His Time was Short
You should Youtube or check amazon for the song “He’s Alive” by Dolly Parton. It is SO stirring. The songwriter is Don Francisco, and he sings a great rendition also.
Exodus 12:3, 6 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. . . Take care of them until the fourteenth of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.
Exodus 12: 1-51 (This whole chapter concerns the rules of the initial Passover and what Moses told them to do to spare their lives and escape from Egypt.)
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for one’s life.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23 If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Matthew 21-28 These chapters all are what Matthew wrote about concerning the Last Supper, the mock trial Jesus had to endure to His crucifixion, death, and rising.
Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.'”
Matthew 26:26-29, 40-41 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. . . . Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Mark 11-16 The Last Supper, praying in Gethsemane, being arrested, the crucifixion, and His rising.
Mark 14:37-38 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Mark 14:51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind
John 11 (raised Lazarus from death a few days prior to His own death)
John 11:49-52 before His death (John’s personal input of days before Christ’s death)
John 12:12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
John 12:37-40 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reasons they could not believe, because as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn–and I would heal them.”
Acts 8:32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
On Sunday, the tenth of Abib, or Nisan, (the first month of the Jewish calendar, normally in March-April calendar to us) Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem to cheers, honor, and the excitement of the Israel people honoring Him as their Messiah. The people cheered, waving palm branches in HIs honor, praising Him, thanking God that their Deliverer had finally arrived, after years of being prophesized; now He was coming. And just as the prophets predicted, He rode in on a donkey. They did not realize He was the Lamb, they viewed Him as the Messiah, the one who would somehow overthrow the government. But they knew He was the Promised One. Somehow this gentle Man would overcome and take away their oppression. They just did not understand how God had intended it to happen all along.
This is the beginning of what we Christians call Holy Week–from Palm Sunday through to Easter. But Jesus knew what He faced–and basically had about 96 hours to go before facing His brutal end as a Man.
Pharaoh became angrier with each visit from Moses telling of whatever threat God had told him to tell Pharaoh was coming. But in his arrogance, he scorned Moses. But he was not totally without retribution. Afterall, the Israelites were his possessions, his slaves. He demanded the foreman make the Israelites search for their own hay to make the mud bricks, but to put out the same number of bricks. As more and more burdens were added, the people became less and less sure of Moses.
Moses finally told of the last plague God was sending. All the first born in the land would be killed. Again, Pharaoh scoffed. Before the Israelites left Egypt, they had asked and been given gold, clothing and other riches from the Egyptians. So, God had told Moses to tell the people to find the perfect, pure lamb on the tenth of Abib or Nisan, (the same month), to bring the lamb into their homes and feed and care for it four days. On the fourteenth of the first month, they were to slaughter it, roast it, and make sure all was eaten that night. If the lamb was too much for one family, they were to ask another family to share the meal with them. The blood of the lambs were to be painted along the outside of their door posts. They were uncertain, apprehensive, but they followed. But Moses and Aaron had insisted they spread blood over their doorposts, and STAY IN THE HOME AND eat all the lamb that night. But if one disobeyed, his family would also be mourning in the morning. This was to be their first Passover. God and the Angel of Death would pass by their homes when destroying the firstborn of each family, animal and so forth of the Egyptians. God was sending the Angel of Death and whomever was in the house where the lamb’s blood was painted around the doorposts, no one would be touched within that home. But the Egyptians, who knew nothing of the blood, they lost firstborn within all the animals, and most grievously, they lost children, siblings, as the last plague God sent was to kill the firstborn, and only those who had the blood painted on the outside of the doors would be saved. The cries and screeches must have been horrible with the loss being realized. But it was the final insult to Pharaoh; now he ordered them to go, all of them, with their sacrifices, herds and so forth, but to flee Egypt so no more suffering would be upon the Egyptians.
I can just imagine how insecure and nervous, anxious many of the Israelites were. They had known Egypt all their lives, and now they were being asked to leave. And killing a lamb, what was that for? Did Moses or Aaron explain, or just give the order. The people must have wondered how they and all their belongings would be able to leave. The Bible says nothing about them having wagons–were they all just on foot, with herds of sometimes stubborn animals moseying along? They had their own belongings and then more since they had been given gifts of gold and clothing before they fled. I think it must have been very scary going into the unknown.
But now, it is centuries later than when the Israelites lived in the desert; and not fully understanding the many different prophecies of Jesus and His death, atrocious murder, the true Lamb was being sacrificed as the ONLY SIN offering worthy. God had made His only Son the atonement for EACH of US. I know Jesus knew what was coming–I hate to think of the countdown of those last days, hours.
I am not big watching any show/movie where there is a lot of torture, abuse, violence. But I have a good idea of the horrific torture He suffered and endured for Me and My sins. His disciples did not fully get it, I don’t think. They celebrated the Passover meal, then He was arrested, tortured and crucified. And finally, Jesus breathed His last; but it was Friday, and preparation for the weekly Sabbath needed to be completed by sundown. So, Joseph of Arimathea came and took His body and wrapped in Him linen and placed Him in the tomb he had recently had prepared as a burial plot. It was getting near the time of the Sabbath, so hurriedly Joseph placed Him. (Matt 27:57, Mark 15:42-46, Luke 23:49-53, John 19:38). It cursed the land in God’s eyes to leave a man killed, hanging on a tree. (Deuteronomy 21:22-230.
Saturday evening, once the Sabbath had ended, Mary Magdalene went out and purchased the spices needed for Jesus’s burial. The next morning, Sunday, Mary and another traveled to the grave site, wondering how they would get the stone removed. But, to their surprise, the stone had been removed, and angel sat there, and told them Jesus had risen, as He had told them. The rest of the Easter story is next week.
Lord, how humble and unworthy I am and feel every time I read of the Gift of Your Son, and His willingness to die for me. Thank You for the grace of this gift, this reassurance that You are always there and care for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Comments