That Monday

Monday, at dusk of Passion Week, Jesus returned to the sanctuary provided by Lazarus, Martha and Mary at Bethany.  How good it is to have dear friends who put their lives on the line for a friend.  Friends can be poor friends in that they are too self-serving (eros love) or they can be very committed like a family member (storge love) or they can be very giving (phileo love) or they can be the sacrificing kind (agape love).  Jesus’ friends of Bethany appear to be the fourth.

Jesus had put in a hard day on temple mount which started with a “bang” that He caused by wreaking havoc in the temple when He overturned tables, drove the traders out, and stopped shortcut traffic.  I have tried to put myself on the fringe of that event and to imagine the chaos and loudness.  On top of what He did, it was Passover week and packed with people!  What a scene and it was the holiest week in Jerusalem!  How could Jesus be so insensitive?  Humm?

Riding in the previous day, the crowds had been loudly rejoicing and shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9).  On that Monday, the children picked up the cheers and chants of the adults from the previous day, further angering the leadership.  Matthew 21:15, When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?”  Two large points: the children were boys age 12 and 13 who were there for their first feast participation and for their official entrance into the full rights of a Jewish adult.  It was this event when Jesus stayed behind at age 12 engaging the Jewish leadership (Luke 2:42-46).  Also, Jesus, by quoting Psalm 8:2 declared Himself God.

Psalm 8:1-3, O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens!  Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers…

The leaders were surely infuriated and moved to a breaking point.

On that day He continued physically touching lives.  Matthew 21:14, Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  Think of the press of many trying to get to Jesus for a touch.  It would have been withering and draining.  What a hard day!

And then in the midst of all the hubbub, Jesus was pondering what was really going on.  He was being analyzed by the hierarchy as to His perfection.  Was He flawless?  Was He a perfect Lamb?  And if true, He was going to be killed in a couple days by means of the terrible Roman cross.  He was busy with people but heavy, heavy in thought about what was coming.  He was troubled.  John 12:27-31, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.  Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” [This the third time God spoke audibly from Heaven to and of Jesus].  Therefore, the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.  Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.”  Interesting that looming in Jesus’ thinking, and working unbeknownst to the crowds and even the leaders, was Satan.  But Jesus knew it!

Also weighing on Jesus was the fact that the people were not believing.  They wanted His touch but not His truth or His life.  John 12:36-37, “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him.  He hid from them!  What does that say about the press and the responses?  It was a very hard day!

But Jesus had very good friends.  Oh, to go “home” to peace.  Oh, to be loved and served!