Wednesday
Evening Bible Study
May 1, 2002
:1-2 Chief Priests seek to kill Jesus
:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the
Passover.
the feast – heorte – a
feast day, festival
unleavened bread – azumos –
unfermented, free from leaven or yeast; of the unleavened loaves used in the
paschal feast of the Jews
the Passover – pascha –
the paschal sacrifice (which was accustomed to be offered for the people’s
deliverance of old from Egypt); the paschal lamb, i.e. the lamb the Israelites
were accustomed to slay and eat on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan
(the first month of their year) in memory of the day on which their fathers,
preparing to depart from Egypt, were bidden by God to slay and eat a lamb, and
to sprinkle their door posts with its blood, that the destroying angel, seeing
the blood, might pass over their dwellings; Christ crucified is likened to the
slain paschal lamb; the paschal supper; the paschal feast, the feast of the Passover,
extending from the 14th to the 20th day of the month Nisan
The Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover were a package deal.
These were celebrations done to remember God’s work of deliverance from the
slavery of Egypt.
The Passover was the first day of the feast, the 14th of
Nisan. The feast of Unleavened Bread
was the following seven days after it.
They are celebrated as one and the same.
Jews would gather from all over the world in Jerusalem to celebrate these
feasts every year.
When Nero was governor of Rome, he doubted
the influence that religion had over the Jews. So at one of the Passover
feasts a census was taken of the number of lambs that were slain and it was
256,500. A minimum of 10 people were to partake of each lamb, thus it was estimated
that the number of people observing Passover in Jerusalem that year was
2,700,000.
:2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for
they feared the people.
kill – anaireo – to take
up, to lift up (from the ground); to take away, abolish; to put out of the way,
kill slay a man
they feared – phobeo –
to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away); to fear, be afraid; to be
struck with fear, to be seized with alarm
(NLT) But they wanted to
kill him without starting a riot, a possibility they greatly feared.
We’ve already been made aware of the fact that the priests and scribes have
felt this way about Jesus:
Lu 20:19 And the chief priests and the scribes the
same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they
perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
Lesson
Whom do you fear?
On one hand, we could argue that the priests are doing what they are
supposed to since they are going to be fulfilling prophecy.
But there is always a sense of man’s responsibility in these things. They would be responsible for choosing on
their part to do these things.
These men will do something horrible because their focus is on men rather
than God.
Here, we see that they act in such a way because they are afraid of making
the crowds angry with them.
They were also jealous of the way Jesus drew the crowds.
(Mat
27:17-18 KJV) Therefore when they were
gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you?
Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? {18} For he knew that for envy they
had delivered him.
There were even Jewish rulers who believed in Jesus, but they struggled in
making a decision to follow Jesus because of their focus on men rather than
God.
(John
12:42-43 KJV) Nevertheless among the
chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did
not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: {43} For they
loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Jesus said our focus ought to be on God.
(Luke 12:4-5 KJV) And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid
of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. {5}
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed
hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
We ought to be more concerned with what God says than
people’s opinions of us.
:3-6 Judas plots
:3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of
the twelve.
entered – eiserchomai – to
go out or come in: to enter; of men or animals, as into a house or a city; of
Satan taking possession of the body of a person; of things: as food, that
enters into the eater’s mouth
Satan – Satanas –
adversary (one who opposes another in purpose or act), the name given to; the
prince of evil spirits, the inveterate adversary of God and Christ
Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness but it seems that he left him alone
for a time.
Lu 4:13 And when the devil had ended all the
temptation, he departed from him for a season.
He would use Peter’s mouth (Mat. 16:23), when Jesus rebuked Peter, “Get
thee behind me, Satan”.
Now Satan is out to destroy Jesus.
This was prophesied in:
(Gen 3:15 KJV) And I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou
shalt bruise his heel.
Satan would ultimately only “bruise” Jesus’ heel on the cross, but Jesus
would kick Satan in the head.
(Col
2:13-15 KJV) And you, being dead in
your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with
him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting of
ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to his cross; {15} And having spoiled principalities and powers,
he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Judas – Ioudas – Judah or
Judas – “he shall be praised”
Iscariot – Iskariotes –
“men of Kerioth” or, “men of cities”
John tells us the moment that Satan entered into Judas. It seems to have happened during the supper.
(John 13:21-31 KJV) When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in
spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of
you shall betray me. {22} Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of
whom he spake.
Jesus had never given a clue as to who would betray Him.
{23} Now there was leaning
on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
This is John.
In Jesus’ day, meals like this were served typically on low, solid tables,
most likely shaped in a “U”. The guests didn’t sit at the tables, but instead
reclined, lying down on cushions around the outside of the “U”, so those
serving could serve from the inside of the “U”. As they reclined at the table,
they would lie on their left side, and eat with their free, right hand. The
host of the feast would sit in the center of the “U”, with his closest friends,
or most prominent guests on either side of him, at the head of the table.
Though I would have guessed that the guest of honor would have been on the
right hand side of the host (as in “seated at the right hand ...”), it was just
the opposite, the guest of honor was actually on the host’s left side. (so says
Barclay, Pulpit Commentary)
This disciple that is leaning on Jesus’ bosom is the one located on the
right of Jesus, the second guest of honor, and his head would about where
Jesus’ chest was. If this disciple wanted to talk to Jesus, all he had to do
was lean backward, leaning into Jesus’ chest.
{24} Simon Peter therefore
beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.
Peter has to ask John because Peter isn’t close enough to ask Jesus
himself.
{25} He then lying on Jesus'
breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? {26} Jesus answered, He it is, to whom
I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it.
It seems that John is the only one who hears this.
The “sop” was a piece of bread that would be dipped into a common bowl
filled with a sauce, like soup. Giving
a friend a piece of bread like this was a gesture of friendship. It was a token of love. Eating the same meal with another person
made a kind of union between you and the other person, kind of a picture of
becoming “one” with the other person.
This is why good Jewish people didn’t eat with pagan Gentiles.
And when he had dipped the
sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
Jesus gives a gesture of friendship to Judas.
{27} And after the sop Satan
entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
I find it interesting that Satan enters Judas after Jesus has offered to
him a token of friendship.
Satan entered Judas because he was rejecting Jesus’ love for him.
{28} Now no man at the table
knew for what intent he spake this unto him. {29} For some of them thought,
because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that
we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the
poor. {30} He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was
night. {31} Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man
glorified, and God is glorified in him.
Lesson
Don’t reject His love
When we reject the love the Jesus offers us, we will find ourselves turning
to some pretty bad stuff.
:4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains,
how he might betray him unto them.
communed – sullaleo – to
talk with
captains – strategos – the
commander of an army; in the NT a civic commander, a governor; captain of the
temple, i.e. the commander of the Levites who kept guard in and around the
temple
he might betray – paradidomi –
to give into the hands (of another); to give over into (one’s) power or use; to
deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, manage; to deliver up
treacherously; by betrayal to cause one to be taken
Judas meets with the high priests to discuss their desire to take
Jesus. The captains are there to find
out how to do it.
We’ve talked several times of late about how the betrayal of Jesus was
prophetically foreshadowed by David’s own betrayal by his friend Ahithophel.
Jesus is the one that made the connection between Ahithophel and Judas when
he quoted from Psalm 41:9:
(John 13:18 KJV) I speak not of you all: I know whom I have
chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me
hath lifted up his heel against me.
There is another Psalm that speaks of David’s betrayal by Ahithophel.
(Psa 55:12-14 KJV) For it was not an enemy that reproached me;
then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify
himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: {13} But it was
thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. {14} We took sweet
counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
We look at this as being a description of David’s friendship with
Ahithophel, but it would have been a picture of Jesus and Judas as well. Don’t think that Judas was some hated
person. He had been loved by Jesus.
:5 And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
they were glad – chairo –
to rejoice, be glad; to rejoice exceedingly
covenanted – suntithemai –
to put together with, to place together, to join together; to resolve,
determine; to make an arrangement, to engage; to assent to, to agree to
money – argurion – silver;
money; a silver coin, silver piece, a shekel
Matthew tells us that they agreed to a specific price.
(Mat 26:14-16 KJV) Then one of the twelve, called Judas
Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, {15} And said unto them, What will ye
give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for
thirty pieces of silver. {16} And from that time he sought opportunity to
betray him.
This was the price of a slave that was gored by an ox:
(Exo 21:32 KJV) If the ox shall push a manservant or a
maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the
ox shall be stoned.
The price had been set long before Judas and the priests met.
(Zec 11:12-13 KJV) And I said unto them, If ye think good, give
me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of
silver. {13} And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price
that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast
them to the potter in the house of the LORD.
We know that money had a part in Judas’ motives. Just the week before …
(John 12:1-6 KJV) Then Jesus six days before the passover came
to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the
dead. {2} There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one
of them that sat at the table with him. {3} Then took Mary a pound of ointment
of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet
with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. {4}
Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should
betray him, {5} Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and
given to the poor? {6} This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but
because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Judas was upset at Mary’s outrageous offering because secretly he wanted a
cut of that money that had been “wasted on Jesus. He was the groups “treasurer”, and had been stealing from the
group.
:6 And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the
absence of the multitude.
he promised – exomologeo –
to confess; to profess; acknowledge openly and joyfully; to one’s honour: to
celebrate, give praise to; to profess that one will do something, to promise,
agree, engage
opportunity – eukairia (“good”
+ “time”) – seasonable time, opportunity
to betray – paradidomi –
to give into the hands (of another); to give over into (one’s) power or use; to
deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, manage; to deliver up
treacherously; by betrayal to cause one to be taken
in the absence – ater –
without, apart from
the multitude – ochlos – a
crowd; a multitude; the common people, as opposed to the rulers and leading men
The priests were afraid of what the people would do if they were aware of
what they were going to do, so they plotted to capture Jesus away from the
crowd.
In a sense it was necessary for Jesus to be delivered to the chief priests
to fulfill the prophetic pictures of the Passover Lamb. The Lamb is put to death by the priests.
:7-13 Preparation for Passover
:7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
must be – dei – it
is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper
killed – thuo – to
sacrifice, to slay, kill
the passover – pascha –
the paschal sacrifice (which was accustomed to be offered for the people’s
deliverance of old from Egypt); the paschal lamb, i.e. the lamb the Israelites
were accustomed to slay and eat on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan
(the first month of their year) in memory of the day on which their fathers,
preparing to depart from Egypt, were bidden by God to slay and eat a lamb, and
to sprinkle their door posts with its blood, that the destroying angel, seeing
the blood, might pass over their dwellings; Christ crucified is likened to the
slain paschal lamb; the paschal supper; the paschal feast, the feast of the
Passover, extending from the 14th to the 20th day of the month Nisan
The Lamb MUST be killed. There
apparently is a lot of discussion as to exactly which day things happened on,
but here’s the best that I’ve come up with.
For the Jews, the day begins at 6:00 in the evening. In the preparation of the Passover, the Lamb
was killed and cooked before sundown of the 14th of Nisan. The dinner would be eaten on that evening,
which would be the 15th of Nisan.
The Passover day would last until 6:00 the following day. By that time, Jesus would have been
crucified.
The Lamb must be killed.
He died on the Passover.
:8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that
we may eat.
he sent – apostello – to
order (one) to go to a place appointed
prepare – hetoimazo – to
make ready, prepare; to make the necessary preparations, get everything ready
:9 And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
wilt thou – thelo – to
will, have in mind, intend; to be resolved or determined, to purpose; to
desire, to wish; to love; to like to do a thing, be fond of doing; to take
delight in, have pleasure
:10 And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there
shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house
where he entereth in.
meet – sunantao – to meet
with; of events: to happen or befall
pitcher – keramion – an
earthen vessel, a pot, jar; a jug or pitcher; a water pitcher
Follow the first guy you meet carrying a pitcher of water.
:11 And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto
thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my
disciples?
the goodman – oikodespotes –
master of the house, householder
Master – didaskalos – a
teacher
the guestchamber – kataluma –
an inn, lodging place; an eating room, dining room
This is the same word used to describe the “inn” where Joseph and Mary
could find no room.
Lu 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and
wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was
no room for them in the inn.
It comes from kataluo (“down” +
“to loose”) – to dissolve, disunite; of travellers, to halt on a journey, to
put up, lodge (the figurative expression originating in the circumstance that,
to put up for the night, the straps and packs of the beasts of burden are
unbound and taken off; or, more correctly from the fact that the traveller’s
garments, tied up when he is on the journey, are unloosed at it end)
Is this something arranged supernaturally, or had Jesus simply set
something up earlier with this man?
I can’t help but think there is something supernatural about it. Jesus didn’t give an address to the
disciples, He told them to follow the first guy they met carrying a pitcher of
water.
:12 And he shall show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.
upper room – anogeon (“up”
+ “ground”) – anything above the ground; a room in the upper part of a house
large – megas – great
furnished – stronnumi – to
spread; furnish; to spread with couches or divans
The room will already have a table and places to recline.
made ready – hetoimazo –
to make ready, prepare; to make the necessary preparations, get everything
ready
Why does this occur like this? Why
doesn’t Jesus just send the disciples into the city and book a room in a
hotel? Why so secretive? It sounds like some kind of a spy novel.
I wonder if this isn’t so Jesus could spend one last night, uninterrupted
with His disciples before His death.
If Jesus lets the guys go ahead to prepare things, and come back and tell
everyone, then even Judas will know where they are meeting and can deliver Him
to the priests.
:13 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready
the passover.
they went – aperchomai –
to go away, depart; to go away in order to follow any one, go after him, to
follow his party, follow him as a leader
They followed Jesus’ leading. They
followed Jesus’ directions.
found – heurisko –
to come upon, hit upon, to meet with; to find by enquiry, thought, examination,
scrutiny, observation, to find out by practice and experience; to see, learn,
discover, understand; to find out for one’s self, to acquire, get, obtain,
procure
they made ready – hetoimazo –
to make ready, prepare; to make the necessary preparations, get everything
ready
Lesson
It’s all been planned
The “goodman” of the house had things ready for Jesus.
He had a job to do, and he did it.
Things were ready for the disciples.
Somehow, he knew what he needed to do, and he did it.
The disciples had a job to do, and as they went and did it, they discovered
that things happened just as Jesus said.
God has works for us to do as well.
And they’ve been planned long ago.
(Eph 2:10 KJV) For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should
walk in them.
Lesson
Go
If we’re not careful, we can sit around waiting for some kind of feeling to
move us. But the disciples had to go to
find things as Jesus said.
You have to get moving.