Belonging to Christ is a Serious Matter

 

Dr. Alice C. Linsley

Some Christians fail to show Christlikeness in spite of listening to sermons intended to help them live as Christians. In part, this is an effect of our fallen state. It may also be an effect of the Church's failure to teach about authority and the biblical understanding of purity. This post considers both topics.

Authority

To live as a Christ follower, the individual's will may not be the highest authority. The highest authority must be God Father, God Son, and God Spirit. Sermons that are weak on the authority of the Trinity may contribute to the individual's failure to respond to all three persons of the eternal Godhead. 

The Church may need to remind us to recognize and respect the temporal authority vested with rulers, heads of governments, and people who uphold the laws of the land. All are due respect for the office they hold even when one disagrees with their policies. The Apostles taught obedience to civil authorities alongside obedience to God's greater authority. Paul develops this in his writings, especially in Romans 13.

The individual may need to learn about the three types of authority in the Bible. They are derived authority, attributed authority, and achieved authority. 

Derived authority rests on individuals called by God to perform a specific ministry. This may include clergy, prophets such as Deborah and John the Baptist, wise teachers, and divinely appointed rulers. In the Ancient World derived authority was based on a close connection to the divinely appointed ruler. The closer the individual’s blood relation to the high king, the more prestige the person derived. In the time of Solomon, when genealogical archives were kept in the Temple, some Israelites became obsessed with records of their ancestors. They hoped to derive authority by proving that they were close relatives of the king. In modern society derived authority comes when an official takes of oath of office to serve the established authority. 

Attributed authority rests on people recognized by society as righteous. John the Baptist is an example. The people came out to him in the wilderness because they recognized that he was a holy man. Attributed authority came with the offices of king, judge, prophet, and priest. Consecration was done in a ceremony not unlike the sacramental ordination found in some churches today. Only men served as priests in the various ranks, each with its unique and limited authority. Each priestly rank and position was inherited. The greatest authority rested with the chief priest known as the “High Priest” in the time of the Second Temple (c. 560 B.C. - 70 A.D.). Most of the junior priests served at smaller, less prestigious temples and shrines until the time of King Josiah who wanted the Temple in Jerusalem to be the only temple. He ordered the destruction of other temples, even some that were dedicated to the High God (Deut. 12:1–5). In modern society attributed authority comes to those who have been recognized for their expertise in a certain field. This includes regularly ordained clergy, fully licensed physicians and medical specialists, lawyers, and judges.

The Hebrew men whose names begin with the Y represent attributed authority. The Y-names are based on the early Hebrew symbol of two feathers. The two feathers were a symbol of a man who judges and measures. Hebrew men with Y-names include Yitzak (Isaac), Yishmael (Ishmael), Yacob (Jacob), Yosef (Joseph), Yehuda (Judah), Yeshai (Jesse), and Yeshua (Jesus). The name Yeshua is derived from the earlier Nilotic name Y-Shu which referred to šw (Shu), meaning light. This referred to the first act of the Creator at the beginning (Gen.1:1). This is not the light of day. It is the eternal, uncreated light associated with the High God's son Y-shu (Yeshua), as proclaimed in John's Prologue.

Achieved authority comes from societal recognition of a person's righteousness or holy living. The biblical person who best exemplifies all three types of authority is John the Baptist. John's strict asceticism and denial of all worldly pleasures was widely recognized by the Judean population. His spiritual authority was such that many traveled into the wilderness to consult him or be baptized by him. His divine appointment is indicated by the Y in his Hebrew name, Yohanan. John embodied all three types of authority. No wonder Jesus claimed that he was the greatest of the prophets (Matt. 11:11; Lk. 7:28).

Purity

Most Christians view Judaism as a religion of rules and laws. Jesus himself criticized the hypocrisy of the Jerusalem elites who required obedience to the many laws while failing to obey them. The legalism of first century Judaism represents a compounding of rules over many centuries. Originally, the rituals were to protect the Hebrew people from impurity. 

The early Hebrew (4200-2000 B.C,) lived before the emergence of Judaism. They were a ruler-priest caste for whom ritual purity was absolutely essential because any impurity made it impossible for the priest to serve in the temples and shrines.

Among the biblical Hebrew morality was about avoiding the defilement of themselves and sacred spaces. This is evident in studies of the ancient moral codes which were to guard people and places from defilement or from committing defiling acts such as stealing the bread offered to the deity.

Morality was directly related to the Hebrew understanding of divine radiance and purity which they associated with the sun, the emblem of the High God. The temple entrances and the inner sanctums were aligned so that the light of the rising sun would shine there. Only priests who had purified themselves could enter the temple precincts. Admission to sacred shrines also required prior purification. Purifying agents include the sun, water, and blood.

Regarding the Hebrew priests who served at biblical On (Heliopolis), Plutarch wrote that the “priests of the Sun at Heliopolis never carry wine into their temples, for they regard it as indecent for those who are devoted to the service of any god to indulge in the drinking of wine whilst they are under the immediate inspection of their Lord and King. The priests of the other deities are not so scrupulous in this respect, for they use it, though sparingly.”

It is significant that the terms for ritual purity in Sumerian, Akkadian, Hebrew, Hittite, and Ugaritic are related to the idea of radiance. (See Feder, Yitzhaq. The Semantics of Purity in the Ancient Near East. 2014, p. 5.) There also is a linguistic correspondence between words for purity and blood. The Hebrew root thr meaning “to be pure” is related to the Hausa/Hahm toro, meaning “clean” and to the Tamil tiru, meaning “holy.” All are related to the ancient Egyptian tr, meaning “blood.” Christians understand that we are made clean by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Among the early Hebrew priests, purification was a strict religious obligation, especially before entering the temples or shrines. The Hebrew priest was purified through ritual washing, shaving the body, fasting, and an intense period of prayer. Moses' half-brother Korah was a priest. His name means "shaved one." According to Numbers 16:17-18, Korah carried the censor to offer incense before God.

In the churches today one rarely hears a sermon on purity. One may hear that Christians are a holy priesthood, but that cannot be so where there is impurity. Pornography, obscene language, evil thoughts, harboring hatred... these impurities rule us while Christ calls us to walk in the light and be pure as He is pure.


Related reading: Why the Name Jesus?; The Hebrew Believed in a Messiah 6000 Years Ago; The Hebrew were a Caste

The Barmore-Linsley Study of Mark's Gospel

 

The wings identify John the Baptist as a divine messenger, the “Evangelos” 

who proclaimed Messiah's appearance in the flesh.

Welcome to a study of the Gospel according to Mark. If you followed our study of the Book of Matthew, you will be excited about this next cooperative effort of Mary Barmore and Alice C. Linsley. In this study, observations about each chapter of Mark are followed by 10 questions. The answers may be found by scrolling to the bottom of the post.

Let's begin with prayer.

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

The Gospel of Mark is believed to be the work of John Mark who traveled with Paul and Barnabas and later assisted Peter (1 Pt. 5:13). The book does not mention the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, so most scholars believe it was written before that catastrophic event. According to Church tradition, Mark's account is the earliest of the Synoptic Gospels and was composed while the author was in Rome.

Mark's main message is about Jesus Christ, God's Son, whose Messianic ministry was characterized by mighty works of God and whose sacrifice on the Cross was for the redemption of the world. In Mark's account, Jesus mostly keeps his identity as the eternal Son of God a secret. However, it is revealed fully after His death and resurrection. 

Mark's Gospel is a fast-paced book. Jesus is always on the move, making his way over time to his destiny in Jerusalem, where prophets are killed (Matt. 23:27; Lk. 13:34). The connective tissue is the word immediately which appears more than 40 times in the book. An example is Mark 1:21 which states that Jesus and some of his disciples went to Capernaum "and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught."

Compared to Matthew's Gospel, Mark records fewer words from Jesus. Instead, Jesus is seen as a man of action.

CHAPTER ONE

The first chapter of Mark's Gospel opens with the ministry of John the Baptist (1:1–11). John was the son of the Jewish priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. John was preaching repentance in the wilderness, thus preparing the way for Jesus the Messiah. The people came out of the towns and cities to be baptized by John in the Jordan River.

Jesus traveled from Nazareth to be baptized by John. As Jesus came up out of the water the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven declared Jesus as God's beloved Son. At Jesus' Baptism the reality of the Holy Trinity was perfectly manifested.

The Spirit then directed Jesus into the wilderness for 40 days where He was tempted by Satan and where angels ministered to Him. 

After John the Forerunner was arrested, Jesus began his public ministry in Galilee where He proclaimed that the kingdom of God is near and called people to repent and believe. At the Sea of Galilee, Jesus called two sets of brothers to be his first disciples. All were fishermen. Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew, and James and his brother John left their fishing nets and followed Him.

The chapter closes with accounts of Jesus teaching in the synagogues, delivering a man from the oppression of an evil spirit, and cleansing a leper. By this time, Jesus was not able to move about as freely as before because news of his miracles brought out large crowds.

QUESTIONS

1. According to Mark's account Jesus began His public ministry in Galilee. How does this differ from the account in John's Gospel?

2. What activities characterize Jesus' early ministry in Galilee?

3. What was Jesus' relationship to John the Baptist?

4. What was John's message?

5. What central dogma of Christianity was made evident at Jesus' Baptism and why is this dogma to be preserved?

6. What was Jesus' main message after His temptation in the wilderness?

7. Who were the first                                             disciples called by Jesus and what is known about them?

8. How did people respond to Jesus' teaching in the synagogues?

9. Mark's Gospel identifies Jesus as the "Son of God" (verse 1). What prophesies about the Son of God, or the Messiah, were fulfilled by Jesus' actions in this first chapter of Mark?

10. Why did Jesus command the evil spirits to be silent and why did he tell people not to broadcast how He healed them?

ANSWERS

1. According to Mark, Jesus began his public ministry in Galilee after John was arrested. In the Gospel of John, Jesus' public ministry began at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. 

2. Jesus' early ministry in Galilee was characterized by healing, teaching in the synagogues, and driving out evil spirits. 

3. Jesus and John were cousins. Both were descendants of the Hebrew ruler-priests who believed in God Father and God Son before Judaism emerged as a world religion. According to John's Gospel, Jesus regarded John as the greatest of all the prophets (Matt. 11:11; Lk. 7:28). John the Immerser personified all 3 types of authority: derived, attributed, and achieved. Read more about their relationship here: Jesus and John Fulfill All Righteousness.

4. John's message was to prepare the people to receive Jesus the Messiah by repenting of their sins and receiving the baptism of repentance by ritual purification in the Jordan River.

5. At Jesus' baptism, the central dogma of the Holy Trinity was made evident. The Son of God came up from the water. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and the voice of God declared that Jesus is the Father's beloved son. This is divine revelation to be preserved by all Christians. The term "dogma" refers to a teaching or belief that cannot be changed or eliminated because doing so would completely change the substance of the Christian Faith.

6. Jesus' main message was a call to repentance because the time of the Kingdom of God is at hand. 

7. The first disciples called by Jesus were Simon and his brother Andrew, and James and his brother John. All 3 were Galilean fishermen. Simon was married. Jesus healed his mother-in-law of a fever (Mk. 1:30). James and John were the sons of a Jewish man named Zebedee. Jesus called James and John Boanerges which means "Sons of Thunder" (Mk. 3:17).

8. When Jesus taught in the synagogues, the people were astonished because he taught them as one having real authority and not as the scribes (Mk.1:22). According to Mark 1:38, Jesus did not stay long in any one town. He believed his work was to preach throughout Galilee.

9. Many prophesies about the long-awaited Messiah were fulfilled in the first chapter of Mark. In Isaiah 40:3 John the Baptist's preparation for Jesus' servant ministry is declared: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Jesus casting out demons and healing various diseases fulfilled the prophecies associated with the Messianic dawning of the Kingdom of God. 

10. Jesus commanded the evil spirits to be silent because He wanted freedom to preach and teach in as many places as possible without being hindered by large crowds. He told people he healed not to broadcast their experiences because the circulation of rumors would bring out crowds making it difficult for him to go about freely. Even with these precautions, Jesus spent much of his time in the countryside. Mark 1:45 explains that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town. Instead, He stayed out in the country. Even then, people found him, coming to him from every quarter.

Related reading: Mary Barmore's Testimony; John the Forerunner, the Greatest Prophet; A Disciple’s Guide to Bible Study; Formed and Informed by the Bible; A Living Faith Justifies; The Ethnicity of Abraham and David

Sailing Life’s Storms

Hope Ellen Rapson

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:2)

Life is filled with distressing issues or events that make us want to just give “up the ship.” We often cannot see beyond the waves of fear, anxiety, or hopelessness. Such storms break out threatening to sweep our resolve to stay faithful to God because in the struggle, we cannot see the calm shore or safe harbor ahead. Even when we put our whole strength to control the tiller and sheets of our lives we still cry out to the Lord, “Is this the right course? Does the Lord really want me to go through this? Isn’t there some other way?”

We are not alone in this rain of emotions and questions. Jesus, the God/Man experienced the same when he found himself alone among his sleeping disciples on the Mount of Olives. In full acknowledgement of the lightening that would soon strike him…arrest, abandonment, beating, crucifixion, and being completely split apart from his heavenly Father and guiding Holy Spirit, Jesus asked, “isn’t there another way?” He did not find it easy to say, “Not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26-39) He even told his companions that He was so deeply troubled that He thought he could die. (Matt. 26:38) In prayer, He poured out the storm in his heart to the point sweating blood. (Lk. 22: 44) Would he hold the course, follow the compass, obey the chart through the storm to provide redemption for even those who would even kill Him? Three times he came to the brink, but three time his naked, storm-soaked will said, “I will hold this course!”

We find it hard to keep our prow into the wind, to battle with the will and emotions against the winds and waves that seek to capsize our lives. Even after we say, “I will hold the course,” the storms do not quickly abate, but they will not last forever. Because Christ, who was tossed and torn for us, knows who we are, where we are, and how we are, and why we are struggling. He did, too. We do not endure life’s storms alone and with the help of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, united now because of the death and resurrection of Jesus on our behalf, we can weather the storms here with eternal hope. Amen!

Related reading:  Get a Grip! Be Steadfast

Too Busy Dying

 

Alice C. Linsley

Recently a loved one died after a long life of caring for her family, serving her church, and enjoying life to the fullest. Shortly before her death, she told her daughter that she had never thought much about death. Her daughter pondered that remark and concluded that her mother was too busy living. What a wonderful way to remember the woman who lovingly raised you!

There is another excellent way to live, and that is to be too busy dying to self. This way of life takes seriously Jesus’ call to deny oneself and take up the cross (Matt. 16:24). St. Anthony of the Desert expressed it in these words, "Die daily if you wish to live eternally." Ignatius of Loyola said, "I prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth."

In Christian asceticism, dying to self is referred to as "slaying the passions" of pride, anger, envy, gluttony, and greed. When our focus is on earthy things, we cannot rise above the passions or vices. Nor can we do so in our own strength. The gift of the Holy Spirit is needed to daily die that Christ might live more fully in and through us. The Apostles received that gift in abundance on the day of Pentecost.

In 1 Corinthians 15:31, Paul explains that he dies daily. To the Galatians, he explained that he has been “crucified with Christ,” and no longer lives because the version of Paul that God never intended has been surrendered so that Christ might live actively in him through faith. 

Finally, we have this assurance: "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, no longer dies. Death no longer rules over Him. For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Rom. 6:8-11)

Related reading: Blessings of Dying to Self – Reina Beaty

The Glorious First Easter

 

This is the final chapter of our study of Matthew's Gospel, a collaboration between Mary Barmore and Alice C. Linsley. To prepare, read Matthew chapter 28. When you have finished, answer the 8 questions. Scroll to the bottom to check your answers.

Introduction

Matthew 28 recounts the resurrection of Jesus, beginning with women coming to the guarded tomb. An earthquake occurred and an angel descended from heaven and rolled away the stone at the entrance to the tomb. The guards trembled with fear. The angel greeted the women and announced that Jesus had risen. Jesus appeared to them, instructing them to tell the disciples to meet him in Galilee. The chapter ends with the Great Commission where Jesus commands his followers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He promises to be with his people to the close of the age.

Questions

1.When did the women come to the tomb?

2. What did the angel say to the women?

3. How did the women react to the angel's message?

4. What did the women do when Jesus met them?

5. What did the chief priests and elders do when the guards came to report what had happened?

6. How did the eleven disciples react when they saw Jesus in Galilee?

7. Why did Jesus say, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me"? (v. 18)

8. What liturgical formula is essential to baptism as Jesus commanded? (A liturgical formula is a prescribed form of words or prayers used in public worship to perform specific religious acts such as the Lord's Supper and Baptism.)

Answers

1. Two women named Mary came to the tomb very early in the morning on a Sunday. They came toward dawn. John 20:1 indicates that it was still dark. Sunrise Easter services are a way of acknowledging Jesus' resurrection which happened before dawn. Among the early Hebrew (4000-2000 B.C.) the Son of God was associated with the sun. He was said to rise in the morning as a lamb and to grow to the mature strength of a ram at sunset. He rode with the Father on the solar boat. The boat of the morning hours was called Mandjet and the boat of the evening hours was called Mesektet. While the Son was on the Mesektet, he was in his ram-headed form. You will recall that God provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice on Mount Moriah. Abraham would have recognized the ram as a symbol of the Son of God yet to come.

2. The angel told them not to be afraid and explained that Jesus had risen. The women were invited to see the place where Jesus' body had been laid. They were witnesses that He was not there. The angel then told them to go quickly and tell the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead and that he was going before them to Galilee where they would see him.

3. The women left the tomb immediately. They felt fear and great joy. They ran to tell the disciples as Jesus had instructed them.

4. When Jesus met the women, they took hold of his feet and worshipped him. There was no doubt in their minds who the man was. They became firsthand witnesses to the reality of Jesus' resurrection.

5. The chief priests and elders paid the guards to spread a lie that Jesus' disciples had come and taken away the body by night.

6. When the disciples saw the Risen Lord Jesus in Galilee they worshipped him, but some still had doubts.

7. By his death and resurrection Jesus took complete authority over sin and death and over the Evil One on earth. He receives all authority from God the Father who will make all God's enemies Christ's footstool (Ps. 110:11). Acting on his supreme authority, Jesus authorized his disciples to go into the world and encourage others to be obedient to the Gospel.

8. Christian baptism requires that the person be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Christianity is a trinitarian faith. Jesus' early Hebrew ancestors believed in God Father, God Son, and the life-generating Spirit of God long before Judaism emerged as a world religion. The Christian faith is summarized in the Apostles' Creed (often recited at baptisms) and the Nicene Creed. The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed are foundational summaries of the Christian faith.

Mary and Alice are thankful for the wide readership of our study of Matthew's Gospel. We pray that what we have written will be a blessing and will strengthen your faith. May this Bright Week be a time of rejoicing because Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!

In May, we will begin our study of Mark's Gospel. Please join us!

Related reading: Christ's Third Day Resurrection; "Easter" Eggs in Antiquity; What Abraham Discovered on Mt. Moriah; Matthew's Testimony Concerning the Empty Tomb

Jesus Mocked and Crucified

 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you,

because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Welcome to this weekly study of Matthew's Gospel, a collaboration between Mary Barmore and Alice C. Linsley. To prepare, read Matthew chapter 27. When you have finished, answer the 10 questions. Scroll to the bottom to check your answers.

Introduction

Matthew 27 describes Jesus' trial, crucifixion, and burial in a tomb provided by Joseph Arimathea. Feeling great remorse, Judas returns the silver to the Temple authorities and commits suicide. Pilate releases Barabbas to the angry crowd instead of Jesus. Jesus is whipped (scourged) and mocked by soldiers in the Praetorium. Jesus is led to Golgotha, the place of execution. Simon of Cyrene is enlisted to carry Jesus' cross. After 3 hours of darkness, accompanied by earthquakes, the opening of tombs, and the raising of saints, Jesus dies. The chief priest and elders insist that the tomb be sealed and guarded because they fear that Jesus' disciples will take away the body and claim that Jesus rose from the dead.

Questions

1. What did the religious authorities do with the silver that Judas returned to them?

2. What did Pontius Pilate recognize about the religious authorities?

3. Who was Barabbas?

4. What evidence in the chapter indicates that Pilate recognized that Jesus was innocent?

5. In what way is the mocking of Jesus by the soldiers ironic?

6. Who was Simon of Cyrene?

7. Who mocked and reviled Jesus while he was on the cross?

8. What signs of Jesus' last hours on the cross indicate the cosmic implications of his death?

9. Who took responsibility for the burial of Jesus' body?

10. What did the religious authorities in Jerusalem fear would happen to Jesus' body?

Answers

1. They purchased a field in Jerusalem's Hinnom Valley to be used to bury foreigners and as a burial site for the poor. The field was called Akeldama, which means "Field of Blood" in Aramaic. Matthew 27 states that Judas hanged himself but Acts 1:18-19 reports that he fell and burst open in that field which was bought with his blood money.

2. Pilate recognized that the religious authorities had delivered Jesus to be executed out of envy (v. 18). Envy is one of the seven deadly sins. It can lead to murder. Cain murdered his brother out of envy. The religious authorities in Jerusalem sought to murder Jesus out of envy.

3. Barabbas was a Jewish prisoner described as a murderer, robber, and a violent rebel against Roman authority. Pilate gave in to the crowd's demand that Barabbas be released from prison instead of Jesus. Bar-abbas means "son of the father" in Aramaic.

4. Pilate asked the crowd what evil Jesus had done (v. 23) because Jesus stood before him blameless. Pilate also washed his hands before the crowd and declared, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to that yourselves." This signified that he did want to bear the blood guilt for sentencing an innocent person. The Jews in the crowd who wanted Jesus to be executed were willing to bear the blood guilt. The agitators in the crowd shouted, "His blood be on us and on our children." Nevertheless, every human in every generation bears guilt for Christ's blood because of our sin. The paradox is that His blood frees us from the curse of sin and death, from guilt, and from anxiety.

5. The Roman soldiers attempted to humiliate Jesus by mocking him as king. By dressing him in a scarlet robe, placing a crown of thorns on his head, and hailing him as "King of the Jews" the soldiers acted out a coronation, and unintentionally proclaimed him king. Their cruel farse reveals that they knew of the reports that Jesus was a king.

6. Simon of Cyrene was the man compelled by the Roman soldiers to carry the cross when Jesus became too weak to carry it. Cyrene is the name of modern-day Libya in North Africa. Simon was probably a Jewish pilgrim who came to Jerusalem for the Passover. Mark 15:21 states that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus, who are believed to have become followers of Jesus.

7. While he was suffering on the cross, Jesus was mocked by people who passed by and by the chief priests, scribes and elders. Matthew states that he was also reviled by the robbers who were crucified with him (v. 44).

8. The cosmic implications of Jesus’ death are indicated by three hours of darkness because Jesus, the Light of the world, is the one who called light into being at the beginning. There was a violent earthquake because the whole creation trembled. The Temple veil split from top to bottom because the Lord Jesus Christ is the new Temple and our access to God the Father. Many who believed and trusted God's promises concerning the coming of the Son of God rose from their graves because Jesus trampled down death by his death. These events, witnessed by the centurion and others, signify the new divine order.

9. A high-ranking Jew named Joseph asked Pilate's permission to bury Jesus' body in his own rock cut tomb. He is designated Joseph Ar-Mathea which means that he was of the Horite Hebrew ancestry and the clan of Matthew. It is likely that the author of Matthew' Gospel was one of his relatives. 

The Ar is a shortened Horus name, as is evident in the case of the Nabataean King Harithath IV who bears the Horus name. King Harithath is called King Aretas in 2 Corinthians 11:32. The Har/Ar affix designates a royal person or a venerable figure. Many historical rulers have such names, including Artaxerxes, Archelaos, Arshem, Artix, Areli, Araxes, Arviragus, a Jebusite named Araunah, and Arishen, a Horite Hebrew who ruled a territory in the central Zagros between 2400-2301 BC. Ariaramnes was the great uncle of Cyrus the Great. In the ancient world, Horus was regarded as the patron of kings and priests. Joseph Ar-Mathea, was a high-ranking ruler-priest and a member of the Sanhedrin. He had sufficient political clout to petition Pilate for the release of Jesus’ body so he could be buried in the sepulcher that Joseph had excavated for himself.

10. The Jewish authorities knew that Jesus had foretold his third day resurrection, and they feared that Jesus' followers would take away his body and claim that he had risen from the dead. That is why they wanted the tomb sealed and guarded.

Join us next week as we begin to wrap up our study of Matthew's Gospel. A blessed Resurrection Sunday (Easter or Pasca) to all our readers!

If you are just now joining this study, you will find links to the previous lessons below. 

Why the Name Jesus?
Matthew Chapter 1: A Closer Look
Matthew Chapter 2: The Magi Worship the Christ and Defy Herod
Matthew Chapter 3: Jesus and John Fulfill Righteousness
Matthew Chapter 4: Jesus Exposes the Devil's Tactics
Matthew Chapter 5: Jesus Teaches with Superior Authority
Matthew Chapter 6: True Kingdom Seekers
Matthew Chapter 7: Entering by the Narrow Gate
Matthew Chapter 8: The Uniqueness of Jesus
Matthew Chapter 9: Christ the Compassionate Lord
Matthew Chapter 10: The Apostles' High Calling
Matthew Chapter 11: The Messiah Brings Relief
Matthew Chapter 12: Greater Glory Resides in Jesus
Matthew Chapter 13: Perceive His Kingdom Coming
Matthew Chapter 14: Christ Rules Over Nature
Matthew Chapter 15: The Power of Persistent Faith
Matthew Chapter 16: Preparing for the End
Matthew Chapter 17: Behold the Glory of the Son of God!
Matthew Chapter 18: Living as a Child of God
Matthew Chapter 19: The Demands and Rewards of Righteousness
Matthew Chapter 20: The Parable of the Laborers
Matthew Chapter 21: The Corner Stone Rejected
Matthew Chapter 22: The Parable of the Wedding Feast
Matthew Chapter 23: Woe to False Religious Leaders!
Matthew Chapter 24: Learning to Read the Signs
Matthew Chapter 25: Working While We Wait for Christ's Return
Matthew Chapter 26:  Jesus Betrayed and Arrested

Jesus Betrayed and Arrested

 

And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. (Matt. 26:57)

Welcome to this weekly study of Matthew's Gospel, a collaboration between Mary Barmore and Alice C. Linsley. To prepare, read Matthew chapter 26. When you have finished, answer the 8 questions. Scroll to the bottom to check your answers.

Introduction

Matthew 26 details the events leading to Jesus' crucifixion, including the plot against him, his anointing at Bethany, the Last Supper, his agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, his betrayal by Judas for 30 pieces of silver, and his arrest. Peter declares his unswerving loyalty to Jesus, but Jesus tells him that on that same day Peter would deny him three times. After Jesus was arrested, he was brought for trial before a council under the authority of Caiaphas, the high priest.  

Questions

1. What is the significance of Jesus' visit to the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany?

2. What is known about the woman who anointed Jesus' head?

3. What arrangements were made for Jesus and his disciples to eat the Passover together?

4. Jesus knew the identity of his betrayer. What did he say about that man?

5. When Jesus told his disciples that one of them would betray him, what was their reaction?

6.What actions and words of Jesus are essential to the proper observation of Holy Communion (also called the Lord's Supper or the Eucharist)?

7. Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. What do his prayers reveal about his relationship to God?

8. In what way do the kiss and the sword convey the tension of Jesus' arrest in Gethsemane?

9.  In what ways did the trial before Caiaphas violate Jewish law?

10. What was happening to Jesus while Peter was outside in the courtyard?

Answers

1. Jesus stayed in the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany. Bethany is where Lazarus lived with his sisters Mary and Martha. It is likely that Simon was one of their friends who also believed in Jesus Messiah. Some scholars believe that Simon was the leper who Jesus cured in Matthew 8:1-5. While in the home of a man who was once declared unclean, a woman poured expensive ointment over Jesus' head and Jesus explained that this was in preparation for his burial.

2. The woman who anointed Jesus' head while he was at the house of Simon the Leper is not named in Matthew or in the similar account in Mark 14:3-9. John 12:1-8 reports that Mary, the sister of Martha, anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. That anointing happened 6 days before the Passover. However, the woman in Matthew's account, which happened 2 days before the Passover, does not appear to be Mary. Whoever the woman was, Jesus declared that what she did was a "beautiful thing" and that it would be told in memory of her. That woman remains unnamed to emphasize her act of profound devotion rather than her identity.

3. Jesus sent some of his disciples into Jerusalem to the household of an unnamed family, requesting that they be offer a place to eat the Passover. Matthew's Gospel refers to the head of this household simply as "a certain man" (v. 18) to protect the individual. Some scholars suggest the household is not identified to keep the location secret from the religious authorities.

4. Jesus knew that Judas would betray him. He said it was better for him not to have been born. The Gospel accounts vary as to the order of events. John 13:30 indicates that Judas left immediately after receiving the "sop" to which Jesus refers in Matthew 26:23. Sop refers to the bread dipped into the wine. When Judas left the Passover meal is not clear in the accounts of Matthew and Mark.

5. When the disciples heard that one of them would betray Jesus, they were sorrowful and began to question among themselves. One after the other asked Jesus, "Is it I, Lord?"

6. Jesus began by taking bread and a cup of wine and setting them apart for a holy purpose. This bread and wine were no longer ordinary bread and wine. Then Jesus gave thanks to God (the Greek word is eucharistia) and then he blessed (the Greek word is hagiazo, meaning to consecrate or make holy) the bread and wine. Jesus then broke the bread as a symbol of how his body would be broken. He offered it to his followers, saying, "Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you". Then he offered the cup, saying, "Drink from it, all of you... This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins". Finally, Jesus commanded his followers to "Do this in remembrance of me".

7. Jesus’ prayers in Gethsemane reveal his intimacy with his Father ("Abba") and his desire to please the Father in all things. His plea to take the cup away displays his humanity. His submission to the divine plan reveals the depth of his love for sinful humanity. 

8. The kiss highlights the betrayal of Jesus by one of his disciples. What is meant as a sign of affection became a signal for Jesus' capture. The sword represents the violence surrounding Jesus' arrest. The kiss and the sword highlight the betrayal of the Son of God and Jesus' refusal to endorse violence. Jesus’ response to both acts emphasizes the tension: he calls Judas a "friend" and immediately orders his disciple to put away the sword. He then heals the wounded servant.

9. The trial of Jesus before Caiaphas was illegal according to the Jewish legal system. Violations included holding the proceedings secretly at night, failing to have a proper indictment, lacking credible witnesses, and convening on a religious holiday. Passover begins at sunset on the evening before the first full day of the holiday, so the religious leaders were convening to condemn Jesus on the Passover. Originally, the priests and elders said that they would not act against Jesus during the Passover (v. 5) because they were afraid of the reaction of the people who regarded Jesus as a great prophet. 

Caiaphas was a Sadducee. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. However, Caiaphas' ossuary had the merkaba image, a 6-prong solar symbol that represented the hope for life after death or the rising with the sun. Below is a photo of the bone box (ossuary) of the high priest Joseph Caiaphas.

Jews practiced secondary burial. After the flesh was gone, they collected the bones and placed them in ossuaries.

In 1990 Joseph Caiaphas' limestone ossuary was discovered in a Jerusalem tomb. The ossuary was inscribed with the Aramaic name Yosef bar Qayyafa, the name given by Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews (18:63). Note that Joseph Caiaphas had a son named Yeshua or Jesus. He also had a granddaughter named Miriam or Mary. Those names ran in the family of the high priest.

10. While Peter was outside in the courtyard denying that he was one of Jesus' disciples, the religious leaders spat in Jesus' face, struck him and slapped him.

Join us next week as we begin to wrap up our study of Matthew's Gospel. A blessed Resurrection Sunday (Easter or Pasca) to all our readers!

If you are just now joining this study, you will find links to the previous lessons below. 

Why the Name Jesus?
Matthew Chapter 1: A Closer Look
Matthew Chapter 2: The Magi Worship the Christ and Defy Herod
Matthew Chapter 3: Jesus and John Fulfill Righteousness
Matthew Chapter 4: Jesus Exposes the Devil's Tactics
Matthew Chapter 5: Jesus Teaches with Superior Authority
Matthew Chapter 6: True Kingdom Seekers
Matthew Chapter 7: Entering by the Narrow Gate
Matthew Chapter 8: The Uniqueness of Jesus
Matthew Chapter 9: Christ the Compassionate Lord
Matthew Chapter 10: The Apostles' High Calling
Matthew Chapter 11: The Messiah Brings Relief
Matthew Chapter 12: Greater Glory Resides in Jesus
Matthew Chapter 13: Perceive His Kingdom Coming
Matthew Chapter 14: Christ Rules Over Nature
Matthew Chapter 15: The Power of Persistent Faith
Matthew Chapter 16: Preparing for the End
Matthew Chapter 17: Behold the Glory of the Son of God!
Matthew Chapter 18: Living as a Child of God
Matthew Chapter 19: The Demands and Rewards of Righteousness
Matthew Chapter 20: The Parable of the Laborers
Matthew Chapter 21: The Corner Stone Rejected
Matthew Chapter 22: The Parable of the Wedding Feast
Matthew Chapter 23: Woe to False Religious Leaders!
Matthew Chapter 24: Learning to Read the Signs
Matthew Chapter 25: Working While We Wait for Christ's Return