The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)

The Abrahamic Covenant (Continued)

Jacob and the Covenant

 As Isaac was assured of the promise of blessing, so also was Jacob. It took place when he traveled toward Haran to find a wife from within Rebekah’s family circle. He had his first direct encounter with God. In a dream he saw heaven and earth in communication via a ladder, suggesting communication between the God of heaven and his people on earth. Above, in heaven, the Lord stood and to the lonely, weary, traveler pledged a complete fulfillment of all the promises made to his forefathers, and assured him of protection on his journey and a safe return to his home. “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land”, (Gen.28:13-15) adding, “I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”

For those who were to be the founders of a nation with an agricultural economy, it is entirely appropriate that the promises were encapsulated in ‘land’, ‘seed’ and ‘blessing’. The ‘land’ element in the covenant naturally comes first, followed by the ‘seed’ that was to be planted in the land, together with the assurance of God’s blessing on the crop. As with a natural crop, the seed would multiply exceedingly. Furthermore, the blessing on the seed of Jacob would extend to all areas of the globe as the posterity of Jacob spread west and east, north and south, and touch all of humankind. Nevertheless, the land on which he lay would be their ultimate home, for to that land would they return. Thus the blessing, passed to Jacob from Isaac his father, and which was the direct cause of him leaving home, is confirmed by the only One who could bring it to pass, the author of the blessing Himself, the Lord. Ah! The condescension of God!

 While it was required that Isaac remain in the land, there came a time when Jacob was given permission to leave the land. The foundation of the nation was already laid in that he had twelve sons, and the process was to begin, in which they would grow into a great nation. The elevation of Jacob’s son Joseph in Egypt prepared the way for the removal of Jacob’s (now renamed Israel’s) family from Canaan, a land in which they had title but not yet possession. Judah’s alliance with the Canaanites demonstrated how vulnerable they were as a family, to the pressures of living in a land where their separation could easily be compromised, and their divine call could be endangered.  The Lord authorized their temporary removal from the land, and Joseph’s promotion provided the perfect means and motivation for the seed to be transplanted in Egyptian soil. Nevertheless, the events that brought about their move must have brought disquiet to the mind of Jacob. At such a time, and in such circumstances God spoke a word of encouragement to him. He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.” (Gen.46:3-4) And here we have come, as it were, full circle, returning to God’s dealing with Abram, when he said, “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. …  But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (Gen.15:13-16)

The Abrahamic Covenant summarized

 The terms of the Abrahamic covenant indicate it is the basis of the dealings of the Lord with the Jewish nation, and through them, with the rest of humankind.  Here is a summary of the provisions of the covenant.

(i)      Abram was to be father of a great nation (Gen.12.2;13.16;15.5;17.1,2; 17.7; 22.17)

(ii)     This nation would possess the land of Canaan (Gen.12.7;  13.14,15; 13.17; 15.17-21; 17.8)

(iii)       He himself would enjoy the blessing of the Lord. (Gen.12.2; 24.1)

(iv)       Abram’s name would be great (Gen.12.2); changed later to Abraham (Gen.17.5)

(v)         He would be a blessing to others (Gen.12.2); indeed the blessing would extend to nations, peoples and families. (Gen.12.3; 22.18)

(vi)       Those who blessed Abram (and his seed) would be blessed; those who cursed Abram (and his seed) would be cursed. (Gen.12.2; 22.15-18; 26.3; 26.24; 27.29; 28.4)

(vii)     Abraham would father more than one nation. (Gen.17.4-6)

 The covenant was to be an everlasting covenant between God and Abraham, and Abraham’s posterity, through Isaac (Sarah’s son) and Jacob.  The sign of the covenant was to be circumcision.

Next Time: The Abrahamic Covenant – Its Purpose and Effect

The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)

The Abrahamic Covenant

The Covenant again Confirmed

 Any biography of Abraham will demonstrate the importance of the event recorded in Genesis chapter 22, known as the ‘Akedah’ or ‘binding’. The Lord asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the son of promise, on an altar on Mount Moriah. This he was prepared to do, but was finally restrained by a word from the Lord. Instead, he offered a ram, which was providentially available, as a substitute for Isaac.  This sacrifice of an animal in place of the firstborn son will take on much larger proportions in Exodus at the redemption of the nation.

 A second word from the Lord at this time, given as a result of the ‘Akedah’, reiterated the former covenant promises. “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Gen. 22:16-18)

 To confirm the immutability of this covenant, the Lord re-established it with an oath, and because He could swear by no greater, He used His own Name to support the vow. While this is the only time He used an oath with the Patriarchs, they often returned to this confirming of the covenant, to find encouragement and strength. Indeed the Lord Himself returned to this encounter to encourage them. As an example of the first, when Abraham needed to find a wife for Isaac for the progeny to continue, it is this episode he remembers when commissioning his senior steward to search for a suitable bride. In respect of the second, the Lord referred to it when requiring Isaac to stay clear of Egypt, despite a famine in the land, and when He gave instructions to Moses at the time of the Exodus from Egypt.  Joseph referred to it when making provision for his remains to be taken to Canaan. Indeed, David expanded this oath to support the Davidic Covenant.

 Summary So Far

 In Genesis chapter twelve, God elected a man, Abram, and called him out of the Babylonian city of Ur, separating him from idolatry and rebellious influences. God promised personal, national and international blessing. The blessing was to be in several areas: (i) his posterity was to be a great nation, (ii) they would be the catalyst for blessing, and (iii) they would possess a particular geographic area, a land.

 Further affirmations of the covenant

 Isaac and the Covenant

 The Lord had clearly indicated that the fulfillment of the covenant was to be through Isaac, although Abraham had other sons (six with Keturah[7], as well as Hagar’s son Ishmael). Therefore, it was appropriate that Isaac should be assured of the performance of the promise.  The occasion was another famine in Canaan. God appeared to Isaac to instruct him not to make the same mistake as his father, and go down to Egypt, but rather stay in the Promised Land. “Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen. 26:4) Isaac stayed and enjoyed immediate blessing. His flocks and herds increased substantially and he enlarged the number of servants in his household to cope with the extra work that the increased wealth generated. He became the envy of the inhabitants of the land.  This jealousy led to conflict, but God revisited him and assured him of His protection, while reminding him of the covenant. “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” (Gen. 26:24) This was at Beersheba, a location where Abraham had previously stayed; and the location that Jacob would inhabit after him.

 The covenant was to continue through the generations, but Isaac had two sons, twins, Esau and Jacob. Through which of these should it persist? Rebecca’s confinement was difficult - the twins struggled in her womb. The distress caused her to cry, “Why am I like this”. (Gen.25.22) In response to her enquiry the Lord made her aware of a continuing struggle between the posterity of the two boys, when the younger would obtain precedence over the elder. The younger was, of course, Jacob who grasped the heel of his brother, an accident of birth that provided his name. The disposition of the developing children was in sharp contrast in that Esau was an outdoor man, a hunter, whereas Jacob found pleasure in the activities of the home. In consequence, Esau was the favorite of Isaac while Jacob was the favorite of Rebecca. As they grew, so the contrast became more evident, and an incident is recorded that delineates the unmistakable difference between them. Esau, returning from the hunt and famished, called for some of the food that Jacob was cooking. The younger twin, taking an opportunity to best his brother, required an exorbitant price for the meal – the firstborn’s birthright. This included not only the double portion of the inheritance, but also, because of their position in the ancestral line, the position of tribal chief, which in turn, incorporated the rule over the whole of the family, not just his own children. Jacob certainly knew the birthright was important, but whether he knew its full value is uncertain. That it would extend to the blessing incorporated in the covenant, and the future possession of Canaan, became clearer later. What was clear – Esau was not a spiritual man, (the writer to Hebrew Christians labeled him a ‘profane’ person) and thought he was getting the best of Jacob, inasmuch as the payment was simply a promise – and, in his view, a promise of little value at that!

 In the course of time, Isaac, with diminishing sight and reducing natural vigor, decided it was time to bless his sons. Even if he knew of the prophetic word given to Rebekah indicating that the elder would serve the younger, he did not consider it should influence his action in giving Esau the blessing of the firstborn. After all, Esau is not only his firstborn but also his pride and joy. But Rebekah would not see Jacob overlooked at this time and with a mixture of domestic skill and deception, obtained for Jacob the premier blessing.  Isaac, in the elevated state of mind of the inspired poet said:

“Surely, the smell of my son

         Is like the smell of a field

                  Which the Lord has blessed.

                           Therefore may God give you

                                     Of the dew of heaven,   

                                             Of the fatness of the earth,

                                                         And plenty of grain and wine.

                                             Let peoples serve you,

                                    And nations bow down to you.

                           Be master over your brethren,

                  And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.

         Cursed be everyone who curses you,

And blessed be those who bless you!” 

 Thus, the sovereign purposes of God, pronounced in the Abrahamic covenant, came to the fore in the blessing of Jacob by Isaac. While Isaac is unable to rise to the heights of the original covenant, as seen by his use of Elohim as the name of God in blessing, nevertheless many of the ingredients of the covenant are presented here. The land that he was to occupy would be a land blessed by the Lord, a land of plenty. And his language clearly rose to include Jacob’s posterity who would be the touchstone for blessing for all nations. Those that blessed Jacob and his issue would themselves be blessed, and those that cursed him and his issue would themselves be cursed. In such an unpromising family situation did the promise of blessing pass to Abraham’s grandson Jacob.

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The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)

The Abrahamic Covenant

The covenant confirmed

 At ninety-nine years of age, fourteen years after the covenant had been made, God again appeared to Abram, and said, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” (Gen. 17:1-3) Here is the first time in the Bible that the name “El Shaddai” (God Almighty or God All-sufficient) is used. ‘El’ is God, singular.  It signifies strong or first, and identifies Him as the first great cause. The etymology of ‘Shaddai’ is less clear. Two aspects seem to have preference.  One, that it is the combination of two elements, ‘Sha’ (the one who) and ‘dai’ (is sufficient). This is sometimes preferred because ‘shad’ means breast, and can refer to the God who feeds and nourishes. He is the God who is all sufficient. Alternatively, it may come from ‘shadad’ which refers to His power and might. The translators usually adopt this meaning and translate ‘El Shaddai’ with the title ‘God Almighty’. Either way, it is a name that describes the covenant God, as possessing the power to fulfill His promise, even when nature itself is powerless to secure it. The Name by which the Lord introduced Himself was to bring assurance to Abram that though he was past age for fathering a child, and Sarai was barren, nevertheless an innumerable posterity would be his. With this in mind the Lord encouraged Abram to pursue a walk before Him that would be blameless.

 The revelation of Abram’s new Name was followed immediately by the declaration that the time had come for the fulfillment of the covenant.  “And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” (Gen. 17:2) This does not signify a new covenant but the beginning of the execution of the previously agreed contract. God set in motion that which was needed for the implementation of His pledge. Abram was overwhelmed and prostrated himself before the Lord. The Lord continued, “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.” (Gen. 17:4-6)

 “As for me”, that is, on My part,

 (1)  “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you”. (Gen. 17:7) The eternal God established an eternal covenant with Abram and his posterity. God is pleased to be known as the God of Abraham. (Gen.26.24; 28.13; Exod.3.6; 3.15, 16; 4.5; cf. Gen.31.42; 31.53; 1 Kings 18.36; 1 Chron.29.18; 2 Chron.30.6; Ps.47.9; Matt.22.32; Mark 12.26; Luke 20.37; Acts 3.13; Acts 7.32)  He is the God of Abraham and the God of Israel. “I will be their God”. (v.8)

(2) “You shall be a father of many nations”. This covenant gets better and better.  Not simply the father of “a great nation”, but now “a father of many nations”.  Abram was to be the ancestor of nations and kings. (v.6) To a man whose body was dead, (Rom.4:19) God said he would be “exceedingly fruitful”. God had said to Adam, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth”. (Gen 1:28) Alas, in Adam all die, but in Abram’s seed all live.(1 Cor.15:22)

 (3) “Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Gen. 17:8) The land to which he had been led was given to him and his descendents, for an “everlasting possession” repeating the truth that the Abrahamic covenant is eternal. The “I give” indicates it is unconditional.

Moreover, the extent of the covenant relationship between Abram and the Lord was to be fully advertised to all peoples because it would forever be incorporated into his name, which God changed from Abram (high father) into Abraham (father of a multitude). Under God, he was to be a father of many nations.

 To come under the Abrahamic covenant each individual Jewish male had to be circumcised. (Gen.17:10-14) Moreover, the covenant was to come through a son of promise. “And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her” (Gen. 17:15,16) At this Abram, now Abraham, laughed. He was one hundred years old, and Sarah was ninety.  “Not that he either ridiculed the promise of God, or treated it as a fable, or rejected it altogether; but, as often happens when things occur which are least expected, partly lifted up with joy, partly carried out of himself with wonder, he burst out into laughter”.(Calvin)  “The promise was so immensely great, that he sank in adoration to the ground, and so immensely paradoxical, that he could not help laughing” (Delitzsch). At this point Abraham reminded the Omniscient that he had already taken steps to help the Omnipotent fulfill His promise. He had a son, Ishmael. The Lord declared that Ishmael would become a great nation, but the covenant would be through the son that Sarah would bear, named Isaac. Embracing fully the covenant, Abraham had all the males in his household circumcised.

 Leaving no stone unturned, God visited Abraham, who was now in full covenant relationship with Him, having been circumcised along with his household. The Lord (so identified in Gen.18.13) along with two angels, called on Abraham and Sarah to strengthen Sarah’s faith for the birth of a son. The three, in human form, shared a meal with Abraham during which they asked for Sarah. She, standing within earshot, was permitted to overhear the conversation in which the Lord unveiled the timetable for the birth of Isaac. Within a year, Sarah would be a mother. Sarah laughed and was reproved. Nevertheless, her faith was strengthened, and the Scriptures record, “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised”. (Heb. 11:11) Behold, the grace of God, in that He paid her a personal visit to encourage her faith in Him. He asked, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” and promised, “At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Gen. 18:14) So Sarah had a boy just as the Lord had said, when Abraham was a hundred years old.  They called him Isaac (a play on the word ‘laughter’)

More Next Time

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The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)



"He believed in the Lord"

The Abrahamic Covenant (Continued)

The importance of faith

This element of faith is of vital importance. In a further encounter with God, Abram expressed a prayer for a son. “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” (Gen. 15:2) God replied, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” (Gen. 15:5) “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness”. (Gen. 15:6) This very episode became a corner stone of the doctrinal writings of Paul, that great expositor of Christology. He referred to it in Romans. “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3; see also v. 9 and v.22) and again in his Galatian letter (Gal.3:6).  James also quoted it. (Jas.2:23) It is almost impossible to exaggerate the magnitude of this episode in the patriarch’s life. God made him a promise and he believed. The encounter began with an expression of doubt vocalized by Abram, to which God responded with a renewed promise of staggering proportions, and concluded with Abram fully embracing it. While the fulfillment of the initial covenant depended only on the faithfulness of the Lord, this event, surely known beforehand to God, demonstrated Abram’s wholehearted engagement in the purposes of the Lord. Abram’s response to the promise, identified faith as the catalyst to activate the blessing that was to come to the Jewish nation, and indeed the blessing that would fall to all who had similar faith to Abram. Those that trust in the promise of God, and in the God of the promise, will be blessed. “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” (Rom. 4:16)  That Paul wrote after the death of the Messiah, and identified the inclusion of the Gentiles, demonstrates the quality and scope of the covenant with Abram.

The observation of Moses,  that Abram believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness; inserted as it is in the historical narrative, must lead to the question, how did Abram demonstrate his faith to make Moses remark on it? And how did the Lord demonstrate He had accepted it and valued it so highly? The answer is found in that which immediately follows. The promise to Abram by the Lord was ratified in such a way to establish it beyond contradiction. It came in the wake of a plea from Abram for such an assurance. When the Lord repeated that Abram would be given future title to the land of Canaan, (Gen.15:7) Abram asked, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” (Gen. 15:8) The Lord’s response was to initiate a ceremony that would give the promise covenant status. This event needs to be laid out in order to get the full impact.

 1.            God assured Abram that the land would be his; “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” (Gen. 15:7)

2.            Abram asked for some kind of sign to confirm this promise, saying “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” (Gen. 15:8)

3.            God commanded Abram to bring an heifer, a goat, a ram and two birds.

4.            Abram laid them out in the fashion of a ceremony designed for the ratification of an agreement between two parties. “Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.” (Gen. 15:10)

5.            These portions of the sacrifice had to be protected by Abram. “And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away”. (Gen. 15:11)

6.            After the sun went down, God placed Abram in a deep sleep during which he had a nightmarish dream. “Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him.” (Gen. 15:12)

7.            Then God spoke to Abram and told him the time for possessing the land was not yet, so they would not occupy the land for more than half a millennia. “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions”. (Gen. 15:13,14) (Maimonides (Moses Ben Maimon), the celebrated Jewish commentator from the 12^thcentury, suggests the oppression of Israel in Egypt was the result of Abram’s inadvertent sin in going down to Egypt at the time of famine in Canaan. (See his comment on Gen.12.10 referred to in the Jewish Study Bible))

8.            God indicated that Abram would have long life. “Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age”. (Gen. 15:15)

9.            God added the reason for the delay in their taking possession of the land. “But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (Gen. 15:16) This meant that the Amorites, one of the occupying tribes of Canaan were not yet ripe for punishment - punishment here being the loss of Canaan.

10.        In the darkness of an eastern night after the sun had set, Abram’s deep sleep continued, in which God unilaterally established the covenant between the two of them. “And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.’” (Gen. 15:17-21)

 The fire of the theophany, for such it was, symbolized judgment on the enemies of the seed of Abram, who were the subject of the prophecy that introduced the event. From the furnace there emanated shafts of fire. While the contract was made between the two parties, it is clear that the Lord was the only guarantor of the contract, a covenant of grant. He alone passed between the separated animal carcasses. Abram was present solely as the beneficiary.

 But how was the promised blessing of God to be realized?  Sarai was barren – she had not, nor could have, children. The answer seemed obvious - Abram must take another wife. Sarai’s maid, Hagar, brought up from Egypt, was chosen. But God’s ways are higher than man’s ways, even Abram’s. As Abram could not be blessed while resident in Babylonia, so also an Egyptian slave girl cannot be the mother of the nation elected by God to be the cradle that would hold the Messiah. Ishmael was born and Ishmael would be the father of a great nation, but it would not be the elect people. (Gal.4:21-31)

More Next Time

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Passover and Easter

This time of the year is especially precious for the Christian as he/she is able to follow, in the Scripture narrative, the footsteps of the Messiah as He set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem "to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28).

This blog is concerned with the day of the Passover itself when Jesus ate a final celebratory meal with His disciples, then yielded Himself into the hands of the Jewish and Roman leadership to be crucified as He predicted (Matt.20:19). But the darkness of Golgotha does give way to the light of resurrection morning for not only did He lay down His life at Passover, but He took it again at the Feast of Firstfruits - Hallelujah!

This year Passover began on the evening of the 18th April while the Christian remembrance of the death of Christ is on Friday 22nd April. Let us remind ourselves that the Bible places great emphasis on the Passover and how its events impacted on the death of the Messiah.

Messiah’s Last Passover Meal

On the night in which Jesus was betrayed He shared His last meal with His disciples, saying "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer". (Luke 22:15) Earlier that day, Peter and John had been sent to make preparations for the evening celebration. They had been directed to a room that Jesus had already selected, with the instructions, ‘… say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, "Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"’ (Mark 14:14)

The Torah required that the lamb for the Passover meal be slaughtered between dusk and darkness in the evening, so Peter and John attended the Temple at that time. As with the arrangements for the upper room so, no doubt, arrangements were already in place for the supply of a lamb, without blemish and without spot, because it is unlikely that the Messiah would have contemplated buying one of the animals from the mercenaries selling them on the Temple mount.

The ceremony took place in the priests’ court, which was designed to accommodate the ritual slaughter of animals. It was also the court which housed the great altar, the central, most important piece of Temple furniture needed for the Passover ceremony. After dusk, Peter and John joined the queue of pilgrims awaiting their turn to be ushered through the giant Nicanor doors. With so many in Jerusalem for the feast, not only drawn by Daniel’s prophecy regarding the unveiling of the Messiah, but also the very public ministry and claims of Jesus, the number seeking a place in the priests’ court was larger than usual.

The pilgrims and celebrants were gathered together in groups of fifty, and each time the Nicanor doors were opened one of these groups was ushered in to the priests court to participate in the ritual. Thus it was that Peter and John were in a large company of men who entered the Nicanor gate together. As the doors closed behind them, the Levitical choir began singing the Hallel. Then, when their turn came, either Peter or John killed the lamb and the attendant priest caught the blood in a vessel that had no brim. The dish of blood was passed along a line of priests to be dashed against the foot of the altar.

When all was completed, the two disciples took the lamb and its fleece home. The fleece was set aside as a gift to the householder in whose home they were guests, in gratitude for the use of the upper room.

Ensuring that no bone of the lamb was broken, Peter and John arranged for it to be roasted on a spit of pomegranate wood. The imagery continued to be important, for Jesus suffered the wrath of Satan, the wrath of man and the wrath of God while hanging on a wooden spit, and not a bone of His was broken, fulfilling the Scripture, "He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken". (Psalm 34:20; cf. John 19.36)

When all preparations had been completed and the time came to eat the Passover, Jesus reclined at the table with the twelve disciples. The first cup of wine was mixed and the Messiah recited the double blessing. First, a blessing for the day that would see His execution, a blessing that began, "Blessed be Thou for this good day". He will sing a little later "this is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it". (Psalm 118.24) Then a blessing for the wine mingled with water, which would symbolize the blood and water that would pour from His side on Calvary.

Then the unleavened bread, the bitter herbs and the haroset were brought to the table. At this juncture all thirteen ritually washed their hands. This is the time that the Messiah took a towel and a bowl of water and washed the feet of the disciples.

After the foot washing the Messiah took some of the herbs, dipped them in salt water, ate some Himself and gave to the others. At this point Jesus, the greatest Teacher that ever lived, began to relate the history of the Israelite nation. When the historical narrative was complete, He explained the symbolism of the Paschal lamb, the bitter herbs and the unleavened bread.

Then they sang the first part of the Hallel (Psalms 113 and 114).

Next came the breaking of the unleavened bread. Each dipped a piece of bread in the haroset and handed it to the next in the company. Jesus dipped the bread and gave to Judas, after which Satan entered into him. Then Jesus took control of the timetable and dispatched Judas to the Sadducean leaders. "What you do, do quickly." (John 13:27) Aware that He needed to be crucified at nine o’clock the following morning, the Messiah began the chain of events that would accomplish it. He needed to be executed at the time of the morning sacrifice and die at the time of the evening sacrifice.

At no time was the High Priest in control.

At no time were the Chief Priests in control.

At no time was the Sanhedrin in control.

At no time was Judas in control.

At no time was Pilate in control.

At no time was Satan in control.

At all times Messiah had control.

When Judas had gone Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him". (John 13:31)

After the meal they washed their hands once again, and the third cup of wine was mixed. Normally, the lamb was to be the last food tasted, but here the Messiah departed from tradition and took the unleavened bread once again. By His actions He indicated that there was to be no more eating of the Passover lamb. The Passover feast, instituted at the time of the exodus, was a feast ‘till He come’, that is, until Messiah the Prince came, who would "make an end of sins", and "make reconciliation for iniquity". (Dan. 9:24) The coming of Jesus the Messiah to die on Golgotha fulfilled the type.

Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread, and when He had given each of them a piece, He said, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (Luke 22:19) The unleavened bread had to fulfill three conditions. First and most obviously, it had to be unleavened. Biblically leaven represents error or heresy and sin. Jesus had warned His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians and Paul spoke of it in reference to sin (1 Cor. 5:6). Jesus used this bread to represent His body. In contrast to heresy, it was to represent the body of the One who said, "I am … truth". (John 14.6) Also it had to represent the absence of sin for Jesus was without sin, that is, "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners." (Heb 7:26) Therefore the bread that the Lord took to represent His sinless body needed to be unleavened.

The preparation of unleavened bread included rolling it with a roller and piercing it. These not only ensured that the bread was unleavened but also were indicators to those that handled it that it was truly unleavened. Rolling the bread with a roller left it with stripes, so the bread used to typify the Messiah’s body was striped. Truly appropriate! "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) The bread was not only striped but also pierced! "They pierced My hands and My feet". (Ps 22:16) "For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, … They shall look on him whom they pierced". (John 19:36,37; cf. Zech.12.10) .

Then He took the third cup of the Passover meal, the cup of blessing, a cup of mingled wine and water, and used it to represent the blood and water that came from His body at His execution. Blood and water were both used under the law as cleansing agents. Both were needed; for example, before a person, or a house could be declared clear of leprosy. The writer to the Hebrews makes mention that the first covenant was ratified with blood and water "For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water … and sprinkled both the book, and all the people." (Heb.9.19) The New Covenant was similarly ratified. John recorded the detail, "… one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water". (John 19:34)

But clearly, the main cleansing agent is blood, "for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul," (Lev. 17:11) and "according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission". (Heb 9:22) The Messiah emphasized this. He said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you". (Luke 22:20)

The remembrance concluded with the fourth cup, the cup of praise, over which the remainder of the Hallel was sung. This is the ‘hymn’ they sang before they went out. (Matt.26.30; Mark 14.26) The Messiah, in respect of the day of the Passover, which was to be the day of His execution, sang: "I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints". (Psalm 116:14,15) "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" (Psalm 118:6) "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8) "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:22-24) "Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar." (Psalm 118:27) And the last words in the Passover chamber: "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." (Ps. 118:29)

When the Passover supper was ended, and the last psalm sung, and the last benediction said, the Messiah went out into the night, to the garden of Gethsemane, to prepare Himself for the trials of the night and the terror of the day.

"Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons."

(John 18:3) The complicity of the Chief Priests is evidenced in that Temple guards accompanied the Romans. Their need to eliminate Jesus of Nazareth required a cooperation with the Roman occupiers that would mean they would discard their own legal system and ride roughshod over the very code which they accused the Messiah of breaking. Nevertheless, from the time that Jesus dispatched Judas to the Chief Priests to the time He cried, "It is finished", Jesus had control of the timetable of events.

The Journey to Golgotha

They led Jesus, now carrying the execution stake, from the Antonia fortress, across the northern extensions on the Temple mount, to the closest exit gate, the Shushan Gate. To get to the Shushan Gate, which was located on the eastern wall, they had to pass through the Tadi (Lambs’) gate. The Tadi gate was the northern entrance gate into the Temple compound through which they brought every lamb destined for slaughter in the court of priests. Here is a fulfillment of Scripture, He was "led as a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53.7). Descending the steps, they exited through the Shushan gate, the exit gate off the Temple mount through which they led the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, and the red heifer when occasion demanded it.

Because of the scourging, Jesus was in a very weak condition, and collapsed under the burden of His cross. The Romans conscripted Simon, a Jew from Africa, to carry it. Simon had come up to Jerusalem for the Passover. That morning, Simon had joined the crowds that had come to the Temple to observe the sacrifice of the nation’s Passover lamb. He would indeed observe the sacrifice of a lamb at the time of the morning sacrifice, but not from the court of Israel in the Temple, but on Golgotha.

Professional mourners followed the procession that left the Temple Mount. These were provided when a Jew was to be executed, especially at the hands of Gentiles. It is at this point that Jesus lamented again over Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders and people had declared, "His blood be on us and on our children." (Matt. 27:25) So Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children." (Luke 23:28)

From the Shushan Gate the large company of people involved in the condemnation of the Messiah, were led by the Roman execution squad across the Kidron valley to the Mount of Olives opposite.

The Romans needed to select a site to suit their purposes. Since it was an official Roman execution, the site had to fulfill two major conditions. The first, it would have to be a public place, where the execution would be an example to everyone that passed by, that demonstrated that revolt against Rome was dealt with severely. Secondly, it would need to be at or near the site where the crime had been committed. The Romans picked an area near to the busy crossroads where a week before, the alleged crime of insurrection was committed, that is, where Jesus had ridden to Jerusalem as King of the Jews. It would be here that He would be crucified along with two rebels, the second fulfillment of the Scripture, "He was numbered with the transgressors" (Mark 15.28) The gospel writers identified the site as an ancient religious site called ‘place of a skull’, (Matt.27.33; Mark 15.22; John 19.17) that is Golgotha or Calvary. This site was to become known for something unique and amazing for while the God of Israel is omnipresent and, as the Psalmist declared, there is no escaping Him, this spot was to gain added notoriety in that it was to be the one place on the face of the earth where the presence of God was to be withdrawn!

It was just before nine o’clock in the morning when they arrived at Golgotha. The rejected Messiah was divested of His clothes. These were taken as perquisites by the soldiers. The soldiers had no reason to show mercy or compassion, so there was no tenderness in the execution of their duty, and nothing to cover the shame of the Messiah. Once they had constructed the cross, they laid it on the ground and placed Him on it. Jesus was nailed to the crossbeam and pillar. To blunt the pain of crucifixion they offered Jesus wine mingled with myrrh, but He refused it, in order that He might be in full control of His faculties. At the time when Jesus was nailed to the cross by the Roman soldiers He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (The first of seven sentences from the cross). We know this prayer was for the Roman soldiers because the text continues, ‘And they divided His garments and cast lots’. (Luke 23:34) The average Jewish male had five pieces of clothing:

the upper garment, the under garment, the head covering, a pair of shoes or sandals, and lastly an outer coat.

If, as there usually were, four soldiers in the crucifixion party, they would each have one of the articles of clothing and the outer coat was divided between them. But because of the quality of the robe that Jesus wore they cast lots for it, and did not divide it, thus fulfilling the prophecy. "They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." (Ps.22:18)

It was at the time of the morning sacrifice (9 a.m.) that Jesus was crucified. "Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him." (Mark 15:25) At the same moment as the Passover lamb for the nation was being sacrificed in the Temple, the Lamb for the world was sacrificed on Calvary.

As required by Roman law, the charge against the felon was pinned to the crucifixion stake. The notice above the head of the Messiah read, "JESUS OF NAZARETH, KING OF THE JEWS". It was written in:

1. Latin, the official language of Rome,

2. Greek, the language of the Gentiles

3. Hebrew, the language of the ruling Jews.

It was written like a title, rather than an accusation, and the Jewish leaders objected, but Pilate remained adamant – "what I have written, I have written". (John 19.22)

Jesus on the Cross

Before the journey to Calvary Jesus had already suffered :

1. A betrayal by His own disciple.

2. The agonies of Gethsemane.

3. The desertion by His disciples.

4. The hypocritical trials before Annas, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin.

5. The mockeries that took place through the night.

6. The denial by His most prominent disciple.

7. The trials before Pilate and Herod.

8. The unjust Roman scourging.

9. The condemnation and execution order brought about because of the evil pressure of His accusers.

10. A mob crying out for His crucifixion.

 11. The exhausting journey to Calvary.

Then there was the experience of the first three hours at the place called Golgotha

12. The nailing of the hands and feet.
13. The dislocation of His bones when the cross was uplifted.
14. The shame of hanging naked before a hostile world.
15. The derision and gloating of His enemies as He hung there.
16. The pain of it all.

 

But worse was yet to come

for at twelve midday a darkness fell that lasted for three hours. "Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened". (Luke 23:44,45) How is it possible, since the Messiah is associated with light and not darkness?

He had said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12; cf. 9.5) His coming was the coming of light; "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." (Matt. 4:16) Moreover, one night, under the eastern sky, the Mount of Transfiguration had been alight with the Shekinah glory when Jesus met with Moses and Elijah. So why a darkness when Jesus, the Light of the World, was fully obeying His Father’s will? He Himself provides the answer, for at three in the afternoon, at the time of the afternoon sacrifice Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt.27.46, Mark 15.34)

So who can tell what agony the Messiah suffered during the period when the sun veiled its face. For three hours He drank from the cup of the wrath of God and experienced the darkness of hell.

        Death and the curse were in that cup,

O Christ, ‘twas full for Thee!

But Thou has drained the last dark drop,

‘Tis empty now for me.

But why was He forsaken of God? He had said, "I am the light of the world", but the light was put out. He had said, "I am the truth", but truth is on the scaffold. He had said, "I am the life", but He died (and not just physically but also spiritually). He had said, "I am the way" (to God), but the way is marked ‘no entry’. The door is closed, barred and triple bolted, and there is none to hear. What was going on? Well, He had also said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." (John 10:11) That’s what’s going on!

He was under the judgment of God, suffering in three hours an intensity of punishment that none but the perfect Son of God could have borne. Isaiah said, "… the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief" (Isaiah 53.10) He presented Himself as a sin offering, in the perfect will of God. "If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand". (Isaiah 53:10) He fulfilled His own promise to give His life a ransom for many. He was made sin on our behalf. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him". (2 Cor. 5:21) He was made a curse for us. "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"). (Gal. 3:13) YHWH laid on Him, "the iniquity of us all". (Isaiah 53:6)

The darkness was evidence that fellowship between the Father and the Son had been broken. Here, on the gibbet, Jesus addressed His Father as "My God". The gospels record the many instances when He referred to God as His Father, especially using "My Father" when the occasion suited – but now He called Him "My God". His relationship with God had really changed! The Son had been forsaken of the Father. He was ‘God-forsaken’ in its truest sense.

But here is mystery beyond all mystery. When at the end of the three hours He uttered His cry, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani’, the quote from Psalm 22 – "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Ps 22:1) God, the Father returned Jesus to the light and to spiritual fellowship.

The seventh and final sentence from the cross was, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." (Luke 23:46) Here He addressed God as Father – because His filial relationship had been restored.  At that very moment, the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom. This veil was made of strong materials and was four inches thick. The tear was sixty feet long and took place exactly at the moment of the death of the Messiah. The torn curtain signified that access into the presence of God would now be available through the man of Golgotha. "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh." (Heb 10:19,20)

No more veil! God bids me enter
By the new and living way –
Not in trembling hope I venture,
Boldly I His call obey:
There, with Him, my God I meet,
God upon the mercy seat.