The Death, Burial and Resurrection (Mk 15-16)!

In Mark's gospel the story of Jesus' being ‘tried, mocked and crucified’ (Mk 15:16-32) is followed by the rest of Mark’s account of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection (Mk 15:33-16:8). Watch the video and or listen the story and then read the comments below.

At the third hour Jesus was crucified and from the sixth hour to the ninth darkness covered the land. Everything went dark which reminds us of the plague of darkness at the Exodus from Egypt. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus cries out in faith but in despair asking his father why. Then in anguish Jesus breathed his last and died.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two indicating that Jesus’ death opened direct access to God and ushers in God’s kingdom. A battled hardened Roman soldier heard Jesus’ cry and saw how Jesus died, and confessed, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” The way Jesus died led the centurion to confess what God had said at both Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration.

Some of the faithful women followers of Jesus who cared for him watched him die from a distance. Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin that condemned Jesus, but he was waiting for God’s kingdom. Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Now Joseph was willing to put himself at risk and make himself ritually unclean to ensure that this man condemned by the Sanhedrin received a proper burial.

Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead but the centurion confirmed that he was. So Pilate permitted Joseph to take the body down. Joseph wrapped the body in linen and placed it in a tomb. Then he rolled a stone before the tomb which Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed.  Mark mentions three women who watched the crucifixion and two who saw where he was buried. This isn’t a detail someone would make up since women weren’t even considered valid witnesses in the ancient world.

Early on the first day of the week, the women went with spices to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. On their way they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away?” They were going to the tomb to complete the burial, not to witness Jesus’ resurrection. When they arrived at the tomb the stone was already rolled away so they entered the tomb and saw a young man in a white robe. The man told them not to be afraid and that that Jesus had been raised from the dead.

Jesus had repeatedly taught his disciples that he would be killed and then rise again. Yet the disciples just couldn’t seem to comprehend this. Now the visitor in white sat where Jesus’ body had been laid and told them that Jesus was alive. The angelic messenger explained that they should go to Galilee where they would see Jesus; as Jesus had said. He specifically mentions Peter to ensure Peter that after denying Christ he would not be excluded. Bewildered and scared the women fled the tomb and while they must have passed people on the way, they said nothing.

Two of the best and earliest manuscripts end after verse 8 and actually how the text was intended to end remains a matter of debate. Whatever the actual ending, God challenges us to put our faith in the risen Jesus. So what is our response to the news of the risen Lord and of his ‘gospel of the kingdom’?

Stoms May South African Update!

Dear Friends and Family,

Friends from Malawi, Uganda and Ghana. 

Greetings from Stellenbosch, South Africa. Hope you are all well. We have had our story group with International students going on the University of Stellenbosch campus now for about three months. We have had students from a dozen African countries attend. We've worked almost all the way through storyline of Mark's gospel and we’ve been having some good discussions. The number of those attending fluctuates with about a dozen regular attenders. This has been a bit humbling since in the past I’ve used to teach classes of 40-80 students at the African Bible College in Malawi.  

Those attending our group are typically graduate students. One Malawian attending is the brother of a former ABC student. Two other Malawians who attend are lecturers from Chancellor College (U of Malawi) who are here getting their doctorates. An interesting development to our group has been the addition of some Korean students. This has led us to consider begin some informal English lessons using Biblical stories and scripture as a text. People here are responsive to our storytelling method, but we realize that it is best suited for an environment like Malawi.

Our Korean friends, Ki Woon and Sun. 

Since arriving here we have had two kindles stolen from our apartment. Also a car we had borrowed was broken into twice. This has made the transition to living here more challenging than anticipated and particularly for our daughters. The reality of crime along with seeing people who are living on the streets is a bit frightening for them. On the bright side Christ Church Stellenbosch has been very gracious to us.  I've been able to lead some worship services and I've preached here on several occasions. Christ Church has an excellent program for children which our girls enjoy. They do appreciate going to one church each week but they really do miss their grandparents and close friends.

VWs are a common target for thieves. 

We plan to visit Malawi as a family in June. God willing we will be arriving there June 14th and staying through June 30th. I’ll be preaching at both Kafita CCAP and Kapita CCAP and I hope to do some teaching of Biblical Theology through stories as well. While we are there we will have to move our things and sell some of our items that we have stored at our old place at ABC. We do have access to a container where we can store some things but we have to move what we have at ABC by July. Please pray for us especially as we make our plans to visit Malawi (see below).

 
Tsalani bwino (stay well),
Jay, Laura, Clara, Katherine, and Lauren Stoms

Prayer Requests:

1)      That God will grow our story group in faith and in numbers of people attending.

2)      That Christ Church Stellenbosch will start an English school were the Bible and Bible stories can be taught.

3)      That we can get a good deal on a dependable used car in SA that will be right for our family.

4)      That our trip to Malawi will be a positive one both in terms of ministry and in moving and selling some of our items.

5)      For housing more suited to showing hospitality but still close to the University.

6)      For God’s provision and good health of our grandparents back in the states.

7)      For good friends for our girls. Also for a sense of being settled and for more long term direction.

Tried, Mocked and Crucified.

In Mark's gospel the story of Jesus' being tried before Pilate (Mk 15:1-15) is followed by the account of Jesus being ‘mocked and crucified’ (Mk 15:16-32). Watch the video and or listen the story and then read the comments below.

The whole company of soldiers gathered around Jesus. They were used to using force to keep the peace. The Roman soldiers would have resented the Jewish fighters violently rebelled.  Jesus would have been an easy target for their frustrations. They put a purple robe normally reserved for kings and nobles and put a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. They fell on their knees and mocked Jesus saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Compared to a Roman Emperor Jesus would have looked to them like a rather impotent king and not worthy of their respect. They spit on him and beat him repeatedly with a centurion’s staff. When they were done mocking and laughing at Jesus they led him away to face Rome’s weapon of intimidation, the cross! 

Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was coming into Jerusalem from the country. He was likely a Jew from Cyrene in North Africa on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Often a prisoner would have to carry the cross-beam on which they were to be hung. The vertical pole would have already been at site of crucifixion.  Jesus must have been too weak to carry his own cross-beam after being repeatedly beaten. That Simon carried Jesus’ cross reminds us how Jesus had called people to take up the cross and follow him. Simon was forced to carry the cross of Jesus to Golgotha, the ‘Place of the Skull’. There, at the third hour, Jesus was crucified on the charge of claiming to be ‘THE KING OF THE JEWS’.

At Golgotha Jesus refused to drink the drugged wine for he had chosen to drink the ‘cup’ given him by his Father (10:38; 14:36). The soldiers stripped Jesus and they gambled for his clothes (Psalm 22:19). They crucified Jesus as a rebel king between two rebels, one on his right and one on his left. He would die the death that was reserved for those who tried to take up arms to overthrow Rome. These were the reserved seats on Jesus’ right and left when he would come into his kingdom as God’s true king (10:40). Those passing by insulted Jesus by referring to how he had said that he would destroy the temple and build it again in three days. They misunderstood what he had said about the temple, but what he did say must have seemed ridiculous as he hung suspended apparently defeated on a Roman cross. 

At his crucifixion Jesus looks like he could not rescue himself, let alone destroy and rebuild the Temple in three days. The Messiah was to defeat the Romans but Jesus dies the death of a failed Messiah on a Roman cross.  The chief priests and the teachers of the law want Jesus to come down from cross to save himself. They mock Jesus by saying let this Christ, this king of Israel, come down from the cross so that they might believe in him. But precisely because he was the Christ he chose not to come down. Because he was and is the King of the Jews, he must stay on the cross. To those looking on at the naked and despised Jesus, he would have looked foolish, feeble and weak. Even the thieves crucified beside Jesus hurled insults at him. But none the less God was using the foolishness of the cross to save those who would believe.  This is the story of the crucified Messiah who was forsaken of God in order to ransom and rescue his people. This is how the kingdom of God would come. 

Jesus before Pilate (Mk 15).

In Mark's gospel the story of Jesus' arrest and trial before the high priest and of Peter’s denial of Jesus (Mk 14) is followed by the account of Jesus being tried before Pilate (Mk 15:1-15). Watch the video and or listen the story and then read the comments below.

Early in the morning the Sanhedrin came to a consensus regarding Jesus. They bound Jesus and turned him over to Pilate. Pilate wanted to know if Jesus was the king of the Jews. Jesus said, ‘yes’ but he said nothing regarding the accusations of the high priests. As Isaiah had foretold Jesus was silent like a lamb being led to be slaughtered. Pilate would have dismissed a charge of blasphemy as meaningless but to claim to be a king was to defy Rome. Pilate would have to take a challenge like this seriously. Pilate wasn’t interested in holding a fair trial. His concern was controlling the crowds. With so many visitors in Jerusalem for the Passover week what Pilot wanted was to prevent a riot.   

It was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner requested by the crowd. Pilate gave them the opportunity to have the one he called 'the king of the Jews' released. He didn’t care about their religious beliefs but he knew the chief priests were acting out of envy. Jesus had been popular among the crowds but the chief priests used their influence to manipulate the crowd. They stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas, who was in prison for committing murder during an uprising, instead of Jesus. When Pilate asked what he should do with the king of the Jews the crowd shouted, ‘crucify him’. But Pilate wanted to know what crime deserving death Jesus had committed, but they shouted louder, “crucify him”.

Pilate knew that Jesus wasn’t leading a military revolt. But Pilate wasn’t interested in justice; he was interested in crowd control. Consequently, Pilate had Barabbas released to satisfy the crowd but he had Jesus flogged and handed over to be crucified. Rome had crucified numerous Jewish rebels and they would crucify thousands more in coming Jerusalem War (ad 66-70). The cross was one of the ways Rome used the threat power of death to control those under their rule. Now Jesus would face the judgment of Rome that would soon come upon Jerusalem and its Temple within a generation. Barabbas was a typical Jewish rebel who had tried to use violence to drive out the Romans. But Jesus would end up dying instead of Barabbas who ends up going free. The story is a picture of the gospel of grace in which the innocent Jesus is crucified as a substitute so that the guilty can go free. 

The Arrest and Trial of Jesus!

In Mark's gospel the account of Jesus celebrating the Passover with his disciples (Mk 14:12-31) is followed by the story of Jesus being arrested and tried by the high priest (Mark 14:32-72). Watch the video or listen the story and then read the comments below.

So far in Mark’s gospel Jesus has always been under control. But now we see Jesus so sad and so distressed that he felt like dying. In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus fell down and prayed, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me, but not my will, but your will be done.” Jesus glimpsed the horror of the cup of God’s wrath and pleads with his ‘Abba, Father’ that he might be spared the cup of God’s wrath. Yet after a period of agonizing prayer Jesus surrenders his will to the father and arises committed to the Father’s will. Yet now all Jesus’ disciples will shamefully abandon him. When the shepherd is struck, the sheep will abandon him. Jesus must now drink the cup of God’s wrath alone and no one else can give their life as a ransom for many.

Jesus found his disciples sleeping three times but now they must be awakened to the reality of Jesus’ betrayal. Judas, one of the Twelve, led a crowd armed with swords and clubs sent by the religious leaders, and they arrested Jesus. Neither Judas nor Peter really understood Jesus’ kingdom. The revolution that Jesus was leading would come about not by the sword but by means of the word of God. Jesus had taught daily in the temple courts and now what would happen would fulfill the Scriptures. Now, as foretold, Peter and all the rest would flee and one even fled naked shamefully. Are we prepared to keep watch and wait upon the Lord in watchful prayer? Are we willing to agonize in prayer to see the Father’s will be done? Surely, we must admit that we are all capable of deserting Jesus when he doesn’t validate our plans.

They took Jesus to the high priest and the religious leaders met to condemn Jesus. Many testified falsely against Jesus but their testimonies didn’t agree. The high priest asked Jesus to response but Jesus said nothing. Yet when asked directly if he was the Christ, Jesus not only said he was the Christ but he said, “You’ll see the Son of Man sitting at the right of God and coming on the clouds of heaven.” They all condemned Jesus as worthy of death. Then they spit at Jesus, they blindfolded him and mocked him saying ‘Prophesy’ the guards beat Jesus. Here Jesus makes it clear that he is the ‘son of God’ which recalls for us the voice from heaven both at the beginning of Mark’s gospel and at the transfiguration. Moreover, Jesus’ statement combines the image of his enthronement at the right hand of God (Psalm 110, Mark 12:36) with the idea that God would judge is enemies (Daniel 7:13, Mark 13:26).

Meanwhile the high priest’s servant girl saw Peter in the courtyard by the fire and said, “You were with Jesus.” Peter denied it and claimed he didn’t know what she was talking about. Sometime later she again said that Peter was one of Jesus’ followers but Peter again denied it. Later those standing near Peter said, “You’re a Galilean, you’re one of them.” This time Peter called down curses and swore, “I don’t know the man you’re talking about.” The rooster crowed a second time and Peter remembering Jesus’ words broke down and wept.

Three times Jesus surrendered to the will of his father which cost him his life. By contrast Peter denied knowing Jesus three in order to save his own life. Jesus had been betrayed by a close friend, abandoned by his own followers, condemned, taunted and beaten by the religious authorities. Now Jesus is being publicly renounced by Peter, his closest friend. They blindfolded Jesus and mocked him saying, ‘Prophesy’ so that he looked like a false prophet and a failed Messiah. So now is their time to present Jesus to Pilate as a rebel king, a claim that would have to be violently suppressed by the Roman governor.  

The Lord's Supper (Mk 14)

In Mark's gospel after Jesus is anointed at Bethany and Judas decides to betray Jesus we find the account of Jesus celebrating the Passover with his disciples (Mk 14:12-21). In Mark this is followed by the institution of the Lord's Supper and Jesus foretelling Peter's denial (Mk 14:22-31). Watch the video or listen the story and then read the comments below. https://www.dropbox.com/s/2ne5wkuot1vjxdi/The%20Lord%27s%20Supper%20%28Mk%2014%29..MP3?dl=0

Sharing a meal can help bind people together and strengthen their relational ties. The Passover meal did this by retelling the story of the Exodus when God rescued Israel from Egyptian slavery. As faithful Jews, Jesus’ disciples wanted to know from Jesus where they should prepare for the Passover meal (Exodus 12). Jesus told them to go into the city and follow a man with a water jar into a house and ask the owner about his guest room. The disciples went into the city and found things as Jesus had told them (Mk 14:16). Jesus was well aware of all this and even knew that the owner of the house had a guest room set apart for his use (Mk 14:14).

In the evening Jesus arrived at the house with his disciples. At the meal he told the twelve that one of them would betray him. Jesus knew of passages in the Psalms which spoke of being betrayed by a friend (Ps.41:9) and he knew which one of the twelve would betray him. This news saddened the disciples and they each said, “Surely not I?” (Mk 14:19).  The betrayer would be one of the twelve who would dip bread into the bowl with Jesus.  Things would go according to God’s plan but the one betraying the ‘Son of Man’ would be held responsible (Mk 14:19). But the news of his betrayal and of his death turned this Passover celebration in a solemn meal. 

Clearly, Jesus wanted his disciples to understand the Passover in the light of his death. His reference to Daniel’s ‘son of man’ and Isaiah’s ‘suffering servant’ connect his death to the coming of God’s kingdom (Dan. 7:13, Isa. 53:12). Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying that the bread was his body. The bread of affliction (Dt.16:3) in the Passover story would be replaced by the broken body and the cup would now represent his own blood that would fulfill God’s covenant (Mk14:24, Ex.24:8). Then Jesus vowed not drink again of the fruit of the vine until he would drink it anew in the kingdom of God (Mk 14:21).

After all this, they sang a hymn, and went out to the Mount of Olives.  Jesus told the rest of his disciples that they would all fall away (Zech.13:7). Peter said he would not, but Jesus said Peter would deny him three times that night. Again, Peter adamantly denied this and the others did likewise. This episode and the meal Jesus instituted challenges us to locate ourselves somewhere between denying Jesus and betraying him. This meal was given to be perpetually observed in the church to help us to continually look by faith to Christ to enable us to live out of the benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

Jesus Anointed at Bethany!

In Mark's gospel after the ‘Olivet Discourse’ (Mark 13) comes the story of Jesus being anointed in Bethany in preparation for his burial. Watch the story being told or listen to it and then read the comments below.https://www.dropbox.com/s/yfzipyh8bek4xpx/Jesus%20Anointed%20at%20Bethany..MP3?dl=0

This story takes place just before the Passover when the Jewish people would retell the story of their Exodus from Egypt. This was the time to celebrate God’s past faithfulness and renew their hope that God would bring a ‘New Exodus’. But the chief priests were not interested in Jesus being a leader of any movement of this kind. So they looked for clever way to arrest Jesus and kill him without stirring the people up into a riot (Mk 14:1-2). Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany sharing table fellowship with a man who he had probably healed known as Simon the leper.

While Jesus was reclining at a table a woman came, broke a jar of expensive perfume and poured it out on Jesus’ head (Mk 14:3). In love she acted spontaneously and, though probably unknowingly, she anointed Jesus for his imminent death. This was an act of extravagant devotion beyond any necessary benefit to Jesus. Therefore the others rebuked her harshly thinking the perfume should have been sold for a year’s wages to help the poor (Mk 14:4-5). They thought pouring such a valuable amount of perfume on Jesus was a waste, particularly when it could have been used to help the poor.

Jesus told them to leave her alone. He went on to say that the poor would always be with them so they could help them whenever they wanted. But, they wouldn’t always have Jesus with them (14:7) and therefore she had done a ‘beautiful thing’. Whether she knew it or not she had poured perfume on Jesus in preparation for his burial.  None of the disciples seemed to realize that Jesus was really going to die just as he had been telling them. Jesus honors her by saying that her beautiful act would be told in her memory wherever the gospel would be preached throughout the world (Mk 14:9).

This extravagance along with Jesus’ clear statement of his pending death was too much for Judas.  For Judas it time to cut his losses and salvage what he could monetarily by betraying Jesus. This delighted the chief priests who were more than happy to pay to get rid of Jesus. After this Judas looked for an opportunity to turn Jesus over to the chief priests (Mk 14:10-11). The story contrasts the woman, Mary (see John 12), and her devotion to Jesus with Judas and his betrayal of Jesus.  As we reflect on it we must ask ourselves who it is that we are really serving and if we are ready to give our all to honor Jesus.

"The Olivet Discourse" (Mark 13)

In Mark the ‘Olivet Discourse’ (Mk 13) comes after the ‘Parable of the Tenants’ and after Jesus confront the ‘teachers of the law’ in the temple courts. Watch the story being told and then read the comments below.

One of Jesus’ disciples draws his attention to the ‘massive stones’ that made up the temple.  Jesus says that every stone of those ‘great buildings’ would be thrown down. The temple was one of the most impressive structures in the Ancient world. So when Jesus said it would be totally demolished the disciples were amazed. So they ask Jesus when ‘these things’ would happen and what would be ‘the sign’ it was about to be fulfilled (Mk 13:1-2). Jesus explains the coming destruction of the Temple—and what would happen to his disciples in days leading up to it.   

Jesus warns them that many deceivers would come. There would be political upheavals, earthquakes and famines but these were ‘birth pains’. The disciples would be handed over to local councils, flogged in the synagogues and have to testify before governors and kings. First the gospel would be preached to all nations (See Acts 2:5, Rom.1:8, Col. 1:6, 23). They would be hated for being Christians. All of this happened in history under the Roman Emperor Nero. One can read about how horrendous the days of the Jerusalem War were in the Jewish historian Josephus. People starved, fought over their food supply and even ate their own babies.  

In verse 14 Jesus tells them to flee Judea when they see the ‘abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it doesn’t belong. Remember Jesus is addressing the destruction of the temple. If this was about the end of the world, what would be the sense of fleeing? In Luke it talks about foreign armies surrounding Jerusalem which happened in ad 70 (Luke 21:20-21). The ‘desolating abomination’ in Daniel is about armies invading Jerusalem and the cessation of the sacrifices (Daniel 11:31, 12:11). These verses pointed to Antiochus IV and the events of the ‘Maccabean Revolt’. Here Jesus refers back to them to explain what was coming within a generation. When his disciples saw this ‘sign’ they were to flee Judea.

Jesus says that, “‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavens will be shaken.’ They would see the ‘Son of Man’ coming in the clouds with great power and glory. Then he would send his messengers to the ends of the earth to gather his elect. Jesus said that all ‘these things’ would happened to his contemporary generation and he confirmed this by saying that his ‘words would never pass away’.

According to Josephus the Romans completely destroyed the temple in AD 70 and not one stone was left on another. The Romans crucified thousands and over a million people died. In fact more Jews were killed in the infighting of the various Jewish factions than by the Romans. Mark speaks of the Temple’s demise in the language that Isaiah used to describe the fall of Babylon and Edom (Isaiah 13:10, 34:4). These events happened in real history in the past though the ‘cosmic upheaval’ described didn’t happen literally. The sun grows dark, the moon no longer shines and the stars fall from the sky (Mark 13:24-25). Israel refused to follow Jesus and chose a path of revolutionary violence against Rome only to be destroyed.

Jesus quotes Daniel 7:13, “They will see “the son of man coming on clouds with great power and glory”.  Here the ‘the son of man’ enters into the presence of the ‘ancient of days’ and sits at God’s right (Mark 12:35-37, Psalm 110). The fig tree in leaf signals the arrival of summer. Jesus was encouraging his disciples to watch for the approaching Roman armies (Luke 21:20). In the parable of the wicked tenants the vineyard owner brings destruction upon the generation that rejected his son. Mark 13 ends with the command to ‘keep awake and watch’ which is equally applicable for us today. We must be alert because the judgment upon the Temple is a foretaste of the judgment coming upon the world at Christ’s second coming. But it is not our business to look for signs. We are to stay awake and make disciples while we wait for our Lord’s return (Matthew 24:39, 48-50, 25:1-13, 14-30).

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants.

This parable is found between the story of Jesus clearing the Temple (Mk 11) and his foretelling of the destruction of the Temple (Mk 13). In the parable a man plants a vineyard rents it to tenants and sends various servants to collect some of the fruit, but the servants are treated harshly. Watch the story being told and then read the comments below. 

Jesus tells a parable using a story from Isaiah 5 where God plants Israel like a vineyard, watches over it, hoping to find good grapes. Israel goes bad, despite God’s care so Israel goes into Exile. Jesus tells the same story but in Jesus’ story God patiently sends Israel His servants, the prophets, over and over again. Finally God sends his last messenger, His beloved son, but the rebellious tenants killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.

In Jesus’ parable a man plants a vineyard, puts a fence around it, digs a pit for the wine-press and builds a tower. He leases the vineyard to tenants and goes away. The tenants, Israel, were the stewards of God’s vineyard.  At harvest the owner sends a servant, His prophet (Amos 3:7), to collect some of the fruit. The tenants beat the servant sending him away empty-handed. The vineyard owner (God) sent another servant (a prophet) to the tenants (Israel) but they hit him in the head and treated him shamefully. Another servant was sent who the tenants killed. Many other servants were sent, some were beaten others were killed. 

The vineyard owner sent his final servant, His own beloved son. The God sends his beloved son, Jesus, thinking the tenants (Israel) will respect his son. But the tenants killed the heir thinking the inheritance would be theirs. The killed the vineyard owner’s son and threw him out of the vineyard. Israel,  God sends his final prophet, Jesus, who was announced at in his baptism and confirmed at the transfiguration to be God’s son. In defiance of God’s express purpose, they killed God’s final messenger. 

The parable asks, ‘what will the owner of the vineyard do?’ The owner (God) will come and destroy those tenants (AD 70) and give the vineyard to others. Jesus makes this clear by quoting scripture: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” The psalmist foretold that God would send his final messenger who by being killed would became the ‘cornerstone’. This was God’s plan foretold in scripture and fulfilled in Jesus and it is marvelous in our eyes.

Jesus entered Jerusalem to the singing of Psalm 118 just a few days before. This psalm also mentions the rejected stone which became the cornerstone (118:22, 26). The chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law wanted to arrest Jesus but they feared the crowds. Moreover, they knew that Jesus had told the parable against them, so they left. Jesus would be rejected by ‘builders’ so that this story leads from Jesus’ clearing of the Temple to his arrest and execution. The builders would reject the stone, and the stone would become the capstone and this was God’s plan all along to redeem the world. 

An Empty Tomb & the Emmaus Road.

Luke 24 has a long middle story (the Emmaus Road) with a story of about the women and the Apostles before and after it.

 

1. The Women and the Empty Tomb.
The death of a messianic hopeful leading a kingdom of God on a Roman cross meant the end of the movement. This is ‘what happened’ in over a dozen such first century movements. But this opening story reveals that the cross was not the end of Jesus.   

But this was difficult for the disciples to believe, even though they were told over and over again. The two angels tell the women how Jesus had told them that he would be delivered over to sinful men, be crucified and then rise from the dead on the third day (Luke 24:6-7). Jesus had told his disciples that he must die and rise again on numerous occasions (Mark 8:31, 9:9, 10:33-34)  Jesus ‘told them so’ but his disciples simply did not hear what Jesus was trying to tell them.

For most Jews in Jesus’ day ‘the resurrection’ was something that God would do for all the ‘righteous’ at the ‘last day’ (John 11:23-24). So it wasn’t just a lack of faith that kept them believing what Jesus had said. One isolated individual being resurrected to a new bodily life, while the rest of the world continued as is was not in their thinking.

The women carried spices to the tomb expecting to find the dead body of Jesus (Luke 24:1). The Apostles didn't expect Jesus to die or rise again from the dead. When the women told the Apostles that they found the tomb empty and how the angels said Jesus was alive their words seemed like nonsense (Luke 24:11-12). Such a wild story might be expected from women overwhelmed with grief over the death of a loved one.

That this was hard for the women and the Apostles to believe actually makes this story more believable. In the ancient world women were not considered credible witnesses. Also the story portrays the apostles not as models of faith; but full of doubt and unbelief. You see this is not the kind of account someone would make up if they were trying to start a religion.

Like many moderns, the Apostles found the story of the empty tomb and the testimony of the angels that Jesus had risen from the dead to be nonsense. They knew just as much as people today know that ‘dead people stay dead’. They were not inclined to believe it even though Jesus ‘told them in advance!’ Let’s be clear, the gospel of the ‘resurrected Messiah’ is not something man would make up (Gal. 1:11). The empty tomb and the testimony of the angels is the beginning of the good news that turns the over wise tragic death of Jesus on a Roman cross. But it was good news that none of Jesus’ disciples expected!

 

2. The Emmaus Road and the Resurrected Christ.

The first account reveals that the story of Jesus isn't over. The Emmaus road story unfolds what happened and shows how what happened to Jesus opens all of scripture.  

Jesus comes up beside Cleopas and his companion on the Emmaus road but we are told that they were kept from recognizing Jesus. Jesus asks what they were discussing, and they stop with their faces downcast (LK 24:16-17). They can’t recognize Jesus and they can’t believe that he doesn’t know what had happened to the prophet they hoped would redeem Israel. They longed for someone to lead Israel in a New Exodus out from under Roman oppression like Israel had been ‘redeemed’ from Egyptian slavery. They wanted Jesus to liberate Israel from Rome but Rome crucified Jesus. In their thinking Jesus should have defeated the Romans, not die on a cross! That’s why they were so downcast

They failed to recognize Jesus along the Emmaus road at least in part because they couldn’t understand why the Christ would be crucified. They couldn’t see past the cross to the resurrection because they didn’t understand their own need for the cross. Jesus leads a new Exodus but the slave-masters who have enslaved us all are sin and death. Jesus came to deal with their real problem which was not merely the Romans outside them but the sin that was in them. A crucified Messiah is a failed Messiah; the resurrection changed everything!

Jesus explained how all scripture spoke about him, but not just in a few isolated texts. Jesus is the ‘seed of the woman’ that would crush the serpent (Gen.3). Jesus is the seed of Abraham through whom God would bless the world (Gen.12). Jesus is the priest forever after the order of ‘Melchizedek’ (Gen.14, Heb.7). Jesus is the prophet like Moses who we must listen to (Dt.18). Jesus is the Passover lamb who takes away the sins of the world (Ex.12). Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins that that the entire Mosaic sacrificial system pointed to. Jesus is the one who came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Jesus is the Son of David who would have God as his father and reign over God’s kingdom forever (2 Sam.7). Jesus is the temple that Solomon’s temple pointed to and the one who said ‘destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days’ referring to his body. Jesus is the one who was declared with power to be the ‘son of God’ by his resurrection of the dead.

Jesus explains how his death and resurrection unfolds and fulfills the whole Biblical Story. The crucifixion tells me that Jesus’ death made satisfaction for all the sins of all God’s people, and the resurrection was the beginning of God’s new creation. As the ‘very image of God’ Jesus is the second Adam who, even now, is filling the world with redeemed images.   All the promises of God are ‘Yes and Amen’ in Jesus and the resurrection means that Jesus really is the ‘Messiah of Israel’ and the ascension means Jesus is the world’s TRUE Lord.

We need the ‘resurrected Lord Jesus’ to open the scriptures and unlock the Biblical story. This story encourages us to know the story to know Jesus and to know Jesus in the ‘breaking of the bread’. We must pray that Jesus would open our ‘foolish and slow to believe’ hearts and open the story to us so that our hearts will the burn within us (LK 24:32). 

Happy Easter 2015!
Jay, Laura, Clara, Katherine and Lauren Stoms