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In your last letter, you asked how it was that I know this much about the details of the spiritual war. The truth is, all the really relevant facts are right there in the Bible. To those who read and ask for understanding of those sacred words, greater and greater insight will be given. The Bible student who reads with love will never be turned away without a blessing. As I referred to before (and this is relevant to just that question), after the death of Christ, Satan's fury turned with full force on those who had determined to follow in His way. Unto these "Christians" was poured out his rage and frustration at the steadfast way in which Michael had turned aside his impotent attacks. With his now practiced and refined techniques, he infiltrated the Apostolic church of Christ, gradually allowing errors to seep in, and guiding others to exterminate mercilessly those who would not yield.
In this way, many of the principles held dear to the early followers were all but forgotten, and it took a long and painful series of reformations to just get back to where we are now. Imagine where we would be if the true teachings of our beloved Savior had never been opposed! But His will is never truly diverted, and to each of us whom He calls to know Him (and truly, He calls all of us), there is as much knowledge as we desire. In my case, as with many others, just by reading His word, I have at times been granted sharp, and sometimes painful, insight into the events that took place.
When I read the incident of Lucifer's rejection of Heavenly mercies, for example, I was seized with a unutterable, depthless, uncontainable sorrow. I don't think that I have felt such pain but a few times before, and never for such a reason. It was as if Yah let me just glimpse a portion of His sorrow at losing His firstborn angel, and it nearly unraveled my heart. In my words to you about that stage of the story, and its earthly reflection in the betrayal of Judas, I have tried to portray a little bit of what I felt.
Another incident I was allowed the honor of feeling rather clearly was the death of our Master Himself, the topic of this fifth section, and so we return to the final segment of the earthly battle between Michael and Lucifer. Perhaps you will see what I mean:
The disciples did not fully understand what had passed between their Master and Judas before he fled the feast chamber. They knew, upon the dipping of the bread, that he had been predicted as the one to betray Yahshua, but they did not fully grasp the significance of the action, that it would lead to His death, and even less clearly did they realize that the prophesied treachery would take place that very night.
After this, Christ performed what came to be known ever after as the "last supper," a lesson which would not only remind the disciples again of His impending death - oh, so very near now... but also to point out the true significance of the Passover festival that the Jewish nation was to celebrate in the coming days. He said, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." (Luke 22:15&16) He took the bread and broke it, giving it to His followers to share out, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."(Mat 26:26) This broken food was to be a symbol of His own flesh, as His physical form was to be destroyed at the hands of the Romans for the sake of all who would inherit the glory of Heaven.
After this, He took a cup of wine and gave thanks for it, and then He passed it to the remaining eleven, saying, "Drink ye, all of it. For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."(Mat 26:27 & 28) Right after that, in verse 29, He reminds them again of His coming death. "But I say unto you" He said, "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." With the crucifixion so near, Yahshua needed to have His followers strengthened as never before, and their faith at its highest point, for a fearsome test was about to come upon them. Their trust in Yah was to be tested in fire, as they saw the one in whom rested all their hopes led away to death by His enemies.
Remember Peter's impulsive nature? Yahshua saw in him great potential for leadership, and desired that he be especially warned against giving in to his favorite temptation. He said to him, "Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, Simon, that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."(Luke 22:31&32) Again, in what must have been a severe shock to those seated around Him, and knowing what each of the disciples' reactions would be, He made His warning even plainer by saying, "This very night you will all fall away because of me, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered abroad.'(Zechariah 13:7) But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."(Mat 26:31&32)
As predicted, Peter jumped in, saying, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." Yahshua responded, "I tell you the truth, today - yes, tonight - before the rooster crows, you yourself will disown me three times." Peter insisted, however, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you!" And all the others said the same. (Mark 14:30&31) Their Master knew fully well what would happen, but as is His divine nature, He gave every opportunity to strengthen and aid. He gave every means and measure so that the disciples could fortify their faith for the struggle to come. He led them in the signing of a hymn, and then He took three of them with Him for a final night of prayer.
You may notice that in my above references, I have been skipping back and forth among the first three gospels. The reason for this is that as the events draw closer to the actual death of the Messiah, we need to be aware as clearly as possible of the state of mind of those involved. Lucifer and Michael were about to meet in conflict for the very last time, and the decisive battle was already beginning; for this reason I've picked the passages that give the clearest meaning for each event. John's writings have less than these three about the specifics that took place that night, for he instead chose to focus more on what happened afterwards, the blessed hope that Yahshua left them with, even while speaking of His death, when He said, "But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
John does, however, record a beautiful teaching by Christ that last night. After He told them of His death and resurrection, the disciples were quite disturbed, and Yahshua comforted them, saying, "Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me?' I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
"In that day, you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete... In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father Himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I come from God." (John 16:19-23, 26&27)
What a thought! The Father Himself loves us! And yet some Christians often portray the Father as a harsh, exacting judge, and the Son as the kindhearted one who has to convince Yah to forgive us and reinstate us into His graces if we slip up. The most often-repeated scripture of our time is probably John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Christ's death was not to create in the Father love for us, but it was because of the love that was ALREADY there that He (the Father) GAVE the Son as atonement for our fallen state. Yahshua came to reveal the love, not to produce it. And if the Father is for us, and the Son is for us, how can we ever fail of gaining the victory over self and Satan in our lives? Truly, those who cannot do so are those who never asked for help from this ultimate source of all power.
Though fully God in the flesh, Yahshua nonetheless did not exercise His Heavenly authority for His own good alone. By accepting His role as a man, He turned aside Satan's temptations in the desert. Though without sin, He instructed John the Baptist to immerse Him in water to signify a death to the sinful nature, just as we are to do. And again, with His final conflict against the arch-demon impending, He did just as we are to do... He prayed to His Father for divine strength.
With Peter, James and John, the same three who saw Him transfigured on the Mount of Olives, He went out to a garden at the foot of the same mountain, a place called Gethsemane, and there He instructed them to wait for Him, and to pray. Had they done so, they would have received a double blessing. First of all, they would have had the great privilege of helping their Redeemer to prepare for His trials, being a source of comfort to Him, and secondly, they themselves would have received the grace to overcome the temptations about to befall them, and Peter in particular would have been spared his predicted betrayal, which became a source of great guilt to him for some time afterwards.
"'My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto the point of death," He said to them. "Tarry ye here and watch."(Mark 14:34)
As Yahshua walked on deeper into the garden, He began to experience the effects of Sin for the first time on an "inward" level. Before, He had always bemoaned its presence in those around Him, even in those He loved best, but this was something different. In order to reconcile His Father's decree that the "wages of sin is death," while at the same time showing that mercy can coexist with Justice, He, who had never transgressed the Law, must be made to suffer the penalty of the transgression.
As the weight of guilt and sorrow attacked Him, He fell to the earth under the weight of His own sin-laden body, and prayed, "Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Just as Job righteously protested his suffering, and asked the meaning of his trials, so could Christ pray that if it were possible, His suffering be removed. But also, He added a most important idea, that it is God's will we are subject to, not our own, regardless of the circumstances.
Receiving a little strength from His prayer, His thoughts turned to the three disciples He had left to watch and pray. Returning to them, He found them asleep, having missed much of what had passed just before. "Simon," He said to Peter, "sleepest thou? Couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak."(Mark 14:37&38)
Having set them back to their appointed task, He became overwhelmed again with the burden of sin, and hastened back to His previous place, and prayed again, "O my Father, if this cup may not pass from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." And He came and found them asleep again; for their eyes were heavy. And He left them and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. (Mat 26:42-44) This time, Luke records that an angel from Heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:43&44)
This scene has held comfort for many Christians in the ages since, a reminder that they are never alone in their trials and sorrow. We may mourn even as Christ mourned, when difficult times arise, but we also have the assurance that we will be heard, and that if necessary, even the angels are sent to minister to us and give us comfort. "The prayer of a righteous man availeth much," as the proverb says.
When He returned to Peter, James and John, He found them again sleeping. Luke is kindest in his explanation as to why this happened, saying they were "exhausted from sorrow." Nonetheless, Christ admonished them, saying, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; Lo, he that betrayeth me has come." (Mark14:41&42)
Judas came up leading a crowd composed of villagers along with even the chief priests and teachers of the law. How strange this must have looked, those in charge of leading others to Yah's Heavenly principles of peace traveling in companionship with those armed with clubs and swords! This did not pass the Redeemer unnoticed, who commented, "Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not; but the scriptures must be fulfilled."(Mark14:48&49)
When Judas betrayed their Teacher with a kiss, the arranged-upon sign to those who had come to arrest Him, Peter in his usual intemperance, drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high-priest's servant, Malchus. But Christ rebuked him, saying "Put your sword away, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." This statement has an implication in both the material and spiritual worlds, and I will explain that shortly. In any case, I find it interesting that only Luke (the doctor) records that Yahshua healed Malchus' ear before then allowing Himself to be led away. All the disciples that were with Him scattered in fear, just as He had predicted, and one young man had the misfortune of having his garment grasped by one of the crowd. So eager was he to get away that he left it behind and fled, naked. And naked are we indeed, when we leave the side of our Savior.
Yahshua was first taken to the Jewish religious authorities. To the house of Annas, the former high priest, the crowd led Him. Now, the true high priest was a man named Caiaphas, Annas' son-in-law, but because he was newly elected, the teachers of the law feared that with Christ's wisdom at interpreting the law He would be able to talk His way out of trouble. They therefore brought him to the older, more severe man, in the hopes that they would secure a more rapid condemnation.
At this point, Peter's great test came. Though he had fled from the mob, he nonetheless followed behind, and when he drew near to the crowd to warm himself by the fire, one of the serving girls of the high-priest's court recognized him, and asked if he wasn't one of the disciples. He denied the charge.
While this was going on, Yahshua was defending himself before the cruel and proud magistrate. "I have always spoken openly in the world. I always taught in the synagogues or at the temple. I said nothing in secret, so why are you questioning me? Ask those who heard me, surely they know what I said." One of the guards struck Him across the face, saying, "Is this the manner in which you answer the high priest?" "If I said something wrong," came the reply, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?" Annas, his own pride hurt, and unable to truly find justification for condemning the well-spoken Teacher, passed the responsibility of accepting the blame by sending the mob over to Caiaphas anyway.
At Caiaphas' house, Peter drew near again to the crowd and their fire to warm himself, and yet another servant girl saw him and recognized him. In the company of believers as Christ traveled the land in the previous months, rash and impulsive Peter was probably a hard one to forget. Yet again, the faltering follower denied his association with Christ, this time adding an oath. But the girl went to others who stood around and asked them, in response to which they went up to him and said, "Surely thou art one of them, for thy speech betrayeth thee." (Mat 26:73) Seeing he was in desperate trouble, Peter began to curse himself and them, denying his discipleship, saying, with many oaths, "I don't know the man!"
They did not press him anymore, because the followers of Christ were known for many things, among them the purity and gentleness of their language. Peter's crude words and excited denials seemed to them evidence enough that they were mistaken. They left him in safety. But Peter was perhaps the least "safe" at that moment than he had been before. The call of a rooster rang out, and Peter remembered the warnings of his beloved Master, and he ran from the assembly, tears of shame searing his eyes.
Lucifer was far from idle during this time. One after the other, he touched the minds and led the lips of those attending the trial of Chirst. He had finally realized that attempting to seduce the Majesty of Heaven to sin was not going to be possible, so he determined that the best way to deal with the situation was to remove Him. He knew this would do little to undo the work already done, but he decided that at least it would slow down the work already begun, and after all, he could always work on those left behind, as he had been doing since our ancestors were turned out of Eden.
The mockery of a trial that took place at Caiaphas' location lasted all the rest of the night. False witnesses were called upon to give evidence against Yahshua, but their stories were conflicting, and far from conclusive. Finally, the dark angel seized upon his Adversary's own words, and had his human servants twist their meanings to make it seem like a blasphemous statement. Christ had said, speaking of His own body, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." (John2:19) This was taken by the assembled teachers to mean that He had been planning a rebellion. Trying to get at His motive for declaring Himself a religious authority, they said to Him, "If you are the Messiah, tell us." He responded, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied, "You are right in saying I am." (Luke 22:67-70) His enemies, of course, took this as the most blatant blasphemy, and so they sent Him to the Roman authorities for sentence to be passed.
By now, it was morning, and the crowd finally arrived before the Roman civil authorities' representative, a man named Pilate. He asked what the charges against Yahshua were, and the people responded, "If he were not a criminal, he would not have been handed over to you." Pilate then said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews responded, "But we have no right to execute anyone." Do you remember the statement Christ made to Peter, "All who draw the sword will die by the sword?" Herein is seen the spiritual implications of that statement. The Jews, being a religious body, were under civil law, and as such, they had forfeited their right to execute punishment on an offender.
By taking Yahshua to a civil court, they had "drawn the sword" which was not theirs, declaring that they were no longer under the authority of God, but man. I will revisit this point in a short while. In Pilate's defense, he DID try to give Christ something resembling a fair trial. However, among the ranks of the assembled mob were those who were more than human. Lucifer's fallen angels had taken physical form, and while the arch-tempter was working on their minds to secure the destruction of his ancient Enemy, the demons were working the crowd into a murderous rage.
Pilate had little faith of his own, and was easily swept away by the swelling emotion of those gathered before him. To his questions, Yahshua responded little, if at all, for it was said in the books of the prophets, "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He is brought like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth."(Isaiah53:7) Knowing that Christ was accused of usurping the Jewish authorities' power, he asked Him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
Yahshua knew, though, that Pilate had already decided to go along with the crowd, and knew his true motive: to clear his conscience by finding fault in the gentle Teacher. He replied, "Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?" He followed with, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now is my kingdom not from hence." "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "Thou sayest (rightly) that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." "What is truth?" Pilate asked,(John18:34&36-38) but Christ did not answer him.
Judas, in the meantime, saw that his former Master had been condemned, and even worse, He didn't seem to be resisting the secular authorities at all. He was filled with remorse, and went to the chief priests and the elders and tried to return the money he had received for betraying Yahshua. He said, "I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us," they replied, "that is your responsibility." Just like Satan, his new master, Judas had allowed his temptations to overcome him, and he knew that his pride would never allow him to humble himself before Yahshua and ask forgiveness. Throwing the thirty pieces of silver back into the temple, he ran out into a lonely field and took his own life, the ultimate act of desperation and hopeless pain.
Lucifer was finished with his tool, and cast him aside, as he would do to us all, were it not for the saving grace of our Father. Almost unto the close of this age will the tender mercy of Yah be extended to us, ever patient, ever willing to spare us the natural result of rebellion. Not to condemn, but to save, did our Creator come into the world, and how His heart must have broken within Him when He felt the life of His former companion pass away. So will His heart break over every one of us who will not turn back from our paths of destruction and with humility and sorrow ask to be shown the way, the truth and the life. "How can I give you up?" He will ask over the unredeemed. "How can I let you go?"
Before the people he presented Christ, and "another" criminal named Barabbas. Now this individual had led a long career of violent and open crime. Pilate felt sure that the mob before him would choose to have this miscreant put to death rather than their silent captive. Sadly, he had no conception of what was truly going on in front of him. He had no idea of the spiritual forces that were assembled to secure the destruction of the Redeemer, or how vehemently the crowd was now crying out for His blood.
In an act of marked injustice, they chose the rebellious criminal rather than the Desire of ages, though Pilate admitted before them all that he could find no valid charge against Him. Pilate was astonished at their reaction, and he asked them again, just to be sure, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" "Barabbas," came the reply again.
Earlier that day, Pilate's wife had received a strange dream. In it, she was warned of the existence of the Messiah, and that he was going to be unjustly tried. She was told of the disasters that would befall if He were allowed to be convicted, and she sent a messenger to her husband with this information. The message said, "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."(Mat 27:19) But the chief priests and the elders were adamant as to who they wanted released, and Pilate went along with it, as he had done so many times before in his career.
"What shall I do, then, with the 'King of the Jews?'" Pilate asked. "Crucify him!" came the cry of the demons within the crowd, and the unruly humans soon took up the shout. In an effort to pacify the crowd, Pilate had Yahshua whipped instead, hoping that they would be satisfied with this punishment, and that his hands would remain free of blood. He noted well the quiet dignity of the prisoner and that, combined with the warning from his wife, was starting to convince him that perhaps this man WAS indeed more than He appeared to be. While he was contemplating this, Christ was being subjected to some truly humiliating treatment.
Aside from being whipped, the soldiers placed upon him a purple robe, and gave him a crown made of the twisted-together branches of a thorn bush. He was struck repeatedly, and spit upon, and jeered at, but in all this, He kept silent. After this scourging, He was returned to the place of judgement before Pilate, and hoping the crowd's inexplicable frenzy had abated, he said, "Here He is." Again, the crowd chanted, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said, "I find no basis for crucifixion in any of the charges He is accused of, even if they are true." The Jewish authorities said, "We have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God." When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave no answer. "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or crucify you?" Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."(John19:6-11)
By this Yahshua meant that all of this was according to His Father's will, but that Caiaphas, who was supposed to be the high priest, and guardian of Godly behavior and mercy, was more guilty in his condemnation of Christ than Pilate, who had little but secular knowledge to draw upon. Pilate was not seeking the Messiah as the Jewish nation was, so he had no reason to suppose that Christ was anything like what He claimed to be. And yet, to all of us comes a clear choice. Pilate had ample evidence that he was sentencing an innocent man to die, and more than this, his own wife tried to persuade him to do the right thing.
After this last statement, Pilate was fully convinced that Yahshua should be set free, yet because of the weakness of his character, and fear for his position, he continued to go along with the crowd. The mob said to him, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend. Anyone who maketh himself a king speakest against Caesar."(John19:12) When he heard this, he asked the crowd, "Shall I crucify your king?" They responded, the chief priests themselves, "We have no king but Caesar!" What a significant statement this was! In that action, spoken by the priests and sanctioned by the mob, the Jewish nation declared themselves an earthly organization, no longer under the rule of the Almighty, but under the government of pagan Rome. The sword was drawn fully, and they determined to use the state's authority to carry out their apostate religious commands. Yet let the words of Christ be remembered, "All who draw the sword will die by the sword."
As you can see, Pilate was stuck in the valley of decision for some time. Back and forth he had gone with the crowd, desperately trying to find a way to do the "right thing," without jeopardizing his worldly success. He was being given a blessed opportunity to acknowledge his belief in the innocence of our Lord, yet like Judas, like Lucifer, he was letting his pride and desire for selfish ambition overrule the integrity of his heart. He knew what was right to do, yet he didn't follow through. All who allow this to take place in their lives invite the same destruction that befell this weak-willed politician.
When he saw that the crowd would not be satisfied with anything less than the death of the prisoner, he made his final choice, and how great a tragedy! Had he stood firm, he would probably have been overruled, and Christ would have been crucified anyway, for that was what He had come to do by the will of His Father. Yet, even though Pilate would have lost his job, and possibly his material wealth, how much better it would have been for him had he done so! "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"(Mat 16:26) What Pilate lost that day could never be bought back, even if he had received in exchange all the wealth of the earth.
In an effort to calm his raging conscience, he washed his hands before the crowd, saying "I am innocent of the blood of this just person. It is your responsibility." All the people answered, "Let His blood be on us and on our children." If they only knew what they were saying! Little did the Jewish nation realize what a curse they were calling down upon themselves! To this day, the nation of Israel has been persecuted from the right and the left, anxiously awaiting their Messiah to come and release them from their secular suffering. They had truly "esteemed Him not" when He was among them.
The mob led Christ to a place called Golgotha, all the while He was still suffering from the burden of the penalty of sin. For indeed, in the long night before, and in the shame of His trial and condemnation, He was still dealing with the sorrow of spirit that had drawn out bloody tears from His forehead. And now, He was being forced along by an armed crowd, exhausted to the point of collapse, in an agony of the spirit, and now carrying a heavy, wooden cross. When it became apparent that the weight of the physical burden was too much for Him with everything else He was dealing with, the crowd forced a man named Simon to help Him carry it. For all of us, there are some burdens that are just so heavy at times... but it is not wrong to accept the help of those who are willing to aid us in bearing our crosses. This is the blessing of fellowship, that we have others with us who march along the same narrow roadway.
And so, when they had arrived at the place of execution, they lay Him on the cross He had borne, and drove spikes into His hands and feet, and then planted the base of the wooden structure in the ground, with a sign above the head of the Redeemer declaring in Aramaic, Latin and Greek, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Pilate had prepared this declaration of his "crime," and irritated at the connotation the eulogy implied, the chief priests tried to get the governor to have it altered, to say that this was what the prisoner CLAIMED. Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."(John19:22) By his own words, was he admitting his own condemnation alongside the Son of Yah.
On the right and on the left of Him were also crucified two criminals. Members of the crowd that had instigated the crucifixion wandered by the scene and, recalling Yahshua's earlier words, they taunted Him, saying, "You, who claimed to be able to destroy and rebuild the Temple in three days, come down, if you are truly the Son of God!" One of the two who hung alongside Him also took up the sentiment, saying, "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us." But the other one, who had somehow heard of the life of Yahshua, said to him, "Don't you fear God? For you are under the same sentence. We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." To Yahshua he said, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Immediately came the reply, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise."
At the last possible moment in his life, this criminal had asked for forgiveness of his sins with a true heart, and in his statement to the other criminal, he confessed his sins, declaring himself suffering justly for his wrongdoing. Even viewing Christ hung upon the cross, His life seeping out of the wounds in His hands, this man believed that Yahshua would receive a kingdom, and with a broken heart, he petitioned the Redeemer for a part in His everlasting inheritance. Faith such as this has never gone unrewarded. Not ever.
John's Gospel also describes an event that took place at the cross which was of particular interest to him. That disciple and Mary, Yahshua's mother, were present at the scene. She was suffering with a mother's love for her dying Son, and even in His own agony, He did not fail to appreciate this. Thinking of her future comfort, He turned to her and said, "Dear woman, behold your son," indicating John. To John He said, "Behold your mother." From then on, Mary lived with the beloved follower. From the first moment of His life until His dying agonies, the life of Christ was one of selfless love, honor and limitless grace.
As time passed, the agony of Yahshua became such that it all but blotted out His physical suffering. The penalty of sin came upon Him in such force that He began to feel the very essence of hell itself, true separation from the Father, and His life-sustaining power. He felt His soul being shredded as the Spirit's presence was forced out by the existence of sin in His being. No longer was the blood flowing from His broken veins the source of His destruction, nor the pressure being exerted upon His lungs by the weight of His body, but the separation of soul and spirit as He was "cast into outer darkness," away from the loving communion with the Father that He had known every moment of every day of His life.
And the Father was in the Son, reconciling the world unto Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19), suffering as He did. Mercifully, some of Yahshua's suffering was veiled from the hateful, inquiring eyes of those who stood around, and from the malicious, triumphant gazes of the humaniform demons who still remained to revel in their apparent victory over the Champion of Heaven. A great darkness fell over the land, as the sun itself refused to give its sanction to the abuse of its Creator, and a dark, dense cloud offered even deeper protection from onlookers, as it formed itself around the cross of our Lord. Human eyes were not permitted to see the ultimate trial, the last clash between Michael and Lucifer. The dark angel had one last chance to turn the soul of God to rebellion and to unravel the hope of humanity, and he determined to make the most of it. In the soul of the man Yahshua, the Prince of Light and the Fallen Archangel met and had their final conflict, even as His physical form was hidden from the world.
At the 9th hour of the day, about 3pm, the sun broke forth and shone again upon the scene, and the cloud of darkness dispersed, so that the eyes of angels and men could behold the triumph of creation's Master. Christ had won the victory, and had accepted the full agony of the penalty of sin, without casting the blame aside. He was aware of this, but also of the awful price. The wages of sin is death, and He could feel the last of His vitality slipping away, even as He knew He had triumphed. In that last instant of His life, He felt the full separation of a soul from its Maker, and with the last of all that He was, He cried out the first line of the 22nd Psalm, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" This means, "Lord, Lord, why have you forsaken me?" but those who stood by misinterpreted His words, thinking He was speaking in Hebrew and calling out for "Eli" or Elijah. When one kindhearted soul ran up to Him to give Him a drink of wine vinegar, the others said, "Let Him be. We will see if Elijah comes to save Him."
One last cry escaped our Savior's lips, "It is finished!" And then He died.
In the Jewish temple, there hung a curtain of cloth. It's purpose was to separate the rest of the interior from a small chamber called the "Holy of holies," where the Spirit of Yah resided among His people. This was His "earthly home," and in the days of Solomon, He let His presence be manifest there in a glowing cloud of fire. After the destruction and rebuilding of the temple, this blessed sign was withheld from the backsliding nation, but the curtain remained as a symbol of the hope of the Messiah's appearance. It was once true that anyone who looked beyond the curtain into this sacred place would immediately be struck down by the brightness of the glory of Yah.
As the Son of God's presence departed from Him, however, even as His last cry rang out, this curtain was blasted apart by an invisible force. It was split in two from top to bottom, and the basest eye could now behold the nakedness of the inner sanctuary. The glory had departed from the temple in Jerusalem, never to return.
Even more dramatically, many of those who had died in righteousness, understanding the nature of Sin and Love and awaiting the true Sacrifice to be given, were restored to life at that very instant. Their tombs broke open, and like Lazarus, they came forth to their new lives, lives everlasting. Many who beheld these wonders were filled with fear, and one of the centurions at Golgotha guarding the executions declared, "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Mat27:54)
This event took place the day before the Passover, and more importantly, on a Friday (if one reads the Scriptures a certain way), the day before the Holy Sabbath. As evening approached, the Jewish authorities did not want the bodies of the dying to be left in so public a place during those sacred hours, so they sent soldiers to break the legs of the condemned, that their deaths would be hastened, and then the bodies could be removed. The centurions did this with the men on both the right and the left of Christ, but when they came to His body, they found He was already dead. One of the soliders, to make sure, pierced his side with his spear, and this action, John concludes, was so that the scripture would be fulfilled, "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications; and they shall look on me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourneth for his only son, and it shall be bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."(Zecharaiah 12:10)
Joseph, who was a follower of Christ, asked Pilate for His body, and along with another man named Nicodemus, who also believed in Him, he took Yahshua away, and lay Him in a tomb that Joseph had prepared for himself. Nicodemus had been a very wealthy man before meeting Christ, but had acquired much of his fortune by improper means. After his meeting with the Son of God, he had repaid all those whom he had used unjustly, restoring what he had taken several times over. Even so, he still had much wealth left, and he used some of it to buy costly burial ointments and linens for the body of the Redeemer. After this, they and the rest of those assembled went to finish their preparations for the Sabbath.
Early on Sunday morning, Peter and John were walking by the scene of Yahshua's burial. The disciples and all those who loved our Lord suffered greatly the days before, and were worn out from grief. They met Mary Magdalene coming from the direction of the burial site. This was the same Mary who had broken the bottle of perfume over Christ, and she had been there also with Mary (His mother) and John at the foot of the cross. Her grief was beyond compare, and she had been the first to go and visit the site of his interment. But Mary had some distressing news for the two apostles.
Even in their unbelief, the Pharisees still feared the effect that Christ's life had had upon their followers. Knowing that Yahshua had claimed to be able to rise again on the third day, they went to Pilate, and said, "Give the order so the tomb may be made secure for three days, otherwise his disciples may come and take away His body, and tell people He has raised Himself from the dead." Pilate gave his permission, and so the elders took some solders, and they proceeded to seal the tomb shut and stand guard.
Before anyone else got to the site on Sunday morning, the archangel Gabriel, the one who had comforted his Commander in the garden of Gethsemane a couple nights before, descended from Heaven with the force of an earthquake and broke the seal of the tomb. When the attending centurions saw this figure with a shining face and brilliant white clothing, they fell on their faces in fear. To their astonished eyes was revealed the covering cherub calling forth our risen Lord. After witnessing this most inexplicable event, they ran off to Pilate, to tell him what had occurred. But when His mother, Salome (King Herod's mistress' daughter, who had apparently had a change of heart since asking for the head of John the Baptist) and a few other women arrived, they found Gabriel calmly standing in the tomb. "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" he asked them. "He is not here, but is risen; remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." And they remembered His words.(John23:5-8)
"But go your way," the angel continued, "tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth forth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see Him, as He said unto you."(Luke16:7) What graciousness he displayed here. Of all Yahshua's followers, Peter was indeed the one who had suffered the most. Because of his thrice-repeated denial of his Master, he among them all was bowed down with an unbearable weight of guilt and remorse. To him by name did Gabriel send the message of comfort and peace. The women hastened off to spread the wondrous news to all of those that had experienced grief at the crucifixion of Christ.
Mary Magdalene, however, had arrived before these others, and she had not seen the archangel speaking with them. She had seen the unguarded tomb, the centurions gone and the rock rolled away, and looking inside, she saw also that the tomb was empty. She ran back to town along another route that the others were arriving by, and in this state she met Peter and John walking towards where she had just come from. "They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and I know not where they have laid Him," she said. At this, the two took off running to witness for themselves this horrendous occurrence which Mary described. John outran Peter, and arrived first, and beheld the empty cavern. Peter arrived just after, but not content with seeing the outside, he went also inside, and saw the linen wrappings of his Savior laid neatly aside in a corner. John followed him, and saw also the folded clothing. The pair were filled with grief and outrage, and went off to decide what should be done about the desecration of Yahshua's tomb.
Mary had followed along behind them, returning once again to the tomb, and after Peter and John had left, she remained behind, lamenting the abduction of His body. While still crying, she looked inside the grave, and saw two men dressed in white sitting in there. "Woman, why weepest, thou?" they asked her. She said, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him." She stood up and turned around, and saw another figure standing in front of her. Through her tears, she could not recognize the face that she beheld, but she assumed the man was the gardener. He also asked her, "Woman, why weepest though? Who seekest thou?" She replied, "Sir, if thou hast borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away."
Gently, then, Yahshua called her name. "Mary," He said, and in that instant, she knew with whom she had been speaking, and she cried out in joy, "Master!" and went towards Him. "Touch me not," He said, "for I am not yet ascended unto my Father; but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God and to your God." Christ would not receive praise or adoration until He had first presented His sacrifice before the Father, and received assurance that His atonement had truly done the work of the redemption of man. Until such a time, He would not even receive homage from the holy angels all around, who were eager to sing forth praises for their immortal Creator.
She also left the empty tomb, to bear the blessed news.
Later that day, two of the other disciples were walking along the road, talking about the reports they had received from the women. However they were unable to believe what they had said, and so they were still troubled by the death of their Teacher. Yahshua approached them in another form, so that they did not recognize Him, and He traveled with them for a while. He asked them what they were talking about, and why they seemed so sad. One of them, whose name was Cleopas, replied, "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and has not known the things which are come to pass in these days?" As you can imagine, the countryside must have been abuzz with the news of the trial and crucifixion, with fearful speculation as to the meaning of the great darkness on Friday, and of the stories of the women coming from Christ's tomb; not to mention the reports of the Centurions who were set to guard the sepulcher.
But Yahshua asked them, feigning ignorance, "What things?" They told Him all they were discussing, concluding that the women's report was of a vision, however, and that it could not be that the Messiah had truly risen. Christ said to them, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all the prophets have spoken!"(Luke24:25) He then proceeded to explain to them the Scriptures, with every book pointing to the coming of the Lord, and many speaking of the sacrifice He was to perform on behalf of humanity. Isaiah, Zechariah, the books of Moses; all of these had plainly pointed to the coming of a Lamb, the true Passover sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. And so they passed away the hours of their journey, until finally the disciples came to where they lived.
Seeing that this man was a master at explaining the scriptures, and reveling in the sense of hope and peace His words conveyed to them, they asked that He remain with them for their evening meal. Yahshua consented, and He sat with them at their table. Then, however, He did something that appeared very familiar to the two seated before Him. He took, the bread, blessed it and broke it, and He gave it to them. In that instant, they recognized Him, and immediately He vanished. Mary had been blinded by her sorrow and tears, these two had been weighed down in grief and care, and did not even recognize the blessed and holy character of their Lord through His disguise. When He performed an action they remembered, however, they recognized who He was. When He called her name, Mary lifted up her eyes to behold His familiar, loving face. How often we also may miss the blessings and comfort of Heaven if we are too absorbed in our own affairs to look around us for the signs of Yah's mercy. But He knows our weaknesses, and every now and then, He does something so very familiar to us, that we can't help but see the love of our Father shining forth.
The two disciples, in joy and amazement, immediately ran back to Jerusalem, and went to the other disciples, who were gathered in mourning at the very upper room where Christ had been with them the night He was taken. They also were mystified by the reports of the Marys and the other women, and now Cleopas and his companion added their testimony to the reports. At that moment, Yahshua Himself appeared before them, and said, "Peace be unto you." They were terrified, but Christ comforted them, and showed them His injuries, so that they would indeed know it was Him. While they were still unable to grasp the reality standing before them, reeling with joy, Yahshua did something so incredibly ordinary, that it could not help but have a dramatic effect on those gathered. He asked for food.
And so He ate with them again, dispelling any idea that He was some kind of a vision or a ghost. While they ate, He explained to them more clearly than ever before, and with infinite patience, the reason why He had suffered and died, and why He must soon leave them again to present the sacrifice before the throne of His former glory. After the meal, He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven.(Luke24:50&51) The disciples then returned to the city to praise their Master, and to teach His lessons to others.
John records another incident that took place before Yahshua left them. Peter, John, James, Thomas and Nathaniel were fishing, and they had thrown their nets all night without catching anything. Yahshua appeared on the shore, and called out to them, "Children, have ye any meat?" They answered Him, "No." And He said unto them, "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find." They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.(John21:5&6)
Again, a familiar event had reminded them of their Lord, for with this very action did Yahshua first get their attention when He began His ministry. John said, "It is the Lord!" And Peter, overwhelmed with joy, wrapped his garment around himself and jumped out of the boat to swim ashore. The others followed in the boat, dragging their net with them. Peter helped them drag their heavy catch ashore, and though there were a hundred and fifty-three huge fish in the net, the fibers did not break, though they certainly should have. What do the laws of physics matter to He who ordained the sun to rule the day, whose voice spoke the earth into existence, and even to this day heals every disease of mankind with a word? Jesus said unto them, "Bring of the fish which ye have now caught."(John21:10) And they had a last meal together.
There was one more thing Yahshua was to do. Turning to Peter, he asked, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?" indicating the other disciples. "Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." And Christ responded, "Feed my sheep." A little while later, He asked again, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" Peter noted the change of wording. He had again been impulsive, and had spoken before thinking. With infinite gentleness, Christ showed him, with no wasted words, that he still considered himself foremost among his brothers. With a saddened heart, he repeated, "Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." "Feed my sheep," came the response.
A third time, Yahshua asked him, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" Peter became truly upset, and began to cry, thinking that his Master did not believe him, that He should have to ask three times. But three times did Peter deny his Lord, and three times must he repent, so that the burden of guilt would be fully removed. "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou Knowest that I love thee." Looking at him with kindness and joy, Yahshua said to him, "Feed my sheep."
After this, Christ still had some instructions for Peter, and said to him, "Follow me," and the two of them walked off a little way. Peter turned around, however, and saw that John was following them. He said, "Lord, and what shall this man do?" Yahshua responded, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow THOU me." For at time after this, the disciples believed that John would remain alive until the return of their Lord, but John himself points out the error in this, saying that He had not declared that he would not die, only that IF Christ willed it so, it would be so. "Focus on your own part," was what Yahshua was saying to Peter.
And so He left them, and He returned through the Heavenly gates, forever after bearing the marks of His earthy experiences. He did not heal His scars, as He certainly could have, but instead left them as they were, an eternal reminder to the angels and to mankind of the penalty of transgression. The victory has been won, and Satan's kingdom was doomed to destruction. In the very heart of his earthly throne, where the "men of God" had been buying and selling in the holy sanctuary, where the children of the Most High had been guilty of greater cruelty than the heathen nations around them, a deadly wound had been dealt to the unholy archangel. Yah's case had been proven, and no longer was Lucifer allowed access to the Heavenly courts as he was in the days of Job.
Bound on earth, the dark angel twisted in his defeat, and with hellish bitterness, he set about to destroy the work that Christ had done among the humans. Though he could never more attempt to vindicate himself before the holy angels, he nonetheless set about to make sure that he would take as many humans as he could manage with him into oblivion. With a fury never witnessed before, he declared war on the church, and proceeded to draw up his battle plans to stamp out the lights of the world, and the salt of the earth. The adventures of Peter, James, John and the others were just beginning, and to them would be given some divine help. Another hero would rise up from the least likely place, and become to them a source of great strength and hope.
In my next letter, I will tell you about some of the incidents that occurred just after the return of the Redeemer to His heavenly throne. This turned out to be another long letter, and I will give you all the time you need to absorb all of this.
With the love of Yah almighty,
David.
