"Whatever is He talking about!? puzzled the disciples. "What does Jesus mean by informing us He's to suffer and die and rise again in three days!? This is the third time He's predicting such an unfathomable occurrence and we still can't understand what He's trying to tell us" (Luke 9:22; 43-45 and Luke 18:31-43)!
It was just too unthinkable for them. How could this sort of tragedy befall the most wonderfully, compassionate, kind and good Person!? They just could not understand it.
It is suggested in the study guide (SPM*) that the meaning had been hidden from the disciples because, as yet, they had not internalized the values of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, they were not yet ready to "get it'.
After Jesus prediction had come to pass and He had been resurrected and was on the verge of ascending back into Heaven, the disciples' minds were opened by Him and then they understood (Luke 24:45-49). Later on, once they had received the Holy Spirit, they understood much more, again, of all that Jesus had taught over those three years since He'd said to them, "Come, follow Me" and they had done just that.
Similarly, if we too, internalize God's Word, we will be more apt to understand His will and ways. When we "hide God's Word in our hearts" and obey it, hence comes that understanding and internalization.
That's, "making it your own," as if its part of your DNA. Then it will come naturally to you, especially with the help of the Holy Spirit, as well as to listen with open ears, minds and hearts to His leading.
Wonderful to know though, that in addition to this, at our disposal is our own mouths, if they are used to "ask". Ask the Lord to open our understanding. "Father, what is it You want me to know, to learn, to do?" Ask to make our minds and hearts ready to receive His answer; to make us ready to "get it".
Surely then, our understanding of the Scriptures will make us "wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15) and teach us how to live to please and honor our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What's more, to also establish an unsurpassed and unshakable relationship with our Heavenly Father. That would be a connection to expect the unexpected, in an amazing grace-filled manner.
For the disciples, though, it hadn't all sunken into their minds, perhaps, the idea was so foreign to them--so different from whatever they had experienced in all their grown up lives. They were adults and had experienced much and seen much of life. They were so Jewish (not a bad thing) and according to their teachings and way of life, this kind of thing had never happened.
Yes, they'd walked the dusty roads with Jesus for three solid years and had witnessed many 'foreign' things : miraculous healings; Jesus compassion for women, especially widows; tax collectors and even children! Hey! They even saw Him raise a young damsel, Lazarus and a widow's only son from the dead.
That made many people stop dead in their tracks! Raising a dead man at a funeral!? What next? Totally mind-boggling! Nevertheless, to have someone resurrect?! Never to die again! How could this be?
Recall, to rise from the dead, these now living souls, would once again, die. In contrast, to resurrect, means that to come alive again, and to stay so. By the end of this book of Luke we find that Jesus did do just that! Just think, this will also happen to those of us who have fallen, and will fall, asleep in Jesus, before the rapture. They/we will rise first and be caught up to Heaven, together, with those of God's children still living, to meet our Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Doesn't that make your heart sing?
All praise to our Abba, Father in Heaven!
Shifting the topic a bit, here's a question for you. Who do you think killed Jesus and got this prediction started? Was it the Jews? Was it the Gentiles? After all, Jesus said He was going to be handed over to the Gentiles. So, who was the who, who handed Him over and killed Him?
It was all of us! All human kind.
"All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Jesus suffered and died in our stead. He took the punishment, the debt, owed for the atonement of all our sins. In effect, then, none of us can point any fingers at one people group or another. We need to point at our self, admit we are a sinner; repent, confess our sins to God, and accept His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. In so doing, we make Him Savior and Lord of our life.
I pray that Your hearts and minds are opened to this understanding and gift God our Maker, and Jesus our Redeemer, have obtained for His human creatures.
That being said, we do know that God often uses mankind to fulfill His sovereign will and purposes. It was the Jewish leaders who handed Jesus over to the Gentiles. The Gentiles, in this case, being the Romans under whose rule they were encaptured.
So saying, because the Jews could not perpetrate the sentencing and death penalty, they were seeking, they "handed Jesus over" to their captors, the Romans.
That was only part of the motivation. Another being the more true catalyst, was their jealousy turned to hatred of Jesus. Jesus showed them up. He was kind and good to the crowds; the crowds instinctively knew He was speaking with authority and not with pomp as many of the Pharisees likely did. This, a conclusion to how the Pharisees in Jesus' parable had prayed; and the pride that oozed from his pores and even that of the rich young ruler who'd come to Jesus seeking what more he had to do to inherit eternal life (Luke 18:18-30). The crowds also followed Jesus in hordes, popular for having fed them (what a feat! Jesus came from a poor family, you know. How could He have afforded such a feast? And for so many!)
The list goes on...He healed many of their diseases, sicknesses; the blind, lame and deaf, etc.; not forgetting the raisings from the dead. The people were drawn to Jesus. This irritated, annoyed and angered the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Jealousy and hatred festered away in their hearts, culminating in handing Jesus over to the Gentiles with insistent shouts of, "Crucify Him!" "Crucify Him!"
What did the Roman Gentiles do? They insulted Jesus; made fun of him; spit on Him, whipped Him...and killed Him. All this He endured, for me and for you.
All this took place in Jerusalem, as Jesus had foretold. How though, did the Jews "trick" the Romans into doing their bidding? So tricky and subtle. They used the Law.
Being under the Romans who had a mighty empire at the time with, naturally, an Emperor whom they called Caesar, anyone else who claimed to be a king come to set up a kingdom was a threat that had to be taken seriously, for it was a serious crime. One could not have another stirring up rebellions and creating a coup. No siree!
This is the element the Jews latched on to, Jesus' claim to be the king of the Jews and equal with God. To the Jews, this was blasphemy: a man (to them Jesus was only a man--at least, they did not want to admit He was more), claiming to be God, should be put to death.
Perhaps some legitimately believed that He was only a man albeit a very good one. Whatever, the combined result was Jesus being handed over to the Gentiles. Sure enough, He suffered, died and resurrected. Praise God for all of that! What Satan intends for harm, God converts into good.
Think on all of this as you partake of the bread and drink of the cup on any given Lord's Day. Pass these emblems one to another and praise God, our Heavenly Father, and Jesus our Lord and Savior for all He has done and is doing in your life; especially His ultimate sacrifice, given from a heart full of love for me and for you.
No one will ever plumb the depths of God and His sovereign will and what Jesus went through for us, but we can understand some of the tip of that iceberg, and therefore, to a limited degree, be able to "get it".
~ERC June 2020~
Based on Luke 18:31-34.
*SPM = Study Guide for Grade 11 Students in Malaysia; Good News Resources, and Issachar Sdn. Bhd.; nineth printing 2011; writer, Goh Kim Guat
Sing reverently, There is a Redeemer, Keith Green.
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