Matthew 26:57-75

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Although you may be thinking that I am quoting from today’s reading, I am actually quoting John 2:19. In today’s verse 61 it’s actually two witnesses who testify to this statement against Jesus. But they were not false witnesses like the others that the Jewish leaders were putting forth: Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put Him to death. (v. 59) These two witnesses spoke truth, words that Jesus had spoken very early in His earthly ministry. When Jesus could not deny that He had spoken these words, it gave the high priest the lead-in to demand that Jesus respond to the Messiah question: And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” (v. 63b) Jesus’ reply to this question sealed His fate: Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (v. 64) According to those present He had clearly blasphemed! Unfortunately they did not know that He was speaking truth. Some day we will see that truth played out before our very eyes!! GLORY!!

See also: November 18 (2019) / Matt. 26:57-75

John 18:1-27

Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest… (v. 15a) I keep wondering about this disciple “known to the high priest”. I commented below that many (most?) scholars presume that it was John, the Gospel author. I commented on this item (below) in our 2019 discussions, wondering if John’s father, Zebedee may have been known to the high priest, such that John and James would also be likewise known. That could be the case if Zebedee was a well-to-do fisherman, an argument we discussed two years ago, who (reflecting on today’s political donors) may have been generous to the Temple treasury.

But I think it’s somewhat of a stretch for someone from Galilee to be “known to the high priest”. Another suspect in this regard could be Lazarus. I recall John S. (in 2019) arguing that Lazarus may have been the Gospel writer and maybe even “…the disciple whom Jesus loved…” (see my May 30 comments). I can imagine some of the disciples fleeing from Gethsemane and running to Bethany to alert Lazarus of Jesus’ arrest, and I can follow that story forward to Lazarus bringing Peter into the courtyard. Maybe we have two people remaining anonymous, one “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, the other “known to the high priest”. Interesting…

See also:

• November 17 (2019) / John 18:1-11
• November 21 (2019) / John 18:12-27

Luke 22:39-53

A few days ago I posted a comment where I noticed Jesus calling Phillip by name. I noted that it was a very personal touch and that it was not often recorded that Jesus called one of His disciples by name. I also mentioned there about Jesus referring to Simon Peter by name at the Last Supper, about Satan sifting him like wheat. Now today Jesus calls Judas by name (v. 48b). A small point, mostly an enhancement to that earlier comment.

A correction to a comment from two years ago: Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against Him… (v. 52a) I had commented in 2019 that no chief priests or elders had come to the Garden to apprehend Jesus, but here Luke tells us otherwise. Certainly the high priest(s) stayed behind, but a number of Jewish leaders were present. Surprisingly, I noted this same correction two years ago, two days after I posted my “cowards” comment!

Verse 42, Jesus praying: Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done. We end many of our supplication prayers with some variant on this verse, both individually and in shared prayer, “not my/our will, but yours be done”. It is here in Luke that we have these exact words spoken by Jesus. Matthew and Mark record similar words, but Luke is whom we quote verbatim when we end our prayers like this.

See also: November 16 (2019) / Luke 22:39-53

Mark 14:32-52

I’ve been thinking about this …crowd with swords and clubs… (v. 43b) that came to meet Jesus. To get to the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus had to go “over the ravine of the Kidron” (John 18:1) to the upslopes of the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39). The crowd included a band of <Roman> soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees (John 18:3). In that same verse the NASB also records that Judas had “procured” their services. I’m wondering to what extend this entire mob was either ordered to go (in some official capacity, serving the Jewish leaders) or paid to go if their services could not be required (townspeople and off-duty Roman soldiers?). But think about it – this mob was not being asked to go just a few blocks from the temple area. [Aren’t most riots just a few blocks’ walk?] They weren’t just going to the local city park. They were being asked to leave Jerusalem, traverse the Kidron ravine/valley and climb the Mount of Olives to get to the Garden. Oh yeah, and bring swords and clubs! All in the middle of the night! Go get Him and bring Him back to the high priest. That’s what’s really going on in these few verses where “a crowd” somehow shows up at Jesus’ nighttime rest area. This is a full-blown chief priests’ plot!

See also:

• November 13 (2019) / Mark 14:32-42
• November 15 (2019) / Mark 14:43-52

Matthew 26:36-56

Today we begin Jesus’ Passion – it starts with His praying to His Father and His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Each of the Gospels reports on this Garden and Jesus’ arrest, but John does not include Jesus’ prayer with His Father.

As He arrived in the Garden, He took forward with Him the three disciples (Peter, James, and John) that He had chosen for special occasions at least two other times – His Transfiguration and His healing of Jairus’ daughter. That is, Jesus knew that He would be going through this terrible ordeal so He brought forward His three closest disciples so that He might gain strength from their support. Alas, their failure to stay awake and be with Jesus is a sad event.

So I put myself there along with Peter, James, and John. They nod off to sleep. Do I join them or do I stay awake for Jesus? Maybe they had too much wine at that Passover meal? Did I? Or maybe they were just tired from a long day? And me? Tired? Always, it seems! But too tired to stay awake with Jesus? Like Peter, James, and John? Alas, their failure is my failure. All too often I’ve been too tired to “stay awake” with Jesus – for whatever He is asking me to do. Carol recalls a Bible Study back in Texas when one of her friends soundly declared that these three disciples were failures, that there was no way that he would have slept after Jesus asked him to stay awake. I wish I had that kind of conviction in my life, but I think I would have fallen asleep.

See also:

• November 12 (2019) / Matt. 26:36-46
• November 14 (2019) / Matt. 26:47-56

John 17:1-26

I will have to post later – Carol and I have Audra for today and overnight. But for now, please read all my comments from my 2019 posts below. This chapter in John, Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer” is powerful. I am touched every time I read it.

See also:

• November 9 (2019) / John 17:1-5
• November 10 (2019) / John 17:6-19
• November 11 (2019) / John 17:20-26

John 16:1-33

There is a great deal of Jesus speaking about the Holy Spirit in today’s reading. See my comments in the first link below.

Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. (v. 16b) This statement is so true in our own time, with Islamic extremists convinced that their murder of western Christians will bring them eternal life before Allah. So sad. I pray often for God to intervene for His people in this “holy war” that they are waging. But, no doubt, He loves each and every Moslem who is fighting against His Son.

I posted yesterday on Jesus’ comments about “asking”, that He twice discussed the topic of asking. Again today He speaks of the disciples’ asking and again He repeats Himself: Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (vv. 23b-24) … <and> … In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf… (v. 26) In repeating Himself on this topic, Jesus seems to elevate the disciples’ position before the Father, that they can go directly to the Father with their petitions “in Jesus’ name” without needing Jesus’ direct intercession, again only that they ask “in My name”. That is, it seems to be the case that we have these two “asking” options in our prayer life, to ask the Father directly or to ask Jesus to intercede with the Father for us. Am I reading and interpreting this passage correctly? Your thoughts…?

See also:

• November 6 (2019) / John 16:1-15
• November 7 (2019) / John 16:16-24
• November 8 (2019) / John 16:25-33

John 15:1-27

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. … You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. (vv. 7, 16 ) I commented below in that first post how Jesus emphasizes His words by repeating certain words, phrases, and compete thoughts. Here Jesus’ repetition is “asking”, with a prelude of “abiding” occurring three times – we abiding in Jesus; His words abiding in us; and the fruit that we bear abiding. I looked up the word abiding: “lasting a long time; enduring”. (Oxford Dictionaries) So if we want to be successful in our “asking” prayer life, we need to (1) last a long time (endure) with Jesus; (2) have His words lasting a long time (enduring) in us; and (3) have the fruit that we bear lasting a long time (enduring). Those of us reading these words together have been a long time with Jesus – certainly at different levels, but still with Him. His words have been with us a long time – our presence and participation in Eucharistic celebrations years on end have provided us countless Gospel lessons and sermons (His words) to digest. Then there’s the question of fruit that we bear. In that same first post below I discussed the concept of fruit that we bear. There I talked in terms of converts or love – surely there’s more. Just now I’m thinking of service – service to our church, to our friends, to our neighborhood, to people far away we don’t even know. I’m not sure what “fruit” God is asking of us, but whatever that fruit is, if it’s part of our lives our “asking” prayer lives will become more powerful.

See also:

• November 3 (2019) / John 15:1-8
• November 4 (2019) / John 15:9-17
• November 5 (2019) / John 15:18-27

John 14:12-31

Our Men’s Group last night watched Archbishop Foley Beach’s “Three Streams” talk on the Holy Spirit, the Spirit stream in our Three Streams heritage. In his talk he quoted our verses 16 and 17 today: And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. The Archbishop highlighted a number of aspects of these verses, but what stuck with me was the ending, that the Holy Spirit dwells with us (us together) and in us (you/me, individually). That is, as a group we are a Spirit-filled church and individually we are Spirit-filled. All we have to do is ask.

I cannot read these Holy Spirit sections today, tomorrow, and Friday without remembering the transformation in my life two years ago when I did that in-depth study of the Holy Spirit from Jesus’ Last Supper talks, as recorded in John chapters 14-16. I remember saying back then and still today, “Me and the Holy Spirit are getting tight!” (Please forgive my pedestrian language.) Back then I began to see the Holy Spirit more personally, more a “Being” than an “It”, one with whom I could speak my mind, my troubles, my prayers. And doing so does not diminish the Father or the Son at all; Jesus says in verse 13, “Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Each of the members of the Trinity is glorified when any one of them is glorified. We need more Holy Spirit power, folks, in our church and in our personal lives. Get tight with Him!

See also:

• November 1 (2019) / John 14:12-24
• November 2 (2019) / John 14:25-31

John 14:1-11

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (v. 6) I have quoted this verse often, especially in the context of non-Christians’ eternal destination, as in “What about people who have never heard the Gospel?” or “Will Ghandi be in Heaven?” If someone has not been born again, if she or he has not asked for Jesus’ forgiveness and accepted His mercy, can they be saved? And my answer is that I don’t know, but that Jesus is the entry way to the Father. If He says “Come in”, then they will enter. Yes, even Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists. It’s Jesus’ call, not ours.

See also: October 31 (2019) / John 14:1-11