a deep understanding of the ceremonial acts of the Seder meal - but it also showed that he had not fully understood, at this stage, that the fulfillment of Passover was being revealed in His Master, Jesus, who was to become in truth his Lord and Master when his eyes were fully opened. Not so with Judas! With his hardened heart he too must fulfil the Scriptures. John continues: "You call Me `Teacher' and `Lord', and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them'" (13:13-17). Then Jesus, knowing what is about to happen, becomes troubled - not for Himself, for He is secure in His Father's will and purpose, but for those around Him at the Seder meal: "I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfil the Scripture, `He who shares My bread has lifted up his heel against Me'" (13:18). As we have previously mentioned, when so much detail is covered in a Gospel narrative it is usually associated with a Messianic act that would speak deeply and convincingly to the Jewish people (and will continue to speak powerfully to the Jewish people of today, if presented to them in a correct contextual setting and spoken with love and compassion). With love . . because of the knowledge of what we Gentiles have received through the work of their Messiah! With compassion . . because we understand that our gain has so far been their loss! We are indeed `brothers on a journey' - they, the unbelieving Jews, brothers-in-the-flesh of the Lord Jesus whom, as a people, they have rejected at this point as their Messiah, and the Jews and Gentiles who have received Him as Lord and Messiah, brothers-in-the-Spirit, through the finished work of Jesus! We need to keep this in balance as the Holy Spirit leads us into deeper understanding of our Jewish roots.

John continues: "After He had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, `I tell you the truth, whoever accepts Me accepts the One who sent Me.' His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which one He meant" (13:21-22). As we have already seen, the Seder meal was rich in ceremonial symbolism, which to a point explained the fervent seeking of a favoured position at the Seder table. At a certain stage in the meal bitter herbs were dipped into a bowl of salty water, symbolising the tears shed by the Hebrews during the captivity in Egypt, and it was customary for the bitter herbs to be handed to the most favoured person at the table. It would be done twice, as was customary at the Seder meal, giving Judas the chance to repent - but it was not to be, for Scripture must be fulfilled. The act of Jesus in giving Judas the first offering was no more than a formal act during the meal - the bitter herbs were passed at every Seder meal and would not register to any degree in the disciples' minds. It is quite possible that the disciples saw it as a loving gesture to a rather awkward disciple, and anyway it was inconsequential - next year it just might be one of them in the favoured position. But Jesus, knowing the consequences, was troubled in spirit: "Then, dipping the piece of bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. `What you are about to do, do quickly,' Jesus told Him, but no-one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him" (13:26-29 in part).

Did the eyes of Jesus meet the eyes of Judas? We don't know, but we do know that, "As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night!" (13:30). A blackness had entered into the heart of Judas, and he went out to the waiting Sanhedrin! The words of Jesus, `What you are about to do, do quickly' gives us an indication of the time involved. John's words that when Judas went out `it was night' tells us that it was after sunset on the fourteenth day of Nissan. There was much to be outworked before the end of Passover at sunset the next day - echoed in the words of Jesus, `Do it quickly'. And Judas hurried off to the waiting Sanhedrin! It left Jesus very little time for His final instructions to His disciples and for His final teaching - which would flood back into their minds after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

John 13:31: Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in Him.

John 13:33: My children, I will be with you only a little longer.

John 13:34: A new commandment I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are My disciples if you love one another.

Mark 14:27: You will all fall away, for it is written, `I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.

Mark 14:28: But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.

Mark 14:29-30: Peter declared, `Even if all fall away, I will not.' `I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, `today - yes tonight - before the cock crows twice you yourself will disown Me three times'.

Luke 22:31-32: `Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you (all) as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers'.

Jesus now moves further into the Seder meal with His remaining disciples, and we need to understand a little of these ceremonies in order to see what is recorded in the various Gospel narratives. During the course of the Seder meal there would be four cups of wine poured and passed round. At the beginning of the meal there would come the first, the Cup of Blessing. Later, after the breaking of the bread, would come the second cup, the Cup of the Plagues. The third cup followed the eating of the lamb and was called the Cup of Redemption. Finally, at the end of the Seder meal there would come the fourth cup, the Cup of Praise. The first two cups had already been brought to the table, and then Judas had gone out into the night. Now would come the main part of the ceremony, the eating of the meal.

Mark records this for us: "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His dsiciples, saying, `Take, eat; this is My body'" (14:22). The breaking of the bread, which had taken place earlier while Judas was still with them, consisted of breaking the bread into three pieces - the middle piece of the bread being wrapped in a cloth and hidden away for a later time in the meal. Judas could have had no part in what now followed in the Seder meal. Here Jesus is `rediscovering' the middle piece of the bread. He blesses it, saying, `This is My body' . . . a Messianic act. The middle piece of bread . . the bread of Life coming from the Father and the Holy Spirit . . was hidden away in `grave clothes' for a later resurrection! `Take, eat,' says Jesus, `this is My body.' "Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. `This is My blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for many" (14:23-24). This was the third cup, the Cup of Redemption, and Jesus said, `This is My blood of the New Covenant. Drink all of it (to the full)'. "When they had sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives" (14:26). This was the end of the Passover meal. They would drink the fourth cup, the Cup of Praise, after singing together the great hymns of praise - Psalms 115-118 - followed by Psalm 136 - the Great Hallel:

115 Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to Your Name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness . . . Halleluia!

116 I love the LORD, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live . . . Halleluia!

117 Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples. For great is His love towards us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever . . . Halleluia!

118 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures for ever. Let Israel say, `His love endures for ever' . . . Halleluia!

136 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His love endures for ever. Give thanks to the God of gods, His love endures for ever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords . . . Halleluia!

With this praise ringing in their ears Jesus gives His disciples a farewell talk - and then they would indeed go `out to the Mount of Olives', as Mark records.

But first we shall turn to John's narrative. It was in a real sense a farewell to His beloved disciples . . after all their times of warm fellowship . . facing the hostility of the Pharisees . . the heady excitement of the crowds . . the authoritative teaching, such as had never been heard before . . all these things, and many more, for John later said: "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written" (21:25). All this now lay in the past, and never again would they experience such times. The disciples still could not comprehend what was about to happen in the lead-up to the crucifixion, let alone the resurrection that would follow, but the new relationship they would have with their Lord and Master would be like nothing they had experienced before! However Jesus, sensing their apprehension, tells them: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am" (14:1-3).

The disciples still did not understand what Jesus was telling them - that they knew the way to where He was going! "Thomas said to Him, `Lord, we don't know where You are going, so how can we know the way?' Jesus answered, `I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through Me'" (14:5-6). Their answers showed that they still had only `partial sight'. They saw, in part. They understood, in part. But full understanding would come very soon. Jesus tried to open their understanding a little more with a gentle rebuke: "Don't you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father?' Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you are not just My own. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work. Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me, or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves'" (14:9-11).

Jesus continues with His final teaching of what He will leave as His `legacy' to all who will follow Him: (verses 12; 15-17; 18; 27)

" I tell you the truth; anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He
will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father . . . . If you
love Me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give
you another Counsellor to be with you for ever - the Spirit of Truth - . . . . I
will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you . . . . Peace I leave with you; My
peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be
troubled and do not be afraid. "

The time of parting was now very close, and Jesus finishes His farewell to them in the upper room at the end of the Passover meal: (verses 30-31) "`I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on Me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what My Father has commanded Me. (It was now time to go out into the night.) Come now; let us leave', and when they had sang a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives". As they walk towards Gethsemane Jesus continues to talk to His disciples: "I am the true vine and My Father is the Gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing" (15:1-5)

Many fine sermons have been given on this story of the vine and the branches, but we need to see it in its contextual setting. Jesus, looking ahead, knew of the coming cross and His death, but He was also looking ahead to His resurrection and to His inheritance! His disciples could only partially see what was to happen as they neared Gethsemane. Jesus was warning them of what lay ahead, encouraging them to abide in Him and reminding them of what He had taught them during the last three years - the signs and wonders with which He had demonstrated His Messiahship. They must abide in Him . . in whom He is! He is the truth . . the vine from which all strength and goodness comes! They are the branches . . grounded in their knowledge of Him! `Do not move from that place of security . . do not be concerned at the coming crucifixion . . abide in Me and My teaching and you will see the reason for this . . My Father, the true Gardener, will cut off all the branches of unbelief so that true faith in Me can grow!' The Gardener will even trim back the branches of belief in what Jesus had taught them so that even sturdier understanding could grow.

`You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you'. Disciples of Jesus today should not let legalistic teaching bring condemnation and fear to them. Here Jesus is warning His disciples of what lies just ahead of them. They are already clean, but it is their `branches' that will need trimming in the months and years that lay ahead - branches of unbelief and belief alike - so that good fruit will be produced! The branches of unbelief, fear and anxiety will be cut out of believers and thrown into the fire so that fresh branches will grow and bear much fruit, under the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. There is no condemnation in these words of Jesus, to His disciples then or to His disciples of today. These are words of encouragement! No matter what we face on the journey forward, if we remain in Him, in obedience to what He has commanded, then the pruning will come - but the knife is in the hands of the Good Gardener, who is looking for fruit to glorify His Son!

Jesus continues: (John 15 and 16 in part)

" As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love . . .
My command is this; love one another as I have loved you . . .
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know His master's business.
Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from My Father I have
made known to you . . . . . .
This is My command: Love one another . . . . . .
Remember the words I spoke to you: `No servant is greater than his master.' If they
persecuted Me, they will persecute you also . . . . .
When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of
Truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me; but you also must
testify, for you have been with Me from the beginning . . . . . .
All this I have told you so that you will not go astray . . . . .
I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the
Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.">

The disciples still could not understand all that was pouring out of the heart of their beloved Master, for: "Some of His disciples said to one another, `What does He mean by saying, `In a little while you will see Me no more, and then after a little while you will see Me,' and `Because I am going to the Father'? They kept asking `What does He mean by `a little while?' We don't understand what He is saying'" (16:17-18) On seeing their anxiety and puzzlement, a measure of revelation is given them by the Holy Spirit, and He removes the tension and anxiety to the point where they can see. The relief is immediate: "`Now You are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that You know all things and that You do not even need to have anyone answer Your questions. This makes us believe that You came from God'. `You believe at last!' Jesus answered" (16:29-31).

John now records the great prayer of intercession Jesus makes to His Father. By now He was probably very close to Gethsemane, where He would be alone with His Father to draw strength and full understanding for the final step He must take. It is a prayer that reveals the heart of Jesus. He is asking His Father for the restoration of His Divine Glory, which for a while had been veiled by His physical body. His work was finished. He had revealed the Father to those who were chosen and who would listen: "Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son that Your Son may glorify You . . . Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began. I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your word" (17:1-6 in part). The cry of Jesus now reaches out to His Father, not only for those beloved disciples but also "for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as we are one; I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me" (17:20-23).

Do not doubt that in these days, as we approach the climax of the age and the return of our Lord Jesus, that the heart-cry of Jesus to His Father will be fulfilled . . and fulfilled completely! Let us take our eyes off what we see, allow the Gardener to cut off the branches of unbelief from our understanding and allow the good fruit of trust in the faithfulness of God to answer that last cry from His Son before He went to complete the work of His Father on the cross. John continues: "When He had finished praying, Jesus left with His disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley (the Valley of Jehosaphat, which is to figure largely in His Second Coming to Israel). On the other side there was an olive grove, and He and His disciples went into it" (18:1). Jesus now turns to His disciples and tells them to wait for Him while He goes a little way to pray. Mark now takes up the narrative: "He took Peter, James and John along with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. `My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,' He said to them. `Stay here and keep watch'. Going a little further, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. `Abba, Father,' He said, `everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will'" (14:33-35).

Something very dramatic and horrifying had happened as Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane. An overwhelming horror of understanding came to Him of something not previously revealed to Him by the Father and `He was deeply distressed and troubled, overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death'. Bible commentators call it His agony, while others attempt to express this experience with sombre music. What was this cup that Jesus faced? It could not have been the thought of death by crucifixion, for many brave men have been put to death by even more cruel methods. No, Jesus was fully aware of His coming death and of the means by which it would come! He not only knew the Scriptures but had taught from them for over three years! He knew that according to the Law death on a tree was the correct way! He knew that atonement for sin required death and the shedding of blood as atoning sacrifice! This `cup' could not have been the thought of death that so overwhelmed Him, even though He was faced with the knowledge of His failure as the Messiah of Israel in that generation. No! What He now faced in His coming death was something that had never entered into His thinking before. All His physical life had been spent in harmony and fellowship with His Father - He did nothing that the Father did not tell Him! He and His Father were one! His entire spiritual, physical and emotional life had been spent in total awareness of the presence of His Father! Everything sprang from that relationship . . His knowledge of His Sonship . . and if a Son, then also an Heir!

In his Letter to the Romans Paul reveals the horror of what Jesus faced: (Romans 8:3-4)

" For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God
did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so He
condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the Law might be
fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. "

In these words of Paul lies the horror of what faced Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew of His coming death . . He knew that death on a tree was correct . . He knew that blood was required to be shed for atonement for sin . . but now there came the understanding of what being cursed on a tree meant! He understood what it really meant to be a sin offering! Some commentators seek to demand in these words a spiritual death for Jesus. But this cannot be so, for the spirit of a man cannot die, it is eternal. They seek to establish a spiritual death as meaning that He had become a sinful person and was cut off from the presence of God (as with all mankind through the rebellion of Adam). But this cannot be so, for if Jesus died spiritually, then in that sense there would be no-one to die for Him. If Jesus died spiritually there would have been no-one who could bring salvation for mankind, and we would all be, as Paul would say, the most wretched of men!

The teaching of Jesus' so-called spiritual death springs from a reading of Paul's words to the Corinthians: (2 Corinthians 5:21)

" God made Him who had no sin to become sin for us, so that in Him we
might become the righteousness of God. "

It also springs from a misunderstanding of the Scripture in Leviticus 16 which records the sacrifices required for the yearly Day of Atonement: (verses 7-8; 15-16)

" Then he (Aaron) is to take two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats - one lot for the LORD and the other for Azazel (often translated as `the scapegoat'). . . . He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood. He shall sprinkle it on the Atonement Cover and in front of it. In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleaness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. "

Verses 21-22 tell of the fate of the second goat, the scapegoat:

" He (Aaron) is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites - all their sins - and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it into the desert. "

This word `Azazel' (often translated as `scapegoat') is an obscure Hebrew word with a meaning of `removal or sent away'. Verse 8 describes the second goat as being set aside for Azazel - which means more than being set aside to become just a scapegoat. It is being set aside for removal, for abandonment, with the sins of the Israelites upon it - sent away outside the camp - and it is here that we begin to understand the agony of Jesus in the Garden. All the Levitical Feasts have their fulfillment in Jesus, and whilst the battle rages in the Christian world over whether Jesus died spiritually or not in fulfillment of the Day of Atonement sacrifices, they are probably both wrong. There were two goats in the ceremonial sacrifices and both have to find their fulfillment in Jesus. It was this horror that swept through the mind of Jesus as He entered Gethsemane! He knew that He was to be the sin offering hanging on the tree and cursed according to the Law. He knew that His blood was required for atonement for sins - this was the role of the first goat, `one lot for the LORD, the other for Azazel'! In his first letter John writes: `He is the eternal sacrifice for our sins'. The meaning of the word `atonement' ties this in to the first goat . . `to make amends for; to expiate; to pay the penalty for; to reconcile'. Sometimes this is also translated as `He was the propitiation for our sins', with the meaning `to appease the Offended One'. This was the lot of the first goat, `to appease the Offended One' and Jesus now fully understood this as the Servant of God, the Messiah for His people!

The full meaning of this now came to Jesus in the Garden, the full horror of what it meant, for there were two goats, The second goat for Azazel had sin placed upon him and was sent to abandonment . . . a cutting off from the life-sustaining relationship with His Father . . a cursed thing hanging on a tree of shame . . a total separation from His Father for the first time in His entire experience . . a total cutting off and abandonment of Him by His Father! How often we `sanitise' the words of Scripture, but we must avoid this if it is to be made real in our experiential life in Him. Real fear nibbled at the mind and soul of Jesus. The knowledge that He had failed as the Messiah of Israel, for that particular generation, flooded into His mind. The atoning death, the blood that was required of the first goat was understood and accepted - but now came the full flood of horror (working on His knowledge of what it meant for that generation of Jews who had rejected Him as Messiah) that He too was to face full abandonment as the second goat by His Father. The horror that He was to be sent to Azazel stared Him in the face. The Greek word `paredokon' which gives us the word `abandonment' has the meaning of `one given over; a total cutting off; an abandonment'. It was a `cup' that Jesus had never experienced before: "Abba, Father, everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me (the abandonment)". But then, in total obedience, He answers His own request". "Yet not what I will, but what You will." He return to His disciples and finds them sleeping, which earns them a rebuke, but it happens a second time and then a third time. Alone, and with overwhelming sorrow, He faces the final understanding of His physical life's work. We need to turn to Luke's narrative to read other details of what happened during that lonely second and third time of looking for support in the Garden. Jesus, almost at breaking point, is sent help from His Father: "An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground" (22:43-44).

To gain an understanding of the cause of that sweat that was like drops of blood we have to keep in mind the contextual setting of the work of Jesus as the Messiah of Israel. He came to His ministry as the Servant of God to reveal the New Covenant for the Jewish nation, to offer the Kingdom of Heaven to a nation that annually took part in the great Feasts in anticipation of His Coming. But now He faced complete abandonment by His Father (being cut off; given over to hanging on a tree accursed; a total failure as God's Servant as the long-awaited Messiah of Israel) and His agony at this causes Him to sweat seemingly great drops of blood upon His brow - and then He is strengthened by an angel sent from Heaven. Isaiah 49 describes the reason: (verses 1-7 in part)

" He said to Me, `You are My Servant, Israel, in whom I will display My splendour.' But I (Jesus) said, `I have laboured to no purpose. I have spent My strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due to Me is in the LORD's hand (Your cup, Father, not Mine), and My reward is with My God,' And now the LORD says - He who formed Me in the womb to be His Servant to bring Jacob back to Him and gather Israel to Himself, for I am honoured in the eyes of the LORD and My God has been My strength - He says, `It is too small a thing for You to be My Servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make You a light for the Gentiles, that You may bring My salvation to the ends of the earth. This is what the LORD says - the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel - to Him (Jesus) who was despised and abhorred by the nation (of Israel), to the servant of rulers. `Kings will see You and arise, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You. "

The Servant had been faithful to His Father's call - the Messiah had come and proclaimed the Kingdom of God to Israel, `You are My Servant, Israel, in whom I will display My splendour', but Israel, in rejecting the Messiah, had seemingly brought total failure to the Father's purposes. His work was a total failure, `I have spent My strength in vain and for nothing'. This, together with the revelation of the coming abandonment by His Father - a total cutting off from the source of His life - made His agony almost unbearable, to the point where `an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him'. The Letter to the Hebrews reveals the outcome that would follow the obedience of Jesus: (Hebrews 5:7-8)

" During the days of Jesus' life on earth He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him, and was designated by God to be High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. "

Paul, in his stunning exposition on the future salvation of the Jews, says it in incomparable words: (Romans 11:11-12)

" Again I ask, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fulness bring! "

This was the agony of Jesus . . facing total abandonment by His Father , , facing total failure of His work as Messiah of the nation of Israel . . facing death on a tree as an object of cursing, requiring an angel to be sent from heaven to strengthen Him. And the faithful, obedient Servant of God has completed His work by drinking this final `cup' His Father revealed to Him! The only possible way we could finish this eleventh study of walking in the footsteps of the Man Christ Jesus is to record the words of Paul as he saw the wonder of what the God of Israel has accomplished through the obedient walk of His Servant Messiah: Romans 11:33-36:

" Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgements and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counsellor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things! To Him be the glory for ever. Amen!"

We merely call this the Doxology and appropriate it to ourselves as disciples of Jesus. But it must be seen in the context of the great agony of Jesus in that lonly Garden of Gethsemane, where He faced His failure and the abandonment of His Father, but nevertheless said: `Abba, Father, everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will'.

Matthew completes the narrative of the Garden of Gethsemane: "Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, `Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise and let us go! Here comes My betrayer'" (26:45-46).

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