BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY
larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com
BIBLE STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday May 4, 2014
____________________________________________________________
OUR MESSIAH:
ABUSED!
(Appreciating
the suffering that JESUS endured)
John 18
After JESUS finished praying, HE
and HIS disciples crossed the “Kidron Valley” to the east. The Kidron Valley,
now the “Wodi en-NAR”, is a valley, which begins north of Jerusalem and passes
between the temple mount and the Mount of Olives, and then ends at the Dead
Sea. Ironically, it is the same place where David learned that he had been
betrayed by his trusted friend, Ahithophel and his son Absalom, some 950 years
earlier (2 Samuel 15:23. 30-31). And now, as it turns out, it would be this
same site where Judas Iscariot was about to betray JESUS, on this, the eve of
HIS crucifixion.
The Olive grove was a place where
JESUS often came with HIS disciples whenever they were in Jerusalem, and so, it
was a place that Judas Iscariot was also very familiar with. He knew exactly
where to lead the band of Roman soldiers, who were dispersed there by the
religious leaders to arrest JESUS, and put HIM on trial. Judas had already sold
JESUS out to them for thirty pieces of silver (the price of a common slave), and
now he was there to complete his deal with the Pharisees, by betraying his
MASTER’s love for him, with a kiss.
As the battalion of 600 soldiers
arrived at the olive garden of Gethsemane with torches blazing, lanterns
glowing, and weapons drawn, JESUS fully realized what was taking place.
Stepping forward HE asked them anyway, who was it that they were seeking? The
mob replied “JESUS of Nazareth” and JESUS responded that, “I AM HE”.
When HE said these words, every
single one of the men in the battalion fell backwards to the ground. Perhaps
what we see here is a manifestation of JESUS’ divine power and majesty, or, it
could have also been a fulfillment of the statement of David in Psalm 27:2-3.
However, it is more likely that we see here, is both of those scenarios being
played out. JESUS then suggests to the soldiers that they take HIM, and leave
HIS disciples alone. HE was willing to protect them by giving over HIS OWN life
instead of the lives of HIS friends.
And even after Simon Peter draws
his sword and cuts off the ear of Malchus, one of the servants of the high
priest who had come with the soldier to take JESUS, JESUS still rebukes HIS
disciple and commands HIM to put up his sword. And then, in the true sense of
the statement, “Love your enemy”, another gospel account (Luke) tells us that
JESUS picked up the ear of Malchus, and miraculously restored it to his head.
At this point JESUS was ready to go forward to HIS “Passion”, and was
determined to drink the cup, that HIS beloved FATHER, had already set before
HIM.
PETER’S DENIALS
John 18:15-27
After JESUS allowed the soldiers to
arrest HIM, Peter and one of the other disciples followed them back into the
city. The unnamed disciple here, was known by the high priest, and thereby, had
access to the high priest’s courtyard. He was also able to gain permission for
Peter’s entrance into the courtyard, from the lady who kept the door. However,
the lady recognized Peter as one of JESUS’ disciples, and when she inquired
this of him, for the first time, he denied that he knew JESUS.
Here we see a very human, but somewhat
complicated side of Peter. Only moments earlier he had been this brave, defiant
defender of JESUS, while in the garden of Gethsemane. Now, we see him cowering
down under the pressure of the reality of what courage a man has to have in
order to follow in the footsteps of CHRIST.
Throughout the history of the
Church, Christians have often faced martyrdom bravely, but there are perhaps
even more times when they buckled under at the threat of death. Ironically, the
other disciple didn’t seem to have a problem with being known as a follower of
CHRIST. He was well known by the lady at the door, and the high priest, yet, he
did not try to hide, or play the role of a secret Christian, but rather, he
entered boldly into the temple to be near JESUS.
Peter went on in and stood at the
fire with the guards and household servants, and began to warm himself as the
high priest, Annas, begin his questioning of JESUS. He was now gripped with
fear and perhaps, having second thoughts as to why he came there in the first
place. This questioning of JESUS, by Annas, one of three religious trials, and was
the first of the six total trials, that JESUS would endure on that night before
HIS crucifixion.
Annas, according to record, was
high priest from A.D. 6 to A.D. 15. He was then deposed by the Romans, but
managed to keep control of the post through his four sons, and his son-in-law
Caiaphas for a number of years after his disposal. Caiaphas, was the official
high priest from A.D. 18 to A.D. 36, which covered the time period of JESUS’
public ministry. However, we see the power still wielded by Annas, in that
JESUS was brought to him first.
Annas begins his questioning of
JESUS by asking HIM about HIS followers and what HE had been teaching them.
JESUS responds to the question by defending the transparency of HIS doctrine,
which HE had been teaching openly in the temple and synagogues for three years.
One of the temple guards, who did not like the way JESUS answered, struck JESUS
in the face. After this, Annas sent JESUS over to see Caiaphas for further
questioning.
In the meantime, Peter, who was
still standing by the fire, was asked again, if he was one of JESUS’ disciples,
and again, he denied that he was. Then, one of the household servants, who was
a relative of Malchus, the man whose ear was cut off by Peter in the olive
garden, thought he recognized Peter as one of JESUS’ followers. But when he
asked the frightened disciple if this was true, for the third and final time, Peter
denied even knowing JESUS. And then immediately, true to JESUS’ words, Peter
heard the prophetic sound of the rooster’s crow.
THE CIVIL TRIAL BEFORE PILATE
John 18:28-40
JESUS’ second religious trial, the,
trial before Caiaphas, ended in the early morning hours of the day of JESUS’
crucifixion. HE was then taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor,
Pontius Pilate. JESUS’ accusers, the Jewish religious leaders, did not enter
into the governor’s headquarters, because they were “self-forbidden” from entering
into the house of a Gentile, especially during Passover. So apparently they
must have sent JESUS in alone, while they stood outside and awaited Pilate’s
decision.
Pilate’s apparent wavering, during
JESUS’ “first civil trial”, should not be mistaken for virtue. For a quick look
at Pilate’s personal history with the Jews will show us how he used the path of
least resistance, in order to save himself from his own, “self-imposed”
troubled career.
When Pilate first entered into
Jerusalem as Procurator, he got off to a very bad start with the Jews and their
religious hierarchy by entering into the city wearing the “standards” of the
Roman Emperor on their helmets. The Jews considered these standards to be
idolatrous, because the Romans worshiped the Caesars as gods. Every Roman
governor, before Pilate, had respected their wishes and removed these emblems
from their headgear while they were in Jerusalem. Pilate, on the other hand,
steadfastly refused to do so, despite being constantly dogged by the Jews.
Finally, in a showdown at the
amphitheater in Jerusalem, Pilate surrounded a group of protesting Jews with
armed soldiers and told them that if they didn’t put an end to their requests,
they would be killed right there on the spot. The Jews, however, called
Pilate’s bluff, forcing him to reconsider. They knew that Pilate would come
under fire from the Emperor, Caesar Tiberius, if he found out what Pilate was
trying to do. And so Pilate, to his own dismay, had to buckle under and admit
defeat.
A second incident involved
Pilate’s taking of money from the temple treasury, in order to help finance a
new aqueduct system for Jerusalem. When some of the angry Jews protested,
Pilate planted some of his soldiers into the crowd, and upon his signal, they
attacked the Jews, injuring many, and even killing some innocent bystanders.
It was these two incidents that
the Jews used to blackmail Pilate into doing their desired will, of giving JESUS
the death sentence. They knew, and Pilate knew, that if Tiberius found out
about either one of these incidences, Pilate would be driven from office, or
perhaps, even killed by his Roman superiors.
One might ask himself, “Why didn’t
the Jews just take JESUS out and kill HIM themselves?” Well, the truth is that,
about forty years before the destruction of the temple by the Romans, Emperor
Julius Caesar took away the right of the Jews to make decisions of judgment
that involved the life and death of its citizens. Since that time, only the
Roman government could give a person a death sentence and carry it out (John
18:31).
In addition, it was important to
the Jewish religious hierarchy that JESUS, die, by Roman method, “hanging from
a cross”, and here’s why. According to Deuteronomy 21:22-23, anyone who has
committed a crime worthy of death, and is executed and hung on a tree, it is an
indication that that person was cursed of GOD.
And so, not only did the religious
leaders want to convince the people that JESUS was “not the SON of GOD”, as HE
had claimed, they also wanted to send a message that HE was even “cursed of GOD”.
However, ironically, from a GODly perspective, this manner of death would be in
line with the prophetic statement of JESUS, where HE says, “When HE is raised
up, HE will draw all men to HIM”.
After Pilate’s questioning of
JESUS had ended, he once again went out to the people and declared that “he
could find no fault in JESUS”. He even tried to compromise the truth of his finding,
by offering to release JESUS as result of their customary rule, where they
would release one prisoner from custody each year at the Passover. But instead
of using that opportunity to free JESUS from custody, the Jewish people chose
instead, to release a convicted robber by the name of Barabbas.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER-
Official Website
No comments:
Post a Comment