163 . PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS
Matthew 21 : 28 – 32 ; Mark 12 : 1 a; Luke 20 : 9 a
Yeshua then began to speak to the people in parables, reproaching them for their failure to recognize the Messiah . 206
“What would you think about this? A man had two sons, and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And the son answered, ‘I will not;’ but afterward he repented and went. Then the man went to the second son and said the same thing; and this son answered, ‘I will go, sir,’ but did not go.
“Now, which of the two obeyed the will of his father?” “The first,” they said.
Yeshua said to them, “I tell you truly, the tax gatherers and harlots will get into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you and showed you the path of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax gatherers and the harlots did believe him. And even after you saw this happening, you still did not repent and believe him.” 207
164 . PARABLE OF THE WICKED TENANTS
Matthew 21 : 33 – 44 ; Mark 12 : 1 b– 11 ; Luke 20 : 9 b– 18
“Listen to another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard. He set a wall around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it out to tenants, and went on a long journey to another country.
“When the harvest time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to collect his share of the fruits of the vineyard. But the tenants took the servant and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Then the man sent another servant to them, and they beat him on the head, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed as well. And he sent yet a third; this one they stoned and threw out of the vineyard. And he sent another, and that one they killed. And so later with many others, some they beat and some they killed.
“The owner of the vineyard said to himself, ‘What shall I do?’ But he still had one more, a son whom he loved. Last of all he sent that one to the tenants, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and then his inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him, took him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
“Now when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those tenants?” The people replied, “He will see that those horrible men are put to a horrible death.” “ Even more ,” said Yeshua. “He will destroy those tenants and then lease out the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at the proper seasons.”
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!” But Yeshua looked straight at them and said, “What then is the meaning of this scripture:
The very stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone;
This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and whomever it falls on will be crushed to powder. Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will bring forth the proper fruit.”
165 . PARABLE OF THE WEDDING GARMENT
Matthew 21 : 45 — 22 : 14 ; Mark 12 : 1 2 ; Luke 20 : 19
Yeshua spoke still another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son; and he sent his servants to call those who were invited to the feast, but they refused to come.
“So he sent other servants, saying to them, ‘Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have prepared the dinner; my oxen and my fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!’ But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm and another to his business. The rest seized his servants, treated them dishonorably, and then killed them. The king was enraged; he sent his soldiers and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go out to the town gates and invite to the feast as many people as you find.’ And the servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, the bad as well as the good; and so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to greet the guests, he noticed a man who was not wearing a wedding garment; and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ The man had no response to that. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.” 208
When the scribes and the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Yeshua’ parables, they realized that he was speaking against them. They wanted to arrest him at once, but they were afraid of the crowd, because the people held Yeshua to be a prophet; so they left him alone and went away.
166 . RENDERING UNTO CAESAR
Matthew 22 : 15 – 22 ; Mark 12 : 13 – 17 ; Luke 20 : 20 – 26
Then the Pharisees took counsel on how they might ensnare Yeshua in his talk. So they watched him, and sent some of their disciples to him, along with some agents of Herod, who pretended to be righteous men. They hoped to catch Yeshua in some remark so that they could deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
These spies came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity, and show no partiality; for you do not pay heed to the status of men, but speak and teach what is right, and truly teach the way of God.
“Tell us, then, what you think. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?”
But Yeshua, aware of their guile, said, “Why are you trying to trap me, you hypocrites? 209 Bring me a coin used for paying the tax, and let me look at it.” So they brought a denarius. Yeshua asked them, “Whose likeness is this on it, and whose name?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then Yeshua said to them, “Therefore render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”
And so they were not able to catch Yeshua by what he said before the people. When they heard his answer they marveled, and were silent; and they left him and went away.
167 . HUMAN NATURE AFTER THE RESURRECTION
Matthew 22 : 23 – 33 ; Mark 1 2 : 18 – 27 ; Luke 20 : 27 – 39
That same day, in a further effort to catch Yeshua in his words, some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question. “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, then the man must marry the widow, and have children with her to carry on his brother’s line.
“Now imagine there were seven brothers among us. The first married, and died, and having no children he left his wife to his brother. The second brother took her, and then died, leaving no children. And the third likewise, and on down to the seventh; and indeed, none of the seven left any children. Last of all the woman died as well. In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”
Yeshua answered them, “You going astray here because you do not understand the scriptures or the power of God. The children of this world marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy to reach the next world, when they rise from the dead, will neither marry nor be given in marriage, for they can never more die, but will be like angels in heaven. They are the children of God, being children of the resurrection.
“And as for the fact of the resurrection, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, 210 how Moses himself showed you that the dead are raised? For there God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not a God of the dead, but of the living, for the people of all generations are alive in his sight. So you are greatly mistaken.”
When the crowd heard this, they were astonished at his teaching. And some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, that was well said.”
168 . A QUESTION ABOUT THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT
Matthew 22 : 34 – 40 ; Mark 12 : 28 – 3 4 a
When the Pharisees heard that Yeshua had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together themselves. One of them, a specialist in religious law, went over in time to hear them disputing with one another; and recognizing that Yeshua answered them well, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the law?”
Yeshua answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.
“And the second is like unto it: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ On these two commandments hang all of the law and the prophets. There is no other commandment greater than these.”
And the legal scholar said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have spoken the truth that he is one, and there is no other but he. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength; and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Yeshua saw that the scholar answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
169 . Yeshua ESTABLISHES HIS ROUTINE
Luke 21 : 37 – 38
B y this time Yeshua had established a daily practice.
Every day he would teach at the temple, and all the people would assemble there early in the morning to hear him. And each evening he went out of the city to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives. 211
HOLY WEDNESDAY
17 0 . ANCESTRY OF THE CHRIST
Matthew 22 : 41 – 46 ; Mark 12 : 34 b– 37 ; Luke 20 : 40 – 44
T he next morning , as Yeshua taught in the temple courtyards, and the Pharisees were gathered together, he asked them a question, saying, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 212 What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,” they said to him.
Yeshua replied, “Then how is it that David, guided by the Holy Spirit, calls him ‘my Lord’? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit thou at my right hand,
until I make thy enemies
A footstool beneath thy feet.
If David himself thus calls the Christ ‘my Lord,’ how can the Christ be his son?” 213
The great throng listened to Yeshua with delight. No one was able to say a word in answer to this, nor from that day on did any one dare to ask him any more questions.
171 . “WOE UNTO YOU, PHARISEES!” 214
Matthew 23 : 1 – 36 ; Mark 12 : 38 – 40 ; Luke 11 : 42 – 52 , 12 : 1 – 3 , 20 : 45 – 47
Then with all the crowd listening, Yeshua turned to his disciples and said, “Beware of the scribes! They and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat; so understand and follow all the rules that they teach you. But do not follow their example, for they do not practice what they preach. 215
“They do all their deeds only to be seen by others; and so they make their prayer boxes large and the fringe on their garments long. 216 They like to walk about in long robes, and they love having the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called ‘Teacher’ by men. But they devour widows’ houses, even while they make long prayers for pretense. Such people will receive a special damnation.
“You, however, are not to let anyone call you teacher, for you all have only one teacher, and you are all brothers together. And call no man on earth your father, for you have only one Father, who is in heaven. Nor yet be called leaders, for you have only one leader, the Christ. The one who is greatest among you shall be your servant; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
One of the experts in religious law answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us as well.”
And Yeshua said, “Woe unto you lawyers! For you bundle up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but you yourselves will not lift a finger to help move them.
“Woe unto you, lawyers and scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You shut the door to the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You do not enter in yourselves, and you prevent others from entering.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make a single convert, and when he becomes a convert, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If any one swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If any one swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if any one swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by that oath.’ You blind men! Which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it; and whoever swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells within it; and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who sits upon it.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay the tithe on even your mint and rue and dill and cumin, and every little herb, but have neglected the weightier matters of the law—justice and mercy and the love of God. You ought to have paid the tithes without neglecting these other things. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat from your drinking water , but swallow a camel!
“Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have places of honor in the synagogues and greetings in the market places!
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the bowl, while inside they remain full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and of the bowl, and then the outside can become clean as well.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. And you are like unmarked graves which are not seen, and men walk over them unawares.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ But in saying that you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets, and that you consent to their deeds; for they killed them, and you build their tombs. And now you can go on to complete their works of wickedness. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you escape being condemned to hell? For God in his wisdom has said, ‘I will send them more prophets and wise men and teachers, some of whom they will kill and crucify, and some of whom they will scourge in their synagogues and persecute from town to town.’ Then upon you will fall the guilt for all the righteous blood shed from the foundation of the world—from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered in the temple between the sanctuary and the altar. I tell you truly, the judgment for all these things shall fall upon this generation.”
1While Yeshua was speaking a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so closely pressed that they were stepping on one another. Yeshua turned to his disciples and warned them first of all, “Be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be shouted from the housetops.”
172 . THE WIDOW’S MITE
Mark 12 : 41 – 44 ; Luke 21 : 1 – 4
Then Yeshua sat down opposite the temple treasury, and watched people putting money and gifts into the collection boxes. Many rich people put in large sums; and then a poor widow came, and dropped in two mites, the smallest of copper coins, which together make a penny. 217
Yeshua called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others; for they all gave what they could spare out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has given everything she had, all that she had to live on.”
1 73 . TEACHINGS ABOUT THE SECOND COMING
Matthew 24 : 1 – 44 , 25 : 1 – 46 ; Mark 1 3 : 1 – 37 ; Luke 12 : 39 – 40 , 17 : 2 6 – 37 , 21 : 5 – 36
The destruction of Jerusalem
Matthew 24 : 1 – 2 ; Mark 13 : 1 – 2 ; Luke 21 : 5 – 6
Yeshua then left the temple, and was walking away when his disciples came to him and pointed out how it was adorned with beautiful stonework and offerings to God. “Look, Teacher, what massive stones and splendid buildings!” But Yeshua responded, “Do you see all these things? I tell you truly, one day there will not be one stone left upon another; every one of them will be thrown down.” 218
Yeshua’ followers must stand firm
Matthew 24 : 3 – 14 ; Mark 13 : 3 – 13 ; Luke 21 : 7 – 19
Later, as Yeshua sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, “Teacher, tell us, when will all these things happen, and what will show that they are about to take place? What sign will signal your coming and the end of the age?” 219
And Yeshua answered them, “Take care that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and ‘The time is at hand!’ and they will lead many astray. Do not follow them.
“You will hear of wars, and rumors of wars, and upheavals among the people, but see that you are not frightened; these things must happen first, but the end will not come at once. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines, pestilences, and great earthquakes in various places; and there will be terrible sights and great portents from heaven. But all this is only the beginning of the travails.
“So take heed to yourselves. Before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you up to the councils of the Jews , and you will be beaten in synagogues and prisons; and you will be brought before the governors and kings of the Romans. Then they will hand you over for confinement and execution, because you are my followers.
“But this will be an opportunity for you to bear testimony before them. When they arrest you and deliver you up for trial, settle it in your minds not to worry beforehand about how to defend yourselves. Say whatever is given to you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. And I will give you words and wisdom, which none of your enemies will be able to resist or prove wrong.
“You will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be betrayed even by parents and kinsmen and friends and brothers, and some of you they will put to death. Many false prophets will arise and lead people astray. And because lawlessness will increase, most men’s love will grow cold.
“But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will protect your lives; and he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
“This gospel about the kingdom must first be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.
Signs of the second coming
Matthew 24 : 15 – 27 , 24 : 29 – 31 ; Mark 13 : 14 – 27 ; Luke 17 : 31 – 33 , 21 : 20 – 28
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that the time of its destruction is near. And when you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel, set up where it ought not to be, standing in the holy place 220 —let the reader understand!—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let those who are out in the country not enter it.
"On that day, let no one who is on the rooftop, with his possessions inside the house, go down and enter it to take anything out; and let no one who is in the field turn back to fetch his cloak. For these are the days of vengeance, so that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Remember Lot’s wife! 221
"Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.
"Alas for the pregnant women and the nursing mothers in those days! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden underfoot by the Gentiles, until the span of time appointed to the Gentiles has been completed.
"Pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the sabbath. For then there will be such tribulation as has not been seen, from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will be seen again. And if the Lord had not resolved to cut short the days, no human flesh would survive; but for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, those days will be shortened.
"And at that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard. Behold, I have told you all things beforehand.
"If they say to you, ‘Lo, he is out in the desert,’ do not go out; if they say, ‘Lo, he is hidden in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. Just as the lightning comes out of the east and blazes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days, there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars:
The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
The stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers of heaven will be shaken.
And upon the earth, the nations will be in distress, disoriented at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men’s hearts failing them with fear and with foreboding of what is to come upon the world.
"And then the sign of the Son of Man 222 will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will lament, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. And he will send out his angels with a mighty blast on the trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky.
"Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Watch and pray!
Matthew 24 : 28 , 24 : 32 – 42 ; Mark 13 : 28 – 33 ; Luke 17 : 26 – 30 , 17 : 34 – 3 7 , 21 : 29 – 36
And he told them this parable. “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as its twigs become tender and its leaves come out, you can see that and know for yourselves that summer is near. So too, when you see these things happening, you will know that the kingdom of God is near, at the very gates. I tell you truly, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
"But no one knows when that day and hour will come, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In the days before the flood, the people ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, up until the day when Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing of what would happen until the flood came and swept them all away. So too shall be the coming of the Son of Man. And it will be as it was in the days of Lot. People ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Thus it shall be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
"I tell you, on that night there will be two people in the same bed; the one shall be taken and the other left behind. There will be two women grinding grain at the mill; one shall be taken and the other left behind. Two men will be in the field; one shall be taken and the other left.
"Take heed, watch, and pray! Be on guard, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that day close upon you suddenly like a snare; for it will come upon all those who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. So watch at all times, praying that you may be found worthy to escape all these things that are about to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man. Watch, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”
2His disciples asked him, “Where will this happen, Lord?” And he said to them, “Wherever there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather. 223
Unpredictable as a thief in the night
Matthew 24 : 43 – 4 4 ; Mark 13 : 34 – 37 ; Luke 12 : 39 – 40
"It is like a man going on a journey. He leaves his home and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned tasks, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.
"So you too must be watchful, for you do not know when the master of the house will come—in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping.
"And be certain of this, that if the owner of the house had known at what hour of the night the thief was coming, he would have been awake, and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you too must always be ready; for the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. What I say to you I say to all: Watch.
Parable of the faithful and unfaithful servant
Matthew 24:45-51; Luke 12:42-48
"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
"But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
"And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."
Parable of the wise and foolish virgins
Matthew 25 : 1 – 13
"Or the coming of the kingdom of heaven may be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 224 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the ones that were foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil along with their lamps.
“When the bridegroom was long in coming, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom comes! Come out to meet him!’
"Then all the virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No; there may not be enough for us and for you; go instead to the dealers and buy oil for yourselves.’ And while they were away buying it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.
"Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us.’ But he replied, ‘I tell you truly, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.
Parable of the silver talents
Matthew 25 : 14 – 30
"Or it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talent-weights of silver , to another two, and to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he set off. 225
"The one who had received the five talents went out immediately and began to trade with them; and he made five talents more. Likewise, the one who had received the two talents put them to work and made two talents more. But the one who had received the single talent went and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
"After a long time the master of those servants returned and called them for an accounting. The one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; and see, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over small things, so I will put you in charge of large ones; come and share the joy of your master.’ Likewise, the one who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; and see, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over small things, so I will set you over large ones; come and share the joy of your master.’
"And then the one who had received the single talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter any seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Now see, you have what is yours.’
"But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed? Then you should have invested my money with the moneychangers, so that at my coming I should have received back my property with interest. Take the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents! For to every one who has, more will be given, and he shall have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. Now cast this useless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The last judgment
Matthew 25 : 31 – 46
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 226
"Then the King will say to those on his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“And the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we ever see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and take thee in, or naked and clothe thee? Or when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘I tell you truly, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
"Then he will say to those on his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not take me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
"And they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘I tell you truly, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
174 . THE FINAL CRISIS DRAWS CLOSER
Matthew 26 : 1 – 5 ; Mark 14 : 1 – 2 ; Luke 22 : 1 – 2
When Yeshua had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “You know that the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, is coming in two days—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
At the same time, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and took counsel together, as to how they might arrest Yeshua through some deceit and put him to death. “But not during the feast,” they said, “so that there will not be a riot among the people;” for they feared the people. 227
175 . JUDAS AGREES TO A BETRAYAL
Matthew 26 : 14 – 16 ; Mark 14 : 10 – 11 ; Luke 22 : 3 – 6
Then Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; and he went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed how he might betray Yeshua to them.
When they heard this offer they were greatly pleased, and they covenanted with him for money. “How much will you give me if I deliver him to you?” Judas asked. They counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 228 And Judas consented.
And from then on Judas watched for an opportunity to betray Yeshua to them when no crowd was present.
MAUNDY THURSDAY 229
176 . PREPARATIONS FOR THE LAST SUPPER
Matthew 26 : 17 – 20 ; Mark 14 : 1 2 – 17 ; Luke 22 : 7 – 16 ; John 13 : 1 – 2 a
Then came the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb is sacrificed. 230 Yeshua sent Peter and John ahead, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover meal.” And they asked him, “Where would you have us prepare it?”
He replied, “As you go into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house which he enters, and tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, My appointed time is near. Where is the guest room, where I will keep the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you to a large upper room, furnished and prepared; make everything ready for us there.”
The disciples set out and went to the city, and found things as Yeshua had told them. So they did as he had directed, and they prepared the Passover meal. 231
And when it was evening, Yeshua arrived with the twelve. It was just before the feast of the Passover. Yeshua knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. But having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
So Yeshua and his apostles reclined together at the table. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I shall not eat another one until its meaning has been fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And then the supper was served.
177 . WASHING THE DISCIPLES’ FEET
Luke 22 : 24 – 30 ; John 13 : 2 b– 19
Now the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Yeshua. And a dispute also arose among the apostles, as to which of them should be considered the foremost.
Yeshua knew that the Father had put all matters into his hands, and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he rose from supper, laid aside his outer garments, and took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to dry them with the towel that was tied around him.
He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Yeshua replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later on you will understand.” Peter said to him, “No; you shall never wash my feet!” Yeshua answered him, “Unless I wash you, you can have no part in me.”
Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Yeshua said to him, “He who has bathed does not need to wash again, except for his feet, and then he is clean all over. And you are clean, but not all of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him; and that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
When he had finished washing the disciples’ feet, he put his garments back on and resumed his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?,” he asked them. “You call me Master 232 and Lord; and rightly so, for that is what I am. But if I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, then you should also wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, so that you should do as I have done for you.
“I tell you truly, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them call themselves ‘benefactors.’ But let it not be so with you. Rather, the greatest among you should become like the youngest, and the one who leads should become like the one who serves.
“Now that you understand these things, blessed are you if you do them. For who is greater, the one who sits at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
“You are the ones who have stood by me in my trials; and just as my Father has granted me a kingdom, so I grant to you that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
“I am not speaking about all of you; I well know those whom I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, so that when it does take place you will believe that I am the one.”
17 8 . JUDAS DECLINES A FINAL CHANCE TO REPENT
Matthew 26 : 21 – 25 ; Mark 14 : 18 – 21 ; Luke 22 : 21 – 23 ; John 13 : 21 – 30
When Yeshua had said these things, and as they were reclining at the table eating, he became troubled in spirit, and he declared to them, “I tell you truly, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me. The hand of him who betrays me is with mine on the table.”
The disciples looked at one another, wondering of whom he spoke. They were deeply distressed, and they questioned one another, asking which of them would do such a thing. And they began to say to him, one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?”
He answered, “It is one of the twelve, someone who is dipping bread in the same bowl with me, who will betray me. The Son of Man will die, just as it is written of him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born.”
One of his disciples, the one whom Yeshua loved, 233 was reclining at the table next to him. Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Yeshua of whom he was speaking. So leaning back against Yeshua’s chest, 234 he asked him quietly , “Lord, who is it?” Yeshua answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the bowl.” Then, taking the bread and dipping it, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “I am the one, Teacher?” Yeshua replied, “You have said it yourself.”
When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan again entered into him. Yeshua said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” No one at the table knew why Yeshua said this. Some thought that, because Judas had charge of the moneybag, Yeshua was telling him, “Buy the things we need for the feast;” or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, Judas immediately went out; and it was night.
179 . INSTITUTION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
Matthew 26 : 26 – 29 ; Mark 14 : 22 – 2 5 ; Luke 22 : 17 – 20 ; John 13 : 31 – 35 ; 1 Corinthians 11 : 24 – 25
After Judas had gone out, 235 Yeshua said, “Now the time has come when the Son of Man is glorified, and God will be glorified through him. And as God is glorified through the Son, God himself will also glorify the Son, and he will do so quickly.”
As they were eating, Yeshua took bread, and gave thanks, and blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
And after supper he took a cup in the same way, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,” and they all drank of it. “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.” 236
And he said to them, “I tell you truly, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Then Yeshua said to them, “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will seek me; but as I said to the priests and the Pharisees, so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’
“So I am giving you a new commandment: that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so too you should love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.”
180 . Yeshua PREDICTS THAT PETER WILL DISAVOW HIM
Matthew 26 : 31 – 35 ; Mark 14 : 27 – 31 ; Luke 22 : 31 – 38 ; John 13 : 36 – 38
Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Yeshua answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow now; but you shall follow me later.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
Yeshua answered, “You will lay down your life for me? This night you will all fall away because of what will happen to me; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
Peter declared to him, “Even if all others desert you because of what will happen to you, I will not desert you.” “Simon, Simon,” Yeshua answered, “understand this, that Satan has asked to have all of you handed over to him, so that he might sift you like wheat. 237 But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned back to yourself and to me, then strengthen your brethren.” And Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you, both into prison and to death.”
Yeshua said to him, “I tell you truly, Peter, this very night, before the cock crows tomorrow morning, 238 you will deny three times that you even know me.”
But Peter said emphatically, “Even if it means I must die with you, I will never deny you.” And so said all the disciples.
Then Yeshua asked them, “When I sent you out without a wallet or traveling bag or walking shoes, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they said. He said to them, “But now, let him who has a wallet take it with him, and likewise a traveling bag. And let him who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors;’ for that which is written about me will now come to pass.”
They said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “That is enough.” 239
181 . “I AM THE WAY”
John 14 : 1 – 15
T hen Yeshua relaxed and said, “But do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; and believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are rooms for all his people . 240 If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And when I have gone and made a place ready for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may also be. And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way?” Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
“If you had truly known me, you would already know my Father as well; but from now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Yeshua said to him, “Can I have been with you for such a long time, Philip, and still you do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
“The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who does the works you have seen . Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe me on the evidence of the works themselves.
“I tell you truly, he who believes in me will also do the works that I have been doing; and he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 241 Whatever you may ask in my name, that I shall do, so that the Father may be glorified through the Son. If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it.
“And if you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
182 . THE PROMISE TO SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT
John 14 : 16 – 31
“And I will ask the Father, and he will send you another Counselor, to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth. 242 The world cannot accept this spirit, because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him, for he already lives with you, and shall remain in you.
“I will not leave you comfortless; I will come back to you. Just a little while longer, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. And because I live, you will live also. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I in you. Whoever knows my commandments and keeps them, that is one who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will show myself to him.” 243
The other Judas—not Judas Iscariot—said to him, “Why is it, Lord, that you will show yourself to us, and not to the whole world?” Yeshua answered him, “If a man loves me, he will follow my teachings, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. But he who does not love me will not follow my teachings. This judgment which you hear is not mine, but it is from the Father who sent me.
“I have told you these things now, while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name—he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give this to you as the world gives. So do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 244 I have told you this now, before it takes place, so that when it does take place you will believe.
“I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of this world is coming. 245 He has no power over me; but I will do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.
“Come now, let us be on our way.”
183 . FAREWELL DISCOURSE ON THE WAY TO GETHSEMANE
Matthew 2 6 : 30 ; Mark 14 : 26 ; Luke 22 : 39 ; John 15 : 1 — 16 : 33
And when they had sung a hymn, Yeshua left for the Mount of Olives, as was his custom; and the disciples went with him. 246 And as they walked he spoke to them.
Parable of the vine
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of me that bears no fruit; and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it may bear still more fruit. You are already pruned clean by the teachings I have given you. Abide with me, and I will abide with you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine, and you are the branches. If a man abides in me, and I in him, then he will bear much fruit; for without me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a cut-off branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. But if you remain in me, and my words remain in you, then you may ask for whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. In this way my Father is glorified, when you bear much fruit, and so prove yourselves to be my disciples.
The commandment to love one another
“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; continue in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants, for the servant is not informed of his master’s business; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you; and I appointed you to go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should endure. Then whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. And this I command you, to love one another.
Warning of trials to come
“If the world hates you, know that it hated me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
“Remember what I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they had followed my teaching, they would also follow yours. But they will do all these things to you on account of me, because they do not know the one who sent me.
“If I had not come and taught them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them such works as no other man ever did, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have seen the works and yet still hate both me and my Father. This is to fulfill what is written in their law, ‘They hated me without cause.’
“But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father—the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father 247 —he will declare the truth about me; and you too shall bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
"I have told you these things so that your faith will not be shaken. They will expel you from the synagogues; indeed, the time is coming when whoever kills you will think he is doing good service to God. They will do this to you because they have not known the Father, or me. But I am telling you these things now, so that when they come to pass, you will remember that I told you of them.
Preparing the disciples for his departure
"I did not say these things to you at the beginning, because I was still with you. Now I am going away to the one who sent me; and yet none of you has asked me, ‘Where are you going?’ Instead, because of what I have told you, sorrow has filled your hearts.
"But I tell you this truth: it is better for you that I am going away. If I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I do go, I will send him to you.
"And when the Counselor comes, he will show the world its errors concerning sin, and righteousness, and the coming judgment. Its errors concerning sin, because men have not believed in me; concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no more; and concerning the coming judgment, because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak everything he hears, and he will disclose to you the things that are to come. He will bring glory to me, for he will take all the things that I teach and am, and make them known to you. All things whatsoever that pertain to the Father pertain to me as well; therefore I said that the Spirit will take of what is mine and make it known to you.
"A little while, and you will see me no more; then a little while longer and you will see me again, because I am going to the Father.”
1 Some of his disciples asked one another, “What is this that he is saying to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me; and a little while longer, and you will see me;’ and ‘because I am going to the Father’?” They asked, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not understand.”
18 . Yeshua realized that they wanted to ask him about this; so he said to them, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant by saying, ‘A little while, and you will see me no more; and a little while longer, and you will see me again’? I tell you truly, you will weep and mourn, even while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. When a woman is in labor she feels sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child has been born into the world. So too with you. You feel sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take that joy away from you. On that day you will ask nothing more of me.
"I tell you truly, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Now ask, and you shall receive, so that your joy may be made complete.
“I have spoken with you about these matters in figures of speech; but the time is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figurative language but will tell you plainly about the Father. On that day you will ask in my name. I need not undertake to ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself already loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came forth from the Father and have entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
2His disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly, not in figures of speech or parables! Now we are sure that you know all things, and need not even wait for the question to be asked. From this we believe that you came from God.” 248
"You believe at last!” Yeshua replied. “But remember that the time is coming, indeed it is already here, when you will be scattered, each one to his own way, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not all alone, for the Father is with me.
"I have told you these things, so that through me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But be of good heart; I have overcome the world.”
184 . PRAYER FOR HIS FOLLOWERS
John 17 : 1 – 26
When Yeshua had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and prayed.
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy Son, so that the Son may glorify thee. Just as you have given him authority over all humanity, he will give eternal life to all those people that you have granted to him. And this is their way to eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Yeshua Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on earth, by accomplishing the work which thou hast given me to do; and now, Father, glorify me in heaven by bringing me back into the glory I shared with you before the world was made.
“I have made your name known to the people that you have given to me out of the world. 249 They were yours; and you gave them to me; and they have kept thy word. Now they understand that everything you have given me truly comes from thee; for I have passed on to them the words which you gave to me, and they have accepted this message, and know in truth that I came from thee; and they believe that you did send me.
“My prayer is for them. My prayer is not for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All my things are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified through them. Now I am staying in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to thee.
“Holy Father, protect them by thy name—the name which you have given me—so that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them in the world, I guarded them by the power of thy name. Those that thou gave me I have kept, and not one of them is lost, except only the son of perdition, and that only so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to thee; and so I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they might be filled with the same joy that I have.
“I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from evil. For they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
“Sanctify them through the truth; thy word is truth. Even as you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I consecrate myself, 250 so that they too may be made holy through the truth.
“My prayer is not for these only, but also for those who will come to believe in me through their teaching, so that they all may be one. Even as you, Father, are in me, and I in thee, let them be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. The glory which you gave me I have given to them, so that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me. May they become perfectly united, so that the world will know that you have sent me, and have loved them even as you have loved me.
“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am. 251 Then they may see the glory which you gave me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee; and these disciples know that you have sent me. I have made your name known to them, and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
185 . THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN
Matthew 26 : 36 – 46 ; Mark 14 : 32 – 42 ; Luke 22 : 40 – 46 ; John 18 : 1
When Yeshua had finished this prayer, he continued across the Kidron Valley, to a garden called Gethsemane, 252 which he and the disciples entered.
Yeshua said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John, along with him; and when he came to the place he began to be grieved and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrows, even unto death,” he said to them. “Remain here and keep watch with me. And pray that you do not fall into temptation.”
Going a little farther, about a stone’s throw beyond them, Yeshua knelt down, and then fell face down on the ground, and he prayed that if it were possible, the hour of his suffering might pass him by. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for thee. If you are willing, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. And in his anguish he prayed still more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down upon the earth.
When he rose from prayer, he went back to the disciples and found them asleep, overcome with sorrow, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch with me for one hour? And why are all of you sleeping? Rise, and watch, and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation. For indeed the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Then for a second time he went away and prayed, saying the same words as before. “My Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, then thy will be done.” And again he returned and found the disciples sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him.
So, leaving them once more, he went away and prayed for a third time, saying the same words. Then he came back the third time and said to the disciples, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough of that! Behold, the time has come, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer approaches!”
X. Trial and Crucifixion
GOOD FRIDAY
186 . BETRAYAL AND ARREST
Matthew 26 : 47 – 56 ; Mark 14 : 43 – 52 ; Luke 22 : 47 – 5 4 a; John 18:2–12
The man called Judas, one of the twelve, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Yeshua often met there with his disciples. So, while Yeshua was still speaking, Judas arrived, leading a great crowd, including a band of soldiers and some temple guards, sent from the chief priests, the scribes, the elders and the Pharisees. They were carrying lanterns and torches, and were armed with swords and clubs.
The betrayer had arranged a signal with them, saying, “The one that I kiss is the man you want; arrest him and take him away under guard.” Judas therefore approached Yeshua to kiss him; but Yeshua said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” Then Judas went at once to Yeshua and said, “Greetings, Master!,” 253 and kissed him affectionately. And Yeshua said to him, “My friend, do what you came to do.”
Then Yeshua, knowing all the things that were coming upon him, stepped forward and said to the crowd, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Yeshua of Nazareth.” Yeshua said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was once more standing with the crowd. When Yeshua said to them, “I am he,” they backed away and fell to the ground. 254
Therefore he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Yeshua of Nazareth.” Yeshua answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you are looking for me, let these other men go.” He said this to fulfill the words that he had spoken, “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”
Then men from the crowd came up, and laid hands on Yeshua and held him.
When the disciples who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, should we fight them with our swords?” Simon Peter, who had a sword, reached for it, drew it out, and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. But Yeshua said to Peter, “No more of this!” And he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.
“Put your sword back into its sheath,” Yeshua said to Peter, “for all those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. Do you think that I could not call upon my Father, and he would not at once send me more than a dozen legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must be so? Shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?”
8 . Then Yeshua said to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I some dangerous insurrectionist, 255 that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? I sat with you every day, teaching in the temple courtyards, and you did not lay a hand on me. Now this is your hour, when the power of darkness rules. But all this has taken place so that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
9 . Then the band of soldiers and their commanding officer and the temple guards of the Jews arrested Yeshua and bound him, and led him away.
10 . At that point all the disciples deserted Yeshua and fled. One young man followed behind Yeshua, with a linen cloth cast about his bare body. They laid hold of him, but he slipped out of the covering and ran away naked.
187 . THE INITIAL EXAMINATION BEFORE ANNAS
Matthew 26 : 57 a; Mark 1 4 : 53 a; John 18 : 13 – 14 , 19 – 24
Those who had arrested Yeshua took him first to Annas; for he was a former high priest and the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year. 256 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient for one man to die for the sake of the people.
The former high priest Annas then questioned Yeshua about his disciples and his teaching. Yeshua answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where Jews have always come together; I have said nothing in secret. 257 And why are you asking me about these things? Ask my listeners what I said to them. They know what I said.”
When he had said this, one of the guards standing nearby slapped Yeshua with the palm of his hand, saying, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” Yeshua replied, “If I have spoken wrongly, explain what is wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why did you strike me?”
Annas then sent Yeshua, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest, and his captors took him into the high priest’s house.
1 88 . TWO DISCIPLES FOLLOW TO THE HIGH PRIEST’S HOUSE
Matthew 26 : 58 ; Mark 14 : 54 ; Luke 22 : 54 b– 55 ; John 18 : 15 – 16 , 18
Simon Peter had followed Yeshua at a distance, and so had another disciple, all the way to the courtyard of the high priest. 258
Because this other disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Yeshua into the courtyard, while Peter stood outside at the gate. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept the gate, and brought Peter inside.
It was cold, and the servants and guards had kindled a charcoal fire in the middle of the courtyard, where they stood and warmed themselves. Peter stood with them, and when they had sat down together, Peter sat down among them to see what would happen, also warming himself at the fire.
189 . INFORMAL TRIAL BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST
Matthew 26 : 57 b, 59 – 68 ; Mark 14 : 53 b, 55 – 65 ; Luke 22 : 63 – 65
I nside the house of the high priest, all the chief priests, scribes and elders had gathered.
The chief priests and the whole council sought for evidence against Yeshua, so that they might put him to death; but they found none. Though many came forward and bore false witness, their testimony did not agree. Finally two came forward and swore falsely against Yeshua, saying, “We heard this man say, ‘I will destroy the temple of God, which is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even on this their testimony did not agree.
The high priest stood up before the gathering and asked Yeshua, “Have you no answer? What of the testimony these men are giving against you?” But Yeshua was silent and gave no answer.
Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? I charge you under oath in the name of the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” And Yeshua said to him, “I am; it is just as you say. 259 And I tell you, before long you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
At this the high priest rent his garments and said, “Blasphemy! What more witnesses do we need? Now you have heard his blasphemy yourselves. What is your judgment?” And they all answered, “He deserves death.”
Then the guards who were holding Yeshua began to mock him and hit him with their fists. Some began to spit in his face. And some blindfolded him and slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you ‘Messiah’! Who was it that just hit you?” And they said many other blasphemous things to him.
190 . PETER DENIES Yeshua THREE TIMES
Matthew 26 : 69 – 75 ; Mark 1 4 : 66 – 72 ; Luke 22 : 56 – 62 ; John 18 : 17 , 25 – 27
Meanwhile Peter was outside, sitting below in the courtyard. One of the servant girls of the high priest, the one who kept the gate, saw Peter as he sat in the firelight warming himself, and came up to him. She looked closely at him and said, “This man also was with the Galilean, Yeshua of Nazareth.” And she challenged Peter, “Are you not also one of that man’s disciples?” But he denied it before them all, saying, “Woman, I am not; I do not know him. I do not even know what you are talking about.”
A little later Peter went out into the gateway. In the darkness outside a bird called . 260 When the servant girl saw him there, she again said to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” And another maid saw him, and she accused Peter, “ Yes, you too are one of them.” And she repeated to the bystanders, “This fellow was with Yeshua of Nazareth.” At that Simon Peter moved back to the fire and began to stand and warm himself. But the bystanders pressed him, “Are you not also one of his disciples?” Again Peter denied it with an oath, saying, “My friend, I am not. I do not know the man.”
After an interval of about an hour, the bystanders came up to Peter again, and one of them insisted, “Certainly you are also one of them, for you are a Galilean. Your accent gives you away.” And one of the servants of the high priest, a kinsman of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter once more denied it, and he began to curse and he swore an oath, “Friend, I do not understand what you are saying. I do not know this man you are talking about.”
And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. Just at that time Yeshua was being taken across the courtyard on the way to his formal judgment . 261 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
191 . FORMAL CONDEMNATION
Matthew 27 : 1 – 2 ; Mark 15 : 1 ; Luke 22 : 66 — 23 : 1 ; John 18 : 28 a
As soon as it was morning, 262 the formal council of the Sanhedrin assembled—the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes—and the whole group reached the decision to put Yeshua to death.
Yeshua was brought before them, and they asked him, “If you are the Messiah, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe me; and if I ask you a question, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the Almighty God.”
They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” And he said to them, “It is just as you say.” And they said, “What further evidence do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own mouth.”
Then the whole company of them rose and bound Yeshua, and led him from Caiaphas to the palace of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. 263
192 . SUICIDE OF JUDAS
Matthew 27 : 3 – 10 ; Acts 1 : 18 – 19
When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Yeshua was condemned, he felt remorse 264 and brought the thirty pieces of silver back to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?,” they replied. “Deal with it yourself.”
Judas flung the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed. Then he went and hanged himself. When he was cut down , he fell headlong and his body burst open in the middle, and all his bowels spilled out. 265
The chief priests took up the pieces of silver, but said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since they are blood money.” So they took counsel among themselves and used the coins to buy the potter’s field, where Judas had hanged himself , as a place to bury strangers. This story became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that to this day the field is called in their language Akeldama, that is, the Field of Blood.
I n this way, through the agency of the priests, Judas acquired a field with the reward he got for his wickedness. 266 And thus the words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah were fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price that had been set upon him by the sons of Israel, and they gave them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord directed.”
193 . APPEARANCE BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE
Matthew 27 : 11 – 14 ; Mark 15 : 2 – 5 ; Luke 23 : 2 – 7 ; John 18 : 28 b– 38
By now it was early morning. The men holding Yeshua did not enter the governor’s palace; they wanted to avoid ceremonial uncleanness, 267 so that they would be able to take the Passover meal. Pilate therefore went out to them. 268 Yeshua stood before the governor, and Pilate asked, “What accusation are you bringing against this man?”
They answered him, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have brought him before you.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” But they said to him, “We do not have the authority to put anyone to death.” This happened to fulfill the words Yeshua had spoken, when he revealed the kind of death he was going to die.
Then the chief priests and elders began to accuse Yeshua of many things, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, and forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
So Pilate asked Yeshua, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And Yeshua answered him, “Yes; just as you say.”
But to the accusations made by the chief priests and elders, Yeshua gave no reply. Then Pilate asked him, “Have you no answer to make? Do you not hear how many charges they are bringing against you?” But Yeshua said never a word, not even to answer a single charge, so that the governor was greatly astonished.
Pilate went back into the palace and summoned Yeshua to him, and asked him again , “Are you the King of the Jews?” Yeshua answered, “Is this your own question, or did others say this to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?”
Yeshua answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my people would fight, so that I might not be handed over to the high priest and the council; but in fact my kingdom is not an earthly kingdom.”
8 . Pilate said to him, “So you are a king then?” Yeshua answered, “Yes, just as you say; I am a king. But in this sense: I was born and have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to my voice.” And Pilate said to him, “Truth. What is truth?” 269
After he had said this, Pilate went out to the chief priests and the crowd again, and said to all of them, “I do not find that this man has done any crime.” But they were insistent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all the lands of the Jews, beginning from Galilee even to here.”
10 . When Pilate heard Galilee spoken of, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that Yeshua came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
194 . APPEARANCE BEFORE HEROD
Luke 23 : 8 – 12
Herod was greatly pleased to see Yeshua. He had long desired to meet him, because he had heard about him and had been hoping to see Yeshua perform a miracle.
So Herod questioned him at great length; but Yeshua gave him no answer at all. Meanwhile the chief priests and the scribes stood nearby, vehemently accusing him.
Then Herod and his soldiers treated Yeshua with contempt and began to ridicule him. Finally, Herod put a magnificent robe on Yeshua and sent him back to Pilate. And on that day Herod and Pilate became friends, although before this there had been tension between them. 270
195 . RETURN TO PILATE
Matthew 27 : 19 ; Luke 23 : 13 – 16
Pilate then called together the chief priests, the other leaders, and the people, and he said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was subverting the people; but after examining him in your presence, I have not found him guilty of any of your charges against him. And neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us.
“As you can see, he has done nothing that deserves death; I will therefore have him whipped and then release him.”
And while Pilate was sitting in judgment on the case, his wife sent word to him, “Do nothing against that innocent man, for I have suffered much today because of a dream I had about him.”
196 . THE CROWD CHOOSES BARABBAS
Matthew 27 : 15 – 18 , 20 – 23 ; Mark 1 5 : 6 – 14 ; Luke 23 : 17 – 23 ; John 18 : 3 9 – 40
Now it was the governor’s custom at the Passover feast to release any one prisoner that the crowd desired.
At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas, a bandit who was jailed among the rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection that had taken place in the city. 271 And the crowd came up and asked Pilate to follow his usual custom with them.
So Pilate asked them, “Whom do you want me to release to you, Barabbas or Yeshua who is called the Christ? Do you want me to release the ‘King of the Jews’ for you?” For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Yeshua over to him. But the chief priests and the elders stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead, and to destroy Yeshua. So when the governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” they cried out together, “Barabbas! Not this man! Away with him, and give us Barabbas!”
Wanting to release Yeshua, Pilate spoke to them again. “What shall I do then with Yeshua, called Christ, whom you call the King of the Jews?” They all cried out, “Let him be crucified.”
A third time Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in this man no crime deserving death; I will therefore chastise him and release him.” But the crowd was insistent, and they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified! Crucify him!” And their voices prevailed.
1 97 . PILATE WASHES HIS HANDS
Matthew 27 : 24 – 26 ; Mark 15 : 15 ; Luke 23 : 24 – 25 a; John 19 : 1
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but rather that a riot was beginning, he announced that it would be as they demanded. He took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; anything after this is your responsibility.” 272 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us, and on our children!” 273
Then Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas, the man who had been cast into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for. And after having Yeshua scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.
198 . THE SOLDIERS MOCK Yeshua
Matthew 27 : 27 – 30 ; Mark 15 : 16 – 19 ; John 19 : 2 – 3
So the governor’s soldiers took Yeshua into the palace, known as the Praetorium, and they assembled all the soldiers of the guard around him.
The soldiers stripped Yeshua, and they clothed him in a scarlet cloak, and put a purple robe upon him. 274 They plaited together a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a reed staff in his right hand. Then they knelt down before him as if in homage and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
Then they took the reed and began to strike him on the head with it; and they spat upon him; and they slapped him in the face.
199 . FINAL APPEAL AND THE DEATH SENTENCE
Matthew 27 : 31 ; Mark 15 : 20 ; Luke 2 3 : 25 b; John 19 : 4 – 16
B ut then Pilate had second thoughts. He went out once more, and said to the crowd, “Behold, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may see that I cannot find any grounds for a charge against him.” Then Yeshua came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Look at the man!” 275
But when the chief priests and their officials saw him, they cried out, “Crucify, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him.” They answered him, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has called himself the Son of God.”
When Pilate heard these words, he became all the more afraid. He went back into the palace and asked Yeshua, “Where are you from?” But Yeshua gave no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not understand that I have the power to release you, and the power to crucify you?”
Yeshua answered him, “You would have no power over me at all unless it had been given to you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you bears an even greater sin than yours .”
From then on Pilate tried to set Yeshua free, but the crowd cried out loudly, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar; every one who calls himself a king is speaking against Caesar.”
When Pilate heard these words he brought Yeshua out, and he sat down in the judgment seat at the place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was the day of preparation for the Passover, in the morning. 276
Pilate said to the crowd, “Here is your king.” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
8 . Then Pilate delivered Yeshua up to their will. After the soldiers had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
20 0 . THE ROAD TO CALVARY
Matthew 27 : 32 ; Mark 15 : 21 ; Luke 23 : 26 – 32 ; John 19 : 17 a
So Yeshua went out, bearing his own cross.
As the soldiers were taking him out, they came upon a passer-by, one Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the country. They seized him and laid the cross on him, and compelled him to carry it behind Yeshua.
And there followed behind Yeshua a great multitude of the people, and of women who mourned and wailed for him. But Yeshua turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children. For the days are coming when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if men will do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” 277
And two other men, who were criminals, were also led out to be put to death with him.
201 . THE CRUCIFIXION
Matthew 27 : 33 – 34 , 37 – 38 ; Mark 15 : 22 – 24 a, 25 – 28 ; Luke 2 3 : 33 – 34 a, 38 ; John 19 : 17 b– 22
They brought Yeshua to the place called Calvary or Golgotha, which in Hebrew means The Place of the Skull. 278 And they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall and myrrh; 279 but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
There they crucified him, and with him the two bandits, 280 one on his right and one on his left, and Yeshua between them. And so the scripture was fulfilled which says, “He was numbered with the transgressors.” It was nine o’clock when they crucified him.
Yeshua said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
Pilate had a notice prepared of the charges against Yeshua, and they put it on the cross over his head. It read, “This is Yeshua of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 281 Many of the Jews read this, for the place where Yeshua was crucified was near the city; and the notice was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. The chief priests then said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
20 2 . INSULTS ON THE CROSS
Matthew 27 : 35 – 36 , 39 – 44 ; Mark 15 : 24 b, 29 – 32 ; Luke 23 : 34 b– 37 , 39 – 43 ; John 19 : 23 – 24
When the soldiers had crucified Yeshua they took his garments and divided them into four shares, one for each soldier, casting lots to decide what each should take. They also took his inner tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven in one piece from top to bottom; so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it as well , to see whose it shall be.”
This was to fulfill the scripture, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did this; and then they sat down and kept guard over him.
The people stood by, watching; but their leaders scoffed at Yeshua. The ones who passed by called out insults at him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who were going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
The chief priests, scribes and elders mocked him in the same way among themselves. “He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let him do that, if he is the Messiah of God, his Chosen One! He is the King of Israel! Then let this Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, and we will see and believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he will have him; for this man said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
And the bandits who were crucified with Yeshua taunted him in the same way. One of the criminals hanging there railed at him, saying, “Are you in truth the Christ? Then save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are condemned in the same way that he is? But indeed we are condemned justly; for we are receiving the due reward for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
And he said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Yeshua said to him, “I tell you truly, today you shall be with me in Paradise.”
203 . LAST HOURS
Matthew 27 : 45 – 56 ; Mark 15 : 33 – 41 ; Luke 23 : 44 – 49 ; John 19 : 25 – 37
Standing near the cross of Yeshua were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 282 When Yeshua saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Good woman, this is now your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “This is your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took Yeshua’ mother into his own home. 283
It was now about noon, and there was darkness over all the land until three o’clock, for the sun’s light failed.
And at three o’clock Yeshua cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi lema sabachthani?,” which is to say, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Upon hearing this, some of the bystanders said, “Behold, he is calling for Elijah.” 284
After this, knowing that all things were now completed, and so that the scripture would be fulfilled, Yeshua said, “I am thirsty.” A bowl full of sour wine 285 stood there, so one of the men at once ran and soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, lifted it to Yeshua’ mouth, and offered it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”
When Yeshua had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he called out with a loud voice, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit!” And having said this he bowed his head, breathed his last, and gave up the ghost. 286
At that moment the veil of the temple 287 was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook, and the rocks were rent; and the graves were opened; and the bodies of many godly people who had died were raised to life, and after Yeshua’ resurrection they came out of the tombs and went into the holy city and appeared to many.
When the centurion and his companions, who were standing in front of Yeshua, keeping guard over him, saw the earthquake and all else that took place, and heard his cry and saw the way he died, they were filled with fear, and the centurion praised God and said, “Certainly this was a righteous man; and truly this was the Son of God.”
8 . When the crowds who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home beating their breasts. But all those who knew Yeshua, including the women who had followed him in Galilee and ministered to him, stood at a distance and watched things to the end. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger 288 and of Joses, and Salome the mother of Zebedee’s sons. 289 And many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
9 . It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath the next day was to be a special high day. 290 So that the bodies would not remain on the crosses on the sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate that the men’s legs be broken, and that they then be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and then of the other who had been crucified with Yeshua; but when they came to Yeshua and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out a flow of blood and water.
1 0 . The man who saw this has borne witness so that you too may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth. For these things took place so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “Not one of his bones shall be broken.” And as another scripture says, “They shall look upon the one whom they have pierced.”
204 . THE BURIAL OF Yeshua
Matthew 27 : 57 – 61 ; Mark 15 : 4 2 – 47 ; Luke 23 : 50 – 56 a; John 19 : 38 – 42
It was the day of preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath. As evening approached, there came a rich man named Joseph, from Arimathea, a city of Judea. He was a distinguished member of the council, a good man and a just one, who had not consented to the council’s purpose and actions, and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.
Now this Joseph of Arimathea had himself become a disciple of Yeshua, but secretly, for fear of his colleagues. He gathered his courage and went in to Pilate, and asked for the body of Yeshua.
Pilate was surprised to hear that Yeshua had already died; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether Yeshua was truly dead. And when the centurion confirmed it, Pilate ordered that the body be given to Joseph.
So Joseph bought some linen cloth, and took down the body of Yeshua, and took it away. With him was Nicodemus, who had once come to Yeshua by night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.
They took the body of Yeshua and wrapped it in the clean linen cloths, 291 along with the spices, which is the burial custom of the Jews.
Now near the place where Yeshua was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was Joseph’s own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock, and where no one had ever yet been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of preparation, and the sabbath was about to begin, and as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Yeshua there. Then Joseph rolled a great stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and departed.
The women who had come with Yeshua from Galilee had followed Joseph and were sitting there, facing the tomb. Among them were Mary Magdalene and the other Mary the mother of Joses. They saw the tomb, and how Yeshua’ body was laid in it. And then they returned home.
HOLY SATURDAY
205 . THE TOMB IS SEALED
Matthew 27 : 62 – 66
The next day, that is, the day after the day of preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that deceiver said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may come and steal the body away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead;’ and that last deception will be worse than the first.”
Pilate said to them, “Take a guard of soldiers; go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and secured the tomb by putting a seal on the entrance stone and setting a guard.
206 . THE WOMEN PREPARE TO ANOINT THE BODY
Mark 16 : 1 ; Luke 23 : 56 b— 24 : 1 a
On the sabbath the women rested according to the commandment.
But on Saturday evening, when the sabbath was past, 292 Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, 293 and Salome went and bought aromatic herbs, and prepared spices and ointments, so that they might go and anoint Yeshua’ body.
XI. The Resurrection
EASTER SUNDAY
207 . THE EMPTY TOMB
Matthew 28 : 1 – 8 ; Mark 16 : 2 – 8 ; Luke 24 : 1 b– 8 , 10 ; John 20 : 1 – 2
After the sabbath, 294 very early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to see the sepulchre, taking the spices which the women had prepared. With her were the other Mary the mother of James, Joanna, Salome, and the other women.
A bout the time they were setting out there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His face shone like lightning, and his garments were as white as snow. And for fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.
A s they walked toward the sepulchre, the women asked each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” They reached the tomb when the sun had just risen. And looking up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled away.
But when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Yeshua. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two angels stood near them, in the form of men 295 in dazzling apparel. The women were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground.
O ne angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Yeshua of Nazareth who was crucified. Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here; for he is risen, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” And then they remembered his words.
Entering the tomb they saw the second angel , like a young man, sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe. And he said to them, “Then go quickly and tell his disciples and Peter that he has risen from the dead. 296 And behold, he is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him, as he said. That is my message for you.” So the women departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
But as they fled from the tomb, trembling and astonishment came upon most of the women, and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.
8 . B ut Mary Magdalene ran on, 297 and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Yeshua loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
208 . TWO APOSTLES VISIT THE TOMB
Luke 2 4 : 12 ; John 20 : 3 – 10
Peter then rose and went out, along with the other disciple, and they hurried together toward the tomb. Both men ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. Stooping down to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there; but he did not go in.
Then Simon Peter came up, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the burial cloth, which had been around Yeshua’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in. They saw and believed that something extraordinary had taken place, but they still did not understand the scripture, that Yeshua must rise from the dead.
So the disciples went back home wondering at what had happened.
209 . APPEARANCE TO MARY MAGDALENE AND THE WOMEN
Matthew 28 : 9 – 10 ; Mark 16 : 9 – 11 ; Luke 2 4 : 9 , 11 ; John 20 : 11 – 18
When Yeshua rose early on that first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
Mary had followed the two apostles to the tomb, and now was left alone there. Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she again saw the two angels in white, sitting where the body of Yeshua had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have put him.”
After she had said this, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing there, but she did not realize that it was Yeshua. He said to her, “Good woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will go and get him.”
Yeshua said to her, “Mary.” She turned and cried out in Hebrew, “Rabboni!,” which means Teacher. Yeshua said to her, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
Mary went back to tell those who had been with him. Along the way she met the women who had been with her earlier. 298 Then behold, Yeshua met them and said, “All hail!” The women came and clasped his feet and worshiped him. And Yeshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
The women went to the disciples, who were mourning and weeping. Mary Magdalene said to them, “I have seen the Lord;” and she told them the things that he had said to her. But when they heard that he was alive and that she had seen him, they would not believe it. Then all the women recounted the events to the eleven and to all the rest, but the words seemed to them an idle tale, and they still did not believe them.
210 . THE GUARDS’ PACT WITH THE CHIEF PRIESTS
Matthew 28 : 11 – 15
While the women were going to the apostles, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. And when the priests had met with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were sleeping.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will intercede with him and keep you safe.”
So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed; and this story is widely told among the Jewish people to this day. 299
211 . ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS
Mark 16 : 12 – 13 ; Luke 24 : 13 – 35
After this, Yeshua appeared in another form to two of his followers, as they were walking into the country.
That same day the two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all that had happened. While they were talking and discussing matters, Yeshua himself approached and began to walk with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What is it that you are talking about as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who has not heard of the things that have just happened there?” “What things?” Yeshua asked. And they said, “The things concerning Yeshua of Nazareth. He was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. Our chief priests and leaders delivered him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him, but we had been hoping that he was the one who would redeem Israel.
“What is more, this is the third day since these things happened. And now some women of our company have amazed us. They were at the tomb early this morning, but they did not find his body. They came back saying that they had instead seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of our companions went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said; but him they did not see.”
Then Yeshua said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things before entering into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures about himself.
So they drew near to the village where they were going. Yeshua seemed to be planning to continue further, but they prevailed on him not to, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at dinner with them, he took the bread, and blessed and broke it, and began to give it to them. At that moment their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and then he vanished out of their sight.
8 . They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked on the road, while he explained the scriptures to us?” Within the hour they arose and started back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven apostles, together with those others who had gathered with them, who said, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then the two walkers told what had happened on the road, and how they recognized Yeshua at the breaking of the bread, but some of the disciples did not believe them. 300
212 . APPEARANCE TO THE DISCIPLES
Mark 16 : 14 ; Luke 24 : 36 – 43 ; John 20 : 1 9 – 23
But then Yeshua himself appeared as the eleven were still discussing this. On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, while the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the temple authorities, Yeshua himself came and stood among them as they sat at their meal. “Peace be with you,” he said.
The disciples were startled and frightened, and supposed that they were seeing a ghost. So he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this he showed them his hands and his feet and his side.
While they still could hardly believe it for joy and amazement, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it before them. And he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. Then the disciples were overjoyed as they looked upon the Lord.
Yeshua said to them once more, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; and if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”