Mark 15:1-15

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. (v. 5) My Study Bible pointed out that under Roman law an accused prisoner was automatically guilty if he did not reply to an accusation. So Pilate’s amazement was likely due to Jesus’ unspoken “admission”.

When Pilate satisfied the crowd by releasing Barabbas, why was a sentence of crucifixion the alternative for Jesus? Yes, the Jews were demanding crucifixion, but didn’t Pilate also have other options? Presumably he could have just left Jesus in prison for a time – long or short. Or he could have had him scourged, then released. Or he could have released Jesus quietly after releasing Barabbas publicly. The sentence of crucifixion was at the urging of the crowd, effectively the Jewish leaders. So when Matthew reports the crowd saying His blood be on us and on our children (Matthew 27:25), Jesus’ death truly was at their urging. Yes, Pilate caved in to their demands, but it seems to me that the Jewish leaders were equally guilty. Yes, the Jewish leaders – and all the rest of us who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Slava Bohu!

Luke 23:13-25

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” I imagine it was not difficult for the Jewish leaders to incite the crowd to have Barabbas released, a man charged with insurrection and murder. What might the insurrection have been about? I’m guessing against the occupation by the Roman authorities. No doubt the Romans were hated and anyone inciting against them could have been a hero to the Jewish people. I see more difficulty in the Jewish leaders inciting the people to have Jesus crucified. How could they have twisted a narrative about Jesus that would have led the people to have Him crucified? Or was the crowd just a bloodthirsty “rabble” – in a party mood during this Passover celebration? Whatever, it’s a really sad turn of events, an innocent man dying just to please the high priest and his comrades. So sad… And yet, so gloriously redemptive for those of us in this side of the cross.

Slava Bohu!

Matthew 27:15-26

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“Notice what you notice.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. (v. 20) I have heard it said that the Jewish leaders had put together “their own crowd” and persuaded them to ask for Barabbas. I’ve always wondered about that and only this morning reflected further and asked myself about that “crowd”. Presumably many of these people could have been part of the same group that gathered at Gethsemane to arrest Jesus. I always imagine them as “the rabble”. But then I thought further and yes, devout Jews, including His disciples and many Galileans (if they were anywhere but their homes early in the morning) would have been in the temple area celebrating their own Passover weekend. They would not have been at Pilate’s palace.

Pilate … took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.” (v. 24) No amount of water could have cleansed Pilate of his wrongdoing. He may have said the words in front of the crowd, but he still had the responsibility for Jesus’ fate. Furthermore, two verses later he has Jesus scourged; my Study Bible pointed out that Roman scourging was so harsh that many died of the scourging before they even got to the crucifixion. As Carol posted yesterday, we can all wonder at Pilate’s later life, especially when he heard of Jesus’ resurrection – an item that was clearly known throughout Jerusalem (see Luke 24:18). Did he have regrets and second thoughts? And you know what? God the Father still loved Pilate and wanted him to come to repentance (I Timothy 2:4). Pilate – one of the saddest figures in all of human history!

Slava Bohu!

Luke 23:1-12

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” Jesus before Pilate and Herod… It’s funny to me – and probably to many of you – that when we think of Herod, we think of <insert accompanying music> “So you are the Christ, you’re the great Jesus Christ. Prove to me that You’re divine, change my water into wine…”, lyrics from the musical, Jesus Christ, Superstar. So we might be singing along the lyrics, but I’m guessing that Jesus was not in a sing-song mood. This is the same Herod who had Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, killed. You may remember how Jesus mourned when He heard the news of John’s death. Although Scripture does not tell us of Jesus’ weeping over John as He did for Lazarus, it’s likely that He shed more than a few tears when He went off to be alone upon hearing of John’s death. So if Jesus refuses to answer Herod, I’m guessing that He may have been feeling some contempt for him as He stood there.

My Study Bible reported that Pilate’s main headquarters was in Caesarea, on the Mediterranean shore and that Herod’s headquarters was in Tiberius, on the west bank of the Sea of Galilee – often referred to as the Sea of Tiberius. So it’s a bit strange to find them both in Jerusalem at the same time. However, this week was the Passover celebration for the Jews and hundreds of thousands of Jews would have gathered there. But Pilate and Herod clearly were not there to celebrate the religious feast! It was probably just something like a carnival atmosphere for them, not unlike most of us celebrating Memorial Day with family cookouts and failing to honor the solemnity that the occasion demands.

Slava Bohu!

Matthew 27:1-14

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” Judas: “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” (v. 4) Again, my sympathies for Judas… Is Judas’ quote a confession, a sign of true repentance? Did he get that part right before deciding his own fate a few hours later? I do wonder about Judas.

By contrast, The Chronological Study Bible says that we should have no sympathies for Pilate! He had many options available to him and he chose the path of least resistance. Josephus also reports that Pilate had been ruthless in his dealings with others on a number of occasions. According to our CSB, “Pilate was responsible for … the release of a convicted assassin and the condemning of the righteous Son of God to torture and death.”

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer. (vv. 11-12) I find it intriguing that Jesus would respond to Pilate, but not to the Jewish leaders. Later John reports a lengthy discussion between Jesus and Pilate, but again nothing when the Jewish leaders accuse Him. As I reflect on all our previous readings, I don’t recall any other occasion when Jesus refused to respond to the Jewish leaders’ charges. Maybe because now He was before the Roman governor? Or maybe He was just tired of their accusations…??!! I prefer the latter explanation!

Slava Bohu!

John 18:12-27

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” Again I reflect on this year’s reading program – just a few verses a day. In the past when we have read through the Chronological Bible we have read all four accounts of Jesus before the high priests (today’s and the three previous days’ readings) all in one day. Under that program we could have made comparisons between all four Gospels, but not with the depth that we have had by reading each account one day at a time. Just that…

So I’m wondering about this “disciple who was known to the high priest”. Most writers acknowledge this person to be the apostle John. But if that’s true, two other questions arise. If John has followed Jesus to the high priest’s house and Peter is there with him, then where is his brother James? All three were there with Jesus in the Garden, sleeping while he was praying. So where’s James? Second, how is it that John is so well known to the high priest, so as to have immediate access to the courtyard and to allow him to bring Peter in? How is John so well-connected? Or, is there a connection with Zebedee, James’ and John’s father, that gives John this access? So, this disciple “who was known to the high priest”… Who and How?

Slava Bohu!

Luke 22:54-71

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” It seems a small item (but maybe not) that Luke has Peter’s denial before Caiaphas’ “trial” while Matthew and Mark have that order reversed. It is probably the case that Luke has it more correct. According to my Study Bible the Sanhedrin could not hold a trial until after dawn, in which case Jesus may have been in Caiaphas’ house only as a holding pen. There He could have been questioned informally by the various Jewish leaders who had also gathered there, prior to any formal questioning by the Sanhedrin. Unfortunately, at Caiaphas’ house there was also the opportunity for Him to be spat upon, beaten, and taunted by the guards.

Today is now the third occurrence of Jesus’ being taunted and beaten by the temple officers and guards. I am troubled anew every time I read this, each blow reflecting humankind’s sins from the beginning of our existence. Even more troubling is that these blows are mild compared to the scourging that He will receive from the Roman soldiers. I understand that Jesus had to die for our sins, that His death was the necessary atonement for us to be saved. The only way that I can understand the enormous torture that He received is to imagine that it is His Father’s wrath against sin poured out on His Beloved Son. So troubling…

Slava Bohu!

Mark 14:53-72

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” And some began to spit on Him and to cover His face and to strike Him, saying to Him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received Him with blows. (v. 65) It was very troubling to me as I read this verse. I’m first wondering who is in the room. The Sanhedrin was composed of 70 chief priests, scribes and elders, and the high priest, Caiaphas. There were also temple officers and guards (and servants?). So who is spitting and striking the blows? Surely not the Jewish leaders. Wouldn’t that be beneath their dignity? I’d think that they would be more prone to throwing stones, not anything that involved a more personal connection. So I imagine the officers and guards (prompted by the Jewish leaders) who had arrested Jesus and were still standing by. And I’m also imagining Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea in the crowd, highly dispirited at seeing Jesus treated so harshly. Sad.

And Peter again. Also sad…

Slava Bohu!

Matthew 26:57-75

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” Then those who had seized Jesus led Him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. And Peter was following Him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. (vv. 57-58) I somehow knew that Jesus was taken before the Sanhedrin, but I had always imagined that location to be somewhere in the temple area. But some notes that I read, consistent with the quote above, suggested that this “trial” took place at the home of Caiaphas, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. The clincher to me was the “courtyard” and later the mention of servants. As far as I know there were no courtyards in the temple area – I have always imagined that it was all paved over. And there may have been people serving in the temple area, but they would not have been “servants”. So what’s the significance of Jesus being taken to Caiaphas’ home? The Jewish leaders (“the scribes and the elders”) were doing all this “under cover”, in the dark of the night (see “rooster crowing” later), out of sight of the crowds who largely supported Jesus. Meeting together in the temple would have been too well publicized and they did not want that! Again, a cowardly act! Not unlike the Baltimore Colts moving to Indianapolis in the middle of the night – ask Carol…

Peter… Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear… (v. 74), together with And he went out and wept bitterly. (v. 75c) In two consecutive verses we see the intensity that was Peter. To go from shouting curses in the crowd to weeping alone… Many of us can probably relate to “weeping alone”, but I doubt that we have been so openly vocal in our denial of our Savior. Rather, we are prone to sin “quietly”, then weep alone later. We, together with the Jewish leaders, are also cowards. The main difference, however, is that we can confess our cowardly activities and be forgiven. It’s not likely that many of the Jewish leaders sought that readily-available forgiveness from Jesus. So sad…

Slava Bohu!

John 18:1-11

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” When Jesus said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (v. 6) Two items struck me in this verse. The first is that the ESV translation had a footnote on “I am He”, telling us that the Greek translation was simply “I am”. These two words are sacred to the Jews, from when God spoke to Moses, I am Who I am, then repeated in the same verse, Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you’. (Exodus 3:14) So Jesus speaking these two words must have struck the crowd unexpectedly, since no one ever spoke those exact words. Then, the second item, the crowd (including the soldiers) drew back and fell to the ground. Jesus had merely told them that He was the one they were seeking and something in Him or His response struck them so mightily that they were completely overwhelmed to be in His presence. It is surprising to me that they could then proceed with His arrest. Strange…!