The Sufferings and the Glory

Introduction

2010-01-14T16:44:00.000-08:00

....Through the writings of the apostles the story of Jesus’ passion has become well known, yet His own perspective remained hidden throughout the ages: "I will no longer talk much with you," said He, "for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me." 1

....In the events that followed, as His sufferings began, Jesus faced great distress, isolation and pain, yet He remained silent before His accusers. But in His heart He mused, and His thoughts were passionately searching: 2.

.... "I was mute with silence, I held My peace even from good; and My sorrow was stirred up. My heart was hot within Me; while I was musing, the fire burned."
(Psalm 39:2-3)

.... Through the prophets of old, by the spirit of Christ who was in them, the sufferings and glories of Christ were foretold in detail. Of this they made diligent inquiry, searching to understand those things that were indicated to them. So poignant was the understanding they received, so deeply moving was their revelation, so profound was the impact on their very own souls, that much of their prophecy was rendered in first person. 3

.
....Through the same Spirit who searches all things (yes, even the deep things of God), and who shows us the mind of Christ, this presentation reconstructs Jesus’ thoughts in those final hours, in the context of the Old Testament prophecies that foretold them. For the benefit of the reader, summaries and Scriptural references have been included by hyperlinks in each section. 4

This blog uses a top-to-bottom format. To continue reading, please proceed to the posting below.

See the Scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks.

Prologue - The Plot to Destroy Jesus

2010-01-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

.... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Through His ministry the eyes of the blind were opened, the ears of the deaf were unstopped, the lame would leap as a deer and the tongue of the mute would sing. For the kingdom of God was preached in the wilderness, and the gospel was proclaimed to the poor: 1 .

.... "He shall say, 'Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength’. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him."
(Isaiah 45:24)

.
.... But through religious envy, unrighteousness grew and His enemies became strong. For the priests loved the honor of men more than the honor of God, and turned away justice from their hearts. The law was hidden, and the truth failed them. Enmity was found in the house of God as their eyes fell upon Jesus as a prey. 2

..... "LORD, how they have increased who trouble Me! Many are they who rise up against Me. Many are they who say of Me, ‘There is no help for Him in God’. Selah."
(Psalm 3:1-2)

....Night after night their conspiracy grew, as His enemies increased continually. In the darkness they hid their counsel saying, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?" For they spoke their deceitfulness in shadows. 3

.... "All day they twist my words; all their thoughts are against Me for evil. They gather together, they hide, they mark My steps, when they lie in wait for My life."
(Psalm 50:5-6)

. .. But their plotting must wait until after the Passover. And somehow, they must seize Him in the absence of the multitudes. 4

....In Bethany, in the house of Simon, their chance was about to come. For Jesus sat at a great feast, His disciples being with Him – including Judas Iscariot, who would betray Him. The plan had fully formed in Judas’ mind as he ate bread in the Lord’s presence. Arising from this table, he would go to Jesus’ enemies to bargain against Him for His life. 5

.
....Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, and the one who would betray Him. Alas for Judas, who even now avoided His gaze! Unspoken words lie between them. And in the quiet conflict of that moment came a woman, bearing a flask of oil to anoint Him in their midst: 6

.... "You prepare a table before Me in the presence of My enemies: You anoint My head with oil; My cup runs over."
(Psalm 23:5)

.... Immediately Judas arose and departed to the chief priests, to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. When they heard him, they were glad and promises were made. They waited for a convenient time to carry out their plan. 7

.... The week drew to an end and the sun fully set on Jesus’ final day of freedom, giving advent to the Passover feast. Jesus knew the hour had come when He should depart from this world to the Father, and for the joy set before Him He endured the pain this would mean; yet He greatly desired to share this feast with His disciples before His suffering. For having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 8
.

.... As they ate the last supper together, Jesus became deeply troubled in spirit, and testified that one of His disciples would betray Him: for the hour of darkness had come, and it’s power, and He would be delivered into the hands of men. "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe." 9

.
.... Judas suddenly realized that his plans were known. He withdrew into the night, to find Jesus’ enemies and to bring this ruin upon Him. The staff was sundered, and the covenant of old was broken; yet a new covenant would arise in its place: "For this is My blood of the new covenant," said Jesus, "which is shed for many for the remission of sins." 10

(see the Scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

Chapter 1 - Retreat to Gethsemane

2010-01-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

....The hour of Jesus’ betrayal had fully come, and Judas slipped away into the night. Jesus told the disciples that His time was short, and they would not be able to follow Him. "Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me." 1

.... Now He arose, the disciples being with Him, to escaped from the city and spare it from the edge of the sword. In an eerie reflection of David’s flight from Absalom, He followed David’s path of retreat. Quietly He passing through city and country by night, yet He could not be hidden: for Judas knew His goings well, had marked His steps, and became a guide to those who would seize Him. 2

.... By the ascent of the Mount of Olives, in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus withdrew to await the onslaught in prayer. Inside the city, prideful men gathered together and encouraged themselves with shouting. The pursuit began, and their voices filling the night as they drew near. Yet Jesus drew apart by Himself to pray. 3

.... Now He was in agony, and His sweat became great droplets of blood falling down to the ground: a fear so horrific, so intense, that death from fear itself was very near. Three times He prayed that God might deliver Him from the torment that would follow; but in the end He deferred to Him and would drink this bitter cup that the Father’s will might be done. 4

.... "I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD now in the presence of all His people."
(Psalm 116:13-14)

.... Jesus found strength in trusting God, but His disciples were unprepared. In His hour of need they fell asleep. He had warned them beforehand; had rebuked them three times – but now they would enter temptation. For in that moment came a mob with lanterns, torches, swords and clubs, with Judas Iscariot going before them. With pretended words of friendship he drew near to Jesus and kissed Him: the sign he had given, that he might Betray Him. 5

.... "Look on My right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges Me; Refuge has failed Me; No one cares for My soul."
(Psalm 142:4)

.... The scuffle was brief as violent hands were laid on Jesus. Quickly He was bound and led away. His disciples were taken with fear, forsook Him, and fled away into the night. 6

(see the Scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

The Plot to Destroy Jesus

.
....1. a Among My people are found wicked men; b they lie in wait as one who sets snares; c they set a trap; they catch men.
....2. a The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ b And those who handle the law did not know Me; c the rulers also transgressed against Me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

.
....3. My enemies are vigorous, and
........they are strong;
.... a And those who hate Me wrong-
........fully have multiplied;
....4. a In whose hand is a sinister
........scheme,
....b And whose right hand is full of
........bribes;
....5. a Who plan evil things in their
........hearts,
....b They continually gather to-
........gether for war.
....6. a Even My own familiar friend
........b in whom I trusted,
....c Who ate My bread,
....d Has lifted up his heel against
........Me.
....7. a They weighed out for My
........wages
....Thirty pieces of silver.
.
Retreat to Gethsemane

.
.... 8. All the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. a The king himself crossed over the Brook Kidron, b by the ascent of the Mount of Olives.

.
....9. a They gather together, b they

........hide, c they mark My steps,

....When they lie in wait for My
........life.
....10. Those who lie in wait for My
........life take counsel together,
....Saying, "God has forsaken Him;
....a Pursue and take Him, for there
........is none to deliver Him."
....11. The pains of death surrounded

....... Me,

....And the pangs of Sheol laid

........ hold of Me,

....a I found trouble and sorrow.

....12. a Then I called upon the
........name of the Lord:
....b "O Lord, I implore You, deliver
........My soul!"
.

The Prayer in the Garden

....13. a Give ear to My prayer,

........O God,
....And do not hide Yourself from

........My supplication.
....14. a Attend to Me, and hear Me;

........b I am restless in My
........complaint,
....and moan noisily,
....15. a Because of the voice of the

........enemy,
....b Because of the oppression of
........the wicked;
....c For they bring down trouble
........upon Me,
....d And in wrath they hate Me.
....16. a My heart is severely pained

........within Me,
....And the terrors of death have
........fallen upon Me.
....17. a Fearfulness and trembling

........have come upon Me,
....And horror has overwhelmed
........Me.
....18. And I said, a "Oh, that I had

........wings like a dove!

....For then I would fly away and be

........at rest.
....19. Indeed, a I would wander
........far off,
....And remain in the wilderness
.......Selah.
....20. a I would hasten My escape

........From the windy storm and
........tempest."
.

....21. Look on My right hand and
........see
....a For there is no one who
........acknowledges Me;
....Refuge has failed Me;
....No one cares for My soul.
.

....22. a Surely He has born our griefs and carried our sorrows; b yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
.

....23. The Lord God has opened
........My ear;
....And a I was not rebellious,
........b Nor did I turn away.
....24. I will take up a the cup of
........salvation,
....And call upon the name of
........the Lord.
....25. I will pay My vows to
........the Lord
....Now a in the presence of all His
........people.
....26. a Precious in the sight of the
........Lord
....Is the death of His saints.

.
Betrayal by Judas

.
....27. a Set a wicked man over Him, b and let Satan stand at his right hand.
....28. a When he is judged let him be found guilty, and let his prayer become sin.

....29. a Let his days be few, b and let another take his office.
.

....30. a For it is not an enemy who
........reproaches Me;
....b Then I could bear it.
....c Nor is it one who hates Me who
........has magnified himself
........against Me;
....d Then I could hide from him.
....31. a But it was you, a man My

........equal,
....b My companion and My
........acquaintance.
....32. a We took sweet counsel
........together,
....b And walked to the house of
........God in the throng.
....33. a He has put forth his hands
........against those who were at
........peace with him;
....b He has broken his covenant.
....34. a The words of his mouth
........were smoother than butter,
....b But war was in his heart;
....c His words were softer than oil,
....d Yet they were drawn swords.
.

....35. a Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, b and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.
.

....36. Faithful are the wounds

........of a friend,
....a But the kisses of an enemy are

........deceitful.
.

Jesus is Arrested, Abandoned
.

....37. a "Awake, O sword, against b My Shepherd, against c the Man who is My Companion," says the Lord of hosts. "Strike the shepherd, d and the sheep will be scattered."

....38. O God, a the proud have
........risen against Me,
....b And a mob of violent men have
........sought My life,
....c And have not set You before
........them.
....39. a The proud have hidden
........a snare for Me, and cords;
....They have hidden a net for Me

........b by the wayside;
....They have set traps for Me.
........Selah.
.

....40. I am a reproach among all
........My enemies,
....But especially among My
........neighbors,

....And am repulsive to My
........acquaintances;
....a Those who see Me outside flee

........from Me.
....41. I am forgotten like a dead

........man, out of mind;
....I am like a broken vessel.
....42. Loved one and friend You
........have put far from Me,
....a And My acquaintances into
........darkness.

.
....43. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, a was caught in their pits, of whom we said "Under His shadow we shall live among the nations."

(see the Scriptural references and cross-references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

Chapter 2 - On Trial Before the Priests

2010-01-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

....Jesus is captured and taken first to Annas, the high priest’s father-in-law. With feigned counsel he asks of His doctrine, to identify His disciples, and for their names that he might hunt them down. For the first time, Jesus is struck. He responds with the argument they could never answer, and which His silence would never change: 1

.... "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"
(John 18:23)

....Now Jesus is taken to the priests, who have gathered their counsel in the night. Fear is on every side as they enclosed Him. Traps are set with crafty words, and false witnesses rise up against Him – yet He remains silent to them all. 2

.... "I was mute with silence, I held My peace even from good; and My sorrow was stirred up. My heart was hot within Me; while I was musing, the fire burned."
(Psalm 39:2-3)

.... "Do You answer nothing?" asked the high priest. But in the end He can not deny Himself. "Tell us if You the Christ, the Son of God." He is asked, to which He will answer, "You rightly say that I am." 3

....A convenient verdict is given. Jesus is condemned to death – and now the abuse begins. They spit in His face, mock Him, and beat Him; He is blindfolded, and His attackers strike Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?" And many other such things they blasphemously speak against Him. 4
.

....In the courtyard below, Peter has come to watch the end – but now his fears overcome him. Three times he is confronted about Jesus, and three times he denies knowing Him. With his third denial, the rooster crows – the sign that Jesus had given, when these things would have taken place. 5
....From across the courtyard, from the sorrow of His soul, Jesus raises his battered head to look into Peter’s eyes. Over the distance their gaze meets and Peter understands His thoughts. And when he considers it, he goes out to weep bitterly. 6

.... "My loved ones and My friends stand aloof from My plague, And My kinsmen stand afar off. I also have become a reproach to them; When they look at Me, they shake their heads."
(Psalm 38:11, Ps 109:25)

(see the Scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

Interrogation by Annas

.
....1. a An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land:
....2. The prophets prophesy falsely, a and the priests rule by their own power; b and My people love to have it so. c But what will you do in the end?
.

....3. a They encourage themselves
........in an evil matter;
....b They talk of laying snares
.......secretly;
....c They say, "Who will see
........them?"
....4. They devise iniquities:
....a "We have perfected a shrewd

........scheme."
....Both the inward thought and
........the heart of man are deep.
.

....5. a An ungodly man digs up

........evil,
....And it is on his lips like a
........burning fire.
....6. a A perverse man sows
........strife,
....And a whisperer separates the

........best of friends.
....7. a A violent man entices his
........neighbor,
....And leads him in a way that is
........not good.
....8. He winks his eye to devise
........perverse things;
....a He purses his lips and brings

........about evil.
.

....9. a To punish the righteous is

........not good,
....Nor to strike princes for their

........uprightness.
.

....10. a Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; b Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.
.

The Council in the Night

.
....11. a Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, b and their works are in the dark; c they say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?"
....12. a Who make a man an offender for a word, b and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, c and turn aside the just by empty words.
.

....13. a All day they twist My
........words;
....b All their thoughts are against
........Me for evil.
....14. a Those who hate Me without
........a cause
....b Are more than the hairs of My

........head;
....They are mighty who would

........destroy Me,
....c Being My enemies wrongfully;

....Though I have stolen nothing,

........I still must restore it.
....15. For look, they lie in wait
........for My life;
....a The mighty gather against Me,
....b Not for My transgression nor
........for My sin, O LORD.
....16. a They run and prepare them-
........selves
....b Through no fault of Mine.
.

Falsely Accused

.
....17. a Fierce witnesses rise up;
....b They ask Me things that I do

........not know.
....18. a They reward Me evil for

........good,
....To the sorrow of My soul.

....19. For they do not speak peace,
....a But they devise deceitful
........matters
....b against the quiet ones in the
........land.
....20. a They also opened their
........mouth wide against Me,
....And said, "Aha, aha! Our eyes
........have seen it."
.

Jesus Remains Silent

.
....21. I said, "I will guard My
........ways,
....Lest I sin with My tongue;
....a I will restrain My mouth with
........a muzzle,
....While the wicked are before

........Me."
....22. I was mute with silence,

........a I held My peace even from
........good;
....And My sorrow was stirred up.
....23. My heart was hot within Me;
....While I was musing, the fire
........burned.
....Then I spoke with My tongue:
....24. a "LORD, make Me to know
........My end,
....And what is the measure of My
........days,
....That I may know how frail I
........am."
.

25. a The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."
.

Condemned and Beaten

.
....26. a I hear the slander of many;

........Fear is on every side;

....b While they take counsel to-
........gether against Me,
....c They scheme to take away My
........life.
....27. a Those who sit in the gate
........speak against Me,
....b And I am the song of the

........drunkards;
....28. a I gave My cheeks to those

........who plucked out the
........beard;
....b I did not hide My face from
........shame and spitting.
....29. a In My adversity they

........rejoiced and gathered

........together;
....Attackers gathered against Me,

........b And I did not know it;

....c They tore at Me and did not

........cease.
.

Peter Denies Jesus

.
....30. a My loved ones and My

........friends stand aloof from

........My plague,
....And My kinsmen stand afar off.
....31. a I also have become a

........reproach to them;
....When they look at Me, they

........shake their heads.
....32. a You have put away My

........acquaintances far from

........Me;
....b You have made Me an
........abomination to them;
....c I am shut up, and I cannot get

........out;
....33. My eye wastes away because

........of affliction.

(see the Sciptural references and cross-references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

To view Chapter 3, Jesus is Brought Before Pilate, please scroll down or click HERE.

Chapter 3 - Jesus is Brought Before Pilate

2010-01-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

....After the council’s verdict, Jesus is taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, for a death sentence. "What accusation do you bring against this Man?" he asks the priests; but their answer is evasive: "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you." 1
....Yet Pilate has heard from God Himself, and he pursues his appre- hension privately: "Are you the King of the Jews?" he asks Jesus -- who, in turn, points out the singularity of this question: "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this about Me?" 2.

.... "Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider."
(Isaiah 52:15)

....Pilate finds no fault in Jesus, but the chief priests and elders keep accusing Him. He marvels as Jesus remains silent to their words. 3
....In an attempted compromise, Pilate has Jesus interrogated under scourging. Even now, Jesus bears the sins of this world, and its marks begin to show on Him. 4

..... "I gave My back to those who struck Me; and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard. I did not hide My face from shame and spitting."
(Isaiah 50:6)

.... Next He is beaten by soldiers, who set a crown of thorns on His head and mock Him, while striking Him on the cheek with a heavy reed: 5

.... "Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; he has laid siege against us; they will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek."
(Micah 5:1)

.... Finally the governor brings Him forth to show that he finds no fault in Him. "Behold the Man!" he cries – yet His life is demanded still. 6
....Pilate tries to dissuade Jesus privately, but the events are beyond his power. From that hour He seeks to release Him, but the chief priests and elders accuse him of disloyalty: "Anyone who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar!" 7
....In a final attempt to see Jesus released, Pilate appeals to the people themselves. Either Jesus or Barabbas, a convicted rebel, will be released to them this day, according to the governor’s custom at the Passover. 8

(see the scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

(**important**: please read the special notes on the sinless nature of Christ)

Jesus Taken Before Pilate

.
....1. a The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His anointed, saying,
....2. a "Let us break Their bonds in pieces, and cast away Their cords from us."

.
....3. a My soul is among lions;

....I lie among the sons of men who

........are set on fire,
....Whose teeth are spears and

........arrows,
....And their tongue a sharp sword.

.
....4. a Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; b for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider.

.
Accused by the Chief Priests
and Elders

.
....5. a The mouth of the wicked and
........the mouth of the deceitful
........have opened against Me;

....b They have spoken against Me
........with a lying tongue.
....6. a They have also surrounded

........Me with words of hatred,
....b And fought against Me without
........a cause.
....7. a In return for My love they
........are My accusers,
....b But I give Myself to prayer.

.
Silent Before His Accusers

.
....8. a He was oppressed and He was afflicted, b yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.
.

....9. Those also who seek My life
........lay snares for Me;
....a Those who seek My hurt speak
........of destruction,
....And plan deception all the day
........long.
....10. a But I, like a deaf man, do
........not hear;
....and I am like a mute who does

........not open his mouth.
....11. Thus I am like a man who

........does not hear,
....a And in whose mouth is no
........response.
....12. a For in You, O LORD,
........I hope;
....You will hear, O Lord My God.
.

Jesus is Scourged

.
....13. a He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

.
....14. a I gave My back to those

........who struck Me;
....b And My cheeks to those who
........plucked out the beard.

.
....15. a All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all:

.
....16. The reproaches of those

........who reproach You
....a Have fallen on Me.

....17. a There is no soundness in

........My flesh because of Your

.........anger,
....Nor any health in My bones

........b because of My sin.
....18. a For My iniquities have gone

........over My head;
....Like a heavy burden they are too

........heavy for Me.
....19. My wounds are foul and

........festering because of My

........foolishness.
....20. I am troubled, I am bowed

........down greatly;
....I go mourning all the day long.
....21. For My loins are full of
........inflammation,
....22. I am feeble and severely
........a broken;
....b I groan because of the turmoil
........of My heart.
....23. Lord, all My desire is before
........You;
....and My sighing is not hidden
........from You.
....24. a My heart pants, b My
........strength fails Me;
....As for the light of My eyes, it
........also has gone from Me.
.

Beaten by Soldiers
.

....25. a Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; b they will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

.
....26. a They gape at Me with their
........mouth,
....They strike Me reproachfully on

........the cheek,
....b they gather together against

........Me.

....27. a Weeds were wrapped
........around My head.
....28. a God has delivered Me to

........the ungodly,
....And turned Me over to the hands

........of the wicked.
.

Verging Upon Ruin

.
....29. a Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.
....30. He has no form or comeliness; a and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

.
....31. Remove Your plague from
........Me,
....a I am consumed by the blow of

........Your hand;
....32. For I am ready to halt,

....And My sorrow is continually
........before Me.
....33. a When with rebukes You
........correct man for iniquity,
....You make b his beauty melt away
........like a moth;
....Surely every man is vapor.

........Selah.
.

Jesus Admonished By Pilate

.
....34. a "Where the word of a king

........is, there is power;
....And who may say to him, ‘What
........are you doing?’"
.

....35. a God has spoken once, twice

........I have heard this:
....That power belongs to God.

....36. a Now therefore, be wise, O
........kings;

....Be instructed, you judges of the

........earth.
....37. a There is a time in which

........one man rules over another
........to his own hurt.
.

Pilate Offers to Release Jesus

.
....38. a It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

.
....39. a The wicked shall be a
........ransom for the righteous,
....And the unfaithful for the

........upright.

....40. a The righteous is delivered
........from trouble,
....And it comes to the wicked
........instead.
.

No King But Caesar

.
....41. a "Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame?
....42. "As long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom! a Now therefore, send and bring Him to me, for He shall surely die!"

(see the Scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

To view Chapter 4, Condemned by His Own, please scroll down or click HERE.

Chapter 4 - Condemned by His Own

2010-01-07T09:38:00.000-08:00

....Jesus is brought before the people, along with the rebel Barabbas. One of them will be released and Pilate hopes for justice, but the chief priests and scribes have incited the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus. The same people who rejoiced at His entry a week ago will condemn Him today, and require His death. Pilate is amazed and pleads for Him, yet he is rejected three times. 1

..... "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for My expectation is from Him."
(Psalm 62:5)

.... Finally, the governor washes his hands in innocence. The people accept responsibility as Jesus is led away to be crucified between two thieves, who are condemned along with Him. 2

.... Pain wracks His body as He is pierced and lifted up before them. On the cross His enemies deride Him, and gamble for His clothing by casting lots. It is the third hour, and they settle to await the end. 3

.... "For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."
(Psalm 22:16-18)

.... About the sixth hour, an unnatural darkness spread over the earth, and the sun became hidden from view. For three hours the brooding remained, and the crowd began to realize they had sinned. As Jesus had told them beforehand: 4

.... "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things."
(John 8:28)

....Through the deepening gloom, Jesus’ mother appears at the foot of His cross, along with one of His disciples, named John. Jesus has loved her to the end, and in a tender moment He entrusts her to John’s care for the rest of her days. 5

....As the end draws near, Jesus feels His life slipping away. At the ninth hour He cries out with a loud voice, saying, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" And the final pangs of death take hold of Him. "I thirst!" He cries; and in a final insult from this world, vinegar is given to Him in His thirst. 6

.... ‘My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws; you have brought Me to the dust of death. They also gave Me gall for My food, and for My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.'
(Psalm 22:15; 69:21)

.... Jesus knows it is finished. "Father, into your hands I commit My spirit." He cries; and breathing His last, He gives up the ghost. 7

....Immediately the ground trembles and the rocks are split, and the veil of the temple is rent from top to bottom. The people who see it smote their breasts, and return. The soldiers are afraid, and glorify God. 8

.... "The pangs of death surrounded Me, and the floods of ungodliness made Me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded Me; the snares of death confronted Me. In My distress I called upon the LORD, and cried out to My God; He heard My voice from His temple, and My cry came before Him, even to His ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because He was angry."
(Psalm 18:4-7)

....Meanwhile, Jesus’ disciples are scattered and taken with fear as they mourn the bitterness of His death in seclusion. Yet a certain rich man, Joseph of Arimathea, who is secretly a disciple, takes courage in that hour. Coming to Pilate, he asks for Jesus’ body that he might bury Him in his own new tomb. The request is granted, and Jesus is taken down. A stone is rolled over the sepulcher and a guard is set in place. 9

(see the Scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

Incitement of the Crowd

.
....1. a Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?

.
....2. a All who hate Me whisper
........together against Me;
....Against Me they devise My hurt.

....3. a For the leaders of this people

........cause them to err,
....b And those who are led by them
........are destroyed.

.
On Trial Before the People

.
....4. a He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

.
....5. a Without cause they have
........hidden their net for Me
........in a pit,
....Which they have dug without

........cause for My life.
....6. a My soul, wait silently for

........God alone,
....b For My expectation is from

........Him.

.
Pilate Pleads for Jesus

.
....7. a Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die.

....8. Open your mouth, a judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

.
....9. a "If you have understanding,
........hear this;
....Listen to the sound of my words:

....10. a Should one who hates
........justice govern?

....b Will you condemn Him who is
........most just?
....11. a Is it fitting to say to a king,
........‘You are worthless,’
....And to nobles, ‘You are
........wicked’?

.
Rejected by His Own

.
....12. a But you have cast off and abhorred, b you have been furious with your anointed.
....13. a You have renounced b the covenant of your servant; c you have profaned His crown by casting it to the ground.
....14. a You have broken down all His hedges; you have brought His strongholds to ruin.
....15. a All who pass by the way plunder Him; He is a reproach to His neighbors.
....16. a You have exalted the right hand of His adversaries; b you have made all His enemies rejoice.
....17. a You have also turned back the edge of His sword, and have not sustained Him in the battle.
....18. a You have made His glory cease, and cast His throne down to the ground.
....19. a The days of His youth you have shortened; b you have covered Him with shame. Selah.

.
....20. I have been afflicted
........a and ready to die b from My

........youth up.

.
Pilate Disavows the Verdict

.
....21. Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, a but who is able to stand before jealousy?

....22. a I have not sat with
........idolatrous mortals,
....Nor will I go in with hypocrites.
....23. a I have hated the assembly of

........evildoers,
....And will not sit with the wicked.
....24. a I will wash my hands in
........innocence;
....b So I will go about Your altar,
........O LORD.
.

"His Blood Be on Us!"
.

....25. a He was taken from prison and from judgment, b and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; c for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

.
....26. a A fire was kindled against
........Jacob,
....And anger also came up against

........Israel,
....27. a Because they did not

........believe in God,
....And did not trust in His
........salvation.
....28. a But I am like a green olive
........tree in the house of God;
....I trust in the mercy of God
........forever and ever.

.
....29. a If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner?

.
Jesus Led to Be Crucified

.
....30. He poured out His soul unto death, a and He was numbered with the transgressors, b and He bore the sin of many, c and made intercession for the transgressors.

....31. You know a My reproach,
........b My shame, and c My dis-

........honor;
....d My adversaries are all before

........You.
....32. a Reproach has broken My

........heart,
....And I am full of heaviness;

....b I looked for someone to take

........pity, but there was none;

....And for comforters, but I found

........none.
....33. a They also gave Me gall for
........My food,
....And for My thirst they gave Me

........vinegar to drink.
.

The King on a Cross

.
....34. a Many bulls have sur-
........rounded Me;
....Strong bulls of Bashan have
........encircled Me.
....35. a They gape at Me with their

........mouths,
....Like a raging and roaring lion.
....36. a I am poured out like water,

....And all My bones are out of

........joint;
....b My heart is like wax; it has
........melted within Me.
....37. a My strength is dried up like
........a potsherd,
....b And My tongue clings to My
........jaws;
....You have brought Me to the dust

........of death.
....38. a For dogs have surrounded

........Me;
....b The congregation of the wicked

........has enclosed Me.
....c They pierced My hands and My

........feet;
....39. a I can count all My bones.
........They look and stare at Me.

....40. a They divide My garments

........among them,
....And for My clothing they cast

........lots.
..

Mocked by His Enemies

.
....41. I am a worm, and no man;
....a A reproach of men, and de-
........spised of the people.
....42. a All those who see Me laugh
........Me to scorn;
....They shoot out the lip, b they
........shake the head, saying,
....43. a "He trusted in the LORD, let

........Him rescue Him;
....Let Him deliver Him, since He
........delights in Him!"
....44. My tears have been My food
........day and night,
....a While they continually say to
........Me,
...."Where is Your God?"
....45. When I remember these

........things,

....I pour out My soul within Me.

....a For I used to go with the multi-

........tude;
....b I went with them to the house

........of God,
....c With the voice of joy and

........praise,
....d With a multitude that kept a
........pilgrim feast.
.

Darkness Over the Earth
.

....46. "And it shall come to pass in that day," says the Lord GOD, "That a I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight;
....47. I will turn your a feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; b I will bring sackcloth on every waist, and baldness on every head; I will make it like mourning for an only son, and its end like a bitter day."

.
....48. Justice is far from us, nor
........does righteousness
........overtake us;
....a We look for light, but there is

........darkness!
....For brightness, but we walk in

........blackness!
....49. We grope for the wall like
........the blind,
....And we grope as if we had no

........eyes;
....a We stumble at noonday as at

........twilight;
....b We are as dead men in desolate

........places.
....50. We all growl like bears, and
........moan sadly like doves;
....We look for justice, a but there is
........none;
....For salvation, b but it is far from

........us.
....51. a For our transgressions are

........multiplied before You,

....And our sins testify against us;

....For our transgressions are with
........us,
....And as for our iniquities, b we
........know them.
.

Behold Your Mother!
.

....52. a Let not those who wait for

........You, O Lord GOD of hosts,

........be ashamed because of Me;

....Let not those who seek You be

........confounded because of Me,

....O God of Israel.
....53. Because a for Your sake I

........have borne reproach;
....b Shame has covered My face.

....54. a I have become a stranger to

........My brothers,
....And an alien to b My mother’s
........children.
.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

.
....55. And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; a then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; b they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

.
....56. a My God, My God, why
........have You forsaken Me?
....Why are You so far from helping
........Me,
....And from the words of My

........groaning?
....57. a I will say to God My Rock,

...."Why have You forgotten
........Me?
....Why do I go mourning because
........of the oppression of the
........enemy?"
....58. As with a breaking of My
........bones,
....My enemies reproach Me,
....a While they say to Me all day
........long,
...."Where is Your God?"
....59. a Then I said, ‘I have labored

........in vain,
....I have spent My strength for
........nothing and in vain;
....Yet surely My just reward is
........with the LORD,
....And My work with My God.’
....60. I am weary with My crying;
........a My throat is dry;
....My eyes fail while I wait for My
........God.

....61. I am poor and needy,
....a And My heart is wounded
........within Me.
....62. a The pangs of death
........surrounded Me,
....And the floods of ungodliness
........made Me afraid.
....63. a The sorrows of Sheol
........surrounded Me;
....The snares of death confronted
........Me.
....64. a In My distress I called upon
........the LORD,
....And cried out to My God;

....b He heard My voice from His

........temple,
....And My cry came before Him,
........even to His ears:
.

....65. a Into Your hand I commit

........My spirit;
....You have redeemed Me,
........O LORD God of truth.
.

....66. a Then the earth shook and

........trembled;
....The foundations of the hills

........also quaked and were

........shaken,
....Because He was angry.
....67. a Let all the earth fear the
........LORD;
....Let all the inhabitants of the
........world stand in awe of
........Him.
.

....68. a "In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
....69. "And the land shall mourn, a every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves;
....70. "the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves;
....71. "all the families that remain, every family by itself, a and their wives by themselves."

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb
.

....72. a And they made His grave with the wicked – b but with the rich at His death, c because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.
....73. a Yet He shall be brought to the grave, b and a vigil kept over the tomb.

(see the Scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

To view Chapter 5, The Death and Resurrection of Christ, please scroll down or click HERE.

Chapter 5 - The Death and Resurrection of Christ

2010-01-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

....Jesus has died on the cross for our sins, and His soul descends into the midst of the earth. For in Him, the sign of the prophet Jonah was about to be fulfilled: 1

.... "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
(Matthew 12:40)

....For the souls of those who perished long ago, who preceded Him to this place, the prophecy of His arrival is the last great hope. For many of them, it is the only light in a world of eternal darkness. 2

....The prophecy of Christ, for the next three days, may be described in three events. First is the time of His great suffering, as the One who bears the sins of this world. 3

....The second event is the turning point, in which His voice is heard again from above: for the acceptable time of the LORD has come, and the day of His Salvation. An amazing conversation between the Father and Son is renewed, and the gospel is proclaimed to the dead: 4

.... ‘But as for Me, My prayer is to You, O LORD, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear Me in the truth of Your salvation.’
(Psalm 69:13)
.
.... ‘Thus says the LORD: "In an acceptable time I have heard You, and in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages; That You may say to the prisoners, 'Go forth,' to those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.'
(Isaiah 49:8-9)

....In the third event, the power of darkness is broken and the serpent’s head is bruised. The prisoners of Hades are redeemed, and Jesus makes an open show over the kingdom of darkness, triumphing over them in it. 5

....These events will occur on the same day as Jesus’ death, even while His body is anointed for burial. As the stone is rolled over the sepulcher’s mouth, far above, He breaks open the gates of Hades, far below. 6

....Two days will pass, then Jesus will be revived; for He is the Prince of Life, and the pains of death cannot hold Him. On the third day He will be raised from the dead, as the prophets foretold of Him. Jesus will then appear to His disciples, and afterward He will send them into the world to preach the gospel. Finally, He will ascend again to heaven to await the restoration of all things, when He shall return. 7

.... "Therefore My heart is glad, and My glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave My soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show Me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
.
(Psalm 16:9-11)

(see the Scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

Death and Descension of Christ

....1. God is my King from of old, a working salvation in the midst of the earth.

....2. O LORD, God of My
........salvation,
....a I have cried out day and night
........before You.
....3. Let My prayer come before

........You;
....a Incline Your ear to My cry.

....4. a For My soul is full of
........troubles,
....b And My life draws near to the

........grave.
....5. a I am counted with those who

........go down to the pit;
....b I am like a man who has no

........strength,
....6. a Free among the dead, like the

........slain who lie in the grave,

....Whom You remember no more,

........And who are cut off from
........Your hand.
....7. a You have laid Me in the

........lowest pit,
....b In darkness, c in the depths.

....8. a Your wrath lies heavy upon
........Me,
....b And You have afflicted Me

........with all Your waves. Selah.
....9. LORD, a why do You cast off
........My soul?
....Why do You hide Your face
........from Me?
....b I suffer Your terrors; c I am
........distraught.
....10. Your fierce wrath has gone
........over Me;
....Your terrors have cut Me off.
....11. a They came around Me all
........day long like water;
....They engulfed Me altogether.

Light in the Darkness

....12. a Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah.
....13. a Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
....14. Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? a And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

.
....15. a But as for Me, b My prayer

........is to You, O LORD, in the

........Acceptable time;

....O God, c in the multitude of

........Your mercy,

....Hear Me in the truth of Your

........d salvation.

.
....16. Thus says the LORD: a "In an acceptable time I have heard You, and in the day of salvation I have helped You; b I will preserve You c and give You as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;
....17. a That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’ b to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’"

.
....18. a "The Spirit of the Lord
........GOD is upon Me,
....Because the LORD has anointed
........Me b to proclaim liberty to

........the captives,
....c And the opening of the prison

........to those who are bound;

....19. a To proclaim the acceptable
........year of the LORD,
....To comfort all who mourn."

.
....20. a Those who sat in darkness
........and in the shadow of death,
....bound in affliction and irons –

....21. a Because they rebelled
........against the words of God,
....b And despised the counsel of the
........Most High,
....22. Therefore He brought down
........their heart with labor;
....They fell down, a and there was
........none to help–
....23. a Then they cried out to the
........LORD in their trouble,
....b And He saved them out of their

........distresses.
....24. a He brought them out of

........darkness and the shadow

........of death,
....And broke their chains in pieces.
....25. a Oh, that men would give
........thanks to the LORD for His
........goodness,
....And for His wonderful works to
........the children of men!
....26. a For He has broken the gates
........of bronze,
....And cut the bars of iron in two.

.
Power of Darkness Broken

.
....27. He shall see a the labor of His soul, b and be satisfied. c By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, d for He shall bear their iniquities.
....28. Therefore a I will divide Him a portion with the great, b and He shall divide the spoil with the strong.

.
....29. a Do not rejoice over Me,
........O My enemy;
....When I fall, b I will arise;

....c When I sit in darkness, d the

........LORD will be a light to Me.

....30. a I will bear the indignation of

........the LORD,
....b Because I have sinned against
........Him,

....c Until He pleads My case and
........executes justice for Me.

....d He will bring Me forth to the

........light;
....e I will see His righteousness.

.
....31. a The enemy shall not outwit Him, b nor the son of wickedness afflict Him.
....32. a I will beat down His foes before His face, and plague those who hate Him:
....33. a He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.

.
....34. a How you are fallen from
........heaven,
....O Lucifer, son of the morning!

....How you are cut down to the

........ground,
....You who weakened the nations!
....35. a Those who see you will

........gaze at you,
....And consider you, saying:
....‘Is this the man who made the

........earth tremble, who shook

........kingdoms,
....36. Who made the world as a
........wilderness and destroyed
........its cities,
....a Who did not open the house of
........his prisoners?’

.
....37. But thus says the LORD: a "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, b and the prey of the terrible be delivered; c for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children."

.
....38. a By this I know that You are
........well pleased with Me,
....b because My enemy does not
........triumph over Me.

....39. As for Me, a You uphold Me
........in My integrity,
....b And set Me before Your face
........forever.
....40. a Blessed be the LORD God of
........Israel from everlasting to
........everlasting!

.
....41. "As for You also, a because of the blood of Your covenant, b I will set Your prisoners free from c the waterless pit."

....42. a You have led captivity
........captive;
....b You have received gifts among

........men,
....c Even among the rebellious,

....That the LORD God might dwell

........among them.

Jesus Raised From the Dead

....43. Yet a it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; b He has put Him to grief. When c You make His soul d an offering for sin, e He shall see His seed, f He shall prolong His days, g and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

....44. But You, O LORD a be merci-
........ful to Me,
....And raise Me up, b that I may
........repay them.
....45. a Bring My soul out of
........prison,
....b That I may praise Your name;

....c The righteous shall surround

........Me,
....d For You shall deal bountifully

........with Me:
....46. a You, who have shown Me

........b great and severe troubles,
....c Shall revive Me again,

....d And bring Me up again from
........the depths of the earth.
....47. a You shall increase My
........greatness,
....b And comfort Me on every side.

.
....48. After two days He will revive us; a on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.

.
....49. a I have set the LORD always
........before Me;
....b Because He is at My right hand
........c I shall not be moved.
....50. Therefore My heart is glad,
........and My glory rejoices;
....a My flesh also will rest b in

........hope.
....51. a For You will not leave My
........soul in Sheol,
....b Nor will You allow Your Holy
........One to see corruption.
....52. a You will show Me the path
........of life;
....b In Your presence is fullness of
........joy;
....c At Your right hand are
........pleasures forevermore.

.
....53. a. In the beauties of holiness, b.from the womb of the morning,.c You have the dew of Your youth.

.
....54. a Great is Your mercy
........toward Me;
....b You have delivered My soul

........from the depths of
........Sheol.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

....55. a Come, My people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.

....56. a I will declare Your name

........to My brethren;
....In the midst of the assembly

........I will praise You.

.
....57. a He will swallow up death forever, b and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; c the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken.

....58. And it shall be said in that day:
.....
....a "Behold, this is our God;

....We have waited for Him, b and
........He will save us.
....This is the LORD;
....c We have waited for Him;

....d We will be glad and rejoice in

........e His salvation."

.
The Great Commission

.
....59. a And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. b For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, c among the remnant whom the LORD calls.

....60. Bind up the testimony, a Seal

........the law among My
........disciples.
....61. a And I will wait on the

........LORD,
....b Who hides His face from the
........house of Jacob;
....c And I will hope in Him.
....62. a Here am I and the chil-
........dren whom the LORD has
........given Me!

....b We are for signs and wonders
........in Israel
....From the LORD of hosts,
....Who dwells in Mount Zion.

.
....63. a The LORD has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; b and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

....64. The LORD said to My Lord, a "Sit at My right hand, b Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."

....65. a You have ascended on
........high,
....b You have received gifts among

........men,
....c That the LORD God might
........dwell among them.

.
....66. And behold, One like the Son of Man, a coming with the clouds of heaven! b He came to the Ancient of Days, c and they brought Him near before Him.
....67. a Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, b that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and c His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.

(see the Scriptural references by clicking on the associated hyperlinks)

To proceed to the epilogue, please scroll down or click HERE.

Epilogue

2010-01-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

....On the same day that Jesus rose from the dead, two of His disciples were traveling to a small village about seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked, they spoke of the things concerning Him, as a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and of how the chief priests and rulers had delivered Him to be condemned to death, and had crucified Him. Yet they were hoping He would be the One to redeem Israel. Three days had passed, and now something else had occurred:

....Earlier that morning, certain women of their company had gone to the tomb and returned with a message that astonished them all. For they had not found His body, but said that a vision of angels had appeared to them and told them that He was alive. Then certain others went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said to them – but Him they did not see.

.... And so it happened, as they spoke to one another in this way, that Jesus Himself drew near.."O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself:

.... "Then I said, 'Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of Me. I delight to do Your will, O My God, and Your law is within My heart'."
(Psalm 40:7-8)

.....The disciples marveled at His gracious words, as ancient prophecy transcended the pages of Scripture and came to life before them. The eyes of their understanding were opened and they were deeply moved from within. Later they would say to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"

....Later that night, Jesus appeared to His chief disciples, called apostles, who were hidden with fear and discussing the same events. "Peace to you." He told them; but they were terrified, and thought they had seen a spirit.

.... "Why are you troubled?" He asked them. "And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and feet with their nail prints, and He ate and drank in their presence.

.... "He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people he will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
(Isaiah 25:8-9)

.... And when they were calmed, He repeated the same lessons to them: "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." And He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures. For the prophecies that foretold Him were designed to be matched with His life one day, and of this the apostles had now become witnesses:.

.... "Search from the book of the LORD, and read: not one of these shall fail; not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them."
(Isaiah 34:16) .

....Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, whom our heavenly Father sent into the world to reconcile mankind to Himself – for all have sinned and fallen short of His glory, and the wages of our sin is death. Jesus paid that wage on our behalf, or ‘redeemed’ us, by giving His life in our place. For only the Son of God could have paid such an enormous ransom, and only through giving Himself as our substitute.

....Through the sufferings, death and resurrection of Christ, our lives were bound with His. For He took our sins, griefs and sorrows upon Himself, and all of their pain, and brought them down into the grave with Him. And just as He rose to newness of life, a new life will be given to those who trust in Him. So we are indebted to Him now, not for our sins, but life for life, that we may become His own special people:

.... "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again."
(2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

.....After His Resurrection, Jesus remained with His disciples forty days, speaking to them of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. He then led them to the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, and gave them His final instructions. Finally, as they watched, He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

.... "You have ascended on high, you have led captivity captive; you have received gifts among men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God might dwell there."
(Psalm 68:18)

....Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, as the prophets foretold of Him. And while the apostles looked steadfastly toward heaven, two men stood by them in white apparel, who said to them:

.... "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
(Acts 1:11)

....For at the end of days, Jesus Himself will return from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall arise at that time. And we who are alive and remain will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, to be gathered together with Him in the clouds:

.... 'He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people: "Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."
.... 'Let the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge.'
(Psalm 50:4-6)

....Whoever believes in Jesus will not be condemned, but will pass from death into life; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

....To begin a relationship with the Lord Jesus and receive Him, we must confess Him with our mouth and believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). This appeal may be expressed to God through heartfelt prayer. Below is a model you may use, but feel free to express these basic thoughts in your own words:

....God, I believe that Jesus came from You, and that You sent Him into the world. I believe You gave Him Your words, and that He spoke to us all that You commanded Him. I believe You have given all things into His hand; and I humble myself, confess Jesus as my Lord, and surrender my life to You, according to Your purpose. I trust you to work in my life as it may seem good to You.
....I believe that Jesus gave Himself for my sins, and I believe in my heart that You have raised Him from the dead. I confess my sins to You, and my need for You; I repent of my sins, and I ask for Your forgiveness through Jesus, that I may receive the new life that You have given through Him.
....And I thank You for Your love, which You have shown us in giving us Your only Son. I believe that You reward those who diligently seek You, so I ask that You continue to teach me and help me understand Your words; that You be glorified through my new life, and that You always make me more like Jesus as I learn.

....I am eager to hear from You and to know You better. In Jesus’ name I pray ... Amen.

(see Scriptural references in the 'comments' section)

To view the credits, please click HERE.

Credits

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English Translation:

Text:

....The Sufferings and the Glory began as a special section from a much larger work called The Diatessaron. It was designed as a 'mirror image' to demonstrate the fuller purpose of that book.

....In other words, The Sufferings and the Glory harmonizes the Messianic prophecy and provides cross-references to the New Testament; The Diatessaron harmonizes the four gospels and provides cross-references to the Messianic prophecy. It is larger because it reviews the entire life of Jesus. For information on the progress of that work, click here.

Illustrations:

....Most of the illustrations used on this blog are the work of Gustave Dore, a wonderful Alsacian (French) artist from the 19th century who specialized in book illustrations. They have been scanned and made available free online by Felix Just, S.J. His complete gallery can be viewed by cling here:

....When you view his gallery, you'll see that some of those scans have been modified for special use on this blog. This is the handiwork of my lovely wife Nancy, who is a suberb professional graphic artist! (Nancy has created hundreds of book covers for well-known Christian authors.) Since we freely received this art work from Dore and Professor Just, we have no problem with others using Nancy's modifications freely as well. Just give the glory to God!
.
.... To add comments, please click HERE.

Comments

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Please feel free to add your comments by clicking on the 'comments' link, below

Enhanced Referencing Study Guide

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X47,48.Ps 49:15

LARGE CONTEXT MARKERS (X-.) precede the cross-reference, to identify the reference context, from the text itself. The reference should be considered in this context before comparison with the cross-reference that is offered. Often, this will make a train of thought apparent.

Ps 18:6x4-7

SMALL CONTEXT MARKERS (x) follow the cross-reference, to indicate it's broader context. The cross-reference should be considered in this context when compared to the reference.

....Contexts illuminate the concepts, principles, attitudes or motives that accompany a point, and help delineate a train of thought. This will be comparable to the train of thought in the text.
....Small context markers may also be used in sequence to show a broadening train of thought.

[Prov 11:26]

CONCEPT MARKERS [ - ] enclosed between brackets, indicate a passage similar in concept to the referenced passage in the text.

Is 58:6,7 (8,9)

EXTENSION MARKERS ( - ) represented by parenthesis, indicate the ensuing wisdom of the cross-reference; the next step in the train of thought, the result or consequence of this wisdom in its application. Often, they show the final bearing of this wisdom on the day of judgment.

CONTRAST MARKERS < - > represented by less than/greater than brackets, indicate another perspective to the wisdom in the text. They are "the other side of the same coin."
...These brackets indicate the nature, meaning, result, or consequence, of departing from the wisdom in the text, or applying it in an opposite way.

Ps 19:7/Ps 60:7/Gen 49:10

COMPARISON MARKERS / represented by slash marks, are used when two or more verses should be considered together as a cross-reference, before equating them to the reference. Comparison Markers often introduce syllogisms.

*Jon 1:17

SYMBOLISM MARKERS * represented by an asterisk, indicate picture prophecy, often from the life of David (Isaiah 55:3,4) or the life of Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15).

....Picture prophecy occurs when prophecies are performed, symbolized, or foreshadowed, rather than being spoken.

Peter Denies Jesus

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....30. a My loved ones and My

........friends stand aloof from

........ My plague,
....And My kinsmen stand afar off.
....31. a I also have become a

........reproach to them;
....When they look at Me, they

........shake their heads.
....32. a You have put away My

........acquaintances far from

........Me;
....b You have made Me an
........abomination to them;
....c I am shut up, and I cannot get

........out;
....33. My eye wastes away because

........of affliction.

Introduction Paragraph 1

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John 14:30
30. "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me."
.
Isaiah 53:7
7. "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth."
.
Acts 10:40-41
40. "Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,
41. "not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead."

Introduction Paragraph 2

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Ps 39:2-3
2. "I was mute with silence, I held My peace even from good; and My sorrow was stirred up.
3. "My heart was hot within Me; while I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with My tongue."

Introduction Paragraph 3

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1 Pet 1:10-11
10. "Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
11. "searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow."
.
Amos 3:7
7. "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets."
.
1 Cor 13:2
2. "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."

.
Jer 9:23-24
23. "Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24. "But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD."

Introduction Paragraph 4

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1 Cor 2:7-16
7. "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
8. "which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9. "But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
10. "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
11. "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
12. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13. "These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14. "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15. "But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
16. "For "who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ."
.
Jer 31:34
34. ""No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
.
Acts 3:18
18. "But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled."
.
Isa 34:16
16. "Search from the book of the LORD, and read: not one of these shall fail; not one shall lack her mate. For My mouth has commanded it, and His Spirit has gathered them."

Introduction Illustration

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The Scriptural quotation is from Genesis 8:11.

According to 1 Peter 3:20-21, the story of Noah’s ark offers a Christian allegorical meaning. The ark corresponds to Jesus, who is the true vessel of God’s deliverance. The flood waters represent the destruction of sin over all the earth. The dove, sent out three times, was a sign in three parts:

On the first occasion, finding no place to rest his foot, he represented no true rest from sin in Noah’s own time.
.
The second occasion foreshadows the true rest which would come through Christ as the destruction of sin abated from the earth - which the Holy Spirit here signifies by appearing in this form, and by remaining upon Him.
.
The third event signified that the Christ will return one day to take us away.

Prologue Paragraph 1

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Acts 10:38
38. "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."
.
Isa 61:1-2
1. "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2. "To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn."
.
Luke 7:22
22. "Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them."
.
Isa 35:3-6
3. "Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
4. "Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; he will come and save you."
5. "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6. "Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
.
Matt 11:28-30
28. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
.
Luke 13:17
17. "And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.
.
Isa 45:24
24. "He shall say, 'Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength.’ To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him."

Prologue Paragraph 2

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John 12:19
19. "The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!"
.
Mark 15:10
10. "For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy."

.
[Acts 13:45]
45. "But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul."
.
Ps 2:1-3
1. "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?
2. "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
3. "Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us."
.
John 5:44
44. "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?"
.
Isa 29:13
13. "Therefore the LORD said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men."
.
Matt 23:13
13. "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in."
.
Mal 2:7-8
7. "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
8. "But you have departed from the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of hosts."
.
Matt 26:3-5
3. "Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4. "and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.
5. "But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."
.
Isa 59:13-15
13. "In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14. "Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
15. "So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice."
.
Mark 3:6
6. "Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him."
.
Hosea 9:7-8
7. "The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come. Israel knows! The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity.
8. "The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; but the prophet is a fowler's snare in all his ways-- Enmity in the house of his God."
.
Ps 3:1-2
1. "LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.
2. "Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God." Selah."

Prologue Paragraph 3

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Matt 26:3-5
3. "Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4. "and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.
5. "But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."
.
Ps 38:19
19. "But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; and those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied."
.
John 3:19-20
19. "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20. "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
.
Isa 29:14-15
14. "Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden."
15. "Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, and their works are in the dark; they say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?"
.
Ps 56:5-6
5. "All day they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6. "They gather together, they hide, they mark my steps, when they lie in wait for my life."

Prologue Paragraph 4

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Prologue Paragraph 5

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Mark 14:1-5
1. "After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.
2. "But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people."
3. "And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.
4. "But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted?
5. "For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor." And they criticized her sharply."
.
John 12:4-6
4. "Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said,
5. "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"
6. "This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it."
.
Ps 35:16,20
16. With ungodly mockers at feasts they gnashed at me with their teeth.
20. "For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against the quiet ones in the land.
.
John 13:18
18. "I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.'"
.
Ps 41:9
9. "Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me."
.
Matt 26:6,14-16
6. "And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,
14. "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
15. "and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.
16. "So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him."
.
* 2 Sam 15:12
12. "Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city-- from Giloh-- while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom continually increased in number."

* Items with an asterisk represent picture prophecy, especially from the life of David, as it is written: "Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, a leader and commander for the people." (Isaiah 55:3-4)

Prologue Paragraph 6

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John 6:64
64. "But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him."
.
Ps 41:9
9. "Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me."
.
Mark 14:3
3. "And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head."
.
Ps 45:7
7. "You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions."
.
Ps 23:5
5. "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over."

Prologue Paragraph 7

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Mark 14:10-11
10. "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.
11. "And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him."
.
* 2 Sam 15:12
12. "Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city-- from Giloh-- while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom continually increased in number."
.
Matt 26:15
15. "and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver."
.
Zech 11:12
12. "Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver."
.
Luke 22:6
6. "So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude."
.
Ps 37:32
32. "The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him."

Prologue Paragraph 8

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Matt 26:18-20
18. "And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"
19. "So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
20. "When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve."
.
Deut 16:16
16. "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed."
.
John 13:1
1. "Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end."
.
Dan 9:26
26. "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined."
.
Heb 12:2
2. "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
.
Ps 16:8-11
8. "I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9. "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.
10. "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
11. "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
.
Isa 50:5-7
5. "The Lord GOD has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.
6. "I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
7. "For the Lord GOD will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed."
.
Luke 22:15
15. "Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;"
.
Ps 20:4-5
4. "May He grant you according to your heart's desire, and fulfill all your purpose.
5. "We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions."

.
John 13:1
1. "Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end."
.
Jer 31:3
3. "The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."

Prologue Paragraph 9

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John 13:21
21. "When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."
.
[Ps 55:12-14]

12. "For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; then I could hide from him.
13. "But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance.
14. "We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng."
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Luke 22:53
53. "When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."
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Gen 3:15
15. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
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Dan 8:26
26. "And the vision of the evenings and mornings which was told is true; therefore seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future."
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John 14:29
29. "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe."
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Ps 38:16-17
16. "For I said, "Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me."
17. "For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before Me."

Prologue Paragraph 10

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John 13:30
30. "Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night."
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Job 18:18,21
18. "He is driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
21. "Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him who does not know God."
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Ps 41:6-9
6. "And if he comes to see me, he speaks lies; his heart gathers iniquity to itself; when he goes out, he tells it.
7. "All who hate me whisper together against me; against me they devise my hurt.
8. "‘An evil disease,’ they say, ‘clings to him. And now that he lies down, he will rise up no more’."
9. "Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
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Isa 59:7
7. "Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths."
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Matt 5:17
17. "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."
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Rom 10:4
4. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
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Zech 11:10-13
10. "And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples.
11. "So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD.
12. "Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
13. "And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"-- that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter."
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Matt 26:28
28. "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
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Heb 8:8-13
8. "Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--
9. "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.
10. "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
11. "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
12. "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
13. In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
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Jer 31:31-34
31. "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--
32. "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
33. "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
34. "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
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Heb 9:22
22. "And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission."
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[Exod 24:8]
8. "And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, "This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words."

The Betrayal by Judas, and acceptance by the priests, marks the end of the Old Covenant (Zech 11:10-13). Immediately thereafter Jesus is able to say, "A New Covenant I make with you." See Hebrews 8:8-13.

Chapter 1 Paragraph 1

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John 13:21,30
21. "When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."
30 ". . . Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night."

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Psalm 41:9
9 "Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me."

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John 13:33
33 "Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I say to you."

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Daniel 9:26
26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined."

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John 16:32
32 "Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me."

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Zechariah 13:7
7 "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion," says the LORD of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; then I will turn My hand against the little ones."

Chapter 1 Paragraph 2

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John 18:1
1 "When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered."
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Luke 22:39
39 "Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him."
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2 Samuel 15:14,23,30
14 "So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee; or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword."
23 ". . . And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness.
30 ". . . So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up."
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John 18:2
2 "And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples."
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Psalm 55:12
12 "For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; then I could hide from him."

Chapter 1 Paragraph 3

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Mark 14:32
32 "Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
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Psalm 54:2-3
2 "Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 "For strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life; they have not set God before them. Selah."

Chapter 1 Paragraph 4

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Luke 22:44
44 "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."
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Matthew 26:38
38 "Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."
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Psalm 55:1-5
1 "Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 "Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3 "Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they bring down trouble upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
4 "My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 "Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me."
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Matthew 26:42-44
42 "Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."
43 "And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
44 "So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words."
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Psalm 116:13-15
13 "I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
14 "I will pay my vows to the LORD now in the presence of all His people.
15 "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints."
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Psalm 40:8
8 "I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart."

Chapter 1 Paragraph 5

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Luke 22:43
43 "Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him."
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Isaiah 49:5
5 "And now the LORD says, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel is gathered to Him (for I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and My God shall be My strength),
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Matthew 26:40-46
40 "Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?
41 "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
42 "Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."
43 "And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
44 "So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
45 "Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 ""Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand."
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Psalm 31:12
12 "I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel."
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Matthew 26:47
47 "And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
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Psalm 86:14
14 "O God, the proud have risen against me, and a mob of violent men have sought my life, and have not set You before them."
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Matthew 26:48-50
48 "Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."
49 "Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.
50 "But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.
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Psalm 2:12
12 "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him."
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Psalm 55:20-21
20 "He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; he has broken his covenant.
21 "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords."

Chapter 1 Paragraph 6

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Luke 22:49
49 "When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"
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Matthew 26:52-54
52 "But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
53 "Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
54 "How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"
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2 Samuel 16:9-10
9 "Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!"
10 "But the king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, 'Curse David.' Who then shall say, 'Why have you done so?'"
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John 18:12
12 "Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him."
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Lamentations 4:20
20 "The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was caught in their pits, of whom we said, "Under his shadow we shall live among the nations."
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Mark 14:50
50 "Then they all forsook Him and fled."
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Psalm 88:18
18 "Loved one and friend You have put far from me, and my acquaintances into darkness."
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Zechariah 13:7
7 "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion," says the LORD of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; then I will turn My hand against the little ones."

Chapter 2 Paragraph 1

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John 18:13,19-23
13 "And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year . . .
19 "The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
20 "Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.
21 "‘Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.’"
22 "And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?"
23 "Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"
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Psalm 38:12-14
12 "Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, and plan deception all the day long.
13 "But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; and I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
14 "Thus I am like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth is no response."
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Psalm 56:5-6
5 "All day they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 "They gather together, they hide, they mark my steps, when they lie in wait for my life."

Chapter 2 Paragraph 2

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Matthew 26:57
57 "And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled."
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Isaiah 29:15
15 "Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, and their works are in the dark; they say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?"
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Mark 14:55-56
55 "Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.
56 "For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree."
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Psalm 56:5-6
5 "All day they twist my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 "They gather together, they hide, they mark my steps, when they lie in wait for my life."
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Psalm 27:12-13
12 "Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence.
13 "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."
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Matthew 26:62-64
62 "And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?"
63 "But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"
64 "Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."
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Psalm 39:2-4
2 "I was mute with silence, I held my peace even from good; and my sorrow was stirred up.
3 "My heart was hot within me; while I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 "LORD, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am."