Where is the Trail of Redemption?
The Trail of Redemption is the final walk that Christ took on your behalf, to deliver you from the pits of hell, and usher you into the eternal arms of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
I say ‘is’ (in the present tense) because the fruits of that trail are available to everyone until Jesus’ return.
This Trail of Redemption is also referred to as Christ’s ‘Holy Week’, which began on Palm Sunday, (see What Is the Significance of Palm Sunday?).
In that week, we are witness to the incredible lengths that Jesus went, to insure your deliverance. To begin, and for the second time, He throws out the merchants and moneychangers from the Temple courtyard, with an acrid admonition:
“The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” Mt. 21:13 NLT (see also Is. 56:7; Jer. 7:11; Mal. 3:1 – 4.)
Once the ‘thieves’ were cast out, Jesus entered the Temple and began healing the blind and the crippled. Children entered as well, and they shouted:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!” Mt. 21:15 NKJV
The chief priests and the scribes were offended over all the commotion. They asked Christ if He was aware of what the children were shouting (recognizing Jesus as the Messiah), and He responds:
“Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’” Mt. 2:16 NLT
Jesus is paraphrasing Ps. 8:2., inferring that they should follow the children’s example! Instead, they withdraw to consort with one another to hatch a plot for Christ’s demise.
A group of Greek (could also be translated as ‘Gentiles’) worshipers at the Temple approached the apostles, requesting an audience with Jesus. He denies their request and says to His apostles:
“Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory.” Jn. 12:23 NLT
Jesus is saying that He must first suffer the crucifixion – closing the opportunity for salvation for the Jews who rejected Him during His incarnated visit on earth. Also, He must be resurrected, bringing glory to His Father and to Himself, before He can begin to gather the Gentiles to the Kingdom of God. (Remember that it was God’s plan to save the Jews first). [See Heb. 2:16]
Christ then gives the apostles a greater depth as to the ‘necessity’ of His death:
“…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone [just one grain, never more]. But if it dies, it produces much grain and yields a harvest.” Jn. 12:24 AMP
…Christ’s death was to be the source of spiritual life to the world. From his cross and passions was to spring up a mighty harvest of benefit to all mankind. His death, like a grain of seed-corn, was to be the root of blessings and mercies to countless immortal souls. J.C. Ryle
So, unless the ‘seed’ of Jesus dies, and is planted in the earth, (in the hearts of His followers), His fruit of a world-wide church spreading the Gospel, would not have been possible.
Then, He tells the apostles that there is a bonus for those who become part of His church:
“The one who loves his life [eventually] loses it [through death], but the one who hates his life in this world [and is concerned with pleasing God] will keep it for life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must [continue to faithfully] follow Me without hesitation, holding steadfastly to Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]; and wherever I am [in heaven’s glory], there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” Jn. 12:25, 26. AMP
Next, Jesus speaks to His Father, saying that He is ready to press into His destiny:
“Father, bring glory to your name.” Jn. 12:28 NLT
Miraculously, Jehovah’s voice booms from heaven in response:
“I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” Jn. 12:28 NLT
This draws a crowd, some believing it was thunder, others thinking it was an angel that spoke to Jesus. He addresses them:
“The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging the world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this to indicate how he was going to die. Jn. 12:30 – 33. NLT
Christ has given the crowd a lot to ponder. First, He said that God spoke out of the sky, so that these dunderheads might wake up and see who Jesus is, and to begin to understand the events that are unfolding before their eyes.
Second, He is pointing out that the earth will no longer be judged by the ‘old ruler’ of this world (Satan), who has been doing so since Adam and Eve. Upon Jesus’ resurrection, He will usurp the devil’s control, and He will rule and judge the earth.
Finally, He was saying that after His resurrection, He will call everyone on this globe to come to Him for eternal life. Everybody’s outcome will be determined by how they prepared themselves – by doing their best to walk a godly walk, and foremost, by accepting Christ as their savior.
The stubborn crowd is not getting it, refusing to see. Jesus steers them towards deeper thought:
“My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of light.” Jn. 12:35, 36. NLT
Most of the listeners did not believe.
Jesus knows that His earthly trail of redemption is ending. Out of His love for humankind, He beckons them with His final public address:
“If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.
“I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.
“I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.
“I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.” Jn. 12:44 – 50. NLT
The following day, Jesus was approached by the chief priests and Temple elders who questioned His authority to preach. He peppers them with parables demonstrating their ignorance with the proper understanding of Scripture as well as their evilness of their character, and what that will cost them:
“…the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit. Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him.” Mt. 21:43, 44. CSB
In other words, the Kingdom of God will now be ripped away from the ‘religious system’ in Israel and be given to all His Jew and Gentile followers in other nations.
Jesus does not relent:
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.” Mt. 23:13 NLT
Jesus is saying that that the scribes and Pharisees have forfeited the kingdom of God by their disobedience to His word. Worse, they hinder the congregant’s ability to obey God’s laws, because of the additional burdens that they placed upon them, (i.e., false rituals and man-made Pharisaical rules).
And now, He cuts the cord with them, for all time:
“Listen carefully; your house is being left to you desolate [completely abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]!” Mt. 23:38 AMP
With that, He has washed His hands of them and leaves the Temple – never to return…
Jesus and His apostles go to the Mount of Olives, where they ask Him about what signs they should be looking for that would herald His return. He replies:
“Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.” Mt. 24:4, 5. NLT
“Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them.” Lk. 21:8 CSB
“For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!” Mk. 13:22, 23. NLT
“And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of birth pains, with more to come.” Mt. 24:6 – 8. NLT
Thus, before His second advent, the earth itself will suffer massive upheavals and destruction. Armies will clash with others all over the globe. Yet, these things only signal the beginning of the trials and tribulations to come.
Non-believers will also intensify their persecution of the followers of Christ:
“Then you will be arrested, persecuted and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.” Mt. 24:9 NLT
“But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers.
“But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!” Lk. 21:12 – 15. NLT
Next, Christ speaks about many believers that will fall out of faith:
“And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.” Mt. 24:10 – 12. NLT
“But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved.” Mt. 24:13 AMP
“So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near…know that the Kingdom of God is near.” Lk. 21:28 & 31. NLT
“And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world – from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.” Mt. 24:31 NLT
Then Jesus speaks about the urgency to be prepared for your destiny because the ungodly destiny is not a good one:
“And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world – from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.” Mt. 24:31 NLT
“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” Mt. 25:46 NLT
On Wednesday of the Holy Week, Christ tells His apostles of the exact time of His crucifixion:
“As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” Mt. 26:2 NLT
Simultaneously, the chief priests and the church elders were plotting His death. (See Mt. 26:3 – 5.) Indeed, they were assisted when Satan entered Judas Iscariot, who met with them. (Lk. 22:3 – 6).
It was now Thursday, where Jesus had His apostles prepare the Passover meal. Why?
Now before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that His hour had come [and it was time] for Him to leave the world and return to the Father. Having greatly loved His own who were in the world, He loved them [and continuously loves them with His perfect love] to the end (eternally). Jn. 13:1 AMP
(A whole book could be written about the revelations that occurred in that celebration. In fact, an extraordinary one exists: Lessons from the Upper Room by Sinclair B. Ferguson)
It was there that Jesus washed His disciples’ feet; He exposed Judas’ plot to kill him; and speaks about His imminent glorification:
“The time has come for the Son of Man to enter his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once.” Jn. 13:31, 32. NLT
Christ is saying that everything has now been set in motion for His imminent death and resurrection, which glorifies His Father – for Jehovah’s wisdom put forth in His salvation plan for humankind. It also glorifies the Son, for His passion for God’s children, and for His willingness to be our sacrificial substitute, to take on our punishment for our sins.
Peter objects with the fact that Jesus must die, saying he would die in his place. Christ prophesies that Peter will deny Jesus on the next day, and that the rest of the apostles would desert Him as well, but that He would meet them after His resurrection.
Next Jesus initiates the first celebration of Communion. (A ritual whereby we are taking something physical (often referred to as a ‘sacrament’), to remind us of Jehovah’s grace through Jesus Christ.
Finally, He gives the apostles their last in-depth teaching:
“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
“If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.” Jn. 14:1 – 3. CSB
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jn. 14:6 NKJV
“If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Jn. 14:7 NLT
“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them…and we will come and make our home with each of them.” Jn. 14:21 & 23. NLT
“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jn. 15:11 NLT
“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
No, I will not abandon you as orphans – I will come to you.” Jn. 14:15 – 18. NLT
It is late in the evening. Jesus accompanies His 11 disciples to the garden of Gethsemane, lying at the foot of the Mount of Olives, to pray. First, He prayed for His glorification through His crucifixion and resurrection, to complete His earthly mission.
God is placing Jesus in charge of all living things. Christ has successfully relayed the full Gospel message. He has demonstrated, through Himself, what God is like, and He is letting us know again, that He existed with His Father long before they created this universe.
Then He prayed for the apostles and all who would place their faith in Him for all time – praying until Friday morning.
At that point, Jesus woke up the apostles who were supposed to watch over Him, announcing His betrayal:
“…look – the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!” Mt. 26:45, 46. NLT
Exactly when Jesus said those words, Judas Iscariot entered the garden, accompanied by the Temple guards (provided by the chief priests), along with an armed crowd. Immediately, Judas approaches Jesus to identify Him to the guards. Now, the action begins:
Jesus identifies Judas as His betrayer; Peter cuts off an ear of a servant of a high priest, whom Jesus heals and rebukes Peter:
“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?” Mt. 26:52, 53. NLT
Then, just as Jesus had prophesied, all His apostles deserted Him…
Christ was arrested, bound, and dragged before Annas [who was the father-in-law of the reigning high priest (Caiaphas), and had just previously held the same office – which still afforded him some authority.] Annas questioned Him about His teachings.
Jesus responded to Him by referring to His guileless transparency:
“Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoked in secret.” Jn. 18:20 NLT
One of the arresting officers did not care for Jesus’ response and slapped Him across the face, demanding greater respect for Annas. Christ simply countered the officer by telling him that He had done nothing to deserve such violent abuse. He was simply telling the truth.
Annas wasn’t getting anywhere with Jesus, so he sent Him to Caiaphas – as he was the only one who could bring formal charges against Him.
Caiaphas was gathered with the Sanhedrin, where they brought false witnesses to accuse Jesus of blasphemy. However, none of the reports corroborated each other – which is required by Jewish law.
Jesus remained silent during the entire proceeding. Frustrated, Caiaphas asked Him directly if He was the Son of God. He replied:
You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Mt. 26:64 NLT
Jesus’ declaration of His Sonship was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Caiaphas. He accused Christ of blasphemy for claiming His divinity. The council pronounced a sentence of death. They spat in His face, mocked Him, and beat Him.
All the while, Peter is watching the proceedings from the courtyard. During this time, 3 people approached him, saying that they recognized him, having seen him with Jesus. Peter denied knowing Him, and during his third denial, a rooster crowed – exactly as He predicted.
Jesus turned to make eye contact with Peter. The apostle wept.
Judas of Iscariot was also slinking nearby; and when he heard the pronouncement of His death sentence, he was filled with remorse and tried to return his 30 pieces of silver blood money to the chief priests, pleading:
“I have sinned, he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.” Mt. 27:4 NLT
Judas threw the money into the Temple and went out and hung himself.
The Sanhedrin did not have the authority to execute Jesus’ sentence. Thus, they bound Him and sent Him to the one who did – Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea.
When Pilate asked them what Jesus was being accused of, the Sanhedrin balked a little, saying that He was an ‘evil doer.’ Then they said that He was misleading the nation, calling Himself a king, and telling people not to pay their taxes to Caesar.
Pilate directly asked Him:
“Are you the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “It is just as you say.” Lk. 23:3 AMP
“You say [correctly] that I am a King. This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth [who is a friend of the truth and belongs to the truth] hears and listens carefully to My voice.” Jn. 18:37 AMP
Pilate then learned that Christ was from Galilee. So, he shipped Him off to the Jewish governor of that region – Herod Antipas. Herod was excited because he thought Jesus would perform some miracles.
Instead, Jesus remained silent – even when the chief priests and scribes were hurling false charges at Him. Herod and his soldiers mocked Him and sent Him back to Pilate.
Pilate told Christ’s accusers that neither he nor Herod found any fault in Jesus. Indeed, Pilate now realized that He was innocent of any wrongdoing. He could see that Jesus’ accusers were motivated by pure envy.
Pilate then had Christ adorned in a purple gown and sporting a crown of thorns. He then presented Him to the crowd, who, by this time was whipped into a frenzy by the Sanhedrin, calling out for His death.
Still trying to find a way to get out of being an accomplice to His death, Pilate asks the crowd what it is that they think is the nature of His crime. They answer:
“By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.” Jn. 19:7 NLT
When Pilate heard that, he became more fearful of his complicity. He asked Jesus about where He was from, but He remained silent. Frustrated, Pilate tells Him that he has the power to release Him. Jesus breaks His silence:
“You would have no authority over Me at all if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason, the sin and guilt of the one who handed Me over to you is greater [than your own].” Jn. 19:11 AMP
When Pilate refused to continue to be a part of Jesus’ death sentence, the Roman soldiers took Him back into Pilate’s residence. There, they clothed Him in a scarlet robe, put a reed in His right hand and kept the crown of thorns on His head.
Then, they ridiculed Jesus – bowing before Him and saying:
“Hail, King of the Jews!” Mt. 27:29 NKJV
They spat upon Him and beat His head with the reed. Next, they made Jesus carry His own cross towards a place called ‘Golgotha,’ (meaning ‘place of a skull;’ also called ‘Calvary’).
Along the way, Christ became too weary to bear the cross, so the soldiers forced a man named ‘Simon,’ to carry it for Him.
It is now 9:00 a.m., whereupon Christ is crucified, along with two criminals on crosses of their own. Over the head of Jesus’ cross was written: ‘THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS’ (Mt. 27:37). Jesus speaks:
“Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” Lk. 23:34 CSB
One of the crucified criminals also spoke against Christ.
However, the other criminal rebuked him, saying:
“Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Lk. 23:39 – 42. NLT
Jesus replied:
“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Lk. 23:43 NKJV
From noon until 3:00 p.m., the sun darkened. Jesus knew His death was imminent. In this moment, He had to bear all the sins of humankind throughout time – taking upon Himself Jehovah’s wrath, that He would have hurled at all the perpetrators.
He had to taste death and separation from His Father for the first and last time. In that moment, Jesus had to feel, with every ounce of His soul and flesh, what every condemned human being would feel. He cried out (from His flesh):
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Mt. 27:46 NLT
Realizing His work was complete, Christ declared:
“It is finished!” Jn. 19:30 NLT
Jesus then uttered His final words as His incarnate self:
“Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last. Lk. 23:46 NLT
Simultaneously, the veil of the Temple in Jerusalem [the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies)], split in two. The veil was approximately 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and 4 inches thick. Tearing it was beyond all human capability.
The significance of the veil was that it separated humankind (represented by the high priest), who carried out his duties in the Holy Place) from God, whose Spirit resided in the Most Holy Place – where the priest was only allowed to enter on the annual Day of Atonement.
Tearing the veil eliminated that barrier, because God and humankind were now directly connected through Jesus Christ.
Pilate gave permission to a disciple of Christ, named Joseph, permission to bury Him. He was assisted by Nicodemus, (whom you might recall was the member of the Sanhedrin that came to Jesus, who laid the concept of baptism upon him). Obviously, he had a change of heart.
Finally, the Roman soldiers sealed the opening of the tomb.
On Saturday, the chief priests and the Pharisees asked the Roman soldiers to guard the tomb’s entrance until the 3 days elapsed that Christ had claimed would culminate in His resurrection. They were afraid that Jesus’ apostles would steal the body and fake His revivification.
Early in the morning, Mary Magdalene, and Mary (the mother of the disciple James, not Jesus’ brother) came to the tomb:
Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.” Mt. 28:2 – 6. NLT
He is Risen! Happy Easter!
Goodnight and God Bless.
What is the Significance of Palm Sunday?
To get a better context, let us consider what the Son of God taught His apostles on their way to Jerusalem. They were apprehensive about entering the city, wondering if any harm would come to them.
For the third time now, Jesus explains what’s coming, (see also Lk. 9:22 & 33 – 45):
… “Listen carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that have been written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled and completed. He will be betrayed and handed over to the Gentiles (Roman authorities), and will be mocked and ridiculed and insulted and abused and spit on, and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise [from the dead].” Lk. 18:31 – 33. AMP
And neither do the apostles understand Him now. What He is trying to get them to understand is that every event surrounding His impending death has been orchestrated and is totally under the control of the Father and the Son.
The apostle Matthew’s recollection of Jesus’ reply to His apostles was very similar:
“…the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” Mt. 20:18, 19. NLT
Christ was conveying to them that in this trip to Jerusalem, the culmination of all the prophecies concerning the Messiah, (which go as far back in time as the Garden of Eden), would now manifest, even His death and resurrection.
Heretofore, Jesus had mostly behaved in a humble manner. It obviously did not rub off on His apostles, as during this same trip to Jerusalem, James and John beseech Him for seats of high honor in heaven.
Christ rebukes them:
“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism [of suffering and death] with which I am baptized?” Mk. 10:38 AMP
He is trying to prepare them for the horrific violence He must face, and they must witness. Moreover, instead of the ‘high honor’ that some of the apostles’ desire, He shows them a completely different road:
“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.
“But among you, it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” Mt. 20:25-28. NLT
A crowd gathers, whereupon Jesus perceives omnisciently that many believe that He came as a ‘military’ Messiah, who would tear down Roman rule, making way for a ‘physical’ kingdom of God in present time.
Christ teaches them a parable, (Lk. 19:11 – 25.), where He is trying to impress upon them that He’s ascending to heaven to receive His kingship and that the kingdom of heaven will finally manifest when He returns from heaven.
It is now time for the Passover celebration in Jerusalem and everyone is wondering if Jesus will show up; and the priests and Pharisees have spies in place to arrest Him if He does.
This Sunday would forever be known as ‘Palm Sunday’, marking the beginning of Christ’s ‘Holy Week” before His ascension to His Father. Jesus is in town of Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem, to prepare for His holy entrance.
How? The Son of God sends two of His apostles to a nearby village, where they would find a colt that had never been ridden, tied to a post, and tells them to bring it to Him.
Jesus mounts the colt and rides into Jerusalem, publicly proclaiming His Messiahship – fulfilling another messianic prophecy (see Zec. 9:9).
A gathering crowd lays clothes and palm branches onto the path before Him, shouting as He passes by:
“Hosanna to the Son of David (Messiah); blessed [praised, glorified] is He who comes in the name of the LORD; Hosanna in the highest [heaven]!” Mt. 21:9 AMP
“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” Lk. 19:38 NLT
‘Hosanna’ means save now; and ‘Son of David’ recognizes Jesus as the true Messiah. The Pharisees get upset, but Jesus tells them that the crowd’s worship was appropriate.
Still, Christ knows that many will not accept Him as Savior, and He weeps for Jerusalem’s inhabitants:
“How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.” Lk. 19:42 NLT
“Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.” Lk. 19:43, 44. NLT
Jesus wept for those who would not recognize their King of Salvation (thus rejecting His Father as well). He entered the city as their King and left as their Prophet, telling them of the coming destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Roman general Titus in 70 A.D.
Christ and His apostles returned to the city of Bethany…
Goodnight and God bless.
In the Way of Samson 3
3.Moral turpitude:
I am going to sidestep the fifth major judge, (Jephthah), and all the minor judges. Why? Because the first four major judges that we’ve already examined, more than adequately demonstrated the ongoing pattern of Israel’s sequences of sin, oppression, crying out to God, and His deliverance through the judges.
Before we meet the last and the most famous major judge, (Samson), I am going to segue to the chapters 17 – 21 of the book of Judges, which occur after the account of Samson. These chapters consist of a postscript of the initial period of that same book. It depicts the depths of Israel’s sin that created the need for the judges, which God mercifully provided.
This expose on the depravity of the Israelites, begins with a man named Micah, from the tribe of Ephraim, who stole silver from his mother, and later admits it, returning to her. She says that she will honor him for his repentance by taking a portion of that silver to a silversmith, who created an idol to be placed in Micah’s house.
Micah built a shrine for it and made his son his personal priest. (See Jdg. 17:1 – 5.)
Then, the Bible reveals why behaviors like these were widely perpetrated:
In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. Jdg. 17:6 NLT
(Nor did they recognize their rightful King, Jehovah.)
Next, a Levite from Bethlehem approached Micah and said he was looking for a place to live. Micah said that he would provide him shelter, treated him like a son, and made him his personal priest. Why?
“I know the Lord will bless me now,” Micah said, “because I have a Levite serving as my priest.” Jdg. 17:13 NLT
Obviously, this is a total desecration of the true Levitical priesthood’s purpose, which was to serve God in the temple.
Simultaneously, the Israeli tribe of Dan, was looking for a place to live. Joshua had allotted land to them[1] That allotment was filled with their enemy, (the Philistines), and the Danites lacked the faith in God to take the land from them.
So, they sent out scouts, who came to Micah’s house, where they met the Levite. And they told him that they had spied out the northernmost Canaanite city of Laish, located at the foot of Mount Horeb. The scouts found the city to be highly desirable. So, they asked the priest if they would be successful in their conquest of same. He gave them his blessing.
Six hundred Danites returned to Micah’s house and forcibly took all his idols; and the Levite, who was only too happy to be a priest for an entire clan, instead of just Micah.
The Danites conquered the city, killing all the inhabitants and burning the city to the ground. Then they rebuilt it and renamed it the city of Dan. But they maintained their idolatry:
Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, as their priest. Jdg. 18:30 NLT
Chapters 19 and 20 present a most serious moral degradation:
This account begins with a Levite, living in Ephraim, who procured for himself a concubine from Bethlehem. Returning to his home, he and his retinue stop to spend the night in the town of Gibeah, in the land of Benjamin.
A kind man took them into his home. But Benjamite men from the city surrounded the house and demanded that the homeowner give up the Levite, so that they could sodomize him. Instead, he offered the crowd his virgin daughter and the Levite’s concubine.
The Levite pushed his concubine out the door, and the men raped her all night, leading to her death. Consequently, the Levite took her home and cut her up into twelve pieces and sent them to the twelve tribes as a call to civil war. (See Jdg. Ch. 19).
Four hundred thousand men from all the eleven tribes of Israel attacked the land of Benjamin, with the permission of Jehovah.
The Benjamite men were slaughtered, leaving only 600 men behind. But that was not all:
And the Israelites returned and slaughtered every living thing in all the towns—the people, the livestock, and everything they found. They also burned down all the towns they came to. Jdg. 20:48 NLT
(Eventually, the Israelites would deeply repent what they did, and send wives to the 600 Benjamite men to repopulate the tribe.)
4.Samson
Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years. Jdg. 13:1 NLT
During that time, there was a man from the tribe of Dan, named Manoah, whose wife was barren:
And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are infertile and have no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son.Therefore, be careful not to drink wine or [any other] intoxicating drink, and do not eat anything [ceremonially] unclean. For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite [dedicated] to God from birth; and he shall begin to rescue Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Jdg. 13:3 – 5. AMP
The Angel of the LORD is consecrating the child for His purposes.
Manoah prayed for the return of the Angel of the LORD, who subsequently manifested Himself to him and his wife. Manoah asked Him for His name. He replies:
“Why do you ask my name,” the angel of the Lord asked him, “since it is beyond understanding?” Jdg. 13:18 CSB
Manoah sacrificed a young goat and gave a grain offering on a rock altar. The Angel of the LORD consumed it with miraculous fire and then He Himself ascended toward heaven. (Once again, we see that He accepted a sacrifice, which angels cannot do. Thus, He can only be explained as a theophany, whom many understand to be the pre-incarnate Christ.)
Later, Manoah’s wife gives birth:
…and named him Samson; and the boy grew and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him… Jdg. 13:24, 25. AMP
One day as he matures, Samson sees a Philistine woman who stirs up his lust, and he tells his parents to get her for his wife. They try to reason with him – to marry an Israelite instead of a pagan Philistine. Only caring about how she looks, Samson stands firm.
However, none of them sees that this is God’s plan:
His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time. Jdg. 14:4 NLT
The three of them went to arrange the marriage, but on the way, Samson was attacked by a lion. It was at this moment, that Samson was first imbued with the Spirit of the LORD, strengthening him to be able to tear the lion apart bare-handed. (This was also in God’s plan.)
They met the girl and Samson was pleased and plans were drawn. On the return trip, Samson saw that the body of the lion was filled with bees and honey. He ate some of the honey.
Later, Samson prepared a feast for a ‘bachelor party’ for him and 30 attending Philistine men. As per custom, he began a riddle game, where he said to the Philistines that if they could solve it within the 7 days of the feast, he would reward them with a certain amount of clothing. But if they could not, they would have to reward him likewise.
His riddle:
“Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” Jdg. 14:14 AMP
By the end of the 3rd day, they still hadn’t solved it. So, they threatened Samson’s betrothed, saying that if she didn’t get the answer out of him, they would burn her and her father’s house. So, she whined to Samson, crying daily that as his wife, she should know. He finally relented.
Then the 30 Philistines answered him on the 7th day:
“What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Jdg. 14:18a AMP
Samson’s response is classic:
If you hadn’t plowed with my young cow, you wouldn’t know my riddle now! Jdg. 14:18b CSB
He went to Philistine city of Ashkelon and killed 30 men and brought the dead men’s clothes and gave them to the 30 men of his wedding party. Subsequently, his father-in-law gave his wife to another man.
Samson reacted with vengeance:
Then he went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied their tails together in pairs, and he fastened a torch to each pair of tails. Then he lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain fields of the Philistines. He burned all their grain to the ground, including the sheaves and the uncut grain. He also destroyed their vineyards and olive groves. Jdg. 15:4, 5. NLT
The Philistines retaliated by burning up his ex-wife and her father. Samson responded mercilessly. In turn, the Philistines camped in the land of Judah. When the Judahites found out why they were doing that, they sent 3000 men to bind Samson and turn him over to the Philistines. Uh oh:
As Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines came shouting in triumph. But the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists. 15 Then he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey. He picked it up and killed 1,000 Philistines with it. Jdg. 15:14, 15. NLT
Samson went to Gaza for a Philistine prostitute. (God can use anybody for His purposes).
The Philistines find out, and they lay in wait for him. But he gets up at midnight and uproots the city gate and carries it away.
After this he fell in love with a [Philistine] woman…whose name was Delilah. So the [five] lords (governors) of the Philistines came to her and said to her, “Persuade him, and see where his great strength lies and [find out] how we may overpower him so that we may bind him to subdue him. And each of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.” Jdg. 16:4, 5. AMP
Delilah did just that. Samson first told her that binding him with 7 ‘fresh cords’ (undried tendons), new ropes, or with 7 locks of his hair weaved on a loom, would weaken him. Each time he told her of these examples, the Philistines would try to take him, but to no avail.
Finally, Delilah worms the truth out of him, i.e., if his head is shaven, he will assuredly weaken. She has it done while he slept. (Samson’s hair didn’t really give him power; God did that – but He took it away because Samson violated his Nazarite vow.)
…Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Jdg. 16:20 AMP
Consequently, the Philistines took Samson captive, gouged out his eyes, bound him in chains and brought him to Gaza. He was imprisoned to labor as a grain grinder. (However, no one paid attention to the fact that his hair was beginning to grow back.)
The Philistines gathered to sacrifice to their pagan god Dagon. They had Samson brought out of prison to entertain them, making him stand between the pillars of Dagon’s temple.
Then Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the [roof of the] house rests, so that I may lean against them.” Jdg. 16:26 AMP
The temple was filled with 3000 people. Samson cries out to Jehovah as speaks his last petition:
“O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this one time, O God, and let me take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes.” Samson took hold of the two middle [support] pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, one with his right hand and the other with his left. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Jdg. 16:28 – 30. AMP
Samson pushed against the pillars with all his God-given strength and the pillars fell to the side, and the roof collapsed – killing all the people, and Samson died with them…
Goodnight and God bless.
On a personal note: I am going to take a 3-week hiatus from blogging while I move from the decaying state of California to the sane state of Alabama. I will then return with more of what God wants us to know. It is a blessing to serve you in the Lord.
[1] Jos. 19:40 – 48.