Old Testament
1. The ordination of Aaron and his sons.
2. Animals sacrificed for our sins. Remember Adam and Eve, God sacrificed the first animals to make garments for them after they had sinned. In our new testament lesson we see that Jesus is sacrificed for our sins.
New Testament
3. Judas given 30 pieces of silver to betray Christ. From a previous lesson in Exodus we learned that this is the price of a slave.
4. Lately there has been a school of thought trying to promote the idea that betraying Jesus was Judas ministry. Once again if we turn to the scriptures and read it for ourselves, what Jesus says is..."But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” These two thoughts don't go together. If this were Judas ministry, what he was born to do to help save a broken world, I would expect Jesus to say that He would be rewarded in and by the kingdom for completion of His task. Not that he was better off dead (as some translations say), or to have never been born. Ouch!
5. So, what do you think about this being Judas' ministry, to betray Jesus?
6. Judas persists in playing the game by asking,..."am I the one?" When he knows full well it is him.
7. Jesus celebrates the Passover with the disciples.
8. Jesus predicts Peter's denial. And true to form, hot-headed and impetuaous Peter thinks, feels and says that this is not possible.
9. Jesus prays at Gethsemane
- He takes Peter, James and John
- “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” My soul is crushed...Have you ever been there? If you have, then you want your best friends, your soul mates to watch over you. You want to be surrounded by people who have shared your highs, and aren't afraid to be with you during the low spots.
- “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
- ..."the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
- “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”
- This is another section of passage that brings up a lot of discussion and debate. Is Jesus sad? Depressed? In anguish? And, if so, why? Isn't He the Son of God? Doesn't He already know what is going to happen?
- I think that Jesus is sad and depressed. I could give all the high-minded reasons. That He is being sacrificed for a race that is not truly repentant. That these people are soooo wicked, will this be enough? Will it do any good? Will it make a difference?
- But that's not what I think is happening here. Jesus is the Son of God, part of the Trinity. The reasons that Jesus came are-
- a) to redeem us and restore God's relationship with us, and ours to Him. He's came here to live among us to remove us from eternal separation and graft us back into the family of God. And...
- b) so that He could have a human experience. How could he possible do this if He can't feel the way we do? If He doesn't know sorrow, joy, loneliness, pity, anger? If Jesus is not truly human (as well as Godly), then His sacrifice means nothing.
- He's frightened and afraid, but even now He teaches us something. He holds on for the Father's reward..."your will be done."
Psalm
10. "For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him"...be faithful.
Proverbs
11. Wisdom and common sense --> success.
See you next post...
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