Jesus Golgotha Valley of the Shadow of Death Psalm 23

Psalm 23

Jesus, Golgotha, Valley of the Shadow of Death Psalm 23

blog post article by Mary Katherine May

Comments welcomed and read.

For some time now I have been inspired by the relation of Jesus Christ to Psalm 23.  Who is the Shepherd in this beautiful Psalm? Is it in some way a hymn of the love of God and his saving act through the Messiah? What, or where is the Valley of the Shadow of Death?  Here are a my thoughts.

On the cross Jesus the Messiah hung, suffering cruelly the unjust punishment meted upon him.  Did God use people to accomplish his purpose of reconciliation and thus deny them an eternal reward?  I think not, for it was only through their own real nature of evil that what happened came about.

Darkness Over the Whole Land

Mark 15.33, 37. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?  And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 

In the fourth hour on the cross Christ’s body, in the process of dying, was passing from life—through the valley of the shadow of death.  The Hebrew word for the shadow of death, or death shadow is tsalmaveth.

Shadow of Death (צלמות tsalmavet, Strong's Concordance #6757): The Hebrew language rarely includes compound words (two words put together to form one word). One of those few compound words in Hebrew is tsalmavet which is the word tsal [str:6738] meaning "shadow" and mavet [str:4194] meaning "death." The "shadow of death" is despair, danger or tragedy which is understood as a deep impenetrable darkness. (source link)

God asks in Job 38:17: Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

Bible Commentary by Adam Clarke, 1831: Shadow of death - Σκια θανατου, used only here and in Luke 1:79, but often in the Old Covenant, where the Hebrew is צל מות tsal maveth, It is not easy to enter fully into the ideal meaning of this term. As in the former clause, death is personified, so here. A shadow is that darkness cast upon a place by a body raised between it and the light or sun. Death is here represented as standing between the land above mentioned, and the light of life, or Sun of righteousness; in consequence of which, all the inhabitants were, involved in a continual cloud of intellectual darkness, misery, and sin. The heavenly sun was continually eclipsed to them, till this glorious time, when Jesus Christ, the true light, shone forth in the beauty of holiness and truth. Christ began his ministry in Galilee, and frequented this uncultivated place more than he did Jerusalem and other parts of Judea: here his preaching was peculiarly needful; and by this was the prophecy fulfilled. (source link)

Jesus Christ Lived the Life We Live

Jesus lived the earthly Christian life and even through the valley of the shadow of death and is leading the way.  The Valley of the Shadow of Death may be the time of passing from earthly life, an emotional feeling of despair or hopelessness, a time of fierce struggle and hardship, or a demonic battle for a soul. In a larger spiritual sense, this valley is separation from God.  These are the times when we feel that not a single person is near enough to help that the Savior consoles the soul.

As long as the heart beats, every human being has the possibility of eternity in Heaven, how every slim the opportunity may be.  Life in Christ is light, and life outside of Christ is impenetrable darkness. We have relationship with God only through Jesus Christ. We live now with Jesus Christ in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Flock without a Shepherd: Confusion and Chaos

Matthew 9: 36. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Jesus Christ, The Good Shepherd

John 10: 11. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.

John 10: 14. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Psalm 23: The Shepherd Who Provides All We Need

Psalm 23

The well-loved hymn, Psalm 23, is an exquisitely beautiful expression of the confidence and strength by which believers are able to walk through any darkness they encounter.  New Testament Scripture expands and enhances the Psalm’s meaning, offering in a sense an interpretive commentary.

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Matthew 5: 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

John 6: 35. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes me shall never thirst.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. 

John 10: 9. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Luke 8: 24, 25. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commands even the winds and water, and they obey him.

3 He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Matthew 11: 29, 30. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you art with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

Luke 1: 79. To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: you annoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

John 16: 23. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

John 14:26, 27. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Matthew 28:20b. and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. 

AMEN.

Bible Jesus Paul Damascus and Goads

1 Corinthians 15: 56-67

The Bible, Jesus Christ, 

Saint Paul on the Road to Damascus and Goads

Blog post by Mary Katherine May

But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (John 6:68 NKVJ).  In these two beautiful, simple sentences Peter spoke profoundly what every professing Christian should echo.  Christ is all and in all.  Peter also declares that the words spoken by Jesus represent him. 

~I am the Bread of Life. (John 6)~Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11)~I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14)

 Later, when Peter contradicted himself in the courtyard of the high priest after professing that he would never deny Christ, the rude awakening was devastating.  He hadn’t lived up to what he said. 

Our words and actions represent who we are at our very core.  As Christians, they do even more because they represent the Lord whom we profess.  What we say in our daily walk can either reveal or reject.  Johann Heerman over 300 years ago spoke eloquently from his heart when he wrote, Who was the guilty?  Who brought this upon thee?  Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee!  ‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee; I crucified thee.

Today after wondering about it for a long time I decided to take a look at the word GOAD as used in the Holy Bible. Being a city person, there is no good reason for me to know what a goad is.  Living in a suburb of Minneapolis, when would I have need of a stick with a sharp, pointed end used to prod animals like cows into moving along?

In the King James Version of the Holy Bible goad (Strong’s Concordance H1861) is used twice, both in the Old Testament. In 1 Samuel 21 the goads, along with coulters, axes, forks and mattocks were being sharpened to be used as weapons in battle.  The second Scripture using goad, Ecclesiastes 12:11, is related to New Testament text.

King James Version

11 The words of the wise are goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.  12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.  13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

English Standard Version

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.  12 My son, beware of anything beyond these.  Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.  13 The end of the matter; all has been heard.  Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.   14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Acts 9:5 and Acts 26:14

In the New Testament, however, there has been some discrepancy in usage of goad, due to loose interpretation and text sources.  Most Bible translations do not include goads in Acts 9:5 because of the consensus opinion that it was added by Erasmus in his 1516 translation. The entire text added by Erasmus here is, it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said to him,

Where goad is found, and it is in some but not all translations, is in Acts 26:14.  I quote the New King James Version followed by the King James Version.

Acts 26:14 NKJV: “And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 “So I said, “Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Acts 26:14 KJV: And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

In the language of today a goad would be the object used and a prick would be the result of the action by the object.  Were the meanings of goad and prick the same in 1611 when the KJV was introduced?  The standard, reliable references we have help a great deal in understanding what the Lord wants us to know.

from Strong’s Concordance

G2759 κέντρον (ketron)

Neuter noun. 1 a sting, as that of bees, scorpions, locusts. Since animals wound by their sting and even cause death, Paul attributes death, personified as a sting, i.e. a deadly weapon. 2 an iron goad, for urging on oxen, horses and other beasts of burden 2.1 hence the proverb, “to kick against the goad”, i.e. to offer vain and perilous or ruinous resistance (italics added)

From Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the New Testament Words (G2759) Goad: from kenteo, “to prick,” denotes (a) “a sting,” Rev. 9:30; metaphorically, of sin as the “sting” of death, 1 Cor. 15:55, 56; (b) “a goad,” Acts 26:14, RV, “goad” (marg., “goads”), for AV, “pricks” (in some mss. Also in Acts 9:5), said of the promptings and misgivings which Saul of Tarsus had resisted before conversion.

Before I conclude it will benefit to look at three other Scripture passages where ketron is used, as follows.  All three verses translate ketron into English by using the word sting.

1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 Corinthians 15:56 KJV The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

Revelation 9:10 KJV And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails; and their power was to hurt men five months.

Jesus asked Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.  Going against Jesus, fighting who He is and what He taught, denying Christ’s divinity is fighting a losing battle.  Jesus tells Saul that he is hurting only himself.  It is no different that if a cowherd were to stand with a goad pointing out with a cow deliberately walking into it and stabbing itself.

Returning to the Ecclesiastes text as reference point, I will note that the goads, the words of the wise, are given by one shepherd.  Ultimately there is only one source of wisdom that matters, despite how much anyone reads. Bucking up against the Word of Life, Jesus Christ, has a negative impact.  It is a poisonous sting that leads to spiritual death, separated from the Lord, from Heaven and from eternity. 

How does that relate to us living now?  No doubt that our actions and words, i.e. our sin, that deny Jesus Christ, the one Shepherd of Life are goads that prick and sting even unto death.  Great Lent is a time for reflection, and thinking on what goads—i.e. teachings of Christ and Christ himself—we are fighting against is time well spent.

Sunday of the Passion Palm Sunday Pascha Suffering, Strong G3958

Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
Art: Fresco in the parish church of Zirl, Austria
Soure: Wikipedia

Blog post by Mary Katherine May

Easter 2015: April 5, 2015 (Gregorian)
Easter 2015: April 12, 2015 (Julian)

As most Christians who follow the Gregorian calendar being the Holy Week with the Sunday of the Passion please remember that this day is much more than waving palms but instead is the beginning of events leading to the walk along the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross to Golgotha.   There is no freedom from sin through Christ's resurrection but by His suffering and death on the cross. For Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian calendar this week begins on April 5 with Easter on April 12. 

Greek: Pascho = Passion

Strong's Concordance for the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible tells us that the word pascho means to be affected or have been affected, too feel, have a sensible experience, to undergo, in either a good sense or in a bad sense. 

Acts 1:3 KJV. To whom also he 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.

We can readily conclude without hesitatioin that what involves passion in this sense in much more that a fuzzy warm feeling or a time of being a little down in the dumps.  Neither is this passion related to a specific intimate experience in the manner of feeling passionate towards someone.

Strong's G3958 as used in the KJV New Testament is a physical experience and not a reactionary emotion.  This passion has to do with suffering, even to death.  It is in this case the experience of the cross.  Below is the list of Scripture verses that use G3958.  Other Bible versions when using other words for pascha other than passion and suffer, if a good translation, will have related synonyms that make sense. Click Here to go to BlueLetterBible.org, my source for this information.

Matthew 16:21, 17:12, 17:15, 27:19
Mark 5:26, 8:31, 9:12
Luke 9:22, 13:2, 17:25, 22:15, 24:26
Acts 3:18, 9:16, 17:3, 28:5
1 Corinthians 12;26
2 Corinthians 1:6
Galatians 3:4
Philippians 1:29
1 Thessalonians 2:14
2 Thessalonians 1:15
2 Timothy 1:12
Hebrews 2:18, 5:8, 9:26, 13:12
1 Peter 2:19, 2:20, 2:21, 2:23, 3:14, 3:18, 4:1, 4;15, 4:19, 5:10
Revelation 2:10

Eastern Orthodox Christians have a preference for calling the day of resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Pascha.  OrthodoxWiki.org offers the following explanation.

Pascha, also called Easter, is the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord.  Pascha is a transliteration of the Greek word, which is itself a transliteration of the Hebrew pesach, both words meaning Passover. 

Pascha normally falls either one or five weeks later than the feast as observed by Christians who follow the Gregorian calendar. However, occasionally the two observances coincide, and on occasion they can be four weeks apart. The reason for the difference is that, though the two calendars use the same underlying formula to determine the festival, they compute from different starting points. The older Julian calendar's solar calendar is 13 days behind the Gregorian's and its lunar calendar is four to five days behind the Gregorian's.  LINK

Bald Eagles One Sunny Day in Southern Wisconsin 13 March 2015

Along the Great River Road, State Trunk Hwy. 35, BALD EAGLES can be seen in Southwest Wisconsin in the bluff area along the Mississippi River especially during the month of March as they migrate north when the ice is melting and there is open water. A bridge will take Eagle watchers into Wabash, Minnesota to the National Eagle Center where the majestic bald eagle can be seen up close and personal. Photographing eagles is difficult because they maintain distance, mostly by height, and I do my best with the equipment I have. Obviously the capability of the camera lens one has makes a big difference. The images here were taken at a small park on the Mississippi River in Bay City, Wisconsin.

10 Christian Quotes by Watchman Nee

12 Christian Quotes by Watchman Nee
from Twelve Baskets Full Volumes 1, 2 and 3
blog post by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com

1. I: page 37. Permanent satisfaction can only come when we discover that Christ is the Bread of life and learn to draw on him ceaselessly for sustenance.

2. I: page 59. Please bear in mind that however much of the Word of God you may have acquired intellectually, and however powerfully you may be able to expound it, it will never become truly yours until you have allowed the Cross to operate in relation to it.

3. I: page 73. The unsaved soul can know no permanent gladness of heart because the burden of sin rests upon him; but the Christian, who has come to Christ and has received pardon and cleansing, does not necessarily find the Christian life to be the joyous experience he looked for. Why is he so often disillusioned? Because, though he has dropped his sin-burden at the foot of the Cross, he has not learned to cast all his burdens on the Lord and the burden of daily cares weighs him down so that the joy is banished from his life.

4. II: page 11. The conditions basic to all ministry that can be truly called ministry to the Lord are: drawing near to Him and standing before Him.

5. II: page 13. There are only two types of sin before God. One is the sin of rebelling against His commands, i.e., refusing to obey when He issues orders. The other is the sin of going ahead when the Lord has not issued orders. The one is rebellion; the other is presumption.

6. II: page 86. There are two aspects of the Spirit’s government. The one is, to order our affairs in such a way that through His circumstantial dealings with us we come to a point where we offer our willing obedience. The other is that, even when we have no intention to obey, His activity in our lives makes good what we lack so that despite our unwillingness, we become obedient.

7. II: page 107. Brothers and Sisters, you ask why He saved you. Let me tell you that He saved you because it was His delight to save you.

8. III: page 21. To sum up, we should yield obedience to the authority of the Lord, enjoy the life of the Body and at the same time supply life to other members. These are the three main principles of our living in the Body of Christ.

9. III: page 40. What is the significance that the Church has become the kingdom of priests? It means that all who are saved by the grace of God have only one profession, that is to serve God. Before a person believes in God, he may be a doctor, a nurse, a teacher or a merchant. After being saved, such a person has only one principal vocation of serving God though he may continue to carry on in his own profession. Formerly, one wishes to distinguish himself in his career, to be an outstanding person in his profession. Now, such ambitions are shattered and the only avowed vocation is to serve the Lord and all other activities must be submitted to this end.

10. III: page 92. The two biggest facts in history are these: all our sins were dealt with by the Blood, and we ourselves were dealt with by the Cross.

Twelve Baskets Full by Watchman Nee

Wisconsin Bluffs Old Indian Warrior Do You See What I See

What do you see? 

Blog Post by Mary Katherine May

There are times when rock formations have designs carved by weather and time that seem familiar to us. The glacial rock along the St. Croix River, for example, has its Old Man of the Dalles, Holy Cross, Lion's Head, and more.  

In this case the rock is sandstone which is far more changeable due to the elements (as far as I know).

This past weekend as we drove along the Mississippi River bluffs in Wisconsin I snapped photos. Looking at them this evening I saw something, and maybe you will, too.

I see the configuration of the face of an old American Indian warrior looking down as though watching and guarding the land and people below. 

Wisconsin Bluffs: Old Indian Warrior (enhanced)

Wisconsin Bluffs: Old Indian Warrior (original)

Wisconsin Bluffs: Old Indian Warrior photo enhanced)

Wisconsin Bluffs: Old Indian Warrior (original)

Saint John Chrysostom Quote on Forgiveness from Homily 19 on The Lord's Prayer

Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount
Saint John Chrysostom
Homily 19: On the Lord's Prayer
This blog post by Mary Katherine May

Quote on Forgiveness by John Chrysostom

Quote on Forgiveness by John Chrysostom
And nothing makes us so like God, as being ready to forgive the wicked and wrongdoers; even as indeed He had taught before, when He spoke of  His "making the sun to shine on the evil and the good."

Audio Format Link
Commentary by John Chrysostom on the Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5 through 7, can be downloaded or listened to online at no charge at LibriVox.org. 
LINK to commentary at LibriVox.org

Text Format Link
Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount Homily 19: The Lord's Prayer by John Chrysostom is available for online reading by CLICKING HERE.

Icon of Saint John Chrysostom
source link

About John Chrysostom
LINK to OrthodoxWiki article on John Chrysostom

Our father among the saints John Chrysostom (347-407), Archbishop of Constantinople, was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the fourth and fifth centuries in Syria and Constantinople. 

He is famous for eloquence in public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority in the Church and in the Roman Empire of the time, and for a divine liturgy attributed to him. 

He had notable ascetic sensibilities. After his death he was named Chrysostom, which comes from the Greek, meaning golden-mouthed

LINK  to recording on YouTube : Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom set to music by Sergei Rachmaninov (op. 31)

Jesus Christ Caiaphas Sacred Oath of Testimony

From the Upper Room to the Empty Tomb

William Evans, Ph.D., D.D.

Grand Rapids MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1934

Chapter 5: The Trial of Jesus

2. The Ecclesiastical Trial—Before Annas, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin

Pages 165-169

Christ Before Caiaphas by Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337)
Source: Wikipedia Link to Image
image edited by Mary Katherine May

The Sacred Oath of Testimony

Author William Evans explains two reasons for the death of Jesus according to the purposes of Rome and the Jewish authorities and not the same as the real purpose according to God which of course at the time they would not have known.

The following small excerpt from Evan's book will perhaps be an insight into the real events leading up to the the empty tomb not realized or thought of before as it wasn't for me.  

The question Caiaphas asked of Jesus was framed in a way to require or necessitate a response other than silence.  It was the defining moment from which there was no escaping death.

The committed Christian, in order to be named as committed, has already had one such moment, which is not the same as knowing you are a Christian.  It is the moment that has led from a worldly or sinful life to death on the cross with Jesus Christ and then on to a life of resurrection and light.  

Christians now as ever before, however, are coming to another defining moment. This moment, if it comes, is each for each of us accompanied with a sacred oath of testimony in the same manner as Jesus faced before Caiaphas.  What would my answer be? What would your answer be?  That is something to think about.

Excerpt from The Upper Room to the Empty Tomb

“The Christ,” “the Messiah” of the Jews, was related not only to the spiritual blessings that would come on the people of God when He came; He also was to be, at least in the mind and calculation of the people (although certainly not according to the true interpretation of their Scriptures), a ruler, a king, a military commander who would deliver His people from the galling yoke of the oppressor.  Here then was a conception of the Messianic office that would be of keenest interest in Rome.  It was this aspect of the case that interested Pilate: “Art thou a king then?”  The thing which perhaps more than aught else moved Pilate to give up Jesus to the Jews for His crucifixion was the saying of leaders of the Jews: “If thou let this man go thou art not Caesar’s friend; whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.”  “When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth and sat down (or set him down) in the judgment seat…and saith unto the Jews, Behold your King…Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king, but Caesar.” (John 19:14-16)

The cunning of the high priest, therefore, was shown in his illegal attempt to wring from Jesus the confession that He was the “Messiah,” “the Christ,” for by so doing His doom would be sealed and made sure by both Jewish and Roman authorities—by the Sanhedrin and by Pilate.  Here was both a religious and political crime punishable with death.

But to exact a confession from the accused in order that he might condemn himself was a violation of Jewish law which clearly said: “Our law condemns no one to death on his own confession”….”It is a fundamental principle with us that no one can damage himself by what he says in judgment.”  That this was teaching of the Mishna, the controlling Jewish law, the high priest well knew.  But what was law to him and the Sanhedrin seeing they were determined to put Jesus to death?  There was nothing else for them to do, if they were to accomplish their nefarious purpose, but to ignore their own laws of justice and human rights.  Caiaphas will cowardly resort to a most holy custom; he will have recourse to the “Sacred Oath of the Testimony.”

When Caiaphas had asked Jesus whether or not He had anything to say in reply to the things which were being testified against Him, “Jesus held His peace;” He made no reply; and, in spite of all his persuasion, Caiaphas could not make Jesus speak; He continued to remain silent.  It was then that the high priest determined to resort to one of the most holy customs of the Jews, one which Jesus, being a true and holy Jew, would not dare disobey.  He would apply to Jesus “The Sacred Oath of Testimony” under which a true Jew dared not remain silent.  The Mishna says: “If one shall say, I adjure you by the Almighty, by Sabaoth, by the Gracious and Merciful, by the Longsuffering, by the Compassionate, or by any of the divine titles, behold they are bound to answer.”  It is clear, then, in the face of this sacred oath, that no pious Jew would dare to remain silent, for silence under such circumstances was practically an unforgiveable offense.  Jesus, therefore, could not remain any longer silent; as a true and pious Jew He must answer this question of the high priest.

“And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it that these witness against thee?  But Jesus held His peace.  And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.  Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said; nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.  Then the high priest rent his clothes, (and, this in direct disobedience to the divine command that the high priest should ‘not rend his clothes,’ Lev. 10:6) saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses: behold now ye have heard his blasphemy, What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.” (Matt. 26:62-66)

To this question, “Art thou the Christ?” administered under the “Sacred Oath of Testimony,” Jesus answered in the affirmative: “I am;” “Thou hast said;” “Ye say that I am.”  (Mark 14:62; Matt. 26:64; Luke 22:70)  Being compelled, under oath, to say, what was truth, that He was the Messiah, His answer was as simple as possible, “Thou sayest.”  Let us not think for a moment that Jesus, by these simply expressed affirmations, is seeking to evade the issue by giving an ambiguous answer to the question of the high priest.  He is not.  The answer is, according to Jewish custom and under such circumstances as these, a most positive and an affirmative answer.  It certainly was so regarded by the high priest and those who were present in the courtroom.  There was certainly no doubt in their minds as to the meaning of Jesus’ answer.  This was no word of an overwrought enthusiast, a deluded person.  It was absolute, definite, positive and affirmative to them, being of such a nature as to constitute “blasphemy.” (Matt. 26:65)  According to Jewish law and custom, courtesy, under these circumstances, forbade a direction “Yes” or “No” to a question of such grave or sad import.

It is quite true that the interpretation which the high priest put upon the title “the Christ” was quite different from that which the Scriptures give it, and Jesus Himself put upon it, nevertheless there was nothing else for Jesus to do but to acknowledge that He was “the Christ” foretold in the Jewish Scriptures.  According to the true interpretation of the office and function of the Messiah, His work was to be characterized by accomplishing the spiritual redemption and deliverance of God’s people.  The high priest, in common with the Jewish nation as a whole, had misunderstood and misinterpreted the Messianic function and referred it to a material, physical and political deliverance from all temporal enemies (see Acts 1:6; cf. Luke 17:20, 21)—and it was such a definition that lay back in the mind of the scheming high priest.  But Jesus, of course, was not responsible for this false conception of the Messianic office, and could not, on that account, deny that He was the true Messiah, the Christ of God.

But this admission of Jesus as to His being “the Christ” satisfied the high priest because, on the one hand, it constituted blasphemy, and such a claim, in the judgment of the Sanhedrin, was a crime punishable by death; while, on the other hand, the thought that Caesar’s throne was threatened by a Jewish Messiah would be sufficient to constitute treason which was a crime punishable by death by Rome, for Rome looked for trouble in connection with the advent of the Jewish Messiah, and had already had one or two very serious political clashes with men professing to be the Christ, the Messiah; (Acts 5:36, 37; 21:38; 8:9) so Rome would be taking no more risks in that direction.

Jesus, therefore, by His own confession, had condemned Himself religiously and politically.  And this was exactly what the scheming Caiaphas wished for.  The Sanhedrin would quickly take care of the crime of blasphemy and sentence Jesus to death for it.  Rome would not be slow in taking cognizance of any, even seeming, attack upon its control of the Jewish nation.  As long as Jesus was content to remain as a mere local preacher among the people of Palestine Rome would not need to bother about Him, but let Him make claim to be the Messiah, who, according to Jewish belief, is destined to mount the throne of David—well, that was an entirely different matter; then Rome was interested and seriously so.

Before the Sanhedrin Jesus was condemned because they said He claimed to be the Son of God; before Pilate because they said He claimed to be the King of the Jews; so we should understand that the crucifixion was the crucifixion of one who claimed to be God’s Son in a manner which was equivalent to equality with God.  Nor was it necessarily called blasphemy because the Messiah said He was the Son of God (the Jews expected that), but because Jesus made the claim in an exclusive way.  He had said, “that God was his own Father, thus making Himself equal with God.” (John 5:17, 18 R.V.)  Indeed the death on the cross can be understood only as we see these two things.

This blog post by Mary Katherine May of QualityMusicandBooks.com.

Listening to Your Heart Immersing Yourself in Scripture of the Holy Bible

This blog post by Mary Katherine May.

Psalm 103:1 New King James Version of the Holy Bible

Today almost from the first thing in the morning I was thinking about a Psalm text that is used at every Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy.

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name...

In my humble opinion, as Christians in prayer and meditation three things happen. Some will say that there is a particular order to how this is done and maybe even quantify how much of each is supposed to take place.  It seems to me that what happens will be in relation to the day and what is taking place. 

1. Praising God.
2. Presenting needs and burdens we carry for others and ourselves.
3. Listening to what God is saying.

One way we listen to God is through immersing ourselves in Scripture. This means more than reading a verse, a passage, or a book once through and closing the cover.  That would be no different than preparing for a class by reading an assigned text once through, giving it no further thought, and then expecting a perfect score on the exam. If I did this I would be fortunate not to fail.

What God has to say to us, what He wants us to know and learn, is far more important than any school subject.  What God has to say is vital to our spiritual growth and health.

When God puts a thought into my mind to go to a particular place in the Bible, or if in reading Scripture something pulls me into the text, I will read it over and over until it seems time to move on--there may be a deeper understanding of the message.  Often I am surprised or thrilled to be reading on something that pertains exactly to what I am experiencing in life.

God is good.  
Amen.

Whose Sins Did Jesus Bear on the Cross A Thought for Lent

A Thought for 8 March 2015
This blog post by Mary Katherine May

When Jesus the Messiah died on the cross He bore the weight of all sin for all time and that includes the sins of the worst enemies of humanity. God is all love and cannot hate as we do--God's wrath is about justice which is not the same as hate. 

If God can love these evil people who have no humanity left can I do any less? Life is only a brief moment but eternity in Hell is torment without respite for all time. Though but a foretaste of what is to come salvation brings those who believe into the Kingdom of God now, and this is our peace. 

It is a lot easier to hate and be angry than it is to understand and have sorrow for the most evil humanity in the world.  Only through God's love in us are we able to say at any time what Christ said as He hung on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:22 tells us that anger without just cause is the same as murder, and so it is essential for the Christian what a just cause, or a righteous anger is.  For this I would refer to those more knowledgeable than myself, but I would note that anger which boils over into an out of control, consuming outrage is unhealthy and self-destructive, turning the bearer of such anger into that which the outrage is directed.

Grant me, Lord, a heart not consumed by hate but instead that I may have a heart filled with sorrow for the lost and justice for those who have been wronged. In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One God. Amen.