"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... By which also ye are saved... unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Introduction
The Childhood of Jesus
The Ministry of Jesus
Early Ministry
The First Passover
The Galilean Ministry
The Beginning of Controversy
The Sabbath Controversies
The Kingdom of Jesus
The Effect and purpose of the Signs and Wonders
The Teachings of Jesus
Last year of our Lord
The Last Six Months
The Last Week in the Life of King Jesus
Appendix

Introduction

In the Old Testament, from the very beginning we are told of the One who was to come and redeem mankind back to God. He was to be the promised Messiah, the Christ, or Anointed One, and the Savior of the world. Although there has been other anointed ones throughout the OT (David - Psalms 18:50, Cyrus - Isaiah 45:1, etc.), there would come THE Messiah (Psalm 2:2, Dan. 9:25-26, Isaiah 61:1) who would be "anointed with the oil of gladness above thy fellows" (Heb. 1:9), in whom" dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians 2:9) He would be none other than God manifest in the flesh, the Holy and incarnate Son of God.  He is "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1Tim. 6:15).

The Spirit did testify beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow, and the prophets who prophesied of the grace that should come, inquired and searched diligently for that salvation, but only saw it in types and shadows. But when God did send forth His Son in the fullness of time, He was born of a Jewish virgin, and this Child was called Immanuel, meaning "God with us" (Mt. 1:23), and His name was called Wonderful, the "Lord Jesus Christ" .

These are the three primary names of the Son of God. Jesus is His human name and means, "Jehovah is the Savior". This is what the angel Gabriel told Joseph, "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Mt. 1:21). Christ means "anointed" which points to Him as the Messiah, the one who was spoken of by the prophets, who was to come.  When Jesus was born into this world, the angel of the Lord appeared to a group of shepherds and said "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). Lord in the New Testament is equivalent to the Hebrew word "Jehovah" which links Jesus to deity. So the Messiah would be none other than Jehovah, the Savior of the world.

When Jesus was faced with the opposition of the Pharisees to entangle Him with their craftiness, He told them "Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." (John 8:24, Exodus 3:14) There are many today that do not believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, but the day is coming when "every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:11). This was the testimony of Peter to the Jews on the day of Pentecost. "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ ." (Acts 2:36)

Since Jesus Christ is Lord, we should not only want to know Him personally, but to also know about Him and His life when He tabernacled amongst humanity. Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." (Mt. 11:29) If we want to know God, we must look to Jesus. And by looking to Jesus we can know God to the ultimate extent that it is possible to know Him this side of heaven. He is the express image of the invisible God. So if you want to know God, know Jesus Christ. If you want to see God, look to Jesus Christ. If you want to be with God for eternity, know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, the one who came to shed His blood for the payment of your sin. Through this study, may we see Jesus as did the writer of Hebrews. "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." (Heb. 2:9)

 The hymn writer would sing, "More about Jesus would I know, More of His grace to others show; More of His saving fullness see, More of His love who died for me." (E. E. Hewitt) If we want to know more about Jesus there is none other place to look than our Holy Bible, which God has given to us through His apostles and prophets. These were inspired of God to pen His words and tell us the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament foretold of the One who was to come. The New Testament gives us the record of the One who came, and it begins like this. "The book of the generations of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." (Mt. 1:1)

The Childhood of Jesus

If we would know about the life of Jesus on this earth the place to look would be primarily the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. There is little mention of His years before the age of about thirty, but we are told enough to get a glimpse of His early years. First we are told of His birth in Bethlehem of Judea. Matthew tells us of this when he quotes the prophet Micah. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. " (Micah 5:2, Mt. 2:5-6) Although He had a beginning as a child in Bethlehem, Jesus lived before He was born. He is "from everlasting", and did come out of eternity. When Jesus was on His way to Gethsemane on the eve of His crucifixion, He prayed, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.  I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.  And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was ." (John 17:3-5) Jesus was the man who lived before the world was for He is the Creator of it (John 1:1-3).

When the Lord Jesus was born, Satan quickly conspired to destroy Him by using Herod who "sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under" (Mt. 2:16). But Joseph, the husband of Mary, being forewarned in a dream was told to flee into Egypt because Herod sought to destroy the child Jesus, so they fled that same night. The time Jesus spent there is not certain, though some say several months, but after Herod died Joseph was again instructed in a dream to return from Egypt to the land of Israel that it might be fulfilled as the prophet Hosea did say "Out of Egypt have I called my son." (Mt. 2:15, Hosea 11:1).

Now when Joseph was returning to Israel, he was again warned in a dream not to go into Judea for fear of Herod's son. So he turned to Galilee and abode in the city of Nazareth "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene." (Mt. 2:23) This is the place "where He had been brought up" (Luke 4:16) from a child until the beginning of His ministry, and therefore He was often referred to as "Jesus of Nazareth". This was the title that Pilate put upon His cross, "JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS." (John 19:19)

The next event we have recorded in the life of Jesus took place when He was twelve years old. We find Him in the temple asking questions and answering to the astonishment of the elders.  "Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.  And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.  And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.  But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.  And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.  And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.  And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.  And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.  And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?  And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.  And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.  And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." (Luke 2:41-52)

In this passage we are also told that Jesus was "subject unto them", that is Mary and Joseph. And even at that young age was found to be about His Fathers business, which was far more important than going with the crowd. The Bible tells us to honor thy father and thy mother, and undoubtedly Jesus was a shining example of an obedient child. We all know how hard it is to be an adolescent, when the young can be so mean to one another at times. Perhaps because of Jesus obedience, He was despised as a goodie-two-shoes by his siblings. In a Messianic psalm we are told "Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.  I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.   For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.  When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.  I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.  They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards." (Psalm 69:7-12)

Dear brethren, if you have ever felt despised or rejected along the way, Jesus knows how you have felt or are feeling. He is not one who "cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Heb. 4:15) "When he was reviled, [He] reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously" (1Peter 2:23). Every evil thing that was said or done to Him He accepted and would not give an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth. He would teach us "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Mt. 5:44). This is what the apostle Paul taught, as He desired to walk in the Masters footsteps "being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it" (1Cor. 4:12). It is hard at times to bite the tongue. It can be as a fire and is hard to tame, but we need to be like Jesus and commit ourselves to him that judgeth righteously. It is not natural to bless those who revile you, but it is a heavenly command from a loving God who desires to show mercy and let His nature be known to us through Jesus Christ, and with the help of His Spirit we shall be changed into His likeness from glory to glory.

The Ministry of Jesus

What we would like to do in this little study is have a brief overview of the life of Christ beginning with His ministry, but we would like to focus primarily on the week leading up to His crucifixion, which would cover His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, up until His death, burial and resurrection. The place where we will find this is in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. What we will find that for the most part they are in chronological order. Luke even tells us that he would "write unto thee in order … That thou mightest know the certainty of those things" (Luke 1:3-4). But some portions are not in all four accounts, and we will find gaps therein, so what we would like to do is to gather all the information that we might carefully follow His steps up to Calvary.

Matthew and Luke give genealogical records of both Mary and Joseph respectively while Mark and John do not.  We will find that Matthew and Mark deal primarily with Christ's Galilean Ministry which lasted some 18 months, while Luke and John fill in some of the other details.

We also know that the ministry of Jesus lasted approximately three and one half years by the number of Passovers He attended. The apostle John mentions four Passovers (John 2:13, 5:1, 6:4, 12:1). As to the birth of Jesus it is said that Herod was alive at that time (Mt. 2:1-6, 15), but died shortly thereafter. Josephus, a Jewish Historian records that Herod died 37 years after He became king, which was in the Roman year 750, which is equivalent to our calendar year of 4 BC. Most have accepted this date as the birth of our Lord. Concerning the year of the death of our Lord, we know that the day was the Passover, which was always on Nisan 14. Now every year, Nisan 14 lands on a different day, but this particular Passover had to be on the Friday before the Sabbath. There are only certain years that this happened, that is the years 26, 33, and 36 AD (below and beyond these years would be too out of range). We also know that when Jesus entered the ministry, He was "about the age of thirty" (Luke 3:23) and that it was "the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar" (Luke 3:1-3). If we use the year 26AD as the date of His death, He would have been about the age of 30 but entered His ministry three years earlier around the age of 26 or 27. If we use 33AD as the date of His crucifixion, He would have been 37 years of age at His death, and would have entered His ministry around the age of 33 or 34. I do not know if we can use any of these dates with any certainty, but they are here for your consideration.

Now if we would follow Jesus up to Calvary we can do this quite easily, for it seems that the Spirit of God when He was inspiring the Apostles to give a record of all the things that Jesus did, that He was sure to put certain chronological terms therein. We are told of certain days such as "six days before the Passover", "it was the preparation of the Passover", "on the next day", "after two days was the feast of Passover", "in the end of the Sabbath", "now on the first day of the week", "today is the third day", "that day was the preparation", "then came the day of unleavened bread", "when the Sabbath was past", etc.

We are also told of coming to or leaving certain places such as "they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives", "and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there", "when they were come from Bethany", "and entered into the city", "he sat upon the mount of Olives", "they went out into the mount of Olives", "abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives", "Jesus went unto the mount of Olives", "Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple", "And when even was come, he went out of the city", "Jesus went out, and departed from the temple", "when Jesus was in Bethany", "he led them out as far as to Bethany",  "And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter", "And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee", etc.

We are also told of certain time factors such as "it was early", "when evening was come", "now the eventide was come", "it was about the sixth hour", "until the ninth hour", "it was the third hour", "continued all night in prayer to God", "in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out", etc.

One thing that will be helpful in determining the times and days mentioned in the Scripture, especially in the last week leading up to the crucifixion, is to understand the difference between our day and the Jewish day. Our day follows the Roman calendar, which begins and ends at midnight. The Jews day begins and ends at the setting of the sun or about 6 PM. Our day starts with day and ends with evening, while the Jewish day starts with evening and ends with day. This we have recorded for us in the book of Genesis, "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day" (1:5). Every day in the beginning of the creation began with evening and ended with day. And each day was divided into 12 hours each. Jesus said, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?" (John 11:9) The Jewish day was from approximately 6AM to 6PM, their night from 6PM to 6AM. So then, the Roman morning and the Jewish mornings line up on the same day of the week, but our evenings do not. For example, our Saturday morning is the Jews Saturday morning, but our Saturday evening is the Jews Sunday evening, for their evening comes before morning of the same day.
 

Early Ministry

There is nothing really said from the time we saw Jesus in temple at the age of twelve, but in those early years we are told that "the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him." (Luke 2:40) The next time we see Him is in the beginning of His ministry being "about thirty years of age" (Luke 3:3). John the Baptist had prepared the way for Him, as Jehovah had spoken afore saying, "he shall prepare the way before ME" (Mal. 3:1). John bore witness that He was the true Light, "that all men through him might believe" (John 1:7). Jesus is the Creator and the eternal Word made flesh who came to dwell among us, to bring us grace and truth, and to declare unto us the Father's councils, and express His personage, with the divine purpose to seek and to save the lost.

When John would see Jesus coming his testimony to all around as he was baptizing beyond the Jordan was "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) He was not as the lambs of the Old Testament whose blood could only cover up sin. The sins were still there, and just covered up, but now Jesus would take them away as far as the east is from the west. The writer of Hebrews tells us "but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Heb. 9:26) Neither did He have to offer sacrifice daily as the OT high priests, or as the Roman priesthood erringly does today, but "this he did once, when he offered up himself." (Heb. 7:27) "After he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God" (Heb. 10:12). "It is finished" was His cry, therefore "where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." (Heb. 10:18) Because of Christ's great sacrifice we have been "reconciled to God by the death of his Son" (Romans 5:10), who "by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Heb. 4:9), for He "was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25).

Our sins are no longer covered but washed away by the blood of the Lamb. "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." (1Peter 1:18-21) Jesus "loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Rev. 1:5). "But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus" (1Cor. 6:11). Who now can condemn us if our faith and trust is alone in the Lord Jesus Christ? The apostle Paul said, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth." (Romans 8:33) "Salvation is of the LORD" (Jonah 2:9). Therefore, "being justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Romans 5:9).

Could we sing it again, "More about Jesus would I know, More of His grace to others show; More of His saving fullness see, More of His love who died for me." As we would look to the Scriptures to know more about Jesus certainly we can all acknowledge that the riches of Christ are unsearchable in this lifetime. "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable." (Psalm 145:3) "Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number" (Job 5:9). Paul would say "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33) But we will have eternity "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:7)

Now, after John the Baptist had prepared the way before Christ, Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, and fasted forty days (Mt. 4:1-11), but not before John had baptized Him "that he should be made manifest to Israel" (John 1:31). John was told upon whom he should see the Spirit of God descending like a dove from heaven and remaining, it would be Him who would baptize with the Holy Ghost. So John bore witness that He was the Son of God. The Father also bore Him witness saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Jesus is called "my beloved" seven times in the NT directly by the Father. The prophet Isaiah spoke of Him saying "Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved , in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles." (Mt. 12:17, Isaiah 42:1) We are also told that God "hath made us accepted [Gr. charitoo] in the beloved" (Eph. 1:6). This word "accepted" in the Greek [charitoo] is used only one other time in the Bible in reference to Mary, and is translated "highly favored". "And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured [Gr. charitoo], the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." (Luke 1:28)  We have become "highly favored" by God, encompassed with favor, and honored with blessings, not because of our own merits, but because "the Lord is with us" and we are "in Christ". What does it mean to be highly favored? On the way to Gethsemane, before the cross, Jesus prayed, "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:24) We are loved with an everlasting love because the Father loves the Son, and we are predestined to be with the Son in glory, and to behold His glory forever as redeemed sinners, saved by His grace, which is all "to the praise of the glory of his grace".

So Jesus returned from the wilderness into Galilee and some of John's disciples followed Him. They were at the first Andrew and Peter.  Jesus then chose Philip and Nathaniel (John 1:35-51). We then find Jesus attending a Marriage in Cana of Galilee where He performed His first miracle of changing water into wine. "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him." (John 2:11)

Later we find Jesus back in His hometown of Nazareth, reading from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue saying, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." He then testified to them "Today is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." But they would not have Him and brought Him close to the edge of a cliff to throw Him over the edge, but He went through the midst of them and departed (Luke 4:16-30).

So "leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up." (Mt. 4:13-16) Because of His rejection in His hometown of Nazareth, He now made His home in Capernaum, during what could be called His Galilean Ministry that lasted about a year and a half. There He abode with His mother and brethren after the flesh, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas, along with His disciples, but as we will see much of His time was spent abroad preaching the gospel of the kingdom.

This was the beginning of His great Galilean ministry as the prophet Isaiah had foretold long before saying "in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined" (Isaiah 9:1-2). Isaiah goes on to say just who this great Light is "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:6-7) Jesus said, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." (John 12:46) Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12) Jesus is "the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1:9)

The First Passover

'And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem" (John 2:13). There we find Him in the temple driving out the moneychangers who were making the temple a house of merchandise for trading and selling. He told them that His Fathers house was a house of prayer and that they were making it a den of thieves. Jesus was zealous of His Father's house as it was written in the prophets "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." (John 2:17, Psalm 69:9) This is the first of two times in which He did cleanse the temple. The next time would be in the final week before the crucifixion (Matthew 21:12, Mark 11:15).

Because of His actions the Jews asked of Him a sign as to why He did these things. Did He do them by His own authority as they later asked Him (Mt. 21:23), or by some other authority than His own, and if it was by the authority of God they demanded a sign, and He told them "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19) Although they did not understand that He spoke of the temple of His body, this was the first time He mentions His death and resurrection. Jesus would not perform for these sign seekers at this time, but would later show them the greatest sign of all time and eternity, and that was His bodily resurrection from the dead. Although He showed them no signs at their bidding, He later did other miracles during the feast that many did see.

At the time of this Passover Jesus had a Pharisee named Nicodemus come to him by night who did believe that Jesus was come from God because he saw the miracles that He did. But Jesus straight away told him that believing He was sent of God would not save him, but that he had to be born again, and that Christ should be lifted up even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness "That whosover beleiveth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:15). Jesus said at a later time "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.  This he said, signifying what death he should die." (John 12:32-33)

The only way that man could be saved from eternal death, which is the wages of sin, was to find someone who could pay for their debt with their own life, who of course would have no debt of their own to pay. This Jesus vowed to do from eternity, according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, which He made in the council and covenant of grace, when he engaged to become a surety for His people, to assume their nature, to suffer and die for them, that He might redeem them from sin and misery, and bring them nigh to God, and save them with an everlasting salvation. He said from eternity "What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people." (Psalm 116:12-14) "My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him." (Psalm 22:25) "Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!" (Psalm 31:19)
 
Then was John the Baptist was imprisoned and later put to death by Herod, but not before testifying "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36) And when the Pharisees saw that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John "He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee." (John 4:2) Jesus knew what was in them and of their envy and that He would not be accepted of them and that they would kill Him quickly before His ministry in preaching the gospel of the kingdom, so Jesus departed down through Samaria to Galilee.

On the way through Samaria He met a woman at the well of Jacob, and He told her of water far superior than the well which she came to draw. Jesus told her  "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13-14) Jesus can be for you that cool drink in a parched and dreary desert that can truly satisfy to the uttermost any weary pilgrim, for He is the fountain of living waters.  He said, "He that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6:35) And again "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive" (John 7:37-39).

He bids you "come unto me". "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." (Isaiah 55:1-3).

Jesus spent two days in Samaria. He openly told the Samaritan woman that He was the Christ, and she did believe. She understood that when the Messiah would come he would "tell us all things", and her testimony after her confrontation with Jesus was "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" Because of this woman's testimony many were come to see Him. And they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." (John 4:42) Oh how we need to hear His voice today. Jesus said, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10:16) Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Rev. 3:20) Have you yet heard His voice and opened the door? Have you yet harkened unto the voice of the Lord? "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:25)

The Galilean Ministry

"Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee." (John 4:43) Matthew gives a summary of His Galilean ministry saying, "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.  And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan." (Mt. 4:23-25)

Peter gave a summary of His ministry to the house of Cornelius.  "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:  Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly" (Acts 10:36-40).

Jesus was not accepted in Bethlehem of Judea, the country of His birthplace, neither in His hometown of Nazareth, so He dwelt in Galilee and was received of them being glorified of all. From that time Jesus began to preach saying "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15) He then added others to be His disciples, the brothers James and John, who left their fathers prosperous fishing business to follow Christ and be fishers of men (Mark 1:16-20). Then later Matthew who "left all, rose up, and followed him." (Luke 5:28) All together "he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach" (Mark 3:14).

John the Baptist "was a burning and a shining light", but Jesus brought greater witness than that of John during His Galilean ministry. Jesus said "But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me." (John 5:36) So "Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people." (Mt. 9:35) "He cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Mt. 8:16-17)

As Jesus went about preaching the gospel of the kingdom, He confirmed His word with signs and wonders, for He was a prophet like unto Moses (Deut. 18:15). Concerning Moses it is said "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, In all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel." (Deut. 34:10-12) When John the Baptist was cast in prison and began to doubt if Jesus was "he that should come", Jesus told the two disciples of John "Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached ." (Luke 7:19-23)

Physical healing and the gospel preached would characterize the times of the Messiah. The prophet Isaiah had much to say about the miracles of the Messiah and the good news that would come through Him. Jesus said Isaiah spoke of Him when he said, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek " (Isaiah 61:1). "And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness." (Isaiah 29:18) " They shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God . Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing " (Isaiah 35:2-6).

Because of the mighty miracles of Jesus His fame was spread abroad into all the land so "that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter." (Mark 1:45) "A great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea, And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him." (Mark 3:7-8) And the crowds did press upon Him for to touch Him, for He healed many. Wherever Jesus went "much people followed him, and thronged him" (Mark 5:24), and "the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God" (Luke 5:1). At times He had to get away from the crowds "lest they should throng him" (Mark 3:9) to death, for "the people were gathered thick together" (Luke 11:29), and most of the time "an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another" (Luke 12:1). Quiet time was hardly known to Christ  "for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat." (Mark 6:31)

Because of His mighty miracles it caused a great stir among the people in the entire region, and many "marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men." (Matthew 9:7) Every time He would heal someone His fame spread more and more "and the multitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel." (Mt. 9:33) Even His disciples would say, "What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!" (Mt. 8:27) "And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people." (Luke 7:16) "And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?" (Mt. 12:23) "And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" (John 7:31) "And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day." (Luke 5:26) Others would say "We never saw it on this fashion." (Mark 2:12)

The Beginning of Controversy

Many testified that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. Even the unclean spirits and devils recognized Him saying "I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God" (Mark 1:24). But others grew envious of His fame, even from the very beginning when they saw that "Jesus made and baptized more people than John" (John 4:1), they were covetous for His popularity with the people, and how the people sought after Him. So Jesus began to have clashes with these religious authorities.

As we walk through the gospel accounts, we will see three particular areas of progress given in their story. The progressive self-manifestation of the Saviour; The growing hostility of the official religious rulers against Jesus; And the gradual training of the twelve, who would carry on His teaching and work after His death, when they would be commanded to go into all the world and make disciples of every nation, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Mt. 28:20).

The beginning of these clashes was when Jesus healed a paralytic and said unto him "Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" (Luke 5:20-21) And this is what the Bible tells us, "To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets." (Daniel 9:9-10) Mankind is in the need of forgiveness of sins from God whom we have offended by breaking His Holy Commandments. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus said, "Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law?"  (John 7:19)  Therefore we are all under the just condemnation and penalty for breaking the Law. There is a penalty for breaking the Law, even death (Romans 6:23), for the transgression of the Law is sin (1John 3:4), and the wages of sin is death, but the One who has given the Law is able to forgive.

"But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." (Psalm 130:4) "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found " (Psalm 32:5-6). Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh and had the power to pardon sin because He would pay the penalty thereof with His own life. The payment required for sin is death so He offered His own life as the payment. Jesus came "to give his life a ransom for many" (Mt. 20:28). He said "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death" (Hosea 13:14). It is only forgiveness through the blood of Christ, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Eph. 1:7). But not all recognized, even as today, that it is Jesus Christ alone who can forgive sins, for all sin is against Him.

The next clash we might observe was when Jesus was eating with publicans and sinners, and the scribes and Pharisees "murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?" (Luke 5:30) "But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Mt. 9:12-13) While Christ was the great Physician who came and healed all the physical ailments of those who would come to Him, this was not why He came. Those miracles bore witness to who He was, that He was the Christ, the Son of God, but those miracles were not an end in themselves. He came to heal more than sickness and disease. He came to heal humanity of their sin. He came to seek and to save the lost and to heal those who are sick with sin. The prophet Isaiah would say of Him, " He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes are we healed ." (Isaiah 53:5) Peter would say that He by " His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree … by whose stripes ye were healed. " (1Peter 2:24) Healed of sin and misery and eternal death. Jesus alone is the great Physician who can make you whole and clean every whit.

I thank God that He is not only Just, but Merciful, and desires to show us mercy rather than wrath. When the disciples went with Jesus to a Samaritan village, and they would not receive Him, His disciples wanted to send fire down from heaven to consume them as did Elijah, but Jesus rebuked them saying "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." (Luke 9:55-56) And if we will remember that story of Elijah aright, we will see that God did first send fire down from heaven "and consumed the burnt offering" (1Kings 18:38). Beloved, this is what the Lord did for us when he gave "himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." (Eph. 5:2) The Lord desires to show mercy and will not turn His back on any who will call out to Him through Jesus Christ, for the Scriptures tell us "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

We are given in the New Testament seven examples of those who cried out for mercy. There were the two blind men who were "crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us … And their eyes were opened" (Matthew 9:27-30). There was a Canaanite woman who "cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me , O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil … And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." (Mt. 15:21-28) There came unto Him a certain man saying "Lord, have mercy on my son : for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water … And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour." (Mt. 17:14-18) There were "ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us … And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed." (Luke 17:11-19) There was also blind Bartimaeus who sat by the highway begging who "began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me … And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus" (Mark 10:46-52). And there was the publican who "would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner " We are told "this man went down to his house justified" (Luke 18:9-14). There is yet one more who cried out to heaven saying "have mercy on me", it was a certain rich man who had died in his sins. He was "in hell" and "in torments" and desired one to bring him a drink of water for he was "tormented in this flame", but the reply came back, "between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence"  (Luke 16:19-31).

At death our eternal destiny is sealed, and if we have spent a lifetime like that rich man whom was "clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day", and never acknowledge that it is God who "giveth to all life, and breath, and all things" (Acts 17:24), and who "sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him" (1John 4:9).  If you have spent your life having "trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace" (Heb. 10:29), friends, there will be NO MERCY .

This is why the Bible tells us "To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts" (Heb. 3:8), and "behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2Cor. 6:2) Tomorrow may be forever too late. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13) "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7) "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about." (Psalm 32:10)

Again, we would like to remind ourselves again, that our God, the only God, is a God who desires to show mercy. "The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty" (Exodus 32:6-7). The Lord is desirous to forgive sins, but will by no means clear the guilty who reject the free pardon offered to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy" (Psalm 33:18). "The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate." (Psalm 34:22) "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever." (1Chr. 16:34) "I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations." (Psalm 89:1)

Jesus was again faced with the opposition of the Pharisees, this time along with the disciples of John the Baptist, who did not move on and follow Jesus. This is what happens to the religious who choose not to follow Jesus and His Word; they end up following a man or group of men and fall into the entrappings of a cult. And they came and asked Jesus why the Pharisees fast and pray often and His disciples did not. "And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast." (Mark 2:19) "And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.  And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.  But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better." (Luke 5:36-39)

Now, when Jesus was come into the world He came to bring us something new, the Gospel. He did not come to patch up the Old Garment (The Law). He came to pay the penalty that the Law required when He died on the cross for our sins. "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1Cor. 15:56) Jesus not only died for our sins, but He rose again from the dead that He might give us, not an old patched up garment, but His very own "robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61:10) Therefore the children of the bride chamber do not fast, but feast and rejoice while the Bridegroom is with them.

But the natural man likes his old ways, his old wine, his old religion. He says, "the old is better." But the new wine of the Gospel cannot be put into the Old Skin of the Law, it must be put into the New Skin of Grace. "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17) The Law and Grace cannot be mixed for they are not compatible, and to mix them would result in the spoiling of both. This was the outcome of the council of the Apostles when certain ones tried to mix the "word of the gospel" with the Law saying,  "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." They were a certain "sect [Gr. Hairesis, Eng. Heresy] of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses." But Peter declared, "we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved" (Acts 15:1-11). Paul later expounded to the Galatians this council saying "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Gal. 1:8)

There is only one pure unadulterated Gospel that can save the sin cursed man when he believes it, and any admixture would make it a false Gospel which cannot save. Listen to the apostle Paul! "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved , if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures " (1Cor. 15:1-4). Add nothing to that, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
 

The Sabbath Controversies

As we move on we see the tension mount with the scribes and Pharisees against Jesus to the point where they plot to kill Him. When we search the Scriptures we will find seven controversies that had to do with the Sabbath day. The first of these controversies was in the early part of Jesus ministry when He casts an unclean spirit out of a man in Capernaum in their synagogue. When He did this the people were all amazed and questioned among themselves, "and immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee" (Mark 1:28). Although we see no opposition to Jesus immediately on this occasion, I call this a Sabbath controversy because after His fame spread abroad quickly on this account, we later find out when Jesus cast out demons, His adversaries were quick to claim that He did this by the power of Satan.

The second controversy was when Jesus went up to Jerusalem at the Passover and healed a lame man on the Sabbath. "After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem." (John 5:1) This is likely the feast of Passover that the Jews were required to observe (Deut. 16:16). Although some believe this feast to be either Tabernacles or Pentecost, it appears to be the Passover because of the language John uses calling Passover "the feast". For example, "Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast." (John 4:45) This would be the Second Passover that Jesus attended (the first mentioned in John 2:13), so this brings us up to a little over a year since our Lords baptism and the beginning of His ministry.

Now when Jesus healed the lame man saying,  "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk", the Jews condemned the man for carrying his bed on the Sabbath, and demanded who had done this, and he told the Jews that it was Jesus that had made him whole. "And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." (John 5:16-18) Jesus now, as they thought, had not only broken the Sabbath, which He did not, for acts of mercy were allowed on the Sabbath, but now He also became guilty of blasphemy. Jesus ascribed the work of God as equal to His own, and that God was His Father, and the work that His Father did, He ascribed the same operations to Himself, making Himself equal with God.  They should have learned from His sayings, but rather sought to kill the Prince of Glory.

The third Sabbath controversy came when the disciples of Jesus began to eat from the ears of corn on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees condemning them for doing such on the Sabbath. "But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." (Mt. 12:3-8)

Jesus had already shown that he was equal to God the Father, and "that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father" (John 5:23), so this made Him Lord over the Sabbath day also, and therefore He had the right to show certain acts of mercy on the Sabbath such as healing the lame man or gathering food for the hungry.

The fourth Sabbath controversy was in their synagogue. This time" there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.  And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?  How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.  Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him." (Mt. 12:10-14) Jesus "looked round about on them with anger, being grieved with the hardness of their hearts" (Mark 3:5), and with good reason for they "omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith" (Mt. 23:23).

The Pharisees were the ones who could not tolerate the people to follow after any other than themselves. Their sole purpose was to "draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:30). They would "compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made … make him twofold more the child of hell." (Mt. 23:15) "While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption" (2Peter 2:19). And through their cunning devises that they wrought on their subjects, would bring them into bondage, and "shut up the kingdom of heaven against men … [neither allowing] …  them that are entering to go in" (Mt. 23:13). So when Jesus did not dance to their piping, nor bow to their commands, "they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus." (Luke 6:11) So when the Pharisees went forth, they straightway took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.  So Jesus withdrew Himself, and the multitudes followed Him, and He taught them and healed them all.

The fifth Sabbath controversy that we find is when He healed a blind man on the Sabbath. And when the man was asked how he received his sight, he replied "A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight." When the Pharisees found out Jesus had done this on the Sabbath, they said, "This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day … we know that this man is a sinner." The Pharisees knew not where Jesus came from, but the blind man replied,  "Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.  Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.  If this man were not of God, he could do nothing." (John 9:30-33) The Pharisees then reviled him claiming he was a disciple of Christ, and they cast him out of the synagogue excommunicating him.

The sixth controversy was when Christ healed a woman "which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself." (Luke 13:11) When Jesus "loosed" her from her infirmity "immediately she was made straight, and glorified God", but the ruler of the synogogue was filled with indignation that such should be done on the Sabbath day. But Jesus replied "Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?  And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him." (Luke 13:15-17) In their eyes it was OK to loose an animal to bring him to drink on the Sabbath, but to loose a woman of such a horrible infirmity it was not. How far did they drift from the true God of Abraham? They would circumcise on the Sabbath, they would rescue an animal from falling into a pit on the Sabbath, but to lift a hand to heal one trapped in the misery of a terrible disease, or to raise one up whole who from birth was crippled or blind, or to release one bound by demons on the Sabbath was a great sin worthy of death. These had certainly long forgotten the Mercy of God and were lording it over God's heritage.

On the seventh Sabbath controversy, the Lord turned the table, and rather than have them ask if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, He asked them, and they held their peace. In fact there would quickly come the time that no one would "ask him any more questions" (Mt. 22:46) seeking to entrap Him, for every time their mouths would be stopped, and they would be made to look like the fool that they were. But now in the midst was a man that had the dropsy. "And he took him, and healed him, and let him go". The conclusion of the matter is this: "it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days".  The last time we have a Sabbath mentioned in the Scriptures is by the apostle Paul who was a Pharisee of Pharisees. "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." (Col. 2:16-17)

The Kingdom of Jesus

The Sabbath controversies mentioned in the previous section took place throughout the whole of His ministry, but now we will pick up the story from the call of the twelve apostles. Then He went up into a mountain and called unto Him whom He would, and of all His disciples "he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles" (Luke 6:13). And these He sent forth as "laborers into his harvest" (Mt. 9:37-38), to broaden His ministry in preaching the gospel of the kingdom. And He gave them the like power to cast out demons and to heal all manner of sickness and disease (Mt. 10:1-8). Jesus imparted to them the like power that He had, being the giver of all gifts, and it appears from the Scriptures that the apostles could also impart certain gifts upon others, such as Timothy, Philip and Stephen. (2Tim 1:6, 1Tim. 4:14, 5:22, 2Cor. 12:12, Acts 5:12, 6:5-8, 8:6, 17, 19:6)

At a later time Jesus prayed again for laborers to be sent into the harvest, and appointed another seventy to go before Him into every city and place where He was about to come (Luke 10:1-24). And He commanded them to heal the sick and preach, "The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you", and the devils were subject to them through the name of Christ.

As Jesus continued preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and showing forth signs of the kingdom, that it was at hand, and healing all sorts of sickness and disease and casting out demons, His fame kept spreading throughout all the region, especially after He raised the widow of Nain's only son from the dead. Jesus said "Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak" (Luke 7:11-17).

On another occasion there was brought to Him one possessed with a devil, both dumb and blind, and He healed him, and the people were amazed when the blind and dumb both spake and saw, and said "Is not this the son of David?" (Mt. 12:23) But when the Pharisees heard it they said that Jesus was casting out devils by the power of Satan. But Jesus refuted them saying "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:  And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.  But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.   Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house." (Mt. 12:25-29)

Jesus was the King and promised Messiah without whom there would be no kingdom. He would "be ruler" (Micah 5:2), "and the government shall be upon his shoulder" (Isaiah 9:6). He had very ably demonstrated that He had the authority to bring it in. The prophets have spoken about the restoration of the kingdom all throughout the Old Testament, and that there would be One who would come and put down evil (Psalm 2), and bring in true peace (Isaiah 9:7).

Jesus demonstrated this by showing that He was the One who could bind the strong man, which is the devil. When Christ returns to establish His kingdom, we are told "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is called the Devil, and Satan, and bound him" (Rev. 20:2). When His kingdom comes it will be an everlasting kingdom of righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. In His kingdom "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain" (Rev. 21:4) The prophet Isaiah said, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing" (Isaiah 35:5-6). Surely the Jews knew of these Scriptures, and when they saw that the dumb and blind both speak and see, they must have realized that this was what the prophet Isaiah said would come.

Jesus said, "But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you." On another occasion "they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out , the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel." (Matthew 9:32-33) Jesus healed a woman with a spirit of infirmity who was bowed together, and said that Satan had bound her , but Jesus loosed her, and immediately she was made straight. The apostle Peter said that Jesus went about doing good, "healing all that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts 10:38).

Sickness and disease seems to be related to satanic oppression, and his kingdom. But when Jesus came to town He put all the hospitals out of business. He did not heal just the odd one, He "healed all that were sick", "he healed them all" (Mt. 8:16, 12:15). He "laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them … that had need of healing" (Luke 4:40, 9:11). It may cause us to wonder about these days when Hospitals are overflowing with the sick, and Medicare is in trouble, and hospital beds are closing left and right because we cannot keep up with the financial burden of caring for the sick. And it seems that there is more mental illness and disease today than there ever was before. Doctor's offices are full, and the waiting lines are long. Why is there so much sickness and sorrow today? Why is there no miraculous healing as in the days of Jesus and His apostles? It is because mankind rejected "and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2:23) the King. They would not have that Man to reign over them, who alone could bring in the blessings of the kingdom.

After the day of Pentecost Peter healed a lame man "And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. " (Acts 3:8) Surely they must have thought again of Isaiah when he said, "Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing" (35:6). Perhaps the kingdom is now, even though Christ ascended back into heaven. And when the people greatly wondered Peter answered them saying,

"Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?  The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.  But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.  But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:  Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." (Acts 3:12-21)

Peter used this healing to preach unto them resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, whom for now the heavens must receive until the restoration of all things. Christ will come again and "restore again the kingdom to Israel" (Acts 1:6), but not now. The apostles continued doing mighty signs miracles to confirm their word (Mark 16:20), but when the canon of Scripture was complete (1Cor. 13:8-10) and the apostles were gone, so were the signs (2Cor. 12:12). But the message continues today, Repent and believe the gospel that your sins may be blotted out. Those who believe and receive Jesus Christ personally as their Lord and Savior are "delivered from the power of darkness, and … translated into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:13-14). And when He returns, we will return with Him and reign with Him forever in "the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2Peter 1:11).

The Effect and purpose of the Signs and Wonders

Many had become hardened of heart even as in the days of Moses when he wrought so many signs and wonders before the nation Israel. But not all were so hardened of heart as the scribes and the Pharisees. "And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel." (Matthew 15:31)  Others "were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak." (Mark 7:37)

Even after all the miracles that were abundantly shown before the entire nation, certain ones of the scribes and Pharisees came demanding to see a sign from Jesus. "But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Mt. 12:39-40)

He spoke on another occasion when they sought a sign saying, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19) Although the people did not understand what this saying meant, Jesus met their demands with the greatest sign of all, and that is His resurrection from the dead. They brutally destroyed the Temple of God, but Christ raised it up again. Jesus said, "I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." (John 10:17-18)

We are told of many mighty miracles, but many of the miracles that Jesus did are not recorded. John said "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:30-31)
 

The Teachings of Jesus

The ministry of Jesus consisted primarily of preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and teaching and healing. The general consensus of the people was that they were astonished and said, "Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? (Matthew 13:54) We have covered much of the healing ministry of Christ, but the Prophet Isaiah also said "And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD" (Isaiah 54:13). Many desired to hear the wisdom of Jehovah, and they came to Jesus by the multitudes to hear Jesus.

Wherever Jesus would go He taught the people along the way. He taught on Marriage and Divorce (Mt. 19:1-12), and about children (Mt. 19:13-15), about Riches (Mt. 19:16-26), and how to pray (Luke 11:1-4). We are shown in the Scriptures that Jesus often spoke in parables when He taught the multitude. In fact we are told that "without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples." (Mark 4:34). His disciples on one occasion asked Him "Why speakest thou unto them in parables?  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand." (Mt. 13:10-13) Jesus also spoke in parables "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." (Mt. 13:35)

Such was the manner of Jesus ministry, teaching and healing all.  But after His disciples had been with Him some time, and having the privilege of sitting and learning from Him at His very feet, then Jesus sent them forth to expand the gospel of the kingdom.  "And they went out, and preached that men should repent." (Mark 6:12) "And went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where." (Luke 9:6)

Because Jesus fame was now widespread, his healing ministry could be summed up like this. Whenever He would come into a region "straightway they knew him, And ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard he was. And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole." (Mark 6:54-56)
 

Last year of our Lord

As we try to chronologically follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we find that another year has gone by for "the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh." (John 6:4) This would be the Third Passover that the apostle John mentions and would be the last year before Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. Although it does not specifically mention that Jesus went up to this feast, we can conclude that He did as it appears in John 7:1, "After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him." He must have been there because it says He would walk in Jewry no more. They sought to kill Him because His word had no place in them (John 8:37).

After the Passover in the spring, we then find that the Feast of Tabernacles was at hand (in the Fall). Jesus was counseled by His brothers after the flesh, who did not believe on Him, to go up to Tabernacles to perform His miracles there, and "shew thyself to the world" (John 7:4), but Jesus reply was "My time is not yet come". Jesus knew that if He were to openly show Himself as the Messiah in Jerusalem that the Jews would take Him and kill Him before the time, so He did not go up with His family, but went up later and not openly.

But in the midst of the feast He went into the temple and taught, "And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" And when the Pharisees and the chief priests heard He was in town they sent officers to take Him, but they come back empty handed. And when they were asked, "Why have ye not brought him?" they could only reply, "Never man spake like this man." Jesus said, "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.  If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.  He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him." (John 7:16-18) Many would believe on Him at this time, yet some would say He is a deceiver, and there was much division among the people because of Him.

During this last six months leading up to the crucifixion Jesus continued to perform many mighty miracles, and many marveled saying, "When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" (John 7:31) This period is also characterized by an increase of clashes and growing hostility with the religious rulers as Jesus began now to teach openly in the temple and round about Judea.

Many thought of Jesus as a political Messiah who could with His mighty power restore the promised Kingdom to Israel, and put down the Roman legions (John 11:48) to which they were subject, and exalt Israel to the head of the nations (Deuteronomy 28:13). They thought, "that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel" (Luke 24:21). After Jesus had fed the five thousand, they come to Him and some sought to "take him by force, to make him a king" (John 6:15), so He withdrew Himself from them. They knew not that before the kingdom would come, the King must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day, and to first ascend into heaven "to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return" (Luke 19:11-12). And when they found Him again, many departed from Him because He would not conform to their Messianic expectations of a Political Messiah. He would reveal to them instead that He is the Bread of Life who come down from heaven to give eternal life to the world (John 6:22-71).

Even John the Baptist began to have doubts about Jesus, that He was the Messiah (Mt. 11:1-6). Perhaps because He did not usher in the promised Kingdom as quickly as he would like to see. The week before His crucifixion when Jesus was come nigh to Jerusalem, He told the people a parable "because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear" (Luke 19:11). And He spoke saying, "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return." And He told His servants "Occupy till I come". Jesus was not going to set up His kingdom at this time but was going to a far country, that is an heavenly one, where He would be exalted to the right hand of the throne of God, but then He would return and "put down all rule and authority and power" (1Cor. 15:24), and will  "reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet" (1Cor. 15:25). Till then His servants are to occupy until He comes, for He promised, "I will come again" (John 14:3). For now it seems that Satan is winning on every hand, but when He comes it will be a different story.

Jesus later asked the disciples saying "Whom do men say that I am? And their answer revealed the fact that most did not recognize Him. Perhaps because they did not know the Scriptures, for they abundantly spoke of Him (John 5:39). But then He asked, "Whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Although they did not fully understand His mission at the first, there was a remnant that trusted and believed on Him as the promised Messiah. But now He revealed to them something that He only spoke in parables before (John 2:19-22, 3:14, 12:24, Mt. 12:39, Luke 12:50, 13:32-33, 17:25-26), and "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day." (Mt. 16:21)

But this they could not understand, and Peter began to rebuke Him. He did not see that it was necessary for Christ to be bruised for our iniquities, and to shed His blood for our sins, and rise from the dead the third day, to show Himself to be the Son of God with power, and that He might not only be our Messiah, but the Savior of the world. It appears that on this occasion as well as others they did not understand. "Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.  For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:  And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." (Luke 18:31-34)

On another occasion when Jesus healed a child of an unclean spirit, "they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, Let these sayings sink down into your ears : for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.  But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying."  (Luke 9:43-45) When Jesus was transfigured before Peter James and John, when He was come down from the mount He "charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead" (Mt. 17:9), and "they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean." (Mark 9:10)

The apostle Paul describes this as "the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." (1Cor. 2:7-8) Even the prophets of old, who by the Spirit "testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow", did not fully comprehend how the sufferings of Christ and the Glory would come together, for "it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1Peter 1:11-13).

The apostle Paul described this as the "mystery of Christ".  "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith" (Romans 16:25-26). He would pray "that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak." (Col. 4:3-4) The Lord did open that door abundantly for Paul and may He do that for us also, that we might say with Paul, "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1Cor. 9:16)
 

The Last Six Months

If we would follow in the footsteps of Jesus we would see Him go up to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem in the Fall, around October (John 7:2-10), and from there abide His time around Judea. We would then see Him go up to Jerusalem again, this time for the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22) (around December/January), but when the religious leaders sought to take him, He escaped out of their hand and went away again beyond Jordan where John at the first did baptize, and there He abode (John 10:32-42). The next time He would go up to Jerusalem He would become our Passover.

"And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). Prior to this "he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him" (John 7:1). But now, Jesus knowing that His time was come, just as the many times before He knew that His hour was not yet, now "steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem" knowing what should befall Him there. Knowing how He should suffer and drink the bitter cup of death that His Father would give to Him. "It cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem" (Luke 13:33), so there He would go to suffer and to die in our stead.

Before the foundation of the world He had agreed to accomplish His Fathers will in sending Him to redeem mankind, that He might save them from their sin and bring in everlasting righteousness. In Isaiah we are told, "I set my face like a flint" (Read Isaiah 50:4-9). There would be nothing that would turn Him back even though He knew that the strong soldiers would use His face like a flint, to strike and buffet with their strong blows so that "his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men" (Isaiah 52:12). But the worst would not be what man could do to Him, but the cross where He would face the bitter wrath of God against sins that were not His own. There He would bear our sin in His own body on the tree. Redemption must come through the cross and there would be no joy in that cross, but He looked beyond the cross to the joy that was set before Him in bringing many sons and daughters into glory, and of His exaltation back into glory to the right hand of His Father.

When the Lord Jesus set His face to go up to Jerusalem, it was in fact six months before Calvary. When we compare Luke and John's account, we find three journeys up to Jerusalem. The first was at Tabernacles (Luke 9:51, John 7:1-2, 10); the second was at the Feast of Dedication (Luke 13:22, John 10:22, 39-40), and the third trip at the Passover (Luke 18:31, John 12:1).

He knew that the time was come that He should be received up, that is to Jerusalem, and would now leave the lowlands of Galilee and make His final ascent up to Jerusalem. There He would be received up onto a cross and lifted up "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14-15). Jesus knew full well of His mission for He said,  "if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:52). But from that cross He would be lifted up even higher. Higher than the heavens, and exalted to the right hand of the throne of God, where He would be received back into the glory that He had with His Father before the world was.

To trace His exact footsteps in the last six months is a little difficult when comparing the four gospel accounts, but we will follow Him as best we can.  When Jesus did set His face to go up to Jerusalem, He departed from Galilee, not as though He would not return, for it appears that He did go back through that region again (Luke 17:11), but He left it as a place of ministry or as a sphere of activity after spending several years there. So His visits to Jerusalem at Tabernacles and Dedication could be called preparatory before He would finally go up at the Passover.

So we are told "it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there." (Mt. 19:1-2) But when He departed Galilee He first went through Samaria. We are told that He "sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him." (Luke 9:52) "After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come." (Luke 10:1) From Samaria, they worked their way beyond the Jordan and into Perea, which was on the coasts of Judea where they continued preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and teaching along the way (Luke 11:29, 12:1, 13:1, 10), and healing all that were come to Him. Exactly ow long He spent beyond the Jordan is not known.

But from there we find Him on His way up to Tabernacles and stopping along the way at Martha's in Bethany for a supper (Luke 11:38). And when He come up to Jerusalem they "sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come." (John 7:30) Jesus spent that night in the Mount of Olives "And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them." (John 8:1-2)

There He was confronted by the religious rulers who said His record was not true, but Jesus justifies His claims and reproves them, telling them that if they were of God they would hear His words, and would love Him for He " proceeded forth and came from God" (John 8:42). He told them "Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." (John 8:59)

It appears that Jesus spent the time between Tabernacles and Dedication round and about Judea. When He come to Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication there came "the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." (John 10:24) But Jesus answered them and said, "I told you, and ye believed not".  He had often said, what amounted to it, in His ministry and doctrine, that God was His Father, and He was the light of the world, and the good shepherd, but they gave no heed nor credit to His words, even though He told them that unless they believed He was such a person, they should die in their sins. And now He would plainly tell them "I and my Father are one", and that He was "the Son of God", and He was in the Father and the Father in Him, making Himself equal with God. "Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him."

"Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. And many believed on him there." (John 10:40-42)

This is the second time He goes beyond Jordan and into Perea and there He abode, and many believed on Him there. Then Mary and Martha came to Him from Bethany to tell Him that their brother Lazarus was sick, but Jesus assured them "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby" (John 11:4). And when He abode two more days beyond Jordan, Lazarus died. But He who knows all things, as He was on His way to Bethany told His disciples "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." Then He plainly told His disciples that Lazarus was dead. But He who is the Resurrection and the Life when He come to Bethany, commanded Lazarus to come forth from the grave, and He who was dead came forth. "Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him" (John 11:45, 12:11).

But others still did not believe though the Father had abundantly bore witness to Him over a period of three years. The raising of Lazarus from the dead seemed to grab hold of the attention of many in Jerusalem and caused them to seek Him. But at the same time it was the last straw for the Pharisees and they gathered together a council and said, "What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.  If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.  And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.  And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.  Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death." (John 11:47-53) And when they saw the multitudes go after Him, they in their jealous envy for His attention would say among themselves "behold, the world is gone after him." (John 12:19)

They did in the past "urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him." (Luke 11:53-54) These came often tempting Him to entangle Him in His words but their mouths were always stopped and "all his adversaries were ashamed" (Luke 13:17). They increasingly came to hate and despise Him, which exposed themselves to be children of the devil, for they loved not the truth that Jesus did manifest in His life and teachings. This is the result of all religion without Christ. It is devilish. While there may be a lot of pomp and ceremony on the outside, it is but an empty vessel, and void of anything good, but full of bitterness, wrath, envy and strife. They do not seek to glorify God nor His Christ, but themselves. Nor do they love the Lord, keeping His commandments, and abiding in His Word, but love "the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets", and seek honor of men rather than God. Jesus would say of them, "ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."  (Mt. 23:27-28)

Jesus began to openly expose the Pharisees for who they were, and many times they tried either to take Him or to stone Him, but His time was not yet, and He hid himself from them as their wrath spewed forth and began to manifest itself against the Lord and His Anointed. Jesus described them as "A wicked and adulterous generation" (Mt. 16:4). He plainly told them "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do" (John 8:44). He would call them "thieves and robbers" (John 10:8), "blind guides", "Hypocrites", "fools", and "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers" (Mt. 23:13-17, 33). Jesus "loved righteousness, and hated iniquity" (Heb. 1:9), therefore "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up" (John 2:17).
 
The Pharisees and Sadducees would say of Jesus "Thou hast a devil" (John 7:20). "Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true." (John 8:13) "Thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil" (John 8:48), "and is mad; why hear ye him?" (John 10:20) They said, "This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day." (John 9:16) They would say, "We know that this man is a sinner." (John 9:24) But Jesus would say, "no unrighteousness is in him" (John 7:18) which the Father has sent. "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" (John 8:46)

The public opinion of Him we will find was not like that of the religious leaders but was rather favorable. They would reason saying, "When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" (John 7:31) "Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.  Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?" (John 7:40-41) "Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?" (John 10:21) Martha said, "I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." (John 11:27)

With the Jews having made council together to put Jesus to death, He "therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples." (John 11:54) Ephraim was half way between Jerusalem and the coast of Samaria to the north, so it seems that this would be the best place to fit in Luke's account when he said "And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee." (Luke 17:11) It says that He went through the "midst" of Samaria, which He could have done from Ephraim, and then went through Galilee. As He went this route it was "as he went to Jerusalem". He probably went up this way to gather with the pilgrims who were coming up from His home country to the Passover as they did year after year (Luke 2:41-44) in great companies. "And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him." (John 11:55-57)

And as He went He said, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.  For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again." (Luke 18:31-33) He told them "the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Mt. 20:28)  "And Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid." (Mark 10:32-34) They knew of the hostility of the Jerusalem leaders against Him, which could perhaps spill over to them also as His disciples.  Jesus told them "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.  But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me." (John 15:18-21) And as He went, He continued healing and teaching along the way.

From Galilee we find Him going through Jericho (Mark 10:46, Luke 18:35, 19:1, Mt. 20:29). There He healed blind Bartimaeus, and there He abode at the house of Zachaeus (Luke 19:5), and was "a guest with a man that is a sinner" (Luke 19:7). That day salvation was come to his house for Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, and He found there a man who was repentant of His sins.  And as He departed Jericho there was with Him  "his disciples and a great number of people" (Mark 10:46). Because He was nigh to Jerusalem "and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear" (Luke 19:11), He told them a parable of His rejection saying "his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us." (Luke 19:14) And in another parable He told them "when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.  And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him" (Mt. 21:38-39).

From Jericho He came to Bethany to the house of Mary and Martha, which six days before the Passover. This would have been the Sabbath or Saturday, and they had supper, and Mary anointed Him with costly ointment of spikenard, which Jesus said was against the day of His burying. (John 12:1-11) Many of the Jews knew that He was there and came to Bethany to see Jesus and also of Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead. And there He spent the night.
 

The Last Week in the Life of King Jesus

What we will notice in the last week is that the final days of Jesus were spent either in Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives, or at Bethany. The Mount of Olives was just over the Kidron Valley to the east about one mile from the city of Jerusalem. "Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east" (Zechariah 14:4), ran from North to South and is about two miles long. The Kidron valley joined up with Hinnom Valley that is to the south of Jerusalem and runs kind of East-West.  Bethany was on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives and was just less than two miles from the city of Jerusalem. "Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off" (John 11:18). Traditionally Gethsemane was on the western slope of Olives where there was a beautiful garden. The Temple was north of Mount Zion on the Northeast side of Jerusalem facing the Mount of Olives. This is where Jesus will reign as King on this earth when He returns. "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King." (Psalm 48:2)

Nisan 9, Sunday, March 27, 33AD: This day is what has been termed by many as the Triumphal Entry. Jesus had spent the previous night at Bethany and now presses on toward Jerusalem. "And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me." (Mt. 21:1-2, Mark 11:1, Luke 19:29) This would be His chariot. Not a great white stallion as He will ride into Jerusalem when He returns to set up His kingdom, but now on the young colt of a donkey, meek and lowly "and having salvation" (Zech. 9:9).

John tells us that this was the day after He had supper at Mary and Martha's. " On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.  And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." (John 12:12-19, Luke 19:29-44, Zech. 9:9)

And when He was "at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest." (Luke 19:37-38) But as Jesus looked over the Kidron valley, "he beheld the city, and wept over it", and foretold of its coming destruction because they knew not the time of their visitation (Luke 19:41-44).

 "And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve." (Mark 11:11, Mt. 21:17)

Nisan 10, Monday, March 28, 33AD: The next morning we find Jesus returning from Bethany to Jerusalem. "Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered." (Mt. 21:18) Along the way He curses the barren Fig tree because it had no fruit on it and it withered away immediately (Mark 11:12-14, Mt. 21:18-22). And when He was come to Jerusalem and entered the Temple, Jesus began to cast out them that bought and sold there and began to overthrow the moneychanger's tables (Mark 11:15-18). And He began to teach them saying "Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.  And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine." (Mark 11:17-18) "And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him." (Luke 19:47-48)

Jesus once more at the close of His ministry asserts His authority over the Temple as the Messiah, as He did earlier (John 2:16-17), but His authority is sharply challenged again by the Jewish rulers. These two days are summarized by Luke as follows " And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.   And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him." (Luke 21:37-38, Mark 11:19-25)  "And when even was come, he went out of the city ." (Mk. 11:19) Whether He went back to Bethany, which is on the eastern slope of Olives, to lodge there, or just upon the Mount somewhere is uncertain.

Nisan 11, Tuesday, March 29, 33AD : This day Jesus returns in the morning to Jerusalem and enters the temple (Mk. 11:20-27). The largest portion of Scripture is given on this day, and most of His discourses and parables. This day finds Jesus teaching publicly in the temple during the day and answering the questions of the Pharisees and Sadducees as they tried to ensnare Him. But He rebukes the religious leaders with three parables (Mt. 21:23-22:14), and in His last public discourse solemnly denounces the scribes and the Pharisees before all the people (Mt. 23:1-39).

Jesus then went forth from the temple and that would be His last appearance there. It is no use pleading with His enemies any longer. The task remains to get His disciples prepared for His death, which up until now they have totally failed to grasp, along with the significance of His resurrection on the third day. So He spends the evening teaching His disciples on the Mount of Olives, which is known as the great Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24-25), and there He spends the evening. " After two days was the feast of the passover , and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.  But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people." (Mk. 12:1-2)(Mt. 26:1-6)

Nisan 12, Wednesday, March 30, 33AD: This day we find Jesus once again in Bethany, this time at the house of Simon the leper, and there they have a feast. Mary anoints Jesus for His burial with precious and costly ointment and is rebuked by Judas Iscariot whom Jesus in return rebukes. (Mk. 14:3-9) Judas stung by such a rebuke goes out and bargains with the Jews to betray Jesus. The Pharisees the previous evening began their plot to kill Jesus, and were more than ready to bargain with Judas when he came to them. Jesus again spends the night at Bethany.

Nisan 13, Thursday, March 31, 33AD : This day, there is relatively little mentioned. Jesus had spent the night on the Mount of Olives at Bethany, and before He goes up to Jerusalem He sends Peter and John ahead of Him to prepare the Passover, "Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?" (Mt. 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-17, Luke 22:7-13). We must remember that our Thursday evening is the Jewish Friday evening, and is the beginning of the Passover. This evening will see the Lord's Supper instituted, the washing of the disciple's feet (John 13:1-20), then leaving the upper room (John 14:31), the Discourse on the way to the garden of Gethsemane (John 15-16), and Jesus prayer for His disciples (John 17). Jesus is then betrayed, arrested and forsaken. Jesus had no sleep this night for the events of His trial and condemnation go right on through the night till the next morning morning.

Nisan 14, Friday, April 1, 33AD : This day is the Passover. It is also called the First day of unleavened bread, and the Day of Preparation [See Appendix], and starts in the evening (Our Thursday). It is the day when the Passover lambs were slain. This evening (Jewish) we would see the Lord institute His supper. Jesus said "this do in remembrance of me". The simple emblems of bread and wine were to figure His broken body and poured out blood for the forgiveness of sins. It is the New Covenant in His blood that was spoken long before by the prophet Jeremiah. "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant … Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake … But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people … and I will remember their sin no more." (Jer. 31:31-34)

The apostle Paul said, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." (1Cor. 11:26) The Christian church will continue to do this till He comes. It was the reason the early church gathered together on the first day of the week. While there may have been many other meetings, the Sunday meeting, the day the Lord rose from the dead, was to gather together to remember Him around those simple emblems that He instituted, the cup and the loaf. That was the meeting. And although there may have been extensions from that meeting for ministry and prayer, they all gathered together to break bread and remember Him in His own appointed way. That was the fellowship of the saints. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion [same word as fellowship] of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion [fellowship] of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread." (1Cor 10:16-17) That is the center of our fellowship and our gathering together. Many today deny the Lords supper which shows that they are not really in fellowship.

After instituting His feast of love divine, the events that take place are as follows, "He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded" (John 13:4-5). Judas then goes out into the darkness to betray Jesus having already sold Him into the hands of His enemies (John 13:18-30). Jesus gives a new commandment, "That ye love one another; as I have loved you", and tells them of the promise of the Spirit (John 13:31-14:31). After this they "sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives." (Mt. 26:30, John 14:31) Along the way Jesus gives them another discourse before they go over the brook Kidron to the Mount of Olives (John 15:1-18:1). He tells them "this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end" (Luke 22:37), and that they "shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered" (Mt. 26:31).

When they come over the Kidron valley to the Mount of Olives there "was a garden, into the which he entered". It was "a place which was named Gethsemane", and it was there that the Lord in agony "began to be sorrowful and very heavy … even unto death". And as He prayed that the bitter cup of our sin and death which His Father would give Him would pass from Him, "his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground". But He also prayed "if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." Thank God there was One who did say, "I come to do thy will, O God" (Heb. 10:9)

When Jesus had finished praying, His enemies come in the darkness, which they loved, and Judas betrayed Him with a kiss (Mt. 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-52, Luke 22:47-53). All His disciples fled into the dark and away from The Light. "And they led Jesus away to the high priest [Caiaphas]: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes" (Mark 14:53). Jesus spent the night with the captains of the temple who "mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? And many other things blasphemously spake they against him." (Luke 22:63-65) As soon as it was day Jesus was brought before their council.

"Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death" (Mt. 26:59). And as they tried to accuse Him, Jesus "held his peace, and answered nothing."  The scriptures tell us "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." (Mt. 7:6) To speak pious words to a vicious dog will not prevent him from biting you, and a pig will not appreciate the value and the beauty of the wonderful words of life that Christ would speak. After the scribes and Pharisees had before heard His wonderful teachings, and saw His mighty miracles, but continued to reject Him, Christ said "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind" (Mt. 15:14). When Herod, who killed John the Baptist, "questioned with Him in many words … He answered him nothing" (Luke 23:9). There comes a time when it is useless to speak anything more to those who will not believe.

But when "the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?  And Jesus said, I am" (Mark 14:61-62). They now cried blasphemy and said He is guilty of death. "And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands." (Mark 14:65) This they could not bear to hear even after Christ had before challenged them with the Scriptures, when He proved them that the Christ would be the Son of David, the Son of God, and the Lord Himself (Mt. 22:42-46).

"And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate." (Mark 15:1) When Pilate found that Jesus was of Galilee, He sent Him over to Herod where the chief priests and scribes vehemently accused Him "And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate." (Luke 23:11) Although Pilate would have released Jesus for He found no guilt in Him, and "he knew that for envy they had delivered him" (Mt. 27:18), the crowd now swayed by the religious leaders would cry for His crucifixion. So Pilate, being a pleaser of men "gave sentence that it should be as they required" and gave Him over to the scourge before they led Him away to be crucified. The prophet Isaiah foretold of this moment when he said "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting" (50:6), and the Psalmist also, "The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows." (129:3)

"And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.  And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him." (Mark 15:16-20)

"And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left." (Luke 23:33) This was also known as "the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull." (Mark 15:22)  It was about noon when they nailed the Prince of Life to the tree, and there He became a curse for us. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Gal. 3:13). It was there that "Christ our Passover [was] sacrificed for us" (1Cor. 5:7).

"And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross.  Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.  Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him." (Mark 15:29-32) They cried "save thyself", when all the while they knew not that He was saving them. They said, "come down from they cross", but for them He stayed upon the tree.

From the sixth to the ninth hour there was darkness (Mt. 27:45, Mk. 15:33), and in the darkness of those hours God placed that awful and horrible package called sin on His Son. His own beloved Son became something that He could not look upon for  "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" (Hab. 1:13), and at that time Jesus would cry "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" He was "smitten of God, and afflicted."  But it was not for sins that were His own, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5) Jesus healed many physical diseases and infirmities, but now with His stripes we are healed of sin and all uncleanness. And when Jesus gave up the Ghost He cried, "It is finished" (John 19:30). All our debt had been paid, and there is now "no more offering for sin." (Heb. 10:18) For "this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God … [and] hath perfected forever them that are sanctified." (Heb. 10:12, 14)

Jesus gave up the Ghost around 3 PM (Mk. 15:34-37). "And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.  And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph." (Mark 15:42-45) Joseph laid Jesus in his own new tomb wherein was never man yet laid. "There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." (John 19:42) "And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.  And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment." (Luke 23:55-56) "That sabbath day was an high day" (John 19:31). Not only because it was the seventh day of the week, but because it was the first day of unleavened bread.  "In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein." (Lev. 23:7) It was a double Sabbath; it was a high Sabbath day, and that day Jesus rested in the tomb.

Nisan 15, Saturday, April 2, 33AD : This day was the Sabbath and the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It was a High and Holy day. It was "The next day, that followed the day of preparation" (Mt. 27:62) "Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.  Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch." (Mt. 27:62-66)

Nisan 16, Sunday, April 3, 33AD : This day was the resurrection Sunday, the first day of the week. " In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week , came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.  And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:  And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.  And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Mt. 28:1-6) (Luke 23:55-24:3) (John 20:1) (Mk. 16:2)

This day was also called the First Fruits when the priest would "wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath" (Lev. 23:11). Jesus was accepted for us as an acceptable sacrifice that would satisfy Gods justice, and to vindicate the Lord Jesus He rose again from the dead for our justification. How important is the resurrection of Jesus Christ form the dead to the Christian faith, for "if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins." (1Cor. 15:17)  "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." (1Cor. 15:20-23) He is the pledge of a bountiful harvest when we ourselves will be raised up incorruptible and have our vile bodies changed like unto His incorruptible body, for when we see Him, we shall be like Him.

Jesus "shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). The apostle Paul said "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once … After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.  And last of all he was seen of me also" (1Cor. 15:1-6). We pray that through this study that you too have also seen Jesus, crucified and risen from the dead, and exalted up into heaven, having received a name above every name, that every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Appendix

When and what is the Day of Preparation? The day of preparation, or the preparation of the passover is getting ready the place to eat it in and making sure that all leavened products are removed from the house (Exodus 12:15). This day the Passover lamb is killed and dressed for roasting, making it ready to eat. "Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?" (Mt. 26:17) And when they went "they made ready the Passover" (Mt. 26:19). Jesus stood before the council and Pilate on this day.  "And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour : and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!" (John 19:14) It was the day our Lord was crucified. "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." (John 19:31) This particular Passover day was the day before the Sabbath. " And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath , Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus." (Mark 15:42-43) They buried Jesus on that day also. "There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." (John 19:42) "And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on ." (Luke 23:54)
 

Are the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened bread one and the same? "Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover." (Luke 22:1) " Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed ." (Luke 22:7) "And the first day of unleavened bread, when they kill the passover . . ."  (Mk. 14:12) "Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?" (Mt. 26:17) Although the first official day of unleavened bread follows the Passover, the whole was called the Passover, which lasted eight days. "In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread." (Lev. 23:5-6) "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even." (Exodus 12:18)

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