Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

Matthew 27:1 – 11

I have thought about Judas some.  He was the only Judean disciple; all the others were from Galilee and he was responsible for the finances of the little flock of Jesus’ disciples. Could this have contributed to what he just did – betrayed Jesus by helping the rulers of the Jews to arrest Jesus for money?  Certainly it was not to get money because he actually threw the thirty silver coins away when he saw that Jesus allowed himself to be arrested.

The Gospels say little about Judas before this.  Maybe Judas thought Jesus would resist arrest and begin a revolution to get rid of Roman rule.  Who knows?  Jesus did not explain Judas’ motives.  He accepted what Judas did as the fulfillment of the ancient prophet Jeremiah, “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”  As I ponder this, it seems to me that God used the troubled relationship between Jesus and Judas to fulfill the prophecy.  Jesus did not comment on Judas’ betrayal so we leave it there.  Matthew wrote about how the Jews used the money.  That is it.

We have no way of knowing why Judas did what he did.  The role of Judas of Iscariot posed questions that believers and unbelievers have discussed and re-discussed through the ages.  I do not think anyone, except the Lord, knows the whole story.  We do know that his action triggered the events leading up to Jesus crucifixion.  Not that Judas wanted Jesus to be crucified, in fact when Judas saw Jesus being arrested he threw up his hands and took his own life.

I suppose the shock of this story is that it was that one of the twelve disciples, those who walked with Jesus for many months and did mighty works through the power he gave them, could trigger the beginning of events that led to Jesus’ death.  The prophecy is fulfilled.  Book closed!

There is so much splendid color and interesting shapes that you can barely take in a fraction of it all.  To stand among the tulips is a treat, indeed.

Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”  He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”  Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Matthew 26:69 – 75

I recall Peter’s words, spoken an hour or so earlier, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” V 33 Now, in the High Priest’s courtyard, a girl saw him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”  Peter, the spokesman for the disciples, lied.  He insisted that never knew Jesus.  In protest he got adamant, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  

After he was so questioned three times, Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”  Poor Peter.  What happened?  He knew Jesus probably better than anyone else on earth.  His relationship with Jesus landed him in great personal trouble.  The only way out was to swear an oath that he did not even know Jesus, which he did – and then the cock, welcoming the morning, crowed.  Peter was an absolute mess.  His world crumbled!

Realizing what he had just done, “He went outside and wept bitterly.”

It is not easy to stand up for Jesus, and even more of a challenge to say that we know and love him!  This world is not a friend of God’s grace.  But it is the world we live in, every day.  Peter discovered that dramatically.

I wonder, where did Matthew get this story?  He was not there.  I believe, later on, Peter shared this with Matthew, who recorded it for us for our own edification.

I pored over this Longwood beauty.  Takes the breath away, that is how it affects me.

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. Matthew 26:57

 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus…“I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”   “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.  What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.  Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him.”  Matthew 26:62 – 67

Who am I to even attempt to write anything?  Stand with me.  This scene is scathing and hateful. The showdown had come.  Finally, the leader of the Jews, the High Priest, Caiaphas, demanded that Jesus declare, once and for all, if he believes he is the promised Messiah.  Jesus’ response was so elusive that Caiaphas flew into a rage.

Jesus’ reminded the High Priest that it is he did not believe that  Jesus was the Messiah.  Then Jesus had a word of truth for all to hear, “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  Then the torrent of outrage from Caiaphas…“He has spoken blasphemy.”  Those around him spit contempt on Jesus and struck him, not only with open palms, but with fists clenched in anger.

From that moment, there is no turning back, the leaders of the Jews determined to kill their Messiah sent by heaven, the hope of Israel!  Can it be?  Read and weep.

A little break at Longwood Gardens.  The mystery and joy of love.

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Matthew 26:36 – 39

Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Matthew 26:45, 46

The darkest hour!  Who can understand it?  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  Agony indeed.  Why this soul-wrenching pathos?  Jesus had no sin. His life with his Father was one of perfect obedience.  He faced the horror of taking on himself the sin of the world, all sin of all people!  He who had no sin had to become sin for us!  That is the drama of holiness.

I think it would have been easier for Jesus to die on the spot than to face what he came to earth to do – die on the Roman/Jewish cross to open the door of salvation to all.  “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”  In that cry, we get a little glance into our sin and into the heart of God who suffers beyond belief to secure our salvation.

Think of it. He was not suffering because of his sin, but because of ours.  That makes it extremely difficult to understand.  Furthermore, unlike Jesus, I cannot even begin to comprehend the consequences of my own waywardness, let alone even thinking of someone else.  Jesus was completely committed to dealing with our sin, not his.

Only in our heart of hearts can we feel even a fraction of what Jesus is feeling. It was more than a feeling but a reality that shatters all pretense.  In this hour of Jesus’ life, we see into the heart of God as never before.  That love has confounded believers through the ages.  May it be so with me today. Love so amazing demands my life, my soul, my all.

We had the joy of absorbing the wonder and beauty of nature at Longwood Gardens yesterday, Friday, in honor of Anna Ruth’s 90th birthday.  Jane and Glenn enjoyed the day with us.

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.  Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”  Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.  But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Matthew 26:47 – 56

Jesus has one thing in mind, to be the perfect sacrifice for the sin of the world.  The clock is ticking.  The cross is looming.  The next hours will be full of terrible things for the Son of Man.  His one Judean disciple, Judas, is part of the process.  His kiss is not a sign of love but of betrayal.  The hated Roman swords are raised and praised by the Jewish leaders.  The eleven disciples quake.  Their hesitant use of their own sword was nothing against the legions of Romans.

It is hard to believe that the Co-Creator of the universe, the Son of God, is now a prisoner of Rome and hated by his own people.  He stands there alone.  Alone in the garden.  Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.  Is there greater desolation?

And to realize that he is doing this for me, for you, for all who will believe!  No mind can take it in, no heart can feel the trauma and turmoil.  What can we say?  The love of God in Jesus Christ is wonderful and powerful beyond our telling.  It was for me!  My heart breaks in penance and praise.