PSALM 22 AND CHRIST OUR PASSOVER

 THE  WORDS  OF  ALBERT  BARNES,  FROM  HIS  BIBLE  COMMENTARY  ON

PSALM  22

A Psalm of David

1. My God, my God. These are the very words uttered by the Saviour when on the cross (Matt, xxvii. 46); and he evidently used them as best adapted of all the words that could have been chosen to express the extremity of his sorrow. The fact that he employed them may be referred to as some evidence that the psalm was designed to refer to him; though it must he admitted that this circumstance is no conclusive proof of such a design, since he might have used words having originally another reference, as best fitted to express his own sufferings. The language is abrupt, and is uttered. without any previous intimation of what would produce or cause it. It comes from the midst of suffering—from one enduring intense agony-—-as if a new form of sorrow suddenly came upon him which he was unable to endure. That new form of suffering was the feeling that now he was forsaken by the last friend of the wretched,—God himself. We may suppose that he had patiently borne all the other forms of trial, but the moment the thought strikes him that he is forsaken of God, he cries out in the bitterness of his soul, under the pressure of anguish which is no longer to be borne. All other forms of suffering he could bear. All others he had borne. But this crushes him; overpowers him; is beyond all that the soul can sustain,—for the soul may bear all else but this. It is to be observed, however, that the sufferer himself still has confidence in God. He addresses him as his God, though he seems to have forsaken him:—"My God; MY God." Why hast thou forsaken me ? Why hast thou abandoned me, or left me to myself, to suffer unaided and alone ? As applicable to the Saviour, this refers to those dreadful  moments  on  the  cross when, forsaken by men,  he  seemed also to be forsaken of God himself. God did not interpose to rescue him, but left him to bear those dreadful agonies alone. He bore the burden of the world's atonement by himself. He was overwhelmed with grief, and crushed with pain; for the sins of the world, as well as the agonies of the cross, had come upon him. But there was evidently more than this;—what more we are unable fully to understand! There was a higher sense in which he was forsaken of God; for no mere physical sufferings, no pains of dying even on the cross, would have extorted this cry. If he had enjoyed the light of his Father's countenance; if these had been merely physical sufferings; if there was nothing else than what is apparent to our view in the record of those sufferings, we cannot suppose that this cry would have been heard even on the cross. There is evidently some sense in which it was true that the dying Saviour was given up to darkness—to mental trouble, to despair, as if He who is the last hope of the suffering and the dying—the Father of mercies—had withdrawn from him; as if he were personally a sinner; as if he were himself guilty or blameworthy on account of the sins for which he was making an expiation. In some sense he experienced what the sinner will himself experience when, for his own sins, he will be at last forsaken of God, and abandoned to despair. Every word in this wonderful exclamation may he supposed to be emphatic. "Why." What is the cause ? How is it to be accounted for? What end is to be answered by it? "Hast thou." Thou, my Father; thou, the comforter of those in trouble; thou, to whom the suffering and the dying may look when all else fails. "Forsaken."  Left me to suffer alone withdrawn the light of thy countenance---the comfort of thy presence--the joy of thy manifest favour. "Me." Thy well-beloved Son; me, whom thou hast sent into the world to accomplish thine own work in redeeming man; me, against whom, no sin can be charged, whose life has been perfectly pure and holy;—why, now, in the extremity of these sufferings, hast thou forsaken me, and added to the agony of the cross the deeper agony of being abandoned by the God whom I love, the Father who loved me before the foundation of the world, John xvii. 24. There is a reason why God should forsake the wicked; but why should he forsake his own pure and holy Son in the agonies of death ?  Why art thou so far from helping me ? Marg., from my salvation. So the Hebrew. The idea is that of one who stood so far off that he could not hear the cry, or that he could not reach out the hand to deliver. Comp. Ps. x. 1. And from the words of my roaring. The word here used properly denotes the roaring of a lion, Job iv. 10; Isa. v. 29; Zech. xi. 3; and then the outcry or the groaning of a person in great pain, Job iii. 24; Ps. xxxii. 3. It refers here to a loud cry for help or deliverance, and is descriptive of the intense suffering of the Redeemer on the cross. Comp. Matt, xxvii. 50; Luke xxiii. 46.

2. O my God, I cry in the daytime. This, in connexion with what is said at the close of the verse, "and in the night-season," means that his cry was incessant or constant. See Notes on Ps. i. 2. The whole expression denotes that his prayer or cry was continuous, but that it was not heard. As applicable to the Redeemer it refers not merely to the moment when he uttered the cry as stated in ver. 1, but to the continuous  sufferings  which he endured as if forsaken by God and men. His life in general was of that description. The whole series of sorrows and trials through which he passed was as if he were forsaken by God; as if he uttered a long continuous cry, day and night, and was not heard. But thou hearest not. Thou dost not answer me. It is as if my prayers were not heard. God hears every cry; but the answer to a prayer is sometimes withheld or delayed, as if he did not hear the voice of the suppliant. So it was with the Redeemer. He was permitted to suffer without being rescued by Divine power, as if his prayers had not been heard. God seemed to disregard his supplications. And in the night-season. As explained above, this means constantly. It was literally true, however, that the Redeemer's most intense and earnest prayer was uttered in the night-season, in the garden of Gethsemane. And am not silent. Marg., there is no silence to me. Heb., "There is not silence to me." The idea is, that he prayed or cried incessantly. He was never silent. All this denotes intense and continuous supplication, supplication that came from the deepest anguish of the soul, but which was unheard and unanswered. If Christ experienced this, who may not ?

3. But thou art holy. Thou art righteous and blameless. This indicates that the sufferer had still unwavering confidence in God. Though his prayer seemed not to be heard, and though he was not delivered, he was not disposed to blame God. He believed that God was righteous, though he received no answer; he doubted not that there was some sufficient reason why he was not answered. This is applicable,  not  only to  the  Redeemer,  in whom it was most fully illustrated, but also to the people of God everywhere. 

It expresses a state of mind such as all true believers in God have—confidence in him, whatever may he their trials; confidence in him, though the answer to their prayers may be long delayed; confidence in him, though their prayers should seem to be unanswered. O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. That dwellest where praise is celebrated; that seemest to dwell in the midst of praises. The language here refers to the praises offered in the tabernacle or temple. God was supposed to dwell there, and he was surrounded by those who praised him. The sufferer looks upon him as worshipped by the multitude of his people; and the feeling of his heart is, that though he was himself a sufferer—a great and apparently unpitied sufferer—though he, by his afflictions, was not permitted to unite in those lofty praises, yet he could own that God was worthy of all those songs, and that it was proper that they should be addressed to him.

4. Our fathers trusted in thee. This is a plea of the sufferer as drawn from the character which God had manifested in former times. The argument is, that he had interposed in those times when his people in trouble had called upon him ; and he now pleads with God that he would manifest himself to them in the same way. The argument derives additional force also from the idea that he who now pleads was descended from them, or was of the same nation and people, and that he might call them his ancestors. As applicable to the Redeemer, the argument is that he was descended from those holy and suffering men who had trusted in God, and in whose behalf God had so often interposed. He identifies himself with that people; he regards himself as one of their number; and he makes mention of God's merciful interposition in their behalf, and of the fact that he had not forsaken them in their troubles, as a reason why he should now interpose in his behalf and save him. As applicable to others, it is an argument which the people of God may always use in their trials—that God has thus interposed in behalf of his people of former times who trusted in him, and who called upon him. God is always the same. We may strengthen our faith in our trials by the assurance that he never changes; and, in pleading with him, we may urge it as an argument that he has often interposed when the tried and the afflicted of his people have called upon him. They trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They confided in thee; they called on thee; thou didst not spurn their prayer; thou didst not forsake them.

5. They cried unto thee. They offered earnest prayer and supplication.  And were delivered. From dangers and trials. If They trusted in thee, and were not confounded. Were not disappointed. Literally, "they were not ashamed." That is, they had not the confusion which those have who are disappointed. The idea in the word is, that when men put their trust in anything and are disappointed, they are conscious of a species of shame as if they had been foolish in relying on that which proved to be insufficient to help them; as if they had manifested a want of wisdom in not being more cautious, or in supposing that they could derive help from that which has proved to be fallacious. So in Jer. xiv. 3, "Their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters; they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads."   That is, they felt as if they had acted foolishly or unwisely in expecting to find water there. Comp. In the expression here, "they trusted in thee, and were not confounded," it is meant that men who confide in God are never disappointed, or never have occasion for shame as if herein they had acted foolishly. They are never left to feel that they had put their trust where no help was to he found; that they had confided in one who had deceived them, or that they had reason to he ashamed of their act as an act of foolishness.

6. But I am a worm, and no man. In contrast with the fathers who
trusted in thee. They prayed, and were heard; they confided in God, and were treated as men. I am left and forsaken, as if I were not worth regarding; as if I were a grovelling worm beneath the notice of the great God. In other words, I am treated as if I were the most insignificant, the most despicable, of all objects,—alike unworthy the attention of God or man. By the one my prayers are unheard; by the other I am cast out and despised.  6. As applicable to the Redeemer, this means that he was forsaken alike by God and men, as if he had no claims to the treatment due to a man. A reproach of men. Reproached by men.
Despised of the people. That is, of the people who witnessed his sufferings. It is not necessary to say how completely this had a fulfilment in the sufferings of the Saviour.

7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn. They deride or mock me.

On the word used here—laag—see Notes on Ps.ii. 4. The meaning here is to mock, to deride, to treat with scorn. The idea of laughing  is  not  properly  in  the word, nor would that necessarily occur in the treatment here referred to. How completely this was fulfilled in the case of the Saviour, it is not necessary to say. Comp. Matt, xxvii. 39, "And they that passed by, reviled him." There is no evidence that this literally occurred in the life of David,  They shoot out the lip. Marg., open. The Hebrew word—patar— means properly to split, to burst open; then, as in this place, it means to open wide the mouth; to stretch the mouth in derision and scorn. See Ps. xxxv. 21, "They opened their mouth wide against me." Job xvi. 10, "They have gaped upon me with their month." They shake the head. In contempt and derision. See Matt, xxvii. 39, "Wagging their heads."

8. He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him. Marg., He rolled himself on the Lord. The margin expresses the true sense of the Hebrew word. The idea is that of being under the pressure of a heavy burden, and of rolling it off, or casting it on another. Hence the word is often used in the sense of committing to another; entrusting anything to another; confiding in another. Ps. xxxvii. 5, "Commit thy way unto the Lord;" Marg., as in Heb., " Roll thy way upon the Lord." Prov. xvi. 3, "Commit thy works unto the Lord," Marg., as in Heb., "Roll."  The language here is the taunting language of his enemies, and the meaning is that he had professed to commit himself to the Lord as if he were his friend; he had expressed confidence in God, and he believed that his cause was safe in His hand. This, too, was actually fulfilled in the case of the Saviour. Matt, xxvii. 43: "He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him." It is one of the most remarkable instances of blindness and infatuation that has ever occurred in the world, that the Jews should have used this language in taunting the dying Redeemer, without even suspecting that they were fulfilling the prophecies, and demonstrating at the very time when they were reviling him that he was the true Messiah,  Let Him deliver him. Let him come and save him. Since he professes to belong to God; since he claims that God loves him and regards him as his friend, let him come now and rescue one so dear to him. He is hopelessly abandoned by men. If God chooses to have one so abject, so despised, so forsaken, so helpless, let him come now and take him as his own. We will not rescue him; we will do nothing to save him, for we do not need him. If God wants him, let him come and save him. What blasphemy! What an exhibition of the dreadful depravity of the human heart was manifested in the crucifixion of the Redeemer. Seeing he delighted, in Him. Marg., if he delight in him. The correct rendering is,"for he delighted in him." That is, it was claimed by the sufferer that God delighted in him. If this is so, say they, let him come and rescue one so dear to himself. Let him show his friendship for this vagrant, this impostor, this despised and worthless man! 

9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb. I owe my life to thee. This is urged by the sufferer as a reason why God should now interpose and protect him. God had brought him into the world, guarding him in the perils of the earliest moments of his being, and he now pleads that in the day of trouble God will interpose and save him. There is nothing improper in applying this to the Messiah.  He was a man, with all the innocent propensities and feelings of man; and no one can say but that when on the cross,—and perhaps with peculiar fitness we may say when he saw his mother standing near him (John xix. 25),—these thoughts may have passed through his mind. In the remembrance of the care bestowed on his early years, he may now have looked with an eye of earnest pleading to God, that, if it were possible, he might deliver him. Thou didst make me hope. Marg., Keptest me in safety. The phrase in the Hebrew means, Thou didst cause me to trust or to hope. It may mean here either that he was made to cherish a hope of the Divine favour in very early life, as it were when an infant at the breast; or it may mean that he had cause then to hope, or to trust in God. The former, it seems to me, is probably the meaning; and the idea, that from his earliest years he had been led to trust in God; and he now pleads this fact as a reason why he should interpose to save him. Applied to the Redeemer as a man, means that in his earliest childhood he had trusted in God. His first breathings were those of piety. His first aspirations were for the Divine favour. His first love was the love of God. This he now calls to remembrance; this he now urges as reason why God should not withraw the light of his countenance, and leave him to suffer alone. No one can prove that these thoughts did not pass through the mind of the Redeemer when he was enduring the agonies of desertion on the cross; no one can show that they would have been improper. Upon my mother's beast. In my earliest infancy. This does not mean that he literally cherished hope then, but that he had done it in the earliest period of his life, as the first act of his conscious being.

10. I was cast upon thee from the womb. Upon thy protection and care. This, too, is an argument for the Divine interposition. He had been, as it were, thrown early in life upon the protecting care of God. In some peculiar sense he had been more unprotected and defenceless than is common at that period of life, and he owed his preservation then entirely to God. This, too, may have passed through the mind of the Redeemer on the cross. In those sad and desolate moments he may have recalled the scenes of his early life—the events which had occurred in regard to him in his early years; the poverty of his mother, the manger, the persecution by Herod, the flight into Egypt, the return, the safety which he then enjoyed from persecution in a distant part of the land of Palestine, in the obscure and unknown village of Nazareth. This too may have occurred to his mind as a reason why God should interpose and deliver him from the dreadful darkness which had come over him now. Thou art my God from my mother's belly. Thou hast been my God from my very childhood. He had loved God as such; he had obeyed him as such; he had trusted him as such; and he now pleads this as a reason why God should interpose for him.

11. Be not far from me. Do not withdraw from me; do not leave or forsake me. For trouble is near. Near, in the sense that deep sorrow has come upon me; near, in the sense that I am approaching a dreadful death,  For there is none to help. Marg., as in Heb., not a helper. There were those who would have helped, but they could not; there were those who could have helped,  but  they would not.

His friends that stood around the cross were unable to aid him; his foes were unwilling to do it; and he was left to suffer unhelped.

12. Many bulls have compassed me. Men with the fierceness and fury of bulls. Comp. Isa. li. 20; Ps. lxviii. 30. Strong bulls of Bashan. The country of Bashan embraced the territory which was on the east of the Jordan, north of Gilead, which was given to the half tribe of Manasseh: comp. Gen. xiv. 5 with Joshua xii. 4-6. It was distinguished as pasture land for its richness. Its trees and its breed of cattle are frequently referred to in the Scriptures. Thus in Deut. xxxii. 14, "rams of the breed of Bashan" are mentioned; in Isa. ii. 13, Zech. xi. 2, "oaks of Bashan" are mentioned in connexion with the cedars of Lebanon; in Amos iv. 1, "the kine of Bashan " are mentioned. The bulls of Bashan are here alluded to as remarkable for their size, their strength, and their fierceness; and are designed to represent men that were fierce, savage, and violent. As applied to the Redeemer, the allusion is to the fierce and cruel men that persecuted, him and sought his life. No one can doubt that the allusion is applicable to his persecutors and murderers; and no one can show that the thought indicated by this phrase also may not have passed through the mind of the Redeemer when on the cross.

13. They gaped upon me with their mouths. Marg., as in Heb., opened their mouths against me. That is, they opened their mouths wide as if they would devour me, as a lion does when he seizes upon his prey. In ver. 7 they are represented as "opening" the mouth for another purpose— that of derision or scorn; here they

are described as if they were fierce and wild beasts ready to fall upon their prey. As a ravening and roaring lion. The word ravening means voraciously devouring, and the allusion in the Hebrew word is to the lion as he tears his prey—toreph —-rending it in pieces to devour it. All this is designed to denote the greediness with which the enemies of the Redeemer sought his life.

14. I am poured out like water. The sufferer now turns from his enemies, and describes the effect of all these outward persecutions and trials on himself. The meaning in this expression is, that all his strength was gone. It is remarkable that we have a similar expression, which is not easily accounted for, when we say of ourselves that "we are as weak as water." An expression similar to this occurs in Joshua vii. 5 "The hearts of the people melted, and became as water." Comp. Lam. ii. 19; Ps. Iviii. 7.  My bones are out of joint. Marg., sundered. The Hebrew word—parad—means to break off, to break in pieces, to separate by breaking; and then, to be separated, or divided. It is not necessary to suppose here that his bones were literally dislocated or "put out of joint" any more than it is necessary to suppose that he was literally "poured out like water," or that his heart was literally "melted like wax" within him. The meaning is that he was utterly prostrated and powerless; he was as if his bones had been dislocated, and he was unable to use his limbs, My heart is like wax. The idea here also is that of debility. His strength seemed all to be gone. His heart was no longer firm; his vigour was exhausted.  It  is melted  in the midst of

my bowels. Or, within me. The word bowels in the Scriptures is not restricted in its signification as it is with us. It embraces the upper parts of the viscera as well as the lower, and consequently would include that part in which the heart is situated. See Notes on Isa. xvi. 11. The meaning here is that his heart was no longer firm and strong. As applied to the Redeemer, this would refer to the prostration of his strength in his last struggle; and no one can prove that these thoughts did not pass through his mind when on the cross.

15. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, A potsherd is a fragment of a broken pot, or a piece of earthenware. See Notes on Isa. xlv. 9; Job ii. 8. The meaning here is, that his strength was not vigorous like a green tree that was growing, and that was full of sap, but it was like a brittle piece of earthenware, so dry and fragile that it could be easily crumbled to pieces. And my tongue cleaveih to my jaws. See Notes on Job xxix. 10. The meaning here is, that his mouth was dry, and he could not speak. His tongue adhered to the roof of his mouth so that he could not use it,—another description of the effects of intense thirst. Comp. John xix. 28. And thou hast brought me into the dust of death. Or, as we should say, to dust—to the grave—to the dust where death reigns. See Notes on Dan. xii. 2. The meaning is, that he was near death; or, was just ready to die. Who can show that the Redeemer when on the cross may not in his own meditations have gone over these very expressions in the psalm as applicable to himself?

16. For dogs have compassed me,  Men  who   resemble   dogs;—harsh, snarling, fierce, ferocious.

See Notes on Phil. iii. 2; Rev. xxii. 15. No one can doubt that this is applicable to the Redeemer. The assembly of the wicked have inclosed me. That is, they have surrounded me; they I have come around me on all sides so that I might not escape. So they  surrounded the Redeemer in the garden of Gethsemane when they arrested him and bound him; so they surrounded him when on his trial before the Sanhedrim and before Pilate; and so they surrounded him on the cross. They pierced my hands and my feet. This passage is attended with more difficulty than perhaps any other part of the psalm. It is remarkable that it is nowhere quoted or referred to in the New Testament as applicable to the Saviour; and it is no less remarkable that there is no express statement in the actual history of the crucifixion that either the hands or the feet of the Saviour were pierced, or that he was nailed to the cross at all. This was not necessarily implied in the idea of crucifixion, for the hands and the feet were sometimes merely hound to the cross by cords, and the sufferer was allowed to linger on the cross thus suspended until he died from mere exhaustion. There can be no doubt, however, that the common mode of crucifixion was to nail the hands to the transverse beam of the cross, and the feet to the upright part of it. See the description of the crucifixion in the Notes on Matt, xxvii. 31,32. Thus Tertullian, speaking of the sufferings of Christ, and applying this passage to his death, says that "this was the peculiar or proper—-propria —severity of the cross."— Adv.  Marcionem, iii.  19,  ed.   Wurtz,  I.  p.  403.   See  Hengstenberg's Christology, 1,139. The great difficulty in this passage is in the word rendered in our version, they pierced—kaari. It occurs only in one other place, Isa. xxxviii. 13, where it means as a lion.

This would undoubtedly be the most natural interpretation of the word here, unless there were good reasons for setting it aside; and not a few have endeavoured to show that this is the true rendering. According to this interpretation, the passage would mean, "As lions, they [that is, my enemies] surround (gape upon) my hands and my feet; that is, they threaten to tear my limbs to pieces.'' Qesenius, Lex. This interpretation is also that of Aben Ezra, Ewald, Paulus, and others. But, whatever may be the true explanation, there are very serious objections to this one. (a) It is difficult to make sense of the passage if this is adopted. The preceding word, rendered in our version "inclosed," can mean only surrounded or encompassed, and it is difficult to see how it could be said that a lion could "surround" or "encompass" the hands and the feet. At all events, such an interpretation would be harsh and unusual. (b) According to this interpretation the word "me"—"inclosed me "—-would be superfluous; since the idea would be, "they enclose or surround my hands and my feet." (c) All the ancient interpreters have taken the word here to be a verb, and in all the ancient versions it is rendered as if it were a verb. Even in the Masora parva (Jewish) it is said that the word here is to be taken in a different sense from what it has in Isa. xxxviii. 13, where it plainly means a lion. Gesenius admits that all the ancient interpreters have taken this as a verb, and says that it is "certainly possible" that it may be so. He says that it may be regarded as a participle formed in the Chaldee manner (from kur), and in the plural number for kaarim, and says that in this way it would be properly rendered, piercing my hands and my feet; that is, as he says, "my enemies, who are understood in the dogs."   Form such high authority, and from the uniform mode of interpretation the word among the ancients, it may be regarded as morally certain that the word is a verb, and that it is not to be rendered, as in Isa. xxxviii. 13, "as a lion,"  The verb--kur--properly means to dig, to bore through, to pierce. 

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THERE  IS  NOTHING  I  CAN  ADD.  ALBERT  BARNES  HAS  DONE  A  VERY  FINE  JOB  IN  EXPOUNDING  THIS  WONDERFUL  PSALM  THAT  HAS  SO  MUCH  APPLICABLE   TO   OUR   SAVIOR.

NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE STORY-- GOSPELS #40

 

Chapter Forty:

Jesus on Trial - part two

JESUS BEFORE PILATE And they took Jesus from the palace of Caiaphas the High Priest to the palace (called "praetorium" in John's Gospel) that Herod the Great built for himself, and which became the palace that the governor of Judea resided in when on duty in the Holy Land. The governor at this time in history, over the area, was Pilate, who had risen in the ranks of the Roman Empire, and for his faithful dedication to the world power of Rome, was appointed governor of Judea by Tiberius in 26 A.D. The governor of Judea usually resided in Caesarea, but Pilate moved his headquarters and army to Jerusalem. He was there quite often, and especially it was the custom for the governor of Judea to be at Jerusalem, when the feasts of the Jews were being celebrated, to make sure peace and order was preserved. It was very early in the morning of the 14th day of the first month, which corresponds to our March/April. They brought Jesus before Pilate. The Jews themselves would not enter the palace of a Gentile, or anyone they considered a Roman Gentile, especially just hours before they would partake of the Passover which they held, by traditions from the Pharisees, on the 15th of the first month, which was actually the first day of the seven day feast of Unleavened Bread. For them to have entered this palace would have been a religious "defilement" and would have kept them from the Passover they were to observe in about twelve hours. It was Pilate who first came out to them, probably not pleased at all that Jews had got him up so early in the morning, concerning what he would have thought as "their religious problems." "You have brought this man before me, for what reason? What is he accused of? Pilate said to the Jews. They answered, "If this man was not an evil doer, we would not have brought him to you." "Why don't you take him yourself and judge him by your laws of Moses?" returned Pilate in a straight crisp tone of voice. The Jews replied, "It is not lawful under Roman law for us to put a man to death." The Jews made various accusation against Jesus, and Pilate somewhat listened to them. Jesus did not try to defend Himself against their accusing vicious remarks. After a while Pilate told the Jews to be quiet, and turning to Jesus said, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you? Are you not going to defend yourself and answer them?" But Jesus made no attempt to answer the Jewish Sanhedrin members. And Pilate was greatly impressed, and was amazed at Jesus' cool composure, under the onslaught of Jewish accusations. The Jews then said to Pilate, "We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is a king." Now Pilate pricked up his ears and stood tall, when this was said about the man they had brought before him. Pilate would now want to speak in a private manner to the man called Jesus. He entered the palace and called to have Jesus come before him, and then asked this question to Christ, "Are you indeed the King of the Jews? Do you claim to be a KING?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others, like those Jews outside, say this about me, and put this idea in your mind? Pilate replied, "Am I a Jew? Your own people and the chief priests have handed you over to me as a criminal; what have you done?" Jesus replied, "My Kingdom is not of this age and time, you have nothing to fear. If my Kingdom was of this age and time, then would my servants fight, that I would not be handed over to the Jews so they could have me put to death. My Kingdom and Kingship is not of this world and age." "So you are a King then?" Pilate said to Jesus. "You have said it, that I am a King," Jesus said, "For this reason I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the TRUTH. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice," Pilate looked at Jesus in wonderment, and said, "Well, what indeed is truth?" The governor Pilate, spent some years in the British Isles under the schooling of the famous Druids, who were quite well respected by Rome. The Druids were well known for asking the question "What is truth?" They would spend much time in debating that question. So when Jesus said He had come to bear witness to the truth, it was very natural for Pilate to have replied with "What is truth?" We know from Jesus' own words as He prayed to the Father earlier that night, that truth is the WORD of God. Jesus had said, "Your word is truth" (John 17: 17). Pilate was very impressed and somewhat awe struck by this man called Jesus. He walked back outside to the chief priests and the other Jews, and said, "I find no fault in this man!" That is NOT what the Jews wanted to hear. Those were the last words they wanted Pilate to say. And so they were more urgent and pressing in their words to Pilate, saying such things as, "This Jesus, stirs up the people, teaching throughout all of Judea, from Galilee even to this city." When Pilate heard the word "Galilee" he asked if Jesus was from Galilee. And on hearing that He belonged to the jurisdiction of Herod, he immediately saw a way out from the problem before him, a way out so he thought. He would send Jesus over to Herod, who just happened to be in Jerusalem at this time (Mat.27: 2, 11-14; Mark 15: 1-5; Luke 23: 1-5; John 18: 28-38). JESUS BEFORE HEROD Herod was delighted to meet Jesus, for he had heard about Him for a long time, and was hoping to see some kind of miracle performed by Jesus. Herod questioned Him at some length, but Jesus made no answer, which then upset Herod, for the chief priests and scribes and others from the Sanhedrin stood by, vehemently accusing Him. Herod was displeased with the whole scene, but especially with Jesus, after waiting for so long a time to meet Him. Herod and his soldiers finally treated Jesus with contempt and mocking laughter, then, putting on Him some very expensive apparel (mocking Him as a King) they sent Him back to Pilate. Herod and Pilate that day became very good friends, whereas before that day they were at enmity and had disdain for each other (Luke 23: 6-12). JUDAS HANGS HIMSELF Judas saw all that was going on, first with Pilate, then with Herod, and now back with Pilate. Deep remorse and sorrow filled his heart. Satan had by this time left him. He brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying to them, "I have sinned in betraying innocent blood." Things just did not go the way Judas expected. Jesus was not defending Himself or using His mighty power to crush His enemies. The chief priests and elders said to Judas, when he returned the money and declared Jesus to be innocent, "What do we care about what you say. See if you can do anything about it now! It's too late!" And so throwing down the pieces of silver Judas departed from the Temple, and straight away went and committed suicide by hanging himself. The chief priests and elders now had the thirty pieces of silver. What would they do with them was the big question. One of them said, "It is not within our law to put this money into the Temple treasury, since it is now 'blood money'." They sat with each other to figure what to do. They decided to use the money to buy a no good piece of land called "the potters field" in which strangers were buried, people who no one knew where they were from, or who were their relatives. Somewhat like what we today call "homeless" or "street" people. That piece of land then became known as "The field of blood." All this was done that the words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah might be fulfilled, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter's filed, as the Lord directed me." Jeremiah never wrote down those words. They are not contained in the Old Testament book called Jeremiah. They are words that Jeremiah must have said at one time, and others took note of them and one way or another had preserved them and handed them down from generation to generation (Mat.27: 3-10). BACK BEFORE PILATE Jesus is now back before Pilate at the palace built by Herod the Great. Jesus is inside being questioned again by Pilate. The Jews are outside, not going in lest they be "religiously" defiled (entering the palace of a Gentile) and would not be able to observe the Passover which they kept on the 15th day of this first month. Pilate goes out to the Jews, and says to them, "You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and after examining him, I find this man not guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to me. There is nothing done by this man that is worthy of death. There is no crime done by this Jesus. I will chastise him some, and then release him." The Jewish leaders, now supported by many people who had become disgruntled and impatient with Jesus (because He had not brought them together and used His mighty power to overthrow the Roman armies), immediately, upon hearing Pilate's words, began to shout and cry out at the top of their voices, that they wanted Jesus condemned to death. Pilate was shocked at their reaction, was speechless for a moment, then an idea flashed into his mind, that he hoped would spare the innocent Jesus. It was the custom at Passover time that the governor release a prisoner, one of their own choosing. In prison at this time was a notorious fellow by the name of Barabbas. He had killed people in an insurrection or uprising against Rome. He was also a robber of some fame. "Whom do you want me to release for you? Shall it be Barabbas or shall it be Jesus who is called the Christ?" Pilate called out to the Jews. Now he knew very well that they had delivered Jesus up to himself because they were envious of Him. Then, besides that, while he had been sitting on the judgment seat, questioning Jesus, his wife had sent word to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much over him today in a dream." The chief priests and elders had already persuaded the people to demand that Jesus be destroyed and Barabbas released. They knew that Pilate might resort to this tactic, so they were prepared for it. Pilate once more shouted out to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you." He himself was hoping they would say it was Jesus they wanted to have released. But the crowd shouted back, "Release to us Barabbas!" Pilate then said to them, "Well, what shall I then do with Jesus who is called the Christ?" All with one voice loudly proclaimed, "Let him be crucified!" Pilate could not believe what he had heard, "Why crucify him, what evil has he done? I have found nothing in him worthy of death," he replied to the crowd. The crowd ignored his question and shout even more loudly, "Let him be crucified!" When Pilate saw that he was gathering no ground, but rather that a riot could well break out, he took a water bowl and washed his hands before them all, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this man; see to it yourselves." And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children." (Mat.27: 15-26; Mark 15: 6-15; Luke 23: 13-25; John 18: 38-40). And so it was that Barabbas was released to the Jews, while Jesus was handed over to them, to be crucified. And Jesus' blood was indeed upon them and their children. That generation with their children, did not repent as a whole from the sin they committed, and their attitude led them into huge troubles with the Roman authorities over the next 40 years. It finally culminated in the Roman general Titus bringing his armies against Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and destroying most of the city, and the people therein. CONCLUSION OF JESUS' TRIAL Pilate told his soldiers to take Jesus into the palace. He then called for all the whole battalion of soldiers to come and be present while Jesus would be "scourged." The scourging that Roman soldiers did was often VERY brutal, so brutal at times that many people did not live passed being scourged. They used a whip that had little bones attached to the long thong strips of the whip. These little sharp bones would tear the skin apart on the back and around the sides of the person being scourged. It was most brutal a whipping, was the Roman scourging, and there was no limit as to how many whip lashes could be inflicted. Jesus was of magnificent bodily health and strength, and He did live through the scourging, but much skin and blood was lost from His back and sides. The soldiers were not finished with Him yet. They stripped Him of what clothes He had and put on Him a purple cloak and then a crown of plaited thorns was placed on His head. They put a reed in His right hand. Then they began to salute Him, some kneeling before Him in mockery, and saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Some took turns beating on His head with a reed. The sharp needles of the crown of thorns were now being hammered into Jesus' scull. The pain...well you can imagine if you ever have had a thorn needle stuck in your hand. The soldiers also spat upon Jesus and hit Him with their fists as they continued to mock Him for quite some time. Pilate took Jesus back out to the railing mob of Jews outside the palace. "Look, I am bring Him out to you so you can know that I find no fault or crime in this man." Jesus stood there wearing the crown of thorns smashed into His head and the purple cloak. Pilate again said, "Here is the man." When the chief priests and the elders and those of the Sanhedrin, saw Jesus, they cried out with frenzied voices, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him; for I cannot find any fault or crime in this man." The religious leaders shouted back, "We have a law, and by that law he should die, because he has made himself the Son of God." When Pilate heard those words he was even more afraid. He hurried Jesus back into the palace again and said to Him, "Where are you from?" But Jesus did not answer. Pilate therefore said, "So you will not speak to me. Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?" Jesus then answered, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given to you from my Father above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin." Pilate was by now very upset and certainly afraid, and sort even the more to release this Jesus, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend; every one who makes himself a King sets himself against Caesar." The Jews were now resorting to every "political" angle they could think of, to insure Jesus would be crucified. When Pilate heard these last words from the Jews, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place in the palace called the "Pavement." All was in full view of the mass of Jews and the members of the Jewish Sanhedrin. It was the "preparation" day as the Pharisees Jews called it, the day they prepared for the keeping of their Passover on the 15th day. It was still the 14th day of the first month and it was about the 3rd hour (as it should be, not the 6th hour as the KJV gives in the Gospel of John, which was an error, as the original Greek manuscripts say "it was the third hour"), which was as we count time, between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Pilate said to the Jews, "Here is your King!" They answered, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate replied, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." Then Pilate had the purple cloak taken off Jesus and His own clothes put back on, and handed Jesus over to the Jewish leaders and the mob of people, for them to crucify Him. The prophecies of how the Messiah would die were now quickly coming to pass (Mat.27: 27-31; Mark 15: 16-20; John 19: 1-16). ............................. Written January 2003

NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE STORY-- GOSPELS #44 - Jesus alive again

 

Chapter Forty-four:

Jesus is raised to Glorified Life!

LADIES PREPARE TO ANOINT JESUS' BODY The two ladies both called Mary (Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses and James), told other ladies what they had witnessed that evening of the 14th day. They told other ladies where Joseph and Nicodemus had buried Jesus, in a tomb in the garden of Golgotha. It was probably Mary Magdalene's idea to buy spices, prepare them, and come and anoint Jesus in the tomb. The anointing was a kind of preserving a body for a while, so it would not decompose as quickly as not being anointed with the special spices. This shows that they never expected Jesus to rise from the dead. Indeed none of the disciples were expecting such a miracle to happen. It was now the annual Sabbath, the 15th of Nisan, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It seems none of the ladies had in stock in their homes any of the spices needed to anoint Jesus' body. They would have to buy them after the annual Sabbath of the 15th of Nisan (which was a Thursday), was over. Friday, a work day, the second day of the feast of Unleavened Bread would be the day they would purchase the spices and prepare them. This they did, then rested on the weekly Sabbath (Saturday) according to the fourth commandment (see Mark 16: 1 with Luke 23: 56). They were now all ready, very excited, with the thought of rising very early the first day of the week, our Sunday, a work day, and head for the tomb in which Jesus was laying and anoint Him with the spices. JESUS IS RESURRECTED! The ladies had bought and prepared the spices on Friday, and they had rested the seventh day, in accordance with the fourth commandment of God's great Ten Commandments. That Sabbath was now over, the sun had set, it was getting very close to three days and three night, or 72 hours, that Jesus had been placed in the tomb. Darkness was closing in, the stars were about to shine in the heaven above. It was a pretty normal Saturday evening we would say, for most people that is. But in that Golgotha garden, and in one particular tomb, something was about to happen that was far from normal, in fact it had NEVER happened before, in the history of mankind being on the earth. God in heaven above, was watching over His Son Jesus in the tomb where He lay. Jesus had died in complete FAITH that His Father in heaven would, three days and three nights later, RESURRECT Him from the dead, but not to just being once more a physical man, but to being GLORIFIED and made IMMORTAL, made eternal, having once more the GLORY that He had when He was with the Father before becoming a human being (that was made clear to us in Jesus' prayer to the Father during the night He was betrayed - John chapter 17). No other human person who ever lived had ever been made IMMORTAL! Some had been raised from the dead, like when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, but not one single individual from the time of Adam and Eve, had ever been made ETERNALLY IMMORTAL. The time had COME....it was now 72 hours since Jesus was placed in the tomb. The Almighty Father in heaven said, "LET IT BE DONE. LET MY SON LIVE AGAIN WITH THE GLORY HE HAD BEFORE HE BECAME A HUMAN BEING!!" Glory FILLED the tomb where Jesus lay. The Father filled the tomb with the POWER of His Holy Spirit.....and in one split second, Jesus' literal body was made IMMORTAL! Jesus opened His eyes. He was ALIVE once more! He had been dead, had NOT EXISTED for three days and three nights. He had died in full FAITH, given His spirit over into the hands of the Father in heaven, and He was NOW ALIVE again! His body was filled with eternal GLORY. He now once more had the power and majesty to appear as flesh and bone, and to vanish away into the unseen world of SPIRIT! God and the angels live in a different dimension than we humans do. We are ONLY physical. But God, Jesus once said, is SPIRIT (see John chapter 4), meaning He has a Spirit body, eternal and full of GLORY. His world is a world made of Spirit. The heavenly Jerusalem, and all it contains, with all the angels and beings in that world that God has created (last chapters of the book of Revelation) is made of Spirit. And is, unless God chooses otherwise, not able to be seen by the human eyes. God's face is like the SUN, and even more. We are told in the Bible that Moses once asked God to show Himself to him, in His GLORY form. God said He would show Moses His glory form, but only His back parts, for God said to Moses, "Mankind cannot look on my face and live" (see Exodus 33: 11-23). Then God can, if He so desires, make Himself into physical matter, of flesh and bone. He can then appear to humans, talk to them, eat a meal with them, have them touch Him. We see this in the Old Testament, in such chapters as Genesis 18, where God appeared to Abraham, even ate a meal with him. Jesus was again alive, but alive with the GLORY of IMMORTALITY. He was laying in the tomb wrapped all over with cloth, arms, legs, torso, even His head. No problem, in His now glorified state, He simply came through all the cloth around His glorified body, just in a sense walked through it all, or as we might think of it today in our space age.....He beamed Himself through it and beamed Himself back into physical form of flesh and bone. He stood there inside the tomb, and glorified the Father in heaven for His watchful love and power. It did not matter that the great stone was still over the entrance to the tomb, and was sealed shut by the soldiers that Pilate had sent on the request of the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus just "beamed" Himself, so to speak, through the walls of the tomb, and stood outside in His invisible form, the soldiers guarding the tomb, completely oblivious to what had taken place. There was singing and joyful praising going on by all the angels and created beings in heaven. They were praising the heavenly Father for His glory and His power. Jesus had overcome SIN and DEATH. And Christ was the very FIRST of millions of more humans that one day will also be raised to eternal IMMORTAL GLORY! Yes, this was a time to praise and give the Father great glory. We are not told what Jesus did the rest of that night, but then we are not told what Jesus did on many days (only some events we are told) while still on earth after His resurrection, and before going back to heaven to sit on the Father's right hand. THE LADIES COME TO THE TOMB From all the Gospel accounts we learn that specifically planning to come to the tomb was Mary Magdalene, whom Christ had cast out seven demons. She was as we have seen one of His most faithful followers. The other Mary was the mother James and Joses. Mark informs us that a lady by the name of Salome was with them. Salome was the wife of Zebedee, and the mother of James and John. From Luke ( chap.14: 10) Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod's steward (see Luke 8: 3), was also with them. Luke only mentions the two Mary's but says other women were there also. This could mean the women Salome and Joanna, but it could have been possible that more than those FOUR women were part of the party who were going to visit Jesus' tomb. The two Sabbaths had come and gone, the one Sabbath of the 15th of Nisan which was a Thursday, and the weekly Sabbath had come and gone. The ladies had no idea that Jesus had risen from the dead in the early hours of what we call Saturday evening, which to the Jews was the early ours of the first day of the week. Matthew says, "After the Sabbath, and as it began to illuminate or grow light towards the first of the week...." (Mat.28:1). Albert Barnes, in his famous Bible Commentary, explains it all this way: "The word 'dawn' is not necessity in the originals. The word here properly means, as the first day 'approached,' or drew on, without specifying the precise time. Mark says (16: 1, 2) that it was after 'the Sabbath was past and very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun,' i.e., not that the sun was risen, but that it was ABOUT TO RISE, or at the early break of day. Luke says (24: 10), that it was very early; in the Greek, DEEP TWILIGHT, or when there was scarcely any light. John (20: 1) says, it was 'early, when it was yet DARK,' i.e., that is, it was not YET full daylight, or the sun had NOT risen. The time when they came therefore, was at the break of day, when the sun was about to rise, but while it was yet so dark as to render objects OBSCURE, or not DISTINCTLY visible" (Barnes' Notes on the New Testament, single volume edition). Yes, the ladies had prepared the anointing preservative spices before the weekly Sabbath, had rested on the weekly Sabbath according to the commandment of the Lord, and could hardly sleep all that Saturday night, waiting with great anticipation the time when they would set off for the tomb where Jesus lay. And as John clearly tells us, they were up and walking to the tomb WHILE it was YET DARK, when people and objects could not be well seen. Now, it would seem, as they were getting close to the tomb, they started to realize in a practical way, that they would not have the physical strength, even among all of them together, to push away the great stone that covered the entrance to the tomb. And besides that fact, there were soldiers guarding the tomb, how were they going to get permission to enter the tomb and embalm Jesus' body. They discussed these two problems, what seemed then, as impossible obstacles to their dreams and plans of showing loving care towards Jesus. They did not know how they were going to overcome those two hindrances to what they wanted to do, but they kept their faith in knowing that somehow God would provide the answer and make their loving deed come to reality. This is a wonderful example of faith in action, a faith that could remove mountains, but this time in the specific, a faith that could remove a huge stone and remove soldiers guarding it. GOD HAD ANSWERED THE LADIES PRAYERS God in heaven saw the faith and love of those women. He had made it all possible for them to be the first to see inside the NOW empty tomb. It is Matthew who records it for us as it had happened. Sometime BEFORE the ladies ever reached the tomb, Matthew put it this way as translated in the KJV, "And behold, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men" (Mat.28: 2-4). The key here is the little word "was", the fourth word in as given in the KJV. In the Greek this word is in the "aorist" tense, meaning a single action done and completed in the PAST! What Matthew actually wrote and said was, "And behold there HAD BEEN a great earthquake....." Sometime AFTER Jesus' resurrection in the early hours of Saturday evening or the first day of the week (as God counts the beginning of days) and BEFORE the ladies arrived at the tomb, while it was YET DARK, on that Sunday morning, of still the same first day of the week, an angel from God had come down, the soldiers fainted at his sight, and lay as if dead on the ground. The angel then rolled away the stone to the entrance of the tomb. All of this was done because God was honoring the faith and love those women He knew were coming to the tomb that early, but dark, Sunday morning. JESUS IS NOT IN THE TOMB! The ladies were getting all uptight but excited at the same time, as they were coming around the last corner towards the tomb. When they turned this corner the tomb would be in front of them, but as they thought so would be the stone in the entrance way and the soldiers guarding it all. What a SHOCK came across all faces, mouths dropped open, eyes blinked twice and three times, they froze in their tracks. None could believe what they were seeing. None could speak for a few seconds. It was as if it was all a dream. Still no one saying a word, they slowly moved closer to the tomb. Finally they realized it was all very true what they were seeing....the stone had been rolled away, the entrance to the tomb was OPEN, and the soldiers keeping guard....well they were laying on the ground as if they were dead men. The ladies now looked at each other, puzzled, yes, having joy in their hearts, yes, but also they were scared to some point. For how on earth they thought and said to each other, could this be possible. Then thoughts crossed their mind that some men had already come, killed the soldiers, rolled away the stone to the entrance, and had stolen Jesus' body. Some, with this thought in their minds, fell to their knees and started to weep in sorrow. It was all too much for Mary Magdalene, she could take no more of all this. She had been faithful in staying with Jesus all the while as He was being crucified on the cross, she had stayed around when all others had forsaken and left Jesus dead on the cross. She had waited and had seen that finally Joseph and Nicodemus had come back to take Jesus down from the tree of death. She had followed them to where they placed Jesus in this tomb. She had helped prepare the embalming spices on the Friday, had patiently waited through the hours of the weekly Sabbath. She had risen while it was yet dark, on the first day of the week, and was now standing here in front of the tomb. The stone had been rolled away, the soldiers were as if dead men. Someone she thought had come and taken Jesus out of the tomb and now no one knew where they had lain Him. It was all just too much for this Mary. Running with tears falling down her cheeks, away she went, back to Jerusalem, crying her heart out. She ran and she ran, finally making it to where Peter and the disciple that Jesus loved (which most believe it to be John who is relating this to us) were staying. With tears streaming down her face, she said to them, "My heart is breaking. I've been to where they laid Jesus in the tomb. Someone has taken the Lord out of the tomb, and I am in great agony of mind, for I do not know where they have laid Him" (John 20:1-2). Peter and the other disciple could really not believe her. They were thinking she was just too emotionally upset at all that had transpired over the last three day. They were to Mary dragging their feet as we might say. She could see they were not really believing her. With another outburst of loud crying, she turned and started back as fast as her legs could go, back to the tomb. Maybe she thought, if she just waited at the tomb someone would eventually come along who would know what had happened to Jesus' body and where it had been taken. MEANWHILE AT THE TOMB Back at the tomb, where the other ladies were still in shock and amazement, still very puzzled about what they were seeing and what it all meant. SUDDENLY they saw, sitting on the huge stone that had been over the entrance, the ANGEL of the Lord that had come down previously and had rolled away the stone. He was bright and glorious...they were at first very afraid, but the angel soon calmed them down to a degree by saying to them, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Yes, I have told you what is truth" (Mat.20: 5-7). The angel said those words and then he was gone, just vanished out of their sight. The ladies looked at one another wondering if they really had seen and heard what they thought they had just seen and heard. They were not sure, could it really be true they thought. They decided they must enter the tomb and see if Jesus was inside or was really gone. So inside they went, looking around none could see the body of Jesus. Had they indeed seen an angel? Did they indeed hear that angel say Jesus had risen from the dead? The whole thing for them was perplexing. Then as they were thinking and looking, behold SUDDENLY ONCE MORE......not just one angel, but this time TWO angels appeared next to them, in dazzling apparel! They were frightened out of their minds, and bowed their heads to the ground. Once more they did not know what to think, by now it had all become a little too much, their minds were in a spin. Then one of the angels spoke: "Do not be amazed or frightened. Why do you seek the living among the dead? You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has RISEN, He is not here; see the place where they laid Him. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise from being dead. He had RISEN! Go, tell his disciples and Peter, that He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him" (Luke 24: 4-7; Mark 16: 5-7). The ladies were astonished, still very unnerved by all they had seen and heard. Trembling, they quickly left the tomb. They spoke not a word to each other, but started back to Jerusalem, determined to say nothing about what they had witnessed, for they feared people would think they had gone insane. As they were just a little way from the tomb, who should they see coming back towards them but Mary Magdalene. She came closer and in passing the other women now returning to Jerusalem, she said to them, "No one will believe what I told them, that someone has taken Jesus out of the tomb, and put Him somewhere else....they just will not believe me." The other ladies said not a word to her, but passed her by as they set out back to Jerusalem. MARY MAGDALENE THE FIRST TO SEE THE RISEN JESUS Mary reached the tomb still weeping. She looked inside and saw the two angels in white, that the other ladies had just seen. They were sitting where Jesus' body had been laid to rest. One where Jesus' head had been and one where His feet had been. The angels saw Mary looking in and said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She replied, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have put Him." As she said this she felt that someone was behind her, turning around she saw a man. It was Jesus Himself, but she did not know it was Him. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" "Well sir," Mary replied, thinking she was speaking to the gardener, "if you have carried him away, please tell me where you have put Him, and I will take Him away with me, and take good care of Him." Jesus then said to her, "Mary." Her heart dropped to the bottom of her feet, then sprang back up again. She exclaimed with the biggest smile anyone could possibly give, "Rabboni!" (a Hebrew word). Which meaning is "TEACHER." She KNEW, YES SHE KNEW......IT WAS JESUS! How her heart leapt for joy, she was floating on air, up on cloud nine as we say. She wanted to dance around, dance the fastest and most joyful dance any Jewish girl could possibly do. She wanted to go over and touch Him, hug Him, just to makes sure this was a reality, that what she saw with her eyes and heard with her hearing....that it really was her TEACHER, her MASTER, her LORD. Jesus knew she wanted to come and touch Him, and so said to her, "Do not hold or touch me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" (John 20: 11-18). We are not given much more than the words above, to explain to us this fact that Jesus had to ascend to the Father before any physical human could touch Him. I will discuss it more as to what it may have been all about, in a short while. Mary was ecstatic, overjoyed, she had seen the Lord and He had talked to her. Mark is the one Gospel writer that records that Mary Magdalene was the first human person that Jesus appeared to. Part of the reason as to why it was to Mary Magdalene that He first appeared must be the fact that she not only loved Him so much, but was probably the leader among the women to (1) stay near His cross all the time, even after His death. (2) follow Joseph and Nicodemus to see where they laid Jesus (3) determine to buy spices and prepare them and come and anoint Jesus' body, while it was yet dark in those early hours of the daylight portion of the first day of the week. All of this, what took place as the sun was about to rise on that first day of the week, during the feast of Unleavened Bread in 30 A.D. is a wonderful testimony to the devotion and love of some of the women among Jesus' disciples. Mary Magdalene was off as fast as she could go, like being chased by a wild bear. She was off to do as Jesus had instructed her to do. The joy she was feeling made her legs move and run like never before in her life. Soon she had caught up to the others ladies who were already making their way back to Jerusalem. She told them what had happened to her at the tomb, and how Jesus had appeared to her, and talked to her. All were now beginning to see they had not been in a dream, not imagining things. They realized too many things had happened, and so it was indeed a reality. They then recalled how Jesus had spoken in the past about how He must suffer at the hands of sinners, be put to death, but rise again after three days. It all began to click together for them, their minds becoming clearer and clearer on everything. Yes, now they knew it was all true what they had witnessed, they now knew Jesus was ALIVE, that He had been RAISED from the dead, and was alive forever more. They had a deep fearful awe for God and His power and great joy at the same time. JESUS APPEARS TO ALL THE WOMEN All the ladies who had come out early that Sunday morning and had experienced all that they saw and heard, and Mary Magdalene now having seen Jesus, were busy talking about it all, and relating many stories of Jesus as they had in the past followed Him at times when He preached and taught and healed people. Oh, how busy they were talking about it all as they made their way back to Jerusalem to tell everything that had happened to Jesus' other disciples, especially to the eleven. They had no idea what was about to take place. Suddenly, out of the blue, Jesus met and appeared to them, saying, "Hail!" How splendid, how grand, how royal it was. All of the ladies knew it was Jesus, no question about it. They all ran up to Him and falling at His feet, taking hold of them, they worshipped Him. Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go into Galilee, and there they will see me" (Mat.28: 8-10). You will notice when Jesus appeared to all the ladies, He allowed them to touch Him! Yes, they took HOLD of His feet! He would not, shortly before, allow Mary Magdalene to touch Him, for He had said to her that He had not yet ascended to His Father in heaven, but NOW He does allow them all to touch Him. There is ONLY one answer. In the time when He appeared to Mary Magdalene and the time He appeared to all the women making their way back to Jerusalem, He had ascended to heaven, appeared before the Father and had returned to earth. JESUS THE FIRST OF THE FIRST FRUITS What seems like a strange happening, Jesus going to heaven, and back again in a relatively short time, before anyone was allowed to touch Him, may be answered in the symbolism of what the priests did at this time, even on this day, Sunday morning, in the Temple. God through Moses, had given instruction to Israel that the new year harvest of barley grain could not be started to be gathered in UNTIL the first cutting of it had been done and presented or offered in the Temple by the priests, on the first day of the week.   It is also very interesting that the Sadducees, cut the first sheaf of the new barley grain harvest AFTER the weekly  Sabbath had ENDED, hence a fist day of the week cutting, or what  we call Saturday evening. Then they ground it up, put it in a basket or container of some kind, and waved it around while holding it, in a Temple ritual early on the first day of the week (our Sunday). All of this it would seem, Jesus fulfilled. He was resurrected in the first hours of the first day of the week, or Saturday evening, after the weekly Sabbath had ended.   As Mark records for us---- "Now when He was risen early the first day of the week...." (Mark 16: 9). Risen within the first hours of the first day, (which in God's counting of days, begins at evening time - Genesis 1) or Saturday evening. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, that Jesus is the FIRST of the FIRSTFRUITS, and others will be at His coming. All in the first resurrection at the coming of Jesus in glory back to this earth, will be "firstfruits" to God the Father. The day of Pentecost is to be held on the first day of the week, our Sunday. Jesus ascended to heaven, to the Father, on the first day of the week, and back again on that same day. Before he ascended no human person could touch Him, but after ascending He did allow people to touch Him. The whole symbolism is just to coincidental to ignore. Jesus was the wave sheaf in type. He was the FIRST to ever be raised to glorified, immortal life. He was the first of the firstfruits to God the Father from the human population of the earth. Those in the first resurrection will be "firstfruits" according to the apostle Paul. The feast of Pentecost, which pictures the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the first New Testament church, is on the first day of the week. Jesus fulfilled the wave sheaf offering. It was being offered in the Temple right at the time He was ascending and descending to the Father and back again to the earth, on that morning of the first day of the week, during the feast of Unleavened Bread. He was in heaven for that short period of time, to be accepted as the spiritual human/resurrected wave sheaf before God the Father. The ladies who had come to that tomb, that early morning, were now exhilarated, elate, stimulated with heartened spirit of mind. They had seen and touched the risen Christ. They were told to go and tell Jesus' other disciples who were in Jerusalem. This they would do gladly, but would anyone believe their words? .............................. Written February 2003 This section of the harmony of the Gospels is extremely hard to put into chronological order. With the help of the Holy Spirit I believe I may have come close to harmonizing it.