Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. (John 19.1 – 3, ESV)

I identify with John here: he gives the flogging one sentence with another sentence for the crown of thorns. I’m not good at making this longer than the Gospels do. I don’t know how many minutes The Passion of the Christ devotes to this scene, and I don’t intend to watch it again to find out.

So I encourage you to do your own meditation…

I will share something from Station to Station by Gary Jansen that helped me.

Terrorism, mass shootings, child abuse, war—all of these evils stem from brokenness, which then leads to an unbroken cycle of pain…Jesus, the bread of life, is broken here. Yet there is no eye for an eye. He will not seek vengeance. Instead, he acts like a sponge, absorbing all the violence and hatred. In turn he will convert all that negative energy, all that waste, into something positive.

The senseless beating of Jesus was, well, senseless, just like most of the violence we’re seeing today. Jesus’ taking that beating was part of his sin-bearing.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. (Matthew 27.27 – 30, ESV)

If you’re Jesus, it’s got to be tough to be judged by Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. By all accounts, not much of a guy. And besides, as Jesus told him:

You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above… (John 19.11, ESV)

Nevertheless, the charade continues, and Jesus is mostly silent:

And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” And the chief priests accused him of many things. And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed…And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. (Mark 15.1 – 5, 12 – 15, ESV)

I say charade because the conclusion was predetermined both by the Jewish leaders and by God himself:

[The early church] lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” (Acts 4.24 – 28, ESV)

We saw over and over in our Old Testament readings so far (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Moses) that these men were far from perfect. In fact, flawed might be a better word. And the men Jesus chose were flawed, too.

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26.69 – 75, ESV)

Luke adds this sentence after the third denial: “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.” (Luke 22.61, NIV)

Looked at him how? “See, I told you so!” or “You are such a loser!” or “I still love you, Peter.” We know that Peter tried to run from the whole affair, but Jesus reinstated him (see John 21.1 – 19). In short, Jesus accepts us: flaws, shortcomings, and all.

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103.13 – 14, ESV)

MARCH 28, 2023 BOB EWELL LEAVE A COMMENT EDIT

The Sanhedrin. The religious ruling body of the Jews. They’ve been after Jesus for some time, including this odd reaction to the raising of Lazarus. You’d think that if someone brought a dead guy back to life, it would be worth investigating to see what we might be missing. But no:

Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”…So from that day on, they plotted to take his life. (John 11.45 – 48, 53, NIV)

Six days before the Passover (read, six days before Jesus’ death), Jesus comes to Bethany, home of Lazarus:

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. (John 12.9 – 11, NIV)

So here we are after the arrest:

At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. “If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.” (Luke 22.66 – 71, NIV)

Jesus is in front of the men with whom he’s had an adversarial relationship from the outset, (See, for example, Matthew 23.) and Jesus doesn’t back down. And he doesn’t really get angry even though it has to be really upsetting that these are the men who are supposed to be representing his Father to the people.

What are you seeing as you meditate on this scene?

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. (John 9.39 – 41, NIV)

Yesterday, we began our 14-day meditation on the scriptural stations of the cross with Jesus praying in the Garden. Today we continue with Station 2: Jesus, betrayed by Judas, is arrested:

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew 26.47 – 54, NIV)

So much to see:

• Jesus is calm.
• Jesus addresses Judas as “friend.”
• Peter draws a sword and cuts off a guy’s ear. (John is the only gospel writer naming Peter and the servant – see John 18.10.)
• Jesus explains that he could make all this go away, but he won’t.

We don’t know what motivated Judas. Was it just for the money? John had observed that Judas, as group treasurer, was a thief (see John 12.4 – 6). Or was he disillusioned with Jesus’ apparent non-violent mission? Or did he think he could force Jesus to take violent action? We don’t know except that when the betrayal resulted in Jesus’ death, Judas killed himself (Matthew 27.3 – 5).

And so it begins. Jesus prays in advance, and he is calm when it starts.

When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” (Matthew 26.20 – 25, ESV)

Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me. (Psalm 41.9, NIV)

As we approach Holy Week, let’s pause before we launch into the plagues on Egypt for a series of meditations on the Stations of the Cross. Traditionally, there are 14, which include events not explicitly mentioned in scripture. However, in 1991, Pope John Paul II presented what are known as the Scriptural Stations of the Cross, and that’s what we’ll follow:

• Station 1: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-41)
• Station 2: Jesus, Betrayed by Judas, is Arrested Matthew 26.47 – 54)
• Station 3: Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin (Luke 22: 66-71)
• Station 4: Jesus is Denied by Peter (Matthew 26: 69-75)
• Station 5: Jesus is Judged by Pilate (Mark 15: 1-5, 15)
• Station 6: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns (John 19: 1-3)
• Station 7: Jesus Bears the Cross (John 19: 6, 15-17)
• Station 8: Jesus is Helped by Simon of Cyrene to Carry the Cross (Mark 15: 21)
• Station 9: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem (Luke 23: 27-31)
• Station 10: Jesus is Crucified (Luke 23: 33-34)
• Station 11: Jesus Promises His Kingdom to the Good Thief (Luke 23: 39-43)
• Station 12: Jesus Speaks to His Mother and the Disciple (John 19: 25-27)
• Station 13: Jesus Dies on the Cross (Luke 23: 44-46)
• Station 14: Jesus is Placed in the Tomb (Matthew 27: 57-60)

I am indebted to Gary Jensen’s book Station to Station for putting me on to this list. I recommend the book.

Today, Station 1: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26.36 – 39, ESV)

The opening scene of Passion of the Christ depicts this event well and ends with a powerful reminder of Genesis 3.15, the first explicit prophecy of the coming Messiah. (It’s a 4-minute video; please take the time to watch it.)

“My soul is sorrowful, even to death,” not just the pain, which would be unimaginable, but bearing sin…all sin by all people for all time. That’s a lot of sin! And how did he prepare for this ordeal? By praying.

And he prayed not to have to do it, but he also prayed, “Not my will but yours.” The same thing we pray in the Lord’s prayer. Except he meant it, knowing what it would cost.

And even though he brought his inner circle to support him, he was alone.

And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Matthew 26.40 – 44, ESV)

We left Moses and the Israelites discouraged after a rough first encounter with Pharaoh:

For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all. (Exodus 5.23, ESV)

The “games” begin in chapter 7 – the 10 plagues – but first, in Exodus 6, God confirms the covenant…again. Abraham in Genesis 12, 15, and 17; Isaac in Genesis 26; Jacob in Genesis 28. Now Moses:

God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.’” (Exodus 6.2 – 8, ESV)

A double promise: deliverance from slavery and the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Also, a promise of a personal relationship with a powerful God: “I will take you to be my people…and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out…”

But there’s a minor problem: the Israelites don’t find the promise encouraging:

Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. (Exodus 6.9, ESV)

Sometimes, if our spirit is broken, it’s hard to be encouraged by the promise. But in this case, the Israelites’ discouragement doesn’t stop God from acting. No more is said about their broken spirit. God just told Moses to get to it, and we’ll pick up the action in Exodus 7.

So the LORD said to Moses, “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” But Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?” But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. (Exodus 6.10 – 13, ESV)

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” (Isaiah 6.4 – 8, ESV)

We left the Israelites excited that God had taken notice of them and was going to deliver them. A promising start. And Moses wastes no time: he gets right to it:

Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” (Exodus 5.1, ESV)

But that doesn’t go over well at all. Pharaoh immediately blows them off (and God) and surmises that the people have too much time on their hands.

So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. The taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?” Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” Exodus 5.10 – 18, ESV)

“Continue to make bricks, but gather your own straw!”

Most of us have read this story before, so we know how it comes out, but things aren’t looking good at the end of chapter 5. The Israeli foremen accuse Moses of making things worse, and Moses takes it straight to God:

The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; and they said to them, “The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” (Exodus 5.19 – 23, ESV)

We haven’t even gotten started yet, and Moses is saying, “You have not delivered your people at all!”

Patience, my man.

Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time. (James 5.7, 8, MSG)

We left Moses begging God “Send someone else!” So God accommodates Moses…sort of:

Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.” (Exodus 4.14 – 17, ESV)

Moses’ brother Aaron goes in addition to, not instead of. And, for the record, I don’t recall any time where Aaron is recorded as speaking during their upcoming confrontations with Pharaoh.

As Moses prepares to return to Egypt, God makes it clear that there will be a confrontation:

And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” (Exodus 4.21 – 23, ESV)

I’m not sure the people heard the confrontation part when Moses and Aaron told them what was going on:

The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. (Exodus 4.27 – 31, ESV)

Optimism at the end of chapter 4. Not so much at the end of chapter 5. Stay tuned.

And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19.36 – 38, ESV – Jesus rides into Jerusalem triumphantly…)

We’ve been tracking Moses’ response to his call. First, in Exodus 2, he called himself, and that didn’t go so well. Then 40 years later, God calls him, and Moses wants no part of it:

• Who am I?
• Who are you?

Moses opens chapter 4 with another question:

• What if they don’t believe me?

Then Moses answered and said, “What if they will not believe me and will not listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.’” And Yahweh said to him, “What is this in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. (Exodus 4.1 – 3, LSB)

God gives him three signs: the serpent, the leprous hand, and water from the Nile turning into blood. (See Exodus 4.1 – 9)

Moses then just makes a flat statement:

• I can’t talk.

Then Moses said to Yahweh, “Please, Lord, I have never been a man of words, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your slave; for I am one with a hard mouth and a hard tongue.” And Yahweh said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? So now, go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth and will instruct you what you shall speak.” (Exodus 4.10 – 12, LSB)

With this, God is getting a bit put out: “Who made man’s mouth!?” It’s back to “I will be with you.” (Exodus 3.12)

But Moses wails:

But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” (Exodus 4.13, ESV)

Wow. These Bible characters aren’t our best role models, are they?

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. (Jonah 1.1 – 3, ESV)