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Home , Matthew 21, Matthew 27

LEE BROWN'S NOTES ON THE : COMBINED STORY (PART 4) (-28; -16, :28-24:53; -21)

4.01. COMES TO TO DIE AS THE LAMB

4.01.01. JESUS ARRIVES AT [Probably late Friday afternoon] (John 12:1).

Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

******* NOTES ******* 4.01.01-A. The Passover Lamb. In the first chapter of the , introduced Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). After several years of public ministry, Jesus now comes to Jerusalem to die as the Passover Lamb. But before He enters Jerusalem, He pauses at Bethany, approximately two miles away. As we shall see, He stops here to begin the implementation of a carefully planned strategy.

Timing becomes a major concern. Key to this strategy is that He must die on the Passover, neither a day before nor a day after. Dying was not the issue, since many wanted Him dead, and there had been a number of times during His public ministry that attempts were made to put Him to death (Luke 4:28- 30; Mt 12:10-15; John 5:18; 7:1, 19-32; 8:20, 37-40, 58-59; 10:30-31, 39; 11:47-57). None of these attempts had been successful since Jesus declared that "His hour had not yet come" (John 7:30; 8:20; cf. 7:8). But His "hour" will soon come when He allows the "power of darkness" to have its "hour" (Luke 22:53). What irony!

Jesus had tried to prepare His disciples for this event. On at least three occasions, He predicted His death and resurrection (Matt 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19 and parallels). The last one was given on this journey to Jerusalem. "As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve {disciples} aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, 'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the to mock and scourge and crucify {Him}, and on the third day He will be raised up'" (Matt 20:17-19). "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt 20:28).

4.01.01-B. Lazarus: Raised From the Dead. During His last visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication [Hanukkah] (John 10:22), people had attempted to stone Jesus (10:31). And when that failed they tried to seize Him but He eluded their grasp (10:39). Jesus then moved His ministry to Perea (east of the ), apparently to avoid further confrontation before the Passover. However, responding to a plea from Mary and Martha, Jesus returned to Bethany (near Jerusalem) in order to raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11). An indicator of how serious a risk they were taking may be seen in the reaction of Thomas. "Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to {his} fellow disciples, 'Let us also go, so that we may die with Him'" (John 11:16).

The raising of Lazarus from the dead united several of the groups wanting Jesus dead (e.g., the chief priests and the ). They were even more determined to rid the nation of Jesus (John 11:47-53). "So from that day on they planned together to kill Him" (John 11:53).

4.01.01-C. Six Days Before the Passover. Jesus probably arrived at Bethany on Friday afternoon. It was necessary to arrive before sundown since the Sabbath began at sundown and only very limited travel was allowed on the Sabbath. If this is true, then the Passover Lamb would be killed on Thursday afternoon. ------

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on : Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 1 4.01.02. JESUS IS ANOINTED BY MARY [Probably Saturday evening] (John 12:2-8; Mark 14:3-9; :6-13).

While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving. Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. Mary came with an alabaster vial, a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head as He reclined at the table. Mary then anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, "Why has this perfume been wasted? , one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?" Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.

And they were scolding her. But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; for when she poured this perfume on My body, she has anointed My body beforehand to prepare Me for burial. Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."

******* NOTES ******* 4.01.02-A. Supper. It is highly probable that this supper took place after sundown on Saturday (when the Sabbath was over). This story reminds us again of some of the advantages and disadvantages of producing a combined gospel account. (People have written pages on that topic!) First off, we must constantly keep in mind that none of the four gospel writers saw chronological order as a first priority. All chose to move events around in their stories when it helped with what they wanted to teach. For them, the gospel message was far more important than providing the readers with a chronological order of events. Further, the are not biographies, since many typical biographical details are missing.

By combining these accounts of this supper from John, Mark, and Matthew, we can come up with more information regarding the event, some of which we can piece together and find more significance for the event. For example, Mark was more interested in the role of Judas as betrayer than he is in a chronological order of events. He moves the in between the plotting to have Jesus killed (Mk 14:1-2) and the planning to betray Jesus by Judas (Mk 14:10-11). By making this move, Mark shows us that the "wasting" of the expensive perfume played a significant part in the decision to betray Jesus for money. However, Mark is interested in an even greater dramatic effect. By inserting this story of extreme devotion to Jesus (the anointing) between the story of the plotting of His death and the betrayal of a , Mark achieves huge contrast and high drama. "Moreover, the practice of intercalating one incident between two phases of a single action is typically Marcan [Mk 3:20-35; 5:21-43]" (William L. Lane).

4.01.02-B. Home. This supper took place in the home of Simon the leper. The people at the supper included Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Although we are not told, it is highly probably that Simon is the father of the three siblings. Note, for example, it is not likely that we would be told that Martha was serving if it were not her home.

4.01.02-C. Anointing. By combining the Gospel accounts, we learn that Mary anointed both His head and His feet. This anointing must not be equated with the actual embalming of the body of a person who has died, which can only take place after the death. Instead this anointing was a way of identifying the mission of Jesus. Jesus has come to Jerusalem as its king and to die. The irony is that Jerusalem will reject and kill its king, and by so doing ensure that He will remain its king forever. One major reason Lazarus is mentioned as being present is that he represents the hope of the resurrection. Just as Lazarus rose from the grave, so shall Jesus.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 2

Why does Jesus declare that this action by Mary will be remembered? Because this act of devotion is placed in contrast to those who will plot His death ( [John 11:47-53] and Judas [12:4-6]). It is also placed in contrast to the blindness of the disciples. Mary saw (in part at least) what the disciples failed to see. Although Jesus has told the disciples many times that He is going to Jerusalem to die, they could not see the importance of His death. By "wasting" this expensive perfume, Mary is telling them, in a symbolic way, that His death and resurrection are the most important events in all of history. ------

4.01.03. HIS SUPPORTERS GATHER, HIS ENEMIES PLAN [Probably late Saturday extending into Sunday morning] (John 12:9-11). "The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus" (John 12:9-11).

******* NOTES ******* 4.01.03-A. Strategy. How is Jesus to prevent being arrested the moment He arrives in Jerusalem? We are not told, but, picking up on a few clues, perhaps we can guess at His strategy. As stated above, His enemies were fully determined to arrest Him on sight. Jesus must keep them looking for the best time to make the arrest. Every opportunity must be seen as not the best time. (Look for statements to this effect as we go through the week.) Jesus will stay in Bethany until the last moment. He will stay around strong supporters. He will gather witnesses to support His claims. For example, notice that Simon is called "the leper" probably because Jesus had healed him. Lazarus, the one raised from the dead, is present. They are living proof that He is the Messiah. He let the wider group of supporters know where He was staying, so they came there.

4.01.03-B. The Large Crowd. Who made up this large crowd? Well, part of this crowd were the people Jesus had lived with in Ephraim after the healing of Lazarus. Looking back at John 11:54-56, we see that this group had arrived in Jerusalem earlier and were wondering when Jesus was going to arrive. When they were told, they came to see Him. It is very likely that they spread the word to other supporters, who also came out to greet Jesus on His arrival in Jerusalem. Some of these people probably were among those who traveled with Jesus. They had heard two blind men calling Jesus "the Son of David" and then being healed. In fact, these two formerly blind men also followed Jesus on His journey to Jerusalem (Mt 20:29-34) providing further testimony.

4.01.03-C. His Enemies Plan. Probably as a result of the large crowd gathering to see Jesus and Lazarus, the enemies of Jesus now realize that they must also kill this chief witness (Lazarus) to the claims of Jesus.

4.01.03-D. More Strategy. Here are some of the possible strategies for entering Jerusalem without getting arrested. The entry into Jerusalem will be in the afternoon when the largest number of pilgrims will be entering. His supporters will be ready to hail Him with palm branches. (It would have taken advanced planning to have palm branches ready for this event.) It is clear that the use of the colt had been planned in advance. ------

4.01.04. THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM [Probably Sunday afternoon] (Luke 19:29- 44; Mark 11:1-11; Matthew 21:1-9; John 12:12-19).

On the next day as they approached Jerusalem, at near the [Olivet], Jesus sent two of His disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a donkey tied there and a colt on which no one yet has ever sat tied with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them' and immediately he will send them back here."

Now this took place that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying,

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 3

"Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold your King is coming to you, Gentle, and mounted upon a donkey, Even upon a colt, the foal of a beast of burden'" (Zech 9:9).

So those who were sent went away and did just as Jesus had instructed them and found a colt tied at the door outside in the street, just as He had told them; and they untied it. And as they were untying the colt, some of the bystanders and its owners were saying to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" They spoke to them just as Jesus had told, "The Lord has need of it." And they gave them permission.

They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. The whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen. The large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees which they had cut from the fields and went out to meet Him, spreading them in the road.

Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:

"Hosanna! Blessed is He (the King) who comes in the Name of the Lord, even the King of Israel. Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him."

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" (Luke 19:39-40).

When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation" (Luke 19:41-44).

When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in " (Matthew 21:10-11).

Jesus came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

******* NOTES ******* 4.01.04-A. Riding on a colt. As already stated, the details of obtaining the colt shows advanced planning. ("The Lord has need of it" in this context probably refers to God and was used as a type of password.) Both mother and colt were used, probably to help calm the colt (which had never been

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 4 ridden before). Jesus on this colt really stood out in the crowd. People normally walked in those days. It was especially true for pilgrims coming to Jerusalem to any one of the annual feasts. This custom had developed as a way of emphasizing their visit to Jerusalem was a pilgrimage, not a business or social visit. (Here is the only place in the Bible where Jesus is shown riding.)

By this action, Jesus presents His claim to be the Messiah. He rode the colt for several reasons. First and foremost it was done to fulfill a prophecy in :9-10. "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout {in triumph}, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zech 9:9). This King comes to bring peace, not war. He does not ride on a horse or with horse and chariot (Zech 9:10).

4.01.04-B. Praise. As pilgrims approached Jerusalem for one of the annual festivals, such as Passover, they typically chanted psalms from that section called The Songs of Ascent (Psa 120-134). The praise for Jesus was blended in with the praise of the pilgrims as they approach Jerusalem. It might have been unusual, but probably not strange, to hear the disciples chanting Psalm 118:25-26 (e.g., "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of YHWH").

Also although "Hosanna" literally means "save us now" it was commonly used as simply an expression of praise to God. So it as easy for people to miss the prophetic meaning of the word.

What was supernatural about the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was that its full significance was hidden. It was unusual enough to disturb some of the Jerusalem authorities, but sufficiently ambiguous to keep them from making a specific charge. It also avoided any special attention by the Roman authorities.

Even His disciples did not understand the significance of this well-planned and well-executed strategy until after the and .

4.01.04-C. The Pharisees React. The Pharisees, who had been trying to trap Jesus for years now, saw more than others did. They saw more significance (1) because they were more alert than others, and (2) because it was God's intention that they see this event as a claim by Jesus to the throne of David (Son of David = Messiah = Christ). First they reacted in frustration. Their plans for discrediting Jesus in the eyes of the people have totally failed. ("You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.") That reaction was followed by a demand to Jesus that He silence (rebuke) His disciples. But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" (Luke 19:39-40).

4.01.04-D. Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem. Although the pilgrims hailed Him as King, the Jerusalem authorities did not go out to greet Jesus as their king. As a result of this rejection ("because you did not recognize the time of your visitation"), Jesus knew that the city is doomed. Because Jesus sees the future destruction of Jerusalem, He weeps over it.

4.01.04-E. The People of Jerusalem Wonder. The unusual manner of the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem stirred the whole city. The people of Jerusalem wondered and questioned the incoming crowds. They could have easily been convinced to join the pilgrims in their praise of the the one who comes in the name of YHWH. However, Jesus did not take advantage of this moment of popularity. After viewing the Temple, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. ------

4.02. JESUS CONFRONTS THE JEWISH LEADERS.

4.02.01. [Probably Monday] (Mark 11:12-14; Matthew 21:18-19a).

Now in the morning on the next day, when they had departed from Bethany and returned to the city, He became hungry. And seeing at a distance by the road a lone fig tree in leaf, he went to see if

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 5 perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing on it except leaves only, for it was not the season for figs. And he answered and said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again! No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you." And His disciples were listening.

******* NOTES ******* 4.02.01-A. Cursing the Fig Tree. This incident actually invites controversy. Our first reaction is that there is something unfair in the actions of Jesus. Is this story really true? Did He really do this? Why would He do such a thing? It appears to be something deliberately out of character for Jesus. And, as we will see later, Jesus offers no explanation.

First let us build a background. The fig tree is selected to represent Israel several times in the OT (Jer 8:13; 24:1-10; 29:17; Hos 9:10; Joel 1:7; Micah 7:1-6), often in the context of judgment (Hos 2:12; 9:16; Isa 34:4).

Passover typically comes in March or April, and ripe figs were normally not expected this early ("for it was not the season for figs"). However, if a fig tree was full of leaves, then one would expect to find figs on it.

Earlier in His ministry, Jesus told a parable about a fig tree. "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, {fine}; but if not, cut it down'" (Luke 13:6-9). Here at the close of His ministry, Jesus finds the fig tree ("Israel") still unfruitful.

The cursing of the fig tree is symbolic of the judgment upon Jerusalem. In Mark's Gospel, the (11:15-18) is found between the two accounts of the fig tree: cursing (11:11- 14) and withering (11:20-21). Judgment often has two characteristics. One is that, due to God's mercy, it is delayed. The other is that it is unexpected. Even people who expect judgment, often expect the delay to continue longer. They presume upon the grace of God. And by so doing, they will see judgment as unfair. ("If God had given me a few more months, I would have produced figs.")

Having reviewed all that, there is still one perspective that may be more important than all the others. It was a lone fig tree full of leaves. Standing alone represents Israel's witness to the nations. Leaves without any fruit indicates its hypocrisy. Its witness to the nations was making claims that were not true.

I wonder. Does the curse ("May no one ever eat fruit from you again!) refers to the nation or to the Temple? As we know, the Temple has never been rebuilt. ------

4.02.02. CLEANSING THE TEMPLE [Probably Monday] (Mark 11:15-18; Matthew 21:12-13; Luke 19:45-46). Note: the cleansing of the temple recorded in :13-22 is not combined here with the other three Gospels. It is treated as a separate event.

Then they came to Jerusalem. And Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.

And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a robber's den" (:7; 7:11).

******* NOTES ******* 4.02.02-A. Cleansing the Temple. First, let see the contrast with the entry into Jerusalem. Even before His arrival at Bethany, Jesus had surrounded Himself with people. The crowds provided Him a

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 6 measure of protection as He prepared to declare His messiahship. The challenge has now been made. Now He acts completely alone, exerting His authority as the Messiah (Christ). He does not want to make war. What wrath arises from His actions from this point on must be focused on Him, not disciples or supporters.

The biblical record had previously noted that Jesus had entered the Temple late on Sunday afternoon and was "looking around at everything" (Mk 11:11). Now, here on Monday morning, He will challenge activities He observed which are unacceptable for His Father's House. Here, too, we see planning. This act is not a spontaneous outburst of anger.

We need to address another typical misunderstandings. Some people have noticed the "robber's den" statement and interpreted these actions by Jesus as an attempt to correct some corrupt business practices. But Jesus drove out both sellers and buyers. Jesus was there to display His messianic credentials. He must in some way show that it is His Temple.

In fact, corrupt or not, some of these business activities were necessary. However, there was already a place established on the nearby Mount of Olives for the purchase of animals for sacrifice, etc. There was no need for it to be happening within the Temple.

The emphasis here is on the statement that the Temple's basic function is to be a house of prayer for all the nations. All these business activities were distracting people who came to pray. This focus is shown also by Jesus not allowing anyone to use the outer Temple area as a short-cut from one part of the city to another. (He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.)

All these distractions were happening in the Court of the Gentiles. Although many Jews used this area for worship and prayer, they could also do so in the inner courts. Not so for Gentiles. This court was the only place they were allowed in the Temple. So "for all the nations" becomes the most important part of this challenge. From its very beginning, Israel was to be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exod 19:6). By allowing the Court of the Gentiles to be polluted, Israel was showing their failure to be the priests to the nations.

By cleansing this area of the Temple, Jesus challenged the authority of the chief priests, who had authorized these activities. The expression "den of robbers" is not used to stress stealing. It is a term that expresses the misuse of property. The Temple was designed for prayer. The Chief priests are not using the property for its intended purpose, because they have other goals in mind. The property has been "robbed" of its function. ------

4.02.03. HEALING IN THE TEMPLE [Probably Monday] (Matthew 21:14-16).

And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself'?" (Matthew 21:14-16; quoting Psalm 8:2).

******* NOTES ******* 4.02.03-A. Healing in the Temple. Since Matthew used Mark's account as a framework for his account, it is interesting to note some of the additions he makes to the story. Some of these additions give us the impression that Matthew is remembering details (as an eye-witness) not mentioned by Mark (who got much of his material from Peter). Here is one of those times.

The children were still filled with the excitement of the grand entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. They continued the praise they heard yesterday (which is typical of children wanting to relive the excitement).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 7

If there had been some type of immediate attempt to arrest Jesus for the cleansing of the Temple, it would have been delayed when those who sought to arrest Jesus found Him healing the blind and the lame. It wouldn't be the first time officers were sent to arrest Jesus, but didn't (cf. John 7:32, 45-46).

"Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself" This response by Jesus to the complaint by the chief priests and scribes is remarkable. He quotes Psalm 8:2 where the praise is intended for God. So, Jesus counters the complaint with a claim to be God! No doubt some people that day remembered Malachi 3:1-3, where it is predicted that the Lord will suddenly come to His Temple and purify the sons of Levi (i.e., the priesthood). ------

4.02.04. TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE [Probably Monday] (Luke 19:47-48; Mark 11:18).

And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said (Lk 19:47-48). They were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching (Mk 11:18).

******* NOTES ******* 4.02.04-A. Teaching in the Temple. While the enemies of Jesus unite in their determination to destroy Him, Jesus continues to teach openly in the temple. (Various combinations of enemies can be found in different passages. Here the list includes chief priests, scribes, leading men.) With "all the people hanging on to every word He said" they were afraid to arrest Him. When they finally did arrest Jesus, He was able to say, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as {you would} against a robber? Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me; but {this has taken place} to fulfill the Scriptures" (Mk 14:48-49 = Mt 26:55-56). ------

4.02.05. NIGHTS SPENT OUTSIDE THE CITY (Mt 21:17; Mk 11:19).

When evening came, He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there (Mt 21:17).

******* NOTES ******* 4.02.05-A. Nights Spent Outside Jerusalem. Jesus was confronting the Jewish leadership with His claims and embarrassing them with His teaching. He was almost demanding that they arrest Him. But He must be careful not to let that happen too soon. So, Jesus left the city in the evenings to sleep among the thousands of pilgrims who camped in the areas. ------

4.02.06. LESSONS FROM THE FIG TREE [Probably Tuesday Morning] (Mark 11:20-24; Matthew 21:19b-22).

As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Being reminded, Peter said to Him, "Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered." Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, "How did the fig tree wither all at once?"

And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will happen. It will be granted him."

"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 8

******* NOTES ******* 4.02.06-A. Lessons From the Fig Tree. The disciples were amazed that the fig tree had withered so quickly. However, they also noted that it was " withered from the roots up" meaning that the tree was totally dead. After viewing so many miracles, the disciples probably would not be impressed if only the leaves had withered. Many trees recover from the loss of their leaves. It must have been shocking to see the tree so completely dead that recovery was impossible. Jesus offered no explanations. He left them to ponder and make the connections with what had taken place the previous day in the temple. He did, however, use the incident to teach a lesson on faith. And key to this lesson was that faith must be in God (not faith in themselves [self-confidence], not "faith in faith" [trusting the gift of faith from God]. When Jesus emphasized that faith must be in God, He was not thinking of believing that God is able. He meant that it is God who wants the mountain moved. He waits for us to ask for it to be moved in full confidence that it is His will. Jesus does put a necessary condition in order for us to have assurance that God will answer our prayers. We must forgive others. ------

4.03. JEWISH LEADERS CONFRONT JESUS, BUT HE CONFOUNDS THEM.

4.03.01. A QUESTION OF AUTHORITY [Probably Tuesday] (Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; :1-8).

They came again to Jerusalem. And when He entered and was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes, and the elders of the people came to Him and confronted Him while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, and began saying to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?"

And Jesus answered and said to them, "I will ask you one question, which if you answer Me, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer Me."

They began reasoning among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the people. All the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a real prophet." Answering Jesus, they said, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

******* NOTES ******* 4.03.01-A. Who Gets to Ask the Questions? On the previous day, Jesus had taken the Jewish leaders by surprise and kept them off balance, but today they were ready for Him. Three powerful groups (chief priests, scribes, elders) are united here to confront Him and demanded answers. Throughout His ministry, Jesus had not openly claimed to be the Messiah. But He had done things, especially in the last two days, to make many people interpret His actions as an unspoken claim. Now these officials are demanding that Jesus clearly state the authority behind His actions and teaching.

Jesus answers their question with a question, which was an acceptable practice in that culture as long as the counter-question addressed the issues involved in the original question. This counter-question has more than one level built into it.

The three groups (chief priests, scribes, elders) mentioned here were the groups making up the Council or [G4892, sunedrion]. The Sanhedrin was the most powerful body in the nation. It had the authority to examine any teaching, action, or claim pertaining to the religious life of the nation. After their investigation, they would determine if the teaching, action or claim was legitimate. A delegation from the Sanhedrin had examined the credentials of John the Baptist (John 1:19-28). The counter- question from Jesus was asking them to state the results of their investigation in very simple direct terms (from heaven or from men). Being given only two options (both unacceptable for them), "We do not know" was the only response they could give to the dilemma. But that answer meant that they

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 9 were surrendering their right to determine John's credentials, and, by extension, the credentials of Jesus as well. So who gets to ask the questions? Jesus! He is the Messiah/Christ. He has replaced the Sanhedrin. Its authority is gone. In the parables which follow, Jesus will ask the questions, and the Jerusalem "authorities" will be forced to give the obvious answers. And their answers will show why the Jerusalem authorities have forfeited any right to act as the agent for God.

The second level to this counter-question is that John claimed to be the forerunner of the Messiah (John 1:6-8, 15, 23, 31-34), and he pointed Jesus out as the One he had come to proclaim (1:29-34). So John had already answered the questions asked of Jesus by the Sanhedrin. In fact, it is from this authority ("Lamb of God" and "Son of God" [Jn 1:29, 34]) that Jesus cleansed the temple as recorded in the Gospel of John (John 2:13-22). Although they said that they did not know, Jesus has made it plain that the Sanhedrin had rejected the authority behind John's baptism. They were just too afraid to admit it.

The third level to this counter-question is that this allusion to the earlier cleansing of the temple should also remind them of the sign Jesus gave them that would verify His authority. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). Since this sign (resurrection after three days following His crucifixion) will soon be given, it is important that the Jewish leaders be reminded so they might recognize it when it happens. As we move on to examine the resurrection, it will become obvious that the Jewish leaders took the possibility of the resurrection of Jesus seriously. ------

4.03.02. FIRST PARABLE OF JUDGMENT [Probably Tuesday] (Matthew 21:28-32; :1).

He began to speak to them in parables (Mark 12:1).

"But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.' And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him" (Matthew 21:28- 32).

******* NOTES ******* 4.03.02-A. Three Parables. Jesus now gives three parables, primarily directed at the Jerusalem leadership, but for others also. Parables are not just good stories. In fact, often they are not very good stories, since they are deliberately designed with improbable elements. Hearers are expected to catch these improbable elements and wonder. The hearers might say, "Well, nobody would do that", and they just might be correct. It is at the point of the improbable element that the key significance of the parable is often found.

These parables will not be studied in detail. Here we are mostly seeking how these parables helped to bring about the events of this Passover Week. All three picture disruptions of the current power structure in Jerusalem. There is a progression of disaster as we move through the three. And this progression continues into later teaching by Jesus. There is also a changing focus. The first parable is focused in the ministry of John the Baptist. The second is focused in the earthly . The third is focused in the Second Coming of Jesus to establish the kingdom of God.

The three parables together provide a glimpse of some requirement involved in a covenant relationship with God. Parable #1: His demands for righteousness (involving ) must be met. Parable #2: We must fulfill the obligations (involving fruitfulness) of a right relationship with Him. Parable #3: God must be the focus of our lives (involving sacrificial love) not our own interests.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 10 4.03.02-B. The (Matthew 21:28-32). In this parable the father represents God. The first son represents those who repented at the preaching of John the Baptist and were baptized by him. The second son represents the Jewish leaders. Jesus (who is now the one asking the questions) presents the key question. Which of the two did the will of his father? The leaders are trapped. They do not have any real options, since the answer is obvious. Jesus then identifies the first son as the type of people these leaders despise the most (tax collectors and prostitutes). When these leaders saw the wonderful transformation in the lives of these people, they should have wanted to join them. But they continued to reject John's call to repentance and transformation ("in the way of righteousness"). The "before you" statement must have been especially humiliating, since it signaled a reversal of status. It also made the possibility of their entrance into the kingdom more improbable, since it would require great humility to have to both admit their need for John's baptism and accept this reversal of status. ------

4.03.03. SECOND PARABLE OF JUDGMENT [Probably Tuesday] (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1- 12; Luke 20:9-19).

"Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower (cf. :1-2), and rented it out to tenants and went on a journey. At the harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out. And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others."

"The owner of the vineyard had one more to send, a beloved son. He said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.' He sent him last of all to them. But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!' They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"

They said to Him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons." Jesus said to them, "He will come and destroy those tenants and will give the vineyard to others." And when they heard it, they said, "May it never be!"

Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes' (Psalm 118:22-23)? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. And they were seeking to seize Him and tried to lay hands on Him that very hour. And yet they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.

******* NOTES ******* 4.03.03-A. The Parable of the Landowner, the Vineyard and the Tenants (Mt 21:33-44; Mk 12:1-11; Lk 20:9-18). Jesus would have expected this Jewish audience to think of the story in Isaiah 5:1-7, where the vines are a symbol for Israel. In fact, He uses language taken from that passage. But Jesus has changed the picture. Here the focus is not on the productivity of the vineyard, but on the obligations of these caring for the vines to the owner of the vineyard. So the vineyard represents the nation Israel. The owner represents God. His slaves represent the prophets God sent to unfaithful Israel. Jesus is the owner's Son. The tenants represent the leadership of the nation. This is a parable of impending judgment on the Jerusalem leadership. However, Jesus makes it clear that judgment is also upon the whole nation. He emphasized this truth by adding to the parable the OT passage about

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 11 the Rejected Stone. This judgment will not only be punishment, they have rejected their Messiah, and therefore the kingdom of God will be taken away from them. ------

4.03.04. THIRD PARABLE OF JUDGMENT [Probably Tuesday] (:1-14). Note: There are some similarities between this parable and the one recorded in Luke 14:16-24, but it is treated as a different parable for a different audience.

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. Again he sent out other slaves saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are {all} butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."' But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find {there}, invite to the wedding feast.' Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few {are} chosen." (Matthew 22:1-14).

Then the Pharisees went away and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said (Matthew 22:15).

******* NOTES ******* 4.03.04-A. The Parable of the Marriage Feast. This parable is rather complicated. These complications will not be addressed since our basic interest is how the parable affects the story. The king represents God, and the son represents the Messiah. Those who have been invited are the Jews. The slaves are those who carry the message of the Christian gospel. The Jewish leaders refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. This refusal brings judgment. The invitation now is given to "street people" (Gentiles) consisting of both evil and good. But it turns out that their entrance into the kingdom also has a condition (must be wearing wedding clothes). It is important to notice that the one without the wedding clothes had no excuse and therefore was speechless when questioned. The message of the rejection of Israel and the destruction of Jerusalem must have been clear to a number of the Jewish leaders in attendance. Also, they would have noted again a reversal of roles. Some of the other features would have been difficult for them to comprehend.

4.04. JEWISH LEADERS ATTEMPT TO TRAP JESUS, BUT HE OUTWITS THEM.

4.04.01. PHARISEES HAVE A QUESTION (PAYING TAXES TO CAESAR) [Probably Tuesday] (Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-44).

Then the Pharisees went away and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said. So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in order that they might catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor. They sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him. They came and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay or shall we not pay?"

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 12 But Jesus knowing their hypocrisy, malice, and trickery said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Bring and show me a denarius, the coin used for the poll-tax to look at." And they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" And they said to Him, "Caesar's." And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were unable to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer, they became silent. Leaving Him, they went away.

******* NOTES ******* 4.04.01-A. A Trap. Jesus has been trapping the Jewish leaders by placing them on the horns of a dilemma, forcing them to choose between two options, neither of which were acceptable to them. Now these Pharisees attempt to do the same thing to Jesus. Shall we pay or shall we not pay? In their plotting, they found the perfect "no win" question. If Jesus answered "no", then He placed Himself in danger with the Roman authorities. If He answered "yes", then He would be discredited by the Jewish people, who hated to pay taxes to Rome. They especially resented the coin used to pay the taxes, since it had the image of Caesar on it with an inscription that he was a god.

4.04.01-B. Giving Back. First off, Jesus lets them know that He is not impressed with their flattery and that He was well aware of their deceitful planning. Key to understanding Jesus' answer is found in the use of words. The question to Him contained the word "pay" [G1325, dido_mi, "to give"], but His answer used the word "render" [G591, apodido_mi, "to give back"]. The first word (used by the leaders) suggests that the coin belongs to them and they had the right to decide to give it or to keep it. The second word (used by Jesus) suggests that the coin does not belong to them and they are under obligation to give it back to its rightful owner. By refusal to give the coin, they were denying the benefits they received from the Roman Peace. They were protected from attack from any foreign country. Their cities were protected from crime. The stability of government provided them with the ability to carry on their business, etc. They must pay back (fulfill their obligations). He left them with an unstated question to ponder. What are the things we are to render (pay back) to God? ------

4.04.02. HAVE A QUESTION (THE RESURRECTION) [Probably Tuesday] (Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:20-44).

On that day some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection), came to Jesus and questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us a law that if a man's brother dies, and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother (Deut 25:5). Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also. In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her."

Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like , and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' (Exodus 3:6)? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken." When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching. Some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well." For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.

******* NOTES ******* 4.04.02-A. The Challenge: Moses. The Sadducees accepted only the first five books of the OT as Scripture. These books are often called the Torah or the Law (Mosaic Law) or the Books of Moses. The Sadducess were convinced that the Torah did not support the concept of an afterlife. In fact, they believed that the provision Moses made for the levirate marriage (Deut 25:5-6) showed that it provided

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 13 the only "afterlife" a man could enjoy. So it was very important to "continue" his life and maintain his property through his progeny.

They were challenging Jesus as to His authority to interpret the Scripture. If Jesus believed in a resurrection, then He was not accepting the authority of Moses. Therefore, Jesus had no right to claim any authority for His teaching.

The Sadducees were claiming to be the ones with the authority to interpret Moses. The basic questions behind this challenge might be expressed in this way. Do you follow Moses? Are you under his authority? If so, then you will believe as we do.

Jesus again evaded a dilemma with which they sought to trap Him. Jesus responded at three levels. First, He challenged their ability to interpret Moses. Then He dealt with the issue of marriage in the afterlife. Finally, He addressed the reality of the resurrection.

4.04.02-B. Authority. Jesus declared that they cannot speak with authority since they do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God. They claim to interpret Moses. Jesus comes to interpret God. He will show them what that means.

4.04.02-C. Marriage and the Power of God. The Sadducees have created this absurd account of the problems a levirate marriage would have in the afterlife. Jesus explains that the very concept of marriage does not continue in heaven. They had no understanding of the power of God. People moving from "this age" to "that age" experience a transformation. All the relationships in "that age" will be greater than the oneness of the husband-wife relationship in the best of marriages now. And, since the Torah contains so many displays of the power of God, to deny the possibility of resurrection and the transformation of marriage relationships as we know them is to show a complete lack of understanding. The Sadducees had such a secular viewpoint that they were incapable of allowing God to be God.

4.04.02-D. The Reality of the Resurrection. In His response, Jesus draws from the Torah (Exod 3:5-6, 15-16; 4:5), the only portion of the OT accepted by Sadducees. Jesus rejects the idea that He must be under the authority of Moses (especially as they interpret him). Jesus will now interpret what YHWH said. The Sadducees, who do not understand Scripture, have been mistaken in their interpretation. YHWH said, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6). Jesus interprets: "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living" showing that the Sadducees have made a grave mistake.

It is most natural for us to think that this interpretation by Jesus is based on the present tense of the verb. However, in the Hebrew Scripture, the verb is actually missing. So, the use of the present tense verb ("I am") is actually part of Jesus' interpretation.

What, then, is the basis for Jesus' interpretation? It is the covenant relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Such a personal commitment by YHWH could not possibly end in the physical death of these three. So Jesus is interpreting the statement by YHWH, not primarily from exegesis (study of the passage) but based on the character of God! I think this is the reason the crowd was astonished at His teaching. Jesus was claiming the right to interpret, not just the words of YHWH, but His character as well. ------

4.04.03. A SCRIBE HAS A QUESTION (THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT) [Probably Tuesday] (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 20:20-44).

One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognized that He had answered them well. When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, "Teacher, which is the in the Law -- the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 14 God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength' (Deut 6:4-5). The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' (Lev 19:18). There is no other commandment greater than these. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

The scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

******* NOTES ******* 4.04.03-A. Testing Him. Since there are so many commandments (someone has counted 613) in the Law (first five books of the OT), Jewish lawyers (experts in the Law) sometimes used "heavy" and "light" to indicate importance. They also debated which commandments best summarized the entire Law, creating significant disagreement among them. If these lawyers could get Jesus to choose the greatest commandment(s), He would be open to criticism from many people who had made different choices. In addition, His choice would be seen as just one viewpoint among many valid options, thereby significantly lowering His unique status with the people. R. T. France gives some example of choices others had made: the eleven principles in Psalm 15, the six in Isaiah 33:15-16, the three in Micah 6:8; the two in Isaiah 56:1; the one in Amos 5:4b and in Hab 2:4b.

4.04.03-B. Love. It never occurred to these experts in the Law that this unique teacher could come up with a unique answer. First, Jesus did the obvious. Well, it became obvious after His declaration. He chose two commandments from within the Law. (Note that none of the choices listed above are taken from the Torah.) Second, Jesus chose, as the first commandment, one Moses had already emphasized. And the Jewish people had already recognized this focus by Moses. The Shema (Deut 6:4-5) was cited twice daily by all pious Jews. As commanded by Moses, it was written on their doorposts and phylacteries (Dt 6:8-9). In addition, when Jesus added Lev 19:18 (love others), He had given them the summary of the Decalogue - the Ten Commandments given in the previous chapter (Deut 5:6-21; cf. Exod 20:2-17). Third, Jesus declared that on these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets. So these two are not just the greatest commandments in the Law, they are the fundamental principle needed to interpret the entire OT! He had indeed said something unique and introduced an entirely new way to approach biblical interpretation (a new hermeneutical principle). ------

4.04.04. JESUS HAS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHRIST/MESSIAH [Probably Tuesday] (Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44).

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus, as He taught in the temple, asked them a question: "What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?" They said to Him, "The son of David."

And Jesus began to say, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? Then how does David in the Holy Spirit call Him, 'Lord'? For David says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet"' (Ps 110:1). David himself calls Him 'Lord'; so in what sense is He his son?"

No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question. And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.

******* NOTES ******* 4.04.04-A. Reviewing the Setting. The enemies of Jesus had planned to lower His popularity with the people by their carefully designed questions. Instead, their status was lowered by the way Jesus answered the questions. Jesus has again shown that only He has the right to ask questions.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 15 But Jesus also has a careful design strategy. Jesus has purposely invited speculation about who He is. Ever since His entry into Jerusalem on Sunday, the city has been wondering. Is He the Messiah? When He was hailed as the Son of David, He did not deny the underlying significance of the title. In fact He defended the right of others to call Him that (Mt 21:9, 15; Lk 19:38-40).

He cleansed the temple and offered to tell His source of authority only to those who have a right to ask. Surely many were asking the obvious question. Who but the Messiah could have such authority that even the Sanhedrin was not allowed to question?

His central parable of judgment was so clearly directed towards the Jerusalem leadership that they could not miss its overall message. But there was an underlying message which was even more disturbing, especially since they have been planning to kill Jesus. They could not help but make the connection that the landowner represented God. But if that is true, then who is the son of the landowner being killed in the parable? Is Jesus claiming to be the Son of God? And are they planning to kill someone who actually is the Son of God?

4.04.04-B. Messiah, More Than Son of David. A very popular view of the Messiah was that, since he was a descendant of David, he would come and receive the throne of David, and he would conquer all their enemies. One of the main reasons Jesus has avoided being publicly proclaimed as the Messiah is that He did not want His mission aligned with this popular viewpoint.

But now, as He comes to Jerusalem to die, He allows and even defends the people's right to call Him "Son of David" and to make the connection of this title with the title of Messiah. But that creates a problem which He must correct. So Jesus asks a question. He does not do it to embarrass people, but to encourage thought. He wants them to see that the role of Messiah cannot be limited to one title such as Son of David.

What has happened this day will greatly assist later on at His trial. It will help add to the Son of David concept three very important titles/roles: Christ/Messiah, Son of God, Son of Man (Mt 26:63-64; Mk 14:61-62). At that point, Jesus will affirm these titles/roles, making it easy for them to convict Him. So, here He attempts to bring out additional foundational ideas which will help make the connections.

4.04.04-C. The Key Questions. The first question ("the Christ, whose son is He?") sets the stage for additional questions. The Pharisees (scribes) are allowed to give the first possible answer. And they supply the expected one (Son of David). Their answer is not wrong, it is inadequate. Jesus then asks key questions of everyone, essentially challenging what the scribes have said.

Vital to understanding what is happening here is to see the perspective from which Jesus poses the question. In contrast to the scribes, He speaks as a teacher with full authority to interpret the passage He will use (Psalm 110:1). First, He identifies David as the writer. However, Jesus states that David writes "in the Holy Spirit" (i.e., receiving guidance on what to write). Next, Jesus identifies the first Lord as God and the second Lord as the Messiah. He has strong support from the OT text for the first identification. Although "Lord" in the Greek text uses the same word [G2962, kurios], the Hebrew text uses different words: "The Lord" [H3068, YHWH], "my lord" [H136, adonai]. So, the Hebrew text makes the identification certain by using this special OT name for God.

In the culture of that day, to address another person as "my lord" is an acknowledgment of superiority. Also in that culture, a father would never address a son or any descendant with this title. They used the picture of a river. Rivers flow downhill and never rise to the level of the source of the river. In the same way, no descendant can be more superior than or even equal to an ancestor.

So now the first question ("the Christ, whose son is He?") must be reexamined with this new information. But Jesus rewords the question ("so in what sense is He his son?") to allow "Son of David" to be a correct but inadequate answer. We are helped with the question by the invitation YHWH gives the Messiah ("Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet"). As we

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 16 ponder the events of that day, then "Son of God" becomes a strong possibility as the correct answer. And we must consider that Jesus has allowed the people to think that He is talking about Himself.

No wonder His enemies feared and hated Jesus so much! ------

4.05. JESUS PRONOUNCES JUDGMENT UPON THE JEWISH LEADERS

4.05.01. INITIAL WARNING REGARDING SCRIBES [Probably Tuesday] (Luke 20:45-47; Mark 12:38-40).

And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."

******* NOTES ******* 4.05.01-A. Abuse of Privilege. Following the defeat of the scribes by Jesus, He gives an assessment of the scribes that is very different from that by the people. The scribes had the grave responsibility of teaching the Scriptures to the people. Teaching the Word requires a deep dependence on God for insight. Instead of maintaining a humble spirit for being given this privilege, they used it as a way to obtain both undeserved deference ("places of honor") and hospitality ("devouring..."). And here is the reason for their defeat by Jesus. They were so impressed by their own importance and learning that they did not seek God's guidance (in spite of their "long prayers"). ------

4.05.02. THE WIDOW'S "SMALL" GIFT [Probably Tuesday] (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4).

And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins [leptra], which amount to a cent [quadron = 1/64 of a denarius]. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on."

******* NOTES ******* 4.05.02-A. A Story of Dependence. This incident could have happened anytime during the early part of the week. Both Mark and Luke place it here so it could be used as a contrast to the scribes ("who devour widows' homes"). The focus, however, is on dependence. The widow shows an utter dependence on God. She had two coins. Even if she had given only one of them, she would have given more than anyone else by the standard Jesus used. By contrast the scribes steal glory from God by taking credit for their understanding of Scripture (which Jesus had just shown to be lacking of any real insight). Such irony! ------

4.05.03. JESUS PRONOUNCES SEVEN WOES UPON THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES [Probably Tuesday] (:1-36).

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say {things} and do not do {them}. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with {so much as} a finger. But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels {of their garments}. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. But

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 17 do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call {anyone} on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, {that is,} Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, {that} is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.' You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, {that} is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.' You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears {both} by the altar and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple, swears {both} by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. And whoever swears by heaven, swears {both} by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self- indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had been {living} in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in {shedding} the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure {of the guilt} of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall {the guilt of} all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation."

******* NOTES ******* 4.05.03-A. A Prophetic Judgment. At this point Matthew wants to emphasize that Jesus takes on the role of Prophet. (And they will kill Him just as they have killed prophets of old.) In the spirit of the OT prophets, Jesus pronounces judgment on Jerusalem and its leaders. The choice of seven woes symbolizes fullness of their sin and a time for the completion of their judgment. When this passage is connected to the which follows, we see history repeating itself. In a parallel with the time of Jeremiah, Jesus declares that the nation has reached a point of no return. Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed. Read Jeremiah 15:1-4; 2 Kings 24:1-4; 23:26-27; 21:10-15. "Then YHWH said to me, 'Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go!" (Jer 15:1). "I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem" (Jer 15:4). However, before that judgment occurs (the Romans will destroy the city in A.D. 70), Jesus will send "prophets and wise men and scribes" to be mistreated and killed by the Jewish people. ------

4.05.04. JESUS LAMENTS OVER JERUSALEM [Probably Tuesday] (Matthew 23:37-38).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 18 [Jesus said], "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" (Matthew 23:37-38, quoting Psalm 118:26).

******* NOTES ******* 4.05.04-A. Judgment is not God's Choice. The people have "chosen" judgment by their unwillingness to accept their Messiah. Jesus would have preferred to gather them as a hen gathers her chicks (i.e., protect them, not destroy them). Their house being left desolate looks back again to Jeremiah's predictions (see Jer 22:5). The quotation from Psalm 118:26 looks back to the entry into Jerusalem, where the pilgrims welcomed Jesus (Mt 21:9) with this same psalm, while the Jerusalem leadership did not. It is no longer God's house. He has left it. It is desolate without Him! The empty building now "belongs" to them for a brief time before it is destroyed. Note that Jesus will now leave the temple and never return. It is also the close of His public ministry. All further instruction will be to His disciples. ------

4.06. JESUS TALKS OF FUTURE EVENTS (OLIVET DISCOURSE) (-25; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-36)

4.06.01. JESUS PREDICTS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE [Probably Tuesday Afternoon] (Mark 13:1-4; Matthew 24:1-3; Luke 21:5-7).

As Jesus came out from the temple and was going away, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, behold what wonderful stones, and what wonderful buildings!" And Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Truly I say to you, these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down." As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

******* NOTES ******* 4.06.01-A. Destruction of the Temple. First, we are expected to see the symbolism of Jesus coming "out from the temple" and "going away" as God leaving the temple prior to its destruction. Notice that it is mentioned twice for emphasis. Later, as the disciple pondered this departure, they connected it to Ezekiel's vision of the glory of God departing from the temple prior to its first destruction (Ezek 10:18- 19; 11:22-23). The temple Herod had constructed was considered one of the most impressive construction of buildings in the ancient world. Jesus and the disciples had an excellent view of the temple as they traveled to the Mount of Olives. The words of Jesus (e.g., with His use of a double negative) emphasized the total destruction of the entire structure. "Torn down" pictures the type of action done by ancient armies (leveling walls and all major buildings in conquered cities), so the destruction of the entire city is actually suggested by these words ("not one stone will be left upon another").

4.06.01-B. Request for Signs. Four disciples of Jesus seek to take advantage of the change of topic by Jesus. He had been "a prophet forth-telling" (pronouncing judgment, etc.). Now He is "a prophet fore- telling" (predicting future events). Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus has made various references to the future. These four disciples wanted Him to tell them more details. ------

4.06.02. JESUS CONTINUES TO ADDRESS FUTURE EVENTS (OLIVET DISCOURSE) [Probably Tuesday Afternoon] (Mark 13:5-32; Matthew 24:4-42; Luke 21:8-36).

******* NOTES *******

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 19 4.06.02-A. Teaching About Future Events. Jesus revealed this teaching about future events for several reasons. One reason was so that the church down through the centuries would ponder this very difficult revelation. That reason will not be addressed at this time but will hopefully be included in a separate study of the teaching ministry of Jesus. (We will need to wait and see if it is also God's plan.) In this study, our main interest in the teaching of Jesus is how it affects the story of Jesus. Here Jesus is warning His disciples that they will be facing some very difficult days. These will be days of deception, of persecution, and of uncertainty. But, of course, there are also certainties. Judgment is certain. His coming again is certain. But His disciples are not allowed to know very many details regarding these certainties. In these uncertain times (both then and now), Jesus calls His disciples to service, to dependence, and to perseverance (Mt 24:8-14, Mk 13:9-13; Lk 21:12-19). ------

4.07. JESUS ENCOURAGES FAITHFULNESS AND WATCHFULNESS (Mark 13:33-37; Matthew 24:42-51; 25:1-46).

4.07.01. THE CALL TO WATCHFULNESS [Probably Tuesday Afternoon] (Mark 13:33-37).

[Jesus said], "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the {appointed} time will come. {It is} like a man away on a journey, {who} upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, {assigning} to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. Therefore, be on the alert -- for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows in the morning -- in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. What I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"

******* NOTES ******* 4.07.01-A. Jesus gives a small parable and then applies it to necessary features of discipleship. "Be on the alert" looks back to Jesus' predictions of future events. Today, we typically focus this call to watchfulness on the Second Coming of Christ. However, it includes the many dimensions of the prior predictions, such as the destruction of the temple and city as well as the many deceptions the church will face.

"You do not know" is a major focus of the application of this parable, and these words actually frame the little parable (Mk 13:33, 35; cf. 13:32). Since we do not know when future events will happen, we must not attempt to plan for a change of behavior as a given event approaches. Our daily activities should reflect a readiness to face these events as they come. Using the pictures from this parable, we are to be always alert. In an absurdity typical of the , we must never sleep, but be wide awake at all times. Jesus especially wants His disciples to understand that the way they face the uncertainties of the present moments will determine the certainty of their future. ------

4.07.02. THREE PARABLES OF DELAY AND SURPRISE [Probably Tuesday Afternoon] (Matthew 24:42-51; 25:1-30).

4.07.02.01. THE PARABLE OF A FAITHFUL SLAVE (Matthew 24:42-51). 4.07.02.02. THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS (:1-13) 4.07.02.03. THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS (Matthew 25:14-30)

******* NOTES ******* 4.07.02-A. Going Away; Return Delayed; Some Will be Surprised. Again, we must leave the details of these parables to another study. However, these parables serve as a warning to the early disciples as well as to Jesus' disciples today. The lesson for the disciples that day included at least three aspects. Jesus is going away. His return will be delayed. There will be some people who consider themselves to be His disciples who will be surprised at His coming. They will not be included in His kingdom. In each of the three parables there are some who are not prepared for His return. ------

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 20

4.07.03. SURPRISE AT THE FINAL JUDGMENT [Probably Tuesday Afternoon] ((Matthew 25:31- 46).

******* NOTES ******* 4.07.03-A. Parable. I am not interested in debating with those people who consider this passage to be "just another" parable. Personally, I think it is better to see it as closely related to the parables Jesus has just spoken, but still set apart from them.

4.07.03-B. Surprise. "Delay" is no longer the focus. However, surprise takes center stage. Both those "invited to inherit the kingdom" (the sheep) and those assigned to "eternal fire" (the goats) are surprised. What surprised them? They are surprised by the strategy (incognito "appearances") and the criteria (a righteousness of relatedness) used to make the separation between sheep and goats.

4.07.03-C. Finality of Judgment. A major feature of this passage is the sense of the irreversibility of judgment. At this Final Judgment, it is too late to modify behavior, no way to make amends, etc. Some will go away into eternal punishment (Mt 25:46) and eternal fire (25:41). The righteous (as determined by a new criteria) will go into the kingdom (Mt 25:34) and eternal life (25:46). ------

4.08. PARALLEL AND/OR CONVERGING EVENTS (Mt 26:1-5, 14-16; Mk 14:1-2, 10-11; Lk 22:1-6; 21:37-38; Jn 12:20-50)

4.08.01. ENEMIES OF JESUS DECIDE THEY MUST DELAY HIS ARREST [Probably Tuesday afternoon] (Matthew 26:1-5; Mark 14:1-2; Luke 22:1-2).

Now the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away. When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion."

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. But they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people" (for they were afraid of the people).

******* NOTES ******* 4.08.01-A. Time of Crucifixion. Jesus tells his disciples when He will be crucified. According to His schedule, He will die at the time the Passover lambs are being slain. According to the Jewish calendar that would be on the afternoon of Nisan 14 (the time of the full moon). However, the Passover meal was eaten after sunset, which would be Nisan 15, since the Jewish day begins at sunset (not midnight as ours does). If these events were "two days away" then Jesus is probably making this prediction in the afternoon of Nisan 12 or after sunset (Nisan 13). According to my determination of the days of this week, Nisan 12 would be Tuesday, and Nisan 14 would be Thursday. Supporting evidence for this determination will be given later.

4.08.01-B. Change of Plans. Although we cannot determine the events with pinpoint accuracy, it is quite possible that the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered to plot His death about the same time Jesus was making His prediction of the time for His death. However, their decision was to delay. Perhaps they thought it was now too close to Passover (just two days away) for them to successfully bring about Jesus' death without putting themselves in danger of a riot among all the pilgrims who have gathered for the Passover. They need to wait until most of the pilgrims have left.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 21 Jesus says it will happen. They say it will not! Which will it be? What will happen to make the plans change again? ------

4.08.02. JUDAS CONSPIRES TO BETRAY JESUS [Probably Tuesday] (Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6).

And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them and said, "What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?" They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the crowd.

And they weighed out to him.

******* NOTES ******* 4.08.02-A. Opportunity. Judas provides the opportunity and level of certainty needed by these enemies of Jesus. Fearing a riot, they did not dare trying to arrest Jesus during the daytime with all the people around Him. Judas will be able to take them to the exact location and to identify Jesus in the dark of night.

4.08.02-B. Converging Motives. The text says that Satan entered into Judas. But this does not mean that Satan controls Judas. Satan comes in an attempt to encourage Judas to do what Judas really wants to do. Satan also deceives us regarding the probable outcome of our actions. But he can only work with motives already within the person being deceived. It is not hard to identify some of the motives of Satan and the motives of the Jewish leaders. However, the Bible is silent regarding the forces within and without Judas that motivate him to perform this act of betrayal. Many people feel the need to speculate as to the motives of Judas. We must not let their speculations satisfy us. God is silent about Judas so that we will continue to ponder how such a thing could happen.

4.08.02-C. The Determining Factor. Was the offer by Judas enough to make these enemies of Jesus decide to go ahead with His arrest? Personally, I do not think so. So what made them decide to move ahead with their plans to kill Jesus? I suggest that Judas told these enemies that Jesus knew He was going to die and He was willing to die. Look at the comment by Jesus in the passage prior to this one (Mt 26:2). Therefore it was not likely that He would resist arrest or attempt to defend Himself at the trial.

4.08.02-D. Thirty Pieces of Silver. They probably didn't give Judas this money until He came with specific information that made arrest possible (cf. John 13:21-30). I will save further comments on this item for the time of Judas' remorse (:3-10). ------

4.08.03. SUMMARY OF JESUS' MOVEMENTS (Luke 21:37-38).

Now during the day He was teaching in the temple, but at evening He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet. And all the people would get up early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him (Luke 21:37-38).

******* NOTES ******* Luke pauses for a moment and tries to give the reader some sense of locations, especially when Jesus was not teaching in the temple. We can gather more information from the other gospel accounts. Jesus spent Friday and Saturday nights at the home of Simon in Bethany (John 12:1-9). He returned to Bethany for Sunday night, but he might not have stayed with Simon (Mt 21:17; Mk 11:11). Both Mark (11:19) and Luke (above) noted that Jesus did not remain in Jerusalem at night.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 22 Therefore it is likely that, starting Monday or even Sunday night, He stayed out-of-doors on the Mount of Olives (which would have been in the region of Bethany) among the many pilgrims who came to Jerusalem for the Passover. Here He was relatively safe from arrest. ------

4.08.04. FINAL PUBLIC APPEARANCE ACCORDING TO JOHN [Perhaps Wednesday morning] (John 12:20-50).

Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these then came to Philip, who was from of Galilee, and {began to} ask him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus (John 12:20-22).

And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name" (John 12:23-28a).

Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." So the crowd {of people} who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An has spoken to Him." Jesus answered and said, "This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes. Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. The crowd then answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?" So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light." These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them (John 12:28b-36).

But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" (Is 53:1). For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, "He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them" (Is 6:10). These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing {Him}, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God (John 12:37-43).

And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me" (John 12:44-50).

******* NOTES ******* 4.08.04-A. Sequence of Events. The Gospel of John leaves out all the events recorded above since the entry into Jerusalem (John 12:12-19). Therefore it is not possible to easily insert this passage into a time-line. It could have happened earlier in the week, but it gives the impression of being the last public appearance of Jesus, so I have placed it here.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 23

4.08.04-B. Some Greeks Seeking Jesus. The verse just prior to this one has the Pharisees saying to one another, "You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him" (John 12:19). So the mention of Greeks seeking Jesus connects well with the statement by the Pharisees. These Greeks appear to be unsure of a favorable reception by Jesus. They first contacted Philip. Philip contacted Andrew. Together they contacted Jesus.

At first reading, we get the impression that Jesus ignored the request from the Greeks. However, what He really is saying is that they have come too late (His public ministry is closing), and they have come too soon (He has not yet been glorified). There is a victory which must be won before the Life and Light Jesus has to offer can be fully available. But He reassures the Greeks that they will be included in that victory. If He is "lifted up from the earth" [glorified, crucified], then He "will draw all men" to Himself (including Gentiles; cf. Acts 26:23).

The voice out of heaven gives a wonderful vindication of the earthly ministry of Jesus. The whole purpose of His coming (glorification of Father and Son through the death and resurrection of Jesus) is the main focus of this vindication.

4.08.04-C. Epilogue. This whole section is really a commentary on the public ministry of Jesus, and it connects well with the prologue of the book (John 1:1-18). However the last two sections (12:37-43) and 12:38-50) are especially designed as an epilogue. Here the writer gives a wide view of the ministry of Jesus, first from the perspective of the OT (12:37-43) emphasizing unbelief. The writer then gives a summary of the teaching of Jesus (12:38-50) emphasizing belief.

Many wonderful things are taught in this passage (John 12:20-50), but any detailed study must be saved for another time. ------

4.09. THE .

4.09.01. THE PASSOVER AND THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD (Luke 22:7; Mark 14:12; Matthew 26:17).

Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

******* NOTES ******* 4.09.01-A. The First Passover. The first Passover took place at the time of the Exodus. "It is a Passover sacrifice to YHWH who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes" (Exod 12:27). Instructions were given for that first Passover in Exodus 12:1-13, 21-23 and they were carried out in Exodus 12:28-32. At that point the Israelites were urged to leave Egypt and they did so in haste (Exodus 12:33-39).

4.09.01-B. Origins of the Annual Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. At that first Passover instruction was given to remember this event with an annual celebration. The sacrifice of the Passover Lamb was to be followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread (lasting seven days). Instructions for these celebrations are recorded in Exodus 12:14-20, 42-51. Some more details and modifications were added in Exod 23:15; 34:18; Lev 23:5-8; Num 28:16-25; Deut 16:1-8. I will not address these OT passages in detail. However, we need to extract a few items of importance for understanding the gospel accounts we are studying. The Passover lamb was to be sacrificed at the time of the full moon in the first month of the old calendar [Abib 14] which became Nisan 14 in the later calendar. The meal was to be eaten after sunset which meant it was eaten on Nisan 15 (since their day starts at sunset not midnight as our does), which is also the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The first and last days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread were designated as holy convocations (treated as a Sabbath - no work etc.). See Exod 12:16; Lev 23:7-8; Num 28:18, 25; Deut 16:8. After the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, people were not allowed to sacrifice the Passover lamb except at Jerusalem (Dt

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 24 16:5-6). The lamb to be sacrificed was selected on the tenth day of the month (Exod 12:3). The ceremony of the sheaf of the first fruits was celebrated on the day following the Sabbath that fell within the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:9-15).

4.09.01-C. The Evolving Passover. The Passover celebration has evolved over the centuries following its first inaugural celebration. Additional features were added, especially following the time of Exile. Today it has many features not mentioned in the OT. It is helpful to note two features during NT times. The Passover was no longer eaten in haste with staff in hand, etc. Instead, people ate it lying on couches in a very relaxed fashion. Also, the distinction between Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread had basically been removed such that either title was used for the entire celebration. So when Luke wrote, "Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed", he was using the popular language of his day, blending two days into one. However, the distinction is important. The Passover lamb was sacrificed on the afternoon of Nisan 14. The meal was eaten that evening, which was Nisan 15, since the new day started at sunset.

4.09.01-D. Was the Last Supper a Passover Celebration? This question does not have an easy answer. Any good answer will have more than one level to it.

4.09.01-D1. First Answer: No. At one level, the answer is clearly "No" since in three places, the Gospel of John supplies evidence that the Passover had not been eaten before the crucifixion. The supper took place before the actual Passover event (John 13:1). It appears that some of the disciples (in complete denial of all that Jesus had been saying) thought they would still be celebrating on the following evening (John 13:29). At the time of the trial before Pilate (which was after the Last Supper), Jewish leaders had not yet eaten the Passover (:28). On "the day of preparation for the Passover" Jesus was already on the cross (:14). And this is the only answer that makes sense to the whole week. Jesus has come to die as the Passover Lamb. If He does not die at the time the Passover lambs are being sacrificed, then He loses a major piece of symbolism. He plans to use the Passover as a way of introducing the "new covenant in My blood" (Luke 22:20).

4.09.01-D2. Second Answer: A Modified Yes. If we have a clear "no" answer, how can both the disciples and Jesus call the Last Supper a Passover meal? 4.09.01-D2a. The Name. Can a Passover meal without the sacrificial lamb still be called a Passover meal? Yes. Only people who traveled to Jerusalem and followed the strict rules of the priests could have lamb at their Passover. (For example, the lamb had to be sacrificed in the temple and the lamb had to be eaten in Jerusalem.) All the other Jews in Jerusalem and in the surrounding country and in foreign countries celebrated without the lamb. And they still called it the Passover meal. In fact, ever since the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70, the Passover has been celebrated without a lamb. Probably the main reason the names "Passover" and "Feast of Unleavened Bread" became interchangeable was the absence of the lamb for most families.

4.09.01-D2b. The Calendar Debate. There is sufficient evidence from historical documents that there were disagreements about the actual time when the meal should be eaten (Pharisees vs. Sadducees, Qumran community vs. Temple, Galilee vs. , Palestine vs. those in foreign countries). One reason (probably among many reasons) for the debate perhaps originated over the difficulty of interpreting "at twilight" [ben haarbayim] which literally means "between the two evenings" (Exod 12:6; 16:12). Whether this is the basis or not, the Pharisees supported one calendar and the Sadducees supported another. Since most of the priests were Sadducees, their calendar dominated the Passover held in Jerusalem. Since the Pharisees generally had more influence over the people outside of Jerusalem, perhaps these people followed the other calendar. One typical result over such disagreements is that it gave the average family more flexibility in when they would celebrate. And they had scriptural support for such flexibility. The OT records times when people were allowed to celebrate Passover at other times (e.g., 2 Chron 30:1-4).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 25 4.09.01-D2c. The Plans of Jesus. We do not know to what extent the disciples were aware of Jesus' plans. If they knew before they asked about preparing the Passover that Jesus planned to have it in the evening before the actual sacrifice of the lambs, then the language used would not be seen as unusual. It is important to remember that the day of the Passover actually started at sundown the evening before. So the Last Supper was actually eaten on Passover.

4.09.01-D2d. No Surprise. Jesus says, "My time is at hand" (Mt 26:18) in a message to the owner of the house to be used for the Last Supper. After all else is considered, the most important feature is the timing. Jesus will modify any rules made by others when necessary to accommodate His overall purpose. And why should we be surprised? His entire ministry has been a challenge to the Old Covenant. Remember the many times Jesus made people consider a different perspective regarding the Sabbath? The Old Covenant must give way for the implementation of the New Covenant (Heb 8:13). Once Jesus dies as the Passover Lamb, the meaning of the Passover will be transformed (1 Cor 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19).

4.09.01-E. On Which Day of the Week Did Passover Occur? I will start this investigation at a point of almost universal agreement. The several visits to the tomb took place on Sunday. I will begin with this Sunday and work backwards.

4.09.01-E1. Sunday. The expression "first day of the week" [mia to_n sabbato_n] is used several times to indicate the day of the visits to the of Jesus (Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1, 19). Although it literally means "first the Sabbath" it is a common expression used to indicate Sunday (the first day after the Sabbath). However, we must remember that this "Sunday" actually began at sunset the prior evening. So the events that took place after sunset on Saturday are Sunday events. Activities on that prior evening would include the purchase of spices (Mk 16:1) and a possible visit to the tomb (Mt 28:1). Sunday is also the day for the ceremony of the waving of the sheaf of the first fruits (Lev 23:10-11, 15). "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.... Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming" (1 Cor 15:20-23; cf. Col 1:18; Rev 1:5).

4.09.01-E2. Saturday. This day was the weekly Sabbath, so no activity was recorded.

4.09.01-E3. Friday. This day was first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which began at sunset the evening before. It was a time of "holy convocation" (Exod 12:16; Lev 23:7-8; Num 28:18, 25; Deut 16:8) and was treated as a Sabbath. I have chosen to call it the Passover Sabbath. In fact, the term "Sabbath" is used twice in the OT to indicate a "holy convocation" (Lev 16:31; 23:32). It appears that "Sabbath" was used in NT times, not only for the seventh day of the week but for other days where no labor was allowed. Does the Bible give us any support for this proposal? I found three possibilities. The text in Matthew should read "Now after the Sabbaths [plural]" (Mt 28:1) indicating that both Friday and Saturday were consider Sabbaths. Matthew also used the expression "Now on the next day, the day after the preparation..." (Mt 27:62). If "preparation" indicated getting prepared for the weekly Sabbath, then why didn't Matthew simply say, "Now on the next day, the Sabbath..." instead of this longer description ("the day after the preparation")? The third possible support for this concept is found in the Gospel of John. "Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and {that} they might be taken away" (John 19:31). This verse could be saying that Friday (being a high day, i.e., a "holy convocation") must be treated as a Sabbath.

Which events took place on this Friday (Passover Sabbath)? Since this was a day for "holy convocation" nothing should have happened. However, the chief priests and the Pharisees were so concerned to prevent any rumors of a resurrection that they "gathered together with Pilate" on this day (Mt 27:62) to insure that the tomb was well guarded. It is not likely that they would have had this large meeting on a weekly Sabbath (with its many rules). They would have more likely sent a message instead.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 26 However, if we stop and think of the Jewish day starting at sunset the day before, then this really is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover meal was eaten the evening before. A high day indeed!

4.09.01-E4. Thursday. This day is the Day of Preparation. In the afternoon on this day, the Passover Lamb was sacrificed. It is called the day of preparation several times (John 19:14, 31, 42; Mk 15:42; Lk 23:54; Mt 27:62). Once it is called "the day of preparation for the Passover" (John 19:14), and twice it is designated as the day of preparation for the Sabbath (Mk 15:42; Lk 23:54). Many scholars have assumed that the Sabbath identified in these two verses refers to the weekly Sabbath. I think we should be open to the possibility that these verses refer to the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And this day (Thursday) is the day of preparation for that holy day.

Which events took place on this Thursday (preparation day for the Passover)? Lots! It is truly "One Great Day" in the history of humankind. And the gospel accounts take quite a few chapters to record these events. When we stop to think that this day started at sunset the prior evening, then this "One Great Day" includes the Last Supper, final instructions for His disciples, the arrest and trials, as well as the crucifixion and (Mt 26:20 - 27:61; Mk 14:17 - 15:47; Lk 22:14 - 23:53; Jn 13-19).

So, if Jesus died on Thursday, am I asking the church to change from Good Friday to "Good Thursday" as the day to celebrate the death of Jesus? No, of course not! I am perfectly content to continue what we have been doing for centuries. My concern is for us to more fully understand the Scriptures and to provide the best possible explanation of the text. The decision that Friday was the day Christ died creates a number of problems. These problems require that people holding this position justify their choice. A major problem, which scholars have not done well in explaining, is the many references to three days as the amount of time between the time of crucifixion and resurrection. Some passages speak of Jesus rising again after three days (Mt 27:63; Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:34). Others say He will rise again (or He rose again) on the third day (Mt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; [27:64]; Lk 9:22; 18:33; 24:7, 46; Acts 10:40; 1 Cor 15:4). At one point, Jesus makes an unusual claim: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (Jn 2:19). "But He was speaking of the temple of His body" (Jn 2:21). This claim was remembered and was used against Him at His trial (Mt 26:61; Mk 14:58), and it was used for ridicule when He was on the cross (Mt 27:40; Mk 15:29). One of the most difficult passages for those defending a Friday crucifixion also comes from the lips of Jesus. "... for just as was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Mt 12:40). Check out the commentaries to see how well the scholars deal with this problem.

Another source which provides support for a Thursday crucifixion may be found in an article from Today (Roger Rusk, "The Day He Died" March 29, 1974). Roger Rusk was a physics professor at the University of Tennessee. After examining the publication New and Full Moons by Herman H. Goldstine (1973), he concluded that Thursday, April 6, A.D. 30 was the most plausible date for the Christ. According to his analysis of the data, the only Friday dates possible would be March 22, A.D. 26 and April 3, A.D. 33. Most biblical historians consider A.D. 26 too early and A.D. 33 too late for the year of the crucifixion.

4.09.01-E5. Wednesday. On this day (or perhaps the day before) Jesus ended His public ministry. This day He sends some disciples to locate the place where they will share a last meal together and to prepare the meal. In the evening (the beginning of Thursday) they ate this Last Supper. People who support a Friday crucifixion can find nothing in the four gospels to assign to this day, so they call it a day of rest.

4.09.01-E6. Psalm Sunday. I want to just mention two more items related to the celebration of the Passover. After that first Sabbath was over (and Sunday had begun), Mary anoints the head and feet of Jesus. On the next day (still Sunday by the Jewish calendar) Jesus enters Jerusalem. If

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 27 the reasoning above is correct, then Psalm Sunday would be Nisan 10 which was the day the lamb to be sacrificed was selected (Exod 12:3). So now we have greater insight into the anointing by Mary and the entry into Jerusalem. All this fits so well with the verse which began this study. "Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany" (John 12:1a). He arrived on Friday afternoon (Nisan 8) so the sacrifice of the Passover lambs (always on Nisan 14) had to happen on Thursday afternoon (since 8 + 6 = 14). ------

4.09.02. PREPARATIONS FOR THE LAST SUPPER [Traditionally Thursday but probably Wednesday] (Luke 22:7-13; Mark 14:12-16; Matthew 26:17-19).

Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. The disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?"

Jesus sent two of His disciples, Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it." They said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare it?"

And He said to them, "When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. And wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "My time is near; where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"' And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there." The disciples did as Jesus had directed them. They went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

******* NOTES ******* 4.09.02-A. In Hiding. Following His last public appearance, which is perhaps the one recorded in John 12:20-36 (see above), we are told that Jesus "went away and hid Himself from them" (John 12:36b). He must remain hidden to insure that He will die at the same times as the Passover lambs are being sacrificed.

4.09.02-B. Location Already Chosen. Again, we see the advanced planning and strategy of Jesus. He has already arranged to use a large, furnished upper room for this final meal.

4.09.02-C. Disciples Wish to Know Where it Will Be. Why doesn't Jesus reveal the location of the room to His disciples? As we will see later, Jesus had advanced information about the betrayal (see John 13:21-30 and parallels). To keep Judas from knowing where the supper will be held (until they actually arrived), He sends only Peter and John. It is very possible that Judas was given tasks which kept him from leaving the larger group of disciples. The story has several elements of secrecy about it. Even Peter and John were not given a location, only instruction to follow a person carrying a pitcher of water. Such a man would be easy to find, since men did not carry pitchers of water. When they did carry water, it was carried in flasks or wineskins. And it would appear that Jesus' name was not to be used, since "The Teacher" became the password. ------

4.09.03. JESUS WASHES THE DISCIPLES' FEET [Traditionally Thursday evening but probably Wednesday after sunset, so it is actually Thursday] (John 13:1-20; Luke 22:14-15, 24-30; Matthew 26:20; Mark 14:17).

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them [fully and] to the end (John 13:1).

When it was evening He came with the twelve (Mark 14:17). When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 28 Passover with you before I suffer" (Luke 22:14-15). And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest (Luke 22:24).

During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter." Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head." Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean." So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them" (John 13:2-17).

And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Luke 22:25-30).

"I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me' (cf. Psa 41:9). From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am {He}. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me" (John 13:18-20).

******* NOTES ******* 4.09.03-A. Who is the Greatest? A lot of guesswork is necessary in any attempt to produce a chronological order to the events of this long evening spent by Jesus with His disciple.

Luke records that "there arose also a dispute among them [the disciples] as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest" (Luke 22:24). And John records that Jesus washed their feet. Which activity came first? So here is my first guess.

When is the most likely time for the disciples to be disputing among themselves about who is the greatest (Lk 22:24)? My guess is that it happened when they were arriving and trying to decide who would get places of honor at this important feast. The location of a person at a dinner in relationship to the host was extremely important in the culture of NT times (see Luke 14:7-11). It turns out that the seats of honor were given to Peter and John (see later) - the two who had acted as servants, preparing the meal. In addition, it is possible that the dispute happened as they were arriving so Peter and John were not even part of the debate. What irony!

Anyway, based on this guesswork, I placed the dispute (Lk 22:24) before the washing of disciples' feet by Jesus (John 13:1-20). It is hard for me to imagine that this dispute could happen after the washing. In addition, the dispute probably created the need for foot washing.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 29 Why didn't the servants in this large house wash the feet of the disciples when they first arrived? Normally it would be an insult to a guest if the head of the household did not order his servant to perform this duty. Again, I must guess. The use of the upper room in this household by Jesus and His disciples was kept so secret that only the owner and his immediate family would have any knowledge of the event. In effect, that area of the home is turned over to Jesus, and He becomes the head of the household (He takes that role at the supper) and the only "servants" available are His disciples. Custom dictated that disciples were obligated to wash the feet of their teacher, but they were not required to wash each other's feet. And it would be difficult for disciples, who have been disputing about rank within the group, to wash the feet of others in the group. Jesus uses this impasse to teach a lesson on servanthood.

4.09.03-B. Reclining at Table. The Passover dinner ceremony in NT times required that the men participating in the ceremony be reclining on couches and not sitting on chairs. The arrangement of tables would typically be U-shaped. The men would be reclining on their left sides supporting themselves with their left arm on pillows so that the right arm could be used for eating. The feet of those eating would stick diagonally (not at right angles) out away from the tables. This arrangement made it easy for Jesus to move from one person to another washing their feet. As we shall see later, Peter was beside Jesus on His left (the primary place of honor). It appears that Jesus started with John on His right (the secondary place of honor) and went around the tables washing the feet of the eleven. He came to Peter last of all. Peter was the only one to object to the washing.

4.09.03-C. Parallel Missions. We, of course, cannot take time to explore and ponder to any great depth all what Jesus is doing and teaching here. However, a few connections are necessary for us to know something about what is happening. Jesus builds a foundation with His opening remarks. He is leaving - returning to the Father. In John 17, Jesus will declare that He has done what He was sent to do. Here He states it simply as loving His own and loving them fully and always. He was sent by the Father to be Teacher and Lord. Peter would not allow Jesus to wash his feet since he saw such an action as out of character with these roles. However, by washing the disciples' feet Jesus has not diminished His roles as Teacher, Lord, and Savior. He actually fulfills them (in a symbolic way). Jesus has come to die for us that we may live. If we refuse to accept His service to us, then we can have no part with Him. (We can only be clean if we allow Him to make us clean. We cannot do it ourselves.)

In a way parallel to Jesus being sent on a mission by the Father, we are being sent on a mission by Jesus. If we focus on our status with Jesus, then we cannot fulfill our mission. In parallel with Him, we are both disciples of Jesus and servants of others. We do not diminish our roles when we "love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13:34). We fulfill them. Because it is "by this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Jesus came to serve the Father. He did this by loving us to the fullest (a sacrificial death). We are sent by Jesus. We love and serve Him only if we love and serve one another (sacrificially).

We must not see the act of "washing one another's feet" as fulfilling our mission. It is symbolic of sacrificial servanthood. We can only serve our Master when we give the needs of others a higher priority than our own needs and desires (Phil 2:1-13).

Jesus realizes that His disciples will not understand at this point. But they must come to understand later or they cannot be His disciples. The symbolism of the washing of feet by the Master and Lord must become a reality in the lives of His disciples.

See Luke 12:35-38; 17:7-10 for other perspectives. ------

4.09.04. THE TRAITOR POINTED OUT AND SENT AWAY [Same evening as the previous section] (John 13:18-32; Matthew 26:21-25; Mark 14:18-21; Luke 22:21-23).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 30 [Jesus was saying,] "I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me' (cf. Psa 41:9). From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am {He}. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me" (John 13:18-20).

When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me, one who is eating with Me." The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, "Surely not I, Lord?" And He answered, "But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. It is one of the twelve. He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me."

"The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself."

There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, "Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking." He, leaning back thus on Jesus' bosom, said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" Jesus then answered, "That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him." So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly." Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. For some were supposing, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, "Buy the things we have need of for the feast"; or else, that he should give something to the poor. So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night. Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately" (John 13:23-32).

******* NOTES ******* 4.09.04-A. Transition. Typical of the Gospel of John (and First John), we are given a transition. Here we find a transition from the foot-washing to the identification of the traitor (John 13:18-20). Clearly the last verse closes out the lessons to be learned from the foot-washing. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me" (John 13:20). In the structure of the passage this verse is paired with the opening verse (13:1). Then 13:18-19 is paired with 13:2. "I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me' (cf. Psa 41:9). From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am {He}" (John 13:18-19). The disciples around the table must have been completely baffled by this statement. However, we the readers already know the owner of the heel. The other half of the pair states that "During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, {the son} of Simon, to betray Him" (John 13:2).

This transition passage looks back to the lesson on foot-washing and clarifies that the lesson was not for the traitor ("I do not speak of all of you"). It looks forward to the events that follow in several ways. Most of all, Jesus wants to prepare His disciples for the shock of the betrayal. He also wants to give assurance to all of us. But not with explanations! The betrayal by Judas will remain down through the centuries as one of the great enigmas of all times. And, as with many great tragedies in history (e.g., the murder of a president) it will continue to spawn wild speculations. What assurances are given to us by Jesus? 1. I know the ones I have chosen. Regardless of who people think are the "chosen" ones, Jesus is saying that He knew what He was doing when He made Judas one of the Twelve. 2. but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled. Jesus assures us that the betrayal was predicted in the OT so that it was all within the sovereign will of God. God will allow theologians to debate

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 31 "forever" issues regarding foreknowledge, determination and free will. But we have the assurance that His plan of salvation worked out the way He wanted. 3. He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me. We are left to ponder how Judas could have done such a thing. But Jesus wants His disciples to know that He could have stopped the betrayal if He chose to do so. 4. From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am {He}. Far more significant than the above three is the claim that Jesus is telling events to come, not because He is a prophet and has been given this message from God. By making this "I am" statement (a characteristic feature in the Gospel of John), He is declaring that He is God.

4.09.04-B. The Beloved Disciple. "There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23). Scholars will continue to debate the identification of this person. I will not enter into this debate, but will simply accept the consensus of the early church. He is the apostle John, and he is the writer of the Gospel which bears his name. For other references to this beloved disciple, see John 19:26-27; 20:1-10; 21:7, 20-24.

4.09.04-C. Table Arrangement. As already discussed, the tables were very likely arranged in a U- shape. The couches were placed around the outside of the U-structure which left the inside open for servants to easily come and go with food, etc. Jesus was probably at the bottom of the U-shape where the head of the household typically was located. We are not told the specific locations of the various disciples. However, by looking carefully at the story, we know that John was on the right of Jesus, since it is only from this position that he could be described as "reclining on Jesus' bosom" (John 13:23) which indicates a person whose head was very close to the chest of Jesus, especially when he turned to speak to Jesus. Where is Peter? It is very likely that he was on the left of Jesus - in the place of honor. From this position he could easily catch the attention of John (who almost certainly was looking at Jesus). Peter, by rising slightly, would be looking directly at John. Other possibilities have been suggested, but most of them do not fit the scene as well as the one just described. However, there is a slightly different arrangement which should be seriously considered. Judas could have been in the place of honor with Peter next to him. From this position Peter could still easily catch John's attention, and mouth his question. This arrangement has considerable appeal, since it could make it easy for the conversation between between Jesus and Judas to be kept private. It also matches so well with the character of Jesus. He will continue to show love for Judas, even with the full knowledge that Judas is the one who will betray. It is significant to note that Jesus addresses Judas as "friend" in their final encounter (Luke 22:48).

4.09.04-D. Steps in the Identification of the Traitor. Jesus moves through several steps as He attempts to inform His disciple of what is coming. He wants to buffer the shock of the betrayal, without letting them know enough to do much more than wonder. Step 1. A General Statement. First, Jesus applies a brief passage in Psalm 41 to Himself: "He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me" (cf. Psa 41:9). Nothing is said about betrayal. This vague description does not limit this "eater of My bread" to the Twelve. Step 2. A Disciple. Jesus so often spoke in ways that were hard to understand (cf. Jn 16:29). So the disciples would not immediately conclude that the statement "that one of you will betray Me, one who is eating with Me" meant that it must be one of the Twelve. However, now they know that betrayal is the issue. The response "Surely not I, Lord?" by each of them shows that they have been awakened to the seriousness of what Jesus was saying. The focus of this "deeply grieved" response showed that at least some of them were considering the possibility that they might actually be betraying Him in some way. Am I the one? Step 3. One of the Twelve. He finally tells them it is one of the Twelve. Since He didn't answer their questions, perhaps some disciples are wondering if Jesus has not yet discovered the actual traitor. Surely, some disciples would be thinking, if He knew the individual He could put a stop to the betrayal. Perhaps He is expecting them to provide Him with information so that the betrayer can be identified. However, instead of questioning them to learn more details from them, Jesus focuses on the depth of the betrayal. It is a crime against close fellowship ("his hand

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 32 with my hand on the table together" and "he who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me"). Step 4. Better not to be born. Jesus further emphasized the seriousness of betraying the Son on Man. The disciples respond by questioning each other, hoping to identify the guilty party and halt the process. Step 5. Judas. I am guessing that Judas has concluded that Jesus does not know which disciple will betray Him. He gathers up courage to ask the question others had already been asking ("Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"). Some scholars see importance in that Judas uses "Rabbi" (Mt 26:25; cf. 26:49) and not "Lord" (the more typical title used by His disciples). By using a form of address often used by the enemies of Jesus (and perhaps without even realizing that he has switched titles), Judas has set himself apart from the other disciples. He must have been shocked when Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself." Instead of a simple "yes" answer, the culture of that day used this form of response to show that the person recognizes the serious nature of the question. Step 6. John. Finally, John asks Jesus to identify the traitor. Perhaps John did not even ask the question "everyone" was asking ("Surely not I, Lord?") but went directly to the question of identification ("Lord, who is it?"). Jesus does not answer by stating a name but by focusing John's attention on a symbolic gesture.

4.09.04-E. Sharing the Morsel. Jesus takes a small piece of bread, dips it into a sauce, and gives it to Judas. As the host of this dinner, Jesus performs this act of hospitality in the view of everyone. It was a formal way of extending a full welcome to a guest (especially for the person sitting in the place of honor). Jesus accomplishes three things by this action. 1. Jesus is telling Judas that He loves him. 2. Jesus is answering John's question. (Judas is the traitor.) 3. Jesus is actually identifying the traitor to everyone present, since he said earlier that the traitor was "He who eats My bread" (accepts my hospitality, my offer of friendship, etc.).

4.09.04-F. Judas Sent Away. I think that Judas recognized the significance of the symbolic act in the offer of the morsel. However, social norms made it impossible for him to reject this symbol of hospitality by the host. It was a crisis moment. The insincerity in the physical act of accepting the morsel connected with the treachery in his heart. John describes it as "Satan then entered into him" (John 13:27; cf. 13:2; Lk 22:3). This statement does not mean that Satan has total control of Judas. Judas is still responsible for his actions. It basically means that Judas is no longer a disciple of Jesus. His allegiance is to Satan. Having identified the traitor, Jesus must now send him away quickly before John shares this truth with the others. Judas must be allowed to betray Jesus to His enemies. Furthermore, time is running out. If Jesus is to be crucified when the Passover Lambs are being sacrificed, then Judas must be quick about his task. Therefore Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly." Since Judas took care of the finances for the group, the other disciples thought Jesus was simply sending Judas to do some business (purchase items, give money to the poor, etc.). People were expected to give money to the poor at Passover. So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night. Judas leaves the light and warmth of fellowship and enters into the darkness of deceit.

4.09.04-G. Jesus is Glorified. With Judas now committed to carrying out the betrayal, the forces of darkness have been put into motion. These forces will bring about the crucifixion. As Jesus has already done, He again equates His death with glorification of the Son. And this glorification of the Son will also glorify the Father. ------

4.09.05. JESUS INSTITUTES THE LORD'S SUPPER [Same evening as the previous section] (Luke 22:16-20; Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing [when he had given thanks] He broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat it; this is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them,

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 33 saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the [Lk: new] covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom [the kingdom of God]." And they all drank from it.

A passage from 1 Corinthians is given here for comparison. "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same way {He took} the cup also after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink {it}, in remembrance of Me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

******* NOTES ******* 4.09.05-A. Origin of the Lord's Supper. From the beginning days of the church the celebration of the Lord's Supper became a regular part of the worship of the Christian community. For this reason a great deal of theology has been produced to address its significance. I will not make any serious effort to address this body of theological thinking. An example of the issues involved in these studies is how the Lord's Supper relates to the celebration of the Passover, and there is a major difficulty in these studies. For something so important to the church (even to the point of calling it a sacrament), there is very little in the Bible about it. For example, the origin of the Lord's Supper is described in a very few verses (four each in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and none in John). Paul adds four more verses in First Corinthians 11:23-26. However, it would be misleading to say we have 14 verses describing the Lord's Supper, since the contributions of the different writers contain essentially the same material.

4.09.05-B. Order of Events. The major task of this study is to determine the chronological order of two events: Passover and Lord's Supper. Did Jesus finish the celebration of the Passover and then present the Lord's Supper? Or is the Lord's Supper integrated into the Passover celebration? It is not possible to answer these questions with any great certainty. One reason this is difficult is quite obvious. After examining the few verses available for study, almost everyone should admit that the gospel writers supply us with very few details related to the Passover. In fact, if the meal was not actually labeled as a Passover (e.g., Lk 22:8, 13, 15), we might not see any references. Even if Jesus and His disciples celebrated some aspects of the Passover that night, we have no way of knowing to what degree they followed the traditional celebration. See above for some comments already made about the meal that night (4.09.01-D & E).

One attractive suggestion is that the cup mentioned in the text is the third of four cups used in the Passover ceremony. The significance of the four cups is taken from Exodus 6:6-7. "Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am YHWH, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am YHWH your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians" (Exodus 6:6-7). Cup 1: I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians Cup 2: I will deliver you from their bondage. Cup 3: I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Cup 4: I will take you for My people, and I will be your God.

The third cup (sometimes called "The Cup of Redemption") matches best with the cup Jesus uses to describe the pouring out of His blood. It is further suggested that the comment about abstaining from drinking refers to the fourth cup.

4.09.05-C. OT Sources. This brief description of the Lord's Supper has a strong foundation in the OT. In addition to the references to the actual celebration of the Passover (given previously), here are a few significant sources. 1. My blood of the covenant. This expression recalls Exod 24:8, where blood was used to ratify the covenant with Israel on Mt Horab in Sinai.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 34 2. New covenant. The new covenant is described in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Features given in this passage include the law written on their hearts, a deeper level of knowing God, and the forgiveness of sin. 3. Poured out for many for the forgiveness of sin. This expression also refers to Jeremiah 31:34. However it also draws upon the Suffering Servant passage in .

4.09.05-D. Significance. Our focus must remain on the story. However, we need to address the significance involved in these few words of Jesus if we are to understand some of the things which follow this meal. For example, after the close of the the meal, Jesus will again remind them that He is going away. The kingdom they are expecting will not be happening. (Even after His death and resurrection some are still expecting Him to set up His kingdom [:6-8]!) They continue to block out all that He has said about their kingdom responsibility. Only after His Ascension and the events at Pentecost will they begin to remember what they were told. At this point they only envision a kingdom full of enjoyment. One of the reasons for this thinking is the typical Jewish interpretation of the fourth cup in the Passover meal. For them, the fourth cup represented the celebration when God would finally bring in the kingdom of full rule over the entire earth. 1. My blood of the Covenant. Both Luke and First Corinthians describe it as "the new covenant in My blood" (Lk 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25). Jesus comes to establish a new covenant. The basis of this New Covenant is His body ("given for you") and His blood ("poured out for the forgiveness of sins"). The third cup has been given new meaning. The Plan of Redemption has been raised to a new level through the body and blood of Jesus. This celebration of the Passover (when redemption from Egypt is remembered) will cease. It will be replaced by the Lord's Supper (where the significance of His body and blood will be remembered instead). In truth, Passover was only the shadow (a historical event awaiting a greater Exodus), the Glorification of the Son is the reality. 2. Redemption Now and Not Yet. For the first time in history, forgiveness has become possible. Can we experience Eternal Life now? Yes, through His body and His blood. But Eternal Life is still the life of the age to come. We partake of the symbols of His body and blood in recognition of the reality that we, right now, have the benefits of His sacrifice. Eating and drinking of food benefits our bodies. These objects are used as a metaphor for His body and blood benefiting our spirits. 3. My Father's Kingdom [The Kingdom of God]. But full and final redemption still awaits us. Jesus reminds us of this reality. "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom [the kingdom of God]" (Mt 26:29 = Mk 14:25 = Lk 22:18). If He is making this statement at the time of the fourth cup, then He is saying we will need to wait for the full celebration at the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb" (Rev 19:6-9) which Jesus depicted this very week in a parable (Mt 22:1-14). The statement for the fourth cup ("I will take you for My people, and I will be your God") is still waiting for its fulfillment (Rev 21:3). 4. Two Cups, Two Wine Metaphors. Final redemption is still in the future. The wine of the third cup now becomes a metaphor for the blood of Jesus poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus will go away and leave us. We will remain at the third cup but now under a new covenant. Nevertheless, the disciples must live in a way parallel to the ministry of Christ. The suffering of Jesus will continue as a time of suffering for the people of the covenant (Col 1:24). We must focus on this Christlike ministry while keeping our final redemption as a hope of eternity. Notice that Jesus said He would not drink "the fruit of the vine" since this expression is used to represent the blessings of life. Even though many of these blessings are in the "already" category, there are abundant blessings in the "not yet" category. We wait for our inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-13). But we are to be active while we wait (1 Peter 1:13-23). ------

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 35 4.10. JESUS ATTEMPTS TO PREPARE HIS DISCIPLES FOR HIS DEPARTURE. (Instruction Regarding the New Covenant)

4.10.01. THE NEW COMMANDMENT [Following the Lord's Supper] (John 13:33-38; Luke 22:31- 34).

"Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later." Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You" (John 13:33-37).

[Jesus said,] "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!" Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, Peter a rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me" (Luke 22:31-34; John 13:38).

******* NOTES ******* 4.10.01-A The New Covenant. Jesus has reminded his disciples of the New Covenant using the ceremony of the Lord's Supper. Typically following the celebration of the Passover meal, people have a "table-fellowship" time where the significance of the meal is discussed further. This time is recorded in John 13-17 (starting at 13:33). In these chapters, Jesus will attempt to give His disciples instruction on how to live under this New Covenant. He is going away. His coming again will be delayed. Will they continue as His disciples (under the requirements of the New Covenant) after He has gone away? He has given them lots of instruction in their years together in an attempt to prepare them for this radically new life. (For example, remember the parables of surprise and delay.) Tonight will be His last teaching before His death.

4.10.01-B The New Commandment. One of the most fundamental aspects of the New Covenant is the New Commandment. (Earlier, in the [-7], Jesus gave them the New Righteousness, another feature of the New Covenant.)

Many Bible scholars wonder why John does not record the Lord's Supper. Instead of recording the actual event, John chooses to give instruction regarding how the New Covenant will change the way His disciples must live. He began with the washing of the disciples' feet as an object lesson on their new way of life. He follows with the New Commandment. His disciples must love each other as He has loved them, i.e., sacrificially. They must now live and die in ways that parallel the way He lived and will soon die. Others will see how their lives parallel His life and conclude that they are true disciples of Jesus.

4.10.01-C Going Away. Things are going to change. Jesus is going away. They cannot come with Him. It appears that Simon Peter was so focused on the departure of Jesus that the New Commandment did not make any impression on him. Peter misses another key point. He thinks "going away" refers simply to the death of Jesus. He wants to go to death with Jesus. So he does not understand why Jesus would say that the disciples cannot come. He is willing to lay down his life for Jesus. However, the disciples are now required to live within the requirements of the New Covenant. Peter will learn that dying for Jesus is easy. Living as true disciples of Jesus within the requirement of the New Covenant is going to be very difficult!

4.10.01-D Denying Jesus. Jesus has protected them up to this point (see John 17:12; 18:9). Now they will experience Satan as a much more formidable enemy. And in this spiritual battle, Satan must be allowed to sift Peter (and all the disciples of Jesus [including us]) as wheat. The disciples of Jesus must learn some of the rules of this warfare. They must especially learn which weapons are available

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 36 for spiritual battles and how to use these weapons effectively. Peter will discover that he does not have the skills needed for this new type of fighting. Jesus warns him, but he ignores the warning. He "knows" he would never deny Jesus! ------

4.10.02. THE UPPER ROOM DISCOURSE [Following the Lord's Supper] (John 14-16).

Note: Since John 14-16 consists mostly of Jesus' teaching (with very little narrative), only a few verses will be recorded here. These few verses contain some interaction between Jesus and some of His disciples.

[Jesus said,] "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, {there} you may be also. "And you know the way where I am going." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves" (John 14:1-11).

[Later Jesus said,] "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you {will} see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him" (John 14:18-23).

[Finally Jesus said,] "A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me." {Some} of His disciples then said to one another, "What is this thing He is telling us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?" So they were saying, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about." Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, "Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me'? Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one {will} take your joy away from you. In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father." His disciples said, "Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God." Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? Behold, an hour is coming, and has {already} come, for

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 37 you to be scattered, each to his own {home}, and to leave Me alone; and {yet} I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world" (John 16:16-33).

******* NOTES ******* 4.10.02-A Difficulty in Understanding. It isn't just Peter who has ignored the really important statements by Jesus: glorification (13:31-32), New Commandment (13:34-35). Three other disciples ask questions related to Jesus' declaration that He is going away: Thomas (14:5), Philip (14:8), Judas (14:22).

These verses were chosen to illustrate how difficult it was for the disciples to comprehend what Jesus was attempting to teach them. For example, try putting yourself in their place. Could you make much sense out of what Jesus was saying? Even Jesus admits that He is talking in figurative language (John 16:25). The difficulty isn't just about understanding the content of the instruction. The emotional upheaval resulting from Jesus talking about His death and about going away makes it very difficult to process complex concepts. As Jesus was finishing these instructions, his disciples were saying to one another, "What is this thing He is telling us.... We do not know what He is talking about" (John 16:17- 18). However, even in their confusion, they are eager to confess the little that they did know: "Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God" (John 16:30).

4.10.02-B Features of the New Covenant. Here is not the place to attempt to interpret these difficult chapters (John 14-16). However, a few highlights might be helpful. 1. Jesus is going away (John 13:33, 36; 14:1-6, 12, 28; 16:5-7, 16, 28). 2. Jesus will come again (John 14:18, 23; 16:16-19, 22). There are several dimensions to this coming again. One dimension is that He will be with them throughout their earthly ministry. 3. Jesus will give them a Helper (Paraclete) [G3875, parakle_tos] (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15). This Helper is also called the Spirit of Truth (14:17; 15:26; 16:13). 4. As a result of this gift of the Helper (i.e., the Holy Spirit), they will experience a greater Presence of both the Father and the Son. Key words used by Jesus to describe this greater Presence are "abide" [G3306, meno_] (John 14:10, 17, 25; 15:4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 9, 10, 10, 16), "abode" [G3438, mone_] (John 14:23), and the use of "in" to highlight this abiding relationship (John 14:10, 11, 20; 15:4; 17:21, 23, 26). 5. Given the greater Presence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in their lives, the disciples of Jesus will be able to bear much fruit [G2590, karpos] (15:2, 2, 2, 4, 5, 8, 16, 16). Love, Joy, and Peace are aspects of this fruit they will bear. 6. Loving one another is a key obligation for the disciples of Jesus. There can be no excuse for not loving others since they will be given God's love. In His prayer to the Father, Jesus said, "I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them" (John 17:26). Love as a verb [G25, agapao_] appears often (John 13:1, 1, 23, 34, 34, 34; 14:15, 21, 21, 21, 21, 23, 23, 24, 28, 31; 15:9, 9, 12, 12, 17; 17:23, 23, 24, 26, 26). Love as a noun [G26, agape_] is also found (John 15:10, 10, 13; 17:26). 7. Jesus gives them His joy [G5479, chara]. "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and {that} your joy may be made full" (John 15:11). See also John 16:20, 21, 22, 24; 17:13. 8. Jesus gives them His peace [G1515, eire_ne_]. "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful" (John 14:27). See 16:33 also. 9. The world and the ruler of this world will greatly oppose them (John 14:30; 15:18-25; 16:2; 17:14-15). This opposition will be characterized by hatred (John 15:18, 18, 19, 23, 23, 24, 25; 17:14). 10. Jesus encourages them to ask anything in His name (John 14:13; 15:7; 16:23-24, 26; 15:16). 11. Jesus is telling them these things in advance, so when they come about, they might believe (John 14:29; 16:4).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 38 4.10.02-C Scattered. Jesus closes by declaring they will all desert Him and be scattered. He will be left alone to face the cross. But they are to take courage, since Jesus will bring victory out of defeat, both for Himself (resurrection) and for them (peace). Jesus said, "Behold, an hour is coming, and has {already} come, for you to be scattered, each to his own {home}, and to leave Me alone; and {yet} I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world" (John 16:32-33).

4.10.02-D A Puzzle. Chapter 14 of John ends with the following comment by Jesus. "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here" (John 14:30-31). Since the words of Jesus continue for three more chapters (15-17), scholars are puzzled about why this comment is placed here. I will offer one possibility.

Judas has been sent away, and Jesus does not know when he will return with soldiers to arrest Him. If soldiers find Him in this borrowed home, the owner might get arrested also. In a situation such as this, even His disciples might be arrested. Jesus does not want anyone else arrested. So, perhaps He now moves to a location unknown to Judas. After He is through teaching His disciples, then He will go to a location known to Judas, where the arrest will happen in a way that no one else will be arrested. However, Jesus also wants His disciples to know that, although the ruler of the world (Satan) will be coordinating the arrest, it will only happen because the Father has chosen to allow it.

4.10.03. THE HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER [Following the table-fellowship time after the Lord's Supper] (John 17).

Read John 17.

******* NOTES ******* 4.10.03-A. Jesus Prays for His Disciples. This major section closes with Jesus praying for His disciples (present and future). This material needs a separate study. ------

4.11. WAITING IN THE GARDEN FOR THE BETRAYER.

4.11.01. ON THE WAY TO THE MOUNT OF OLIVES [Later on the same night as the Lord's Supper] (Luke 22:35-39; Mark 14:26-31; Matthew 26:30-35; cf. John 14:30-31).

After singing a hymn, He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him.

And He said to them, "When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?" They said, "No, nothing." And He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, 'And He was numbered with transgressors' (Isa 53:12); for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment." They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." And He said to them, "It is enough" (Luke 22:35-38).

Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, 'I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered' (Zech 13:7). But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee." But Peter said to Him, "Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away." Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you yourself will deny Me three times." But Peter kept saying insistently, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And all the disciples were saying the same thing also.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 39 ******* NOTES ******* 4.11.01-A. As was His Custom. Jesus now sets out for the Mount of Olives, as was His custom. This statement supports the idea that Jesus has been spending some time here. For example, the Olivet Discourse was given on the west slope of the Mount of Olives with the temple in clear view. The point is being made that Jesus will now make Himself available for arrest, since Judas expects Him to travel here to spend the evening.

4.11.01-B. Future Power, Provision, and Protection. First, Jesus reminds the disciples of the power, provision, and protection they received when He sent them out on a mission earlier (Mk 6:7-13; Mt 10:1-15; Lk 9:1-10; cf. the sending of the Seventy - Lk 10:1-20). He warns them that from now on they will get very different treatment from the world. Actually, there had been some earlier warnings when Jesus gave lessons of discipleship (Mt 10:16-42). Although there will be times of divine intervention, they must see these things as the exception, not the rule. As a general rule, if they do not plan for provision and protection, they will not have it. (For example, Peter and the other disciples will be surprised when Peter is released from prison by an angel [Acts 12:1-17].) Isaiah 53 was one of the foundations for the remarks for the Lord's Supper. This time the quotation from that same passage was mainly for the purpose of reminding them that they should not expect any better treatment than Jesus will be getting within the next few hours.

4.11.01-C. Two Swords. In the emotionally charged atmosphere of this night, surely Jesus knew that His disciples could not handle abstract metaphors. If so, why would Jesus mention that they should sell a coat (if necessary) to buy a sword? If He meant something deeper, then why not say it without this confusion? Scholars are quick to say that, considering the whole of His teaching, Jesus could not mean for them to buy swords. Since Jesus was expecting to be arrested (and even wanting to be arrested!) that very night, shouldn't He have avoided any such talk of swords? In contrast to more typical interpretations, I think Jesus is telling them that they do need to make some provision for protection. To have the ability to resist, and then chose not to resist is actually following the pattern Jesus established for them. He will demonstrate this ability to successfully resist arrest (by the use of force!) before He allows them to actually arrest Him. Also, as he will tell His disciples, He has twelve legions of angels at His disposal (Mt 26:53) if He wants to resist. Although not quite the same concept, Paul's use of his Roman citizenship to keep from being beaten (Acts 22:22-29) and killed (Acts 25:10-12) is another form of provision for protection.

4.11.01-D. It is Enough. The interpretation of this expression depends on how we understand the purchasing of swords. If the revelation that they have already secured two swords was a lack of understanding of His instruction, then this expression was probably one of disappointment and intended to end the discussion on a sad note. That is a popular viewpoint. If not, then Jesus is saying that the purchase of the two swords indicates that they are already grasping the reality of being hated by the world.

4.11.01-E. Three Predictions. In His continuing effort to help His disciples deal with the events of the next few days, Jesus makes three predictions at this late hour. Two are repeated from an earlier time. When He (the shepherd) is removed, the disciples (the sheep) will be scattered. After He is raised, Jesus will go to Galilee. Peter will deny Him three times.

With regard to the scattering, Jesus quotes from the OT to remind them that God is in control. Peter again has selective hearing. He misses the prediction of the resurrection in his rush to declare that he will not fall away. This time all the other disciples join Peter with the same declaration. We need to catch the irony here. Jesus makes predictions to encourage them. They reject His predictions, which in itself is a rejection of Him as their Lord. They have already fallen away!

4.11.01-F. Second Prediction of Denial. I have taken the viewpoint that Peter is told twice that he will deny Jesus. The first one is recorded at John 13:38 and Luke 22:34. The second prediction of denial is found in Mt 26:34 and Mk 14:31. Luke 22:31-34 appears to have combined the two accounts into one passage.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 40 The difference in wording between Mark and the other three gospels regarding the crowing of the rooster has been studied by scholars (especially years ago) but without any clear understanding. Scholars today have generally placed the issue in the "not sufficient evidence" category and no longer spend much time on it. I will follow their example. For our understanding of the story, most everyone agrees that "before a rooster crows" simply meant "before early dawn" in popular language. Any technical usage of this expression we will leave for others to study.

4.11.01-G. Reading Between the Lines. I am indebted to Frank Morison (Who Moved the Stone?) for some of the ideas in this section.

I think it is helpful at this point to attempt to "flesh out the story" a bit by "reading between the lines" (adding some material, most of which is highly probable). Although this additional material is not found in the biblical record, I sincerely believe that it will help in understanding some puzzling features given later in the gospel record.

Jesus has sent Judas away, telling him to be quick about his task of betraying Jesus to those who want Him dead. Is it possible for us to identify some events which are probably happening as Jesus awaits in the garden for His arrest? Please consider the following. 1. Judas leaves the group and goes to the chief priests. He has already told them that Jesus is expecting to be arrested and killed. Now, he tells them that he can deliver Him to them that night. At one point the enemies of Jesus had decided to wait until after the Passover to arrest Him. With Judas' earlier offer (to betray Jesus to them), they were willing to change their plans if events could be properly coordinated. Now with this new offer by Judas, they must quickly decide on a feasible plan. If not, they should return to their previous plan to wait until after the Passover. 2. Very likely Caiaphas (the high priest) gathers some people to help in making this decision. What do they need for success? It appears that they need to have Jesus hanging on a cross that day. To arrest Him and then have to hold Him prisoner for several days would be just too dangerous, especially with all the pilgrims in the city for the Passover. For success, two crucial features must be done early in the morning. Jesus has to be officially condemned by the Sanhedrin and then by the Roman governor (Pilate). Is it possible to accomplish this task? 3. A "reasonably complete" Sanhedrin would need to assemble at dawn. Also needed would be at least two witnesses to accuse Him. In order to insure a swift conviction at the dawn meeting, key people (those desiring a conviction and with the ability to influence others to this end) would need to examine Jesus prior to the dawn meeting. They must be certain that they have not missed any detail. 4. How can they possibly get Pilate to hold a trial on a feast day, especially one seeking the death penalty? It is my guess that Pilate's expectations for that day would be times of public appearances so the city would be fully aware of a Roman "presence" to keep the peace. As part of these public appearances, he would be announcing the release of a prisoner that day since it had become a custom for the Roman governor to do so. 5. It is already late at night. Few people would dare to disturb the Roman governor who had retired to his residence. It is highly probable that the High Priest could only trust himself with this task. I will not attempt to recreate the conversation between these two leaders that night. But it must have taken some time (and perhaps some bargaining) to convince Pilate that a trial with a quick conviction was necessary. As we shall see later when we examine the actual trial, it appears that the High Priest secures a promise from Pilate that he would pronounce judgment without examining the evidence. He would simply ratify the decision of the Sanhedrin. Hopefully the Roman "trial" could be completed prior to people gathering, seeking release of a prisoner of choice. 6. The wife of Pilate either heard this conversation or was told about it later before they went to bed. Such a conversation could have been the reason she "suffered greatly in a dream" about Jesus that night (Mt 27:19). Pilate had probably already gone before she rose from her bed. So she needed to write an urgent message to prevent him from carrying out his promise to the high priest.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 41 7. It is also likely that the high priest received a concession from the governor that those bringing the charges against Jesus could remain outside the so as not to defile themselves and thus miss out on the Passover meal (John 18:28). 8. Having received a commitment from Pilate, Caiaphas moves ahead with his plans. These plans include sending officers with Judas to arrest Jesus, assembling the Sanhedrin, gathering the necessary witnesses, and examining Jesus by the "power-people" in a pre-trial.

Remember, this material is not found in the Bible. I am suggesting events which may have happened. ------

4.11.02. IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE [Later on the same night as the Lord's Supper] (Matthew 26:36-45; Mark 14:32-41; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1-2).

When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden called Gethsemane, in which He entered with His disciples. Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples. He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed."

And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of (James and John), and began to be very distressed and troubled. Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me. Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and fell on His face to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; if you are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will -- not My will, but Yours be done." Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation." [He] said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done." Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came a third time to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners."

******* NOTES ******* 4.11.02-A A Garden Called Gethsemane. Gethsemane is literally "olive press" which means that the garden probably consisted mostly of olive trees and contained resources needed to harvest and process the olives. The garden was across the Kidron Ravine and somewhere up the west slope of the Mount of Olives. As a side note, during Passover the boundaries of the city of Jerusalem were expanded to include this region. So Jesus did not break the "rules" of that time. No one was supposed to leave Jerusalem on the day of the Passover meal. Here Jesus waited for Judas to come with soldiers, since Judas knew Jesus would be there.

4.11.02-B Three Groups. Jesus divides the disciples into two groups and then goes on alone. 1. The first group consisted of nine disciples and they were told to sit in a designated place while Jesus prayed. It appears they were given no other tasks. 2. The second group consisted of Peter, James, and John. Jesus removes them from the main body of disciples. He shares His emotional state (distressed, troubled, deeply grieved) with these

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 42 three. He then instructs them to keep watch with Him and to pray that they do not enter into temptation. But He does not stay with them! I think that we are expected to remember that these are the three who experienced the Transfiguration. At that time they were given the privilege of viewing the glory of the Son. Now they will experience the responsibility associated with the glorification (death as the sin offering) of the Son. 3. Jesus now goes "a stone's throw away" creating the third "group" (Himself alone).

4.11.02-C Praying and Sleeping. It is impossible to miss the sharp contrast between Jesus praying and the three disciples sleeping. But the contrast is shown in other ways also. This entire evening has been a great emotional strain on the disciples. They have been especially dismayed by Jesus' talk of His impending death. Their sorrow overwhelms them, and they sleep. Sleep is the body's method of dealing with deep sorrow. Jesus is also overwhelmed by sorrow. But He chooses to face His sorrow with prayer. But His body could not bear this degree of sorrow, so an angel comes and gives Him physical strength. But the agony increases, and His prayers become so fervent that His sweat poured off Him in the same way blood would flow from a wound in the head. However He is sweating, not bleeding. (I once was hit in the head by a rock. I vividly remember the great drops of blood rapidly falling down as I bent over.)

4.11.02-D Three Times of Prayer and Three Returns. Again, Matthew clearly shows us sets of three. Here we have three times of prayer and three returns to the three sleeping disciples. While there appears to be no change in the three disciples (they fall asleep each time), Jesus changes from deep sorrow to calm acceptance. Note the difference. 1. First prayer time. Jesus prays for the removal of the cup. He asks His Father for another way to fulfill His mission, if such an alternative is possible. How can this cup create such anguish in Jesus? What does the cup symbolize? Some might say that it is the pain of crucifixion that Jesus wishes to avoid. But it is something far more difficult than that. He must be "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). "He [God] made Him who knew no sin {to be} sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor 5:21). Was Jesus willing to be "sin on our behalf" which included being separated from the Father? As we will see when we examine the account of the crucifixion, it is this separation from the Father that Jesus wanted to avoid. 2. Second prayer time. Jesus has received an answer to His request. He accepts the cup as essential to His mission. He will drink it. 3. Third prayer time. The biblical record states that He prayed the same thing once more. However it is clear that this prayer time resulted in a calm acceptance. There is no longer a reluctant willingness. Reluctance has become resolve. There is unity. The emotions of the human body are now in harmony with the affections of the human spirit. Both the spirit and the body are strong. His will is now totally aligned with God's will.

The writer to the Hebrews described this experience. "In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation" (Heb 5:7-9).

4.11.02-E Spirit and Flesh. Prayer made the difference for Jesus. The three disciples failed to use this resource. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" continued to characterize their actions. They were unprepared to face the temptations of falling away and denial. ------

4.11.03. BETRAYED, ARRESTED, FORSAKEN [Later on the same night as the Lord's Supper] (Matthew 26:46-56; Mark 14:42-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12).

[Jesus said,] "Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!" Immediately while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, having received the cohort and officers from

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 43 the chief priests and the scribes [Pharisees] and elders, came up with lanterns, torches, swords and clubs.

Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard." Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? Friend, do what you have come for."

When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"

So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He said to them, "I AM {He}." And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. So when He said to them, "I AM {He}," they drew back and fell to the ground. Therefore He again asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus the Nazarene." Jesus answered, "I told you that I am {He}; so if you seek Me, let these go their way," to fulfill the word which He spoke, "Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one" (John 18:4-9; quoting 17:12; cf. 6:39-40).

They laid hands on Him and seized Him. Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus. But Jesus answered and said, "Stop! No more of this." And He touched his ear and healed him.

So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way? The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"

Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours. But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets." Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

So the cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him (John 18:12).

A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked (Mark 14:51-52).

******* NOTES ******* 4.11.03-A. The Arresting Officers. Mark and Luke describe those who came to arrest Jesus as a multitude, and Matthew calls them a great multitude. The primary arresting officers were those sent from the Sanhedrin (which consisted of chief priests, scribes, elders). The mention of a cohort [G4686, speira] (John 18:3, 12) probably refers to Roman soldiers, although a few scholars question this. It is very likely that the Sanhedrin had asked and received soldiers from Pilate to insure an arrest without resistance by the pilgrims, since many of them were out on the Mount of Olives. A full cohort was 600 men (one-tenth of a Roman legion). Since 600 is a very large number of soldiers, some have suggested that only a portion of a cohort was sent. The term "cohort" may have been used to indicate a group large enough for a commander (Jn 8:12) to be present. The term "cohort" is also found in Mt 27:27; Mk 15:16; Acts 10:1; 21:31; 27:1. That the "great multitude" may have consisted of more than these two groups is suggested by the fact that some came with clubs (not the usual weapons of soldiers).

4.11.03-B. The Kiss of Betrayal. It was a common practice in that culture for a disciple to kiss his teacher. So it is no surprise that Judas would choose this common form of greeting as the means of identifying Jesus to the arresting officers. It probably was also intended to be seen as non-threatening,

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 44 giving the officers a few additional moments to complete the arrest. But Jesus shows in several ways that He is in charge. Here He lets Judas know that He was aware of the deceit and even knew the means of identification (a kiss) agreed upon between Judas and the officers. The titles used here are significant. Judas uses the title "Rabbi" for Jesus, chosen probably as an additional signal to the officers, since it was the title the enemies of Jesus often gave Him. This is a change for Judas, since "Lord" was the usual title used for Jesus by His disciples (cf. Lk 22:49). (Judas had used "Rabbi" earlier in the evening. See my notes [4.09.04-D].) Judas, one of the twelve, chose a title that actually separated him from the other eleven. By contrast, Jesus used "Friend" as a greeting to Judas. Even knowing what Judas is doing, Jesus is still inviting Judas into close fellowship. In addition, the statement by Jesus ("Friend, do what you have come for") is giving Judas permission to finish the betrayal.

4.11.03-C. Jesus Totally in Charge. The gospel accounts of the arrest show that Jesus is totally in charge. For example, the statement "Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him" included knowing the exact time of the arrival of Judas with the soldiers. He knew that a kiss was to be the means of identification.

But Jesus was in charge in far more significant ways than having advance knowledge. Look for these ways as you read the story. Here only one example will be given.

Following the kiss from Judas, some disciples asked if they should use their swords. It appears that Jesus simply ignored that request for permission. What He did do was to separate Himself from the disciples. He probably motioned for them to remain where they were. Then He, with Judas, approached the soldiers (which stopped the multitude from moving forward) and spoke to them ("Whom do you seek?"). Again, Jesus is the one asking questions, and again He speaks with authority. This sense of authority stopped any movement towards Him, maintaining a separation between the officers and His disciples. However, it appears that Judas moved away from Jesus into the multitude. Instead of arresting Him immediately, the soldiers answered His question ("Jesus the Nazarene").

When Jesus answered them ("I AM {He}" [ego_ eimi]) an extraordinary thing happened. The entire multitude drew back and fell to the ground. For Jesus, His response has two levels of meaning. The first level basically means "I am the one" being the common use of the expression. But for Jesus "I AM" can be His divine name. And the Gospel of John used this expression in some very important situations. For example, once, in answer to a question, Jesus declared "Before Abraham was born, I AM" (John 8:58; cf. Exod 3:14), and the people tried to stone Him because they recognized that Jesus had taken the most sacred name for God and applied it to Himself. Now, at the point of His arrest, the power of that Name knocked several hundred people to the ground. There could be no misunderstanding that day. Jesus was in charge. In addition, no one was about to challenge His request (command?) to let the disciples go on their way.

4.11.03-D. Peter. The soldiers were completely awed by Jesus and obeyed His commands without question. Not so with Peter. Instead of remaining in the group with the disciples, when Peter sees the soldiers seizing Jesus, he comes forward and swings his sword at Malchus (a slave of the high priest). Probably Malchus was one of those who actually "laid hands" on Jesus. It is remarkable that we are given the name of this slave. He is not mentioned anywhere else. We must not miss the humor of this situation. Peter, being a fisherman and not a soldier, totally missed hitting any vital organs and only cut off an ear. No doubt Peter would have been dead within a few seconds after this dumb move. But Jesus' command to stop halted both Peter from further stupidity and the soldiers from retaliating. Peter had put the lives of all the disciples at risk.

Again the crowd is awed when Jesus heals the ear, allowing Jesus to continue to be in charge.

4.11.03-E. Drinking the Cup. As we ponder the situation that night another humorous fact about Peter comes to mind. But before we relate it, let's pause for a moment. The untouched portrait of Peter in the NT strongly encourages us to believe that the NT accounts of the ministry of Jesus and the events recorded concerning the early church are authentic records. No one would make up so many stories

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 45 showing the many faults of one of the key leaders in the early church. Even years later, when Peter certainly had matured, we still are given an account of Peter needing to be corrected by Paul (Gal 2:11- 14).

Back to humor. Peter was probably the only person that night who wasn't awed by the sense of power displayed by Jesus. So typical of Peter, he was so wrapped up with what he was going to do that he missed what Jesus was doing. But note how gently Jesus deals with Peter. He instructs Peter as He would a child, yet without any ridicule in these lessons. 1. Jesus instructs Peter about the mistake of depending upon the sword. 2. Jesus reminds Peter that, if He had needed them (which His display of power this night showed He didn't), He had twelve legions of angels available. Why would Jesus be concerned about a mere 600 soldiers, when He had 12 times 6000 angels at His disposal? (A Roman legion was made up of 6000 soldiers.) Of course, the number twelve is a symbolic number of completeness. So Jesus was really saying that all of God's angels were at His disposal. 3. If Peter had been listening the last several days, he would have known that it was necessary for Jesus to die. Jesus had even shown the disciples that it was predicted in Scripture, e.g., Isaiah 53. 4. If Peter had been alert in the garden, he would have realized that Jesus was willing to drink the cup given to Him by His Father. To oppose His arrest reminds us of another time Peter opposed the mission of Jesus (Mt 16:21-23).

4.11.03-F. Enemies Not in Charge. Before Jesus allows Himself to be arrested, He addresses those initiating these actions against Him. Jesus reminds them that they did not have the courage to arrest Him openly while He was teaching in the temple. Instead of arresting Him for His teaching, Jesus is to be treated as a robber by them. They are "in charge" now only because God allows it "to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets" (Mt 26:56). This hour belongs to them and to the power of darkness only because that is what God allows (Lk 23:53).

4.11.03-G. Arrested. At that point, all the disciples left Him and fled. A brief description of the actual arrest is given: "So the cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him" (John 18:12).

Mark then adds a note not found in any other Gospel. "A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked" (Mark 14:51-52). Such an interesting appendix has obviously prompted speculation.

Have you ever wondered about the source of the prayers of Jesus in the garden? While the three disciples (who might have been close enough to hear Jesus praying) were asleep, perhaps this young man was wide awake hiding among the trees. He may have heard all that Jesus said.

But who is this young man? From as far back as the early church fathers, the guess has been John Mark. If so, these two verses are something like a signature of the writer of the Gospel bearing his name.

Do we have any other information in support of this guess? Well, we know that John Mark lived in Jerusalem in the early days of the church. When the angel released Peter from prison, "he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who is also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying" (Acts 12:12).

Church tradition also claims that this house was the one used for the Last Supper. If that is true, then we might speculate about what happened. When Jesus and the disciples left the house, John Mark, who was already in bed, quickly wrapped himself in a linen sheet and followed them.

It may have nothing to do with the situation we are studying, but Matthew provides an interesting puzzle. When Jesus instructed His disciples to locate the place for the Last Supper, He used "a certain one" [G1170, deina] to identify the owner of the house (Mt 26:18). One writer claimed that this word

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 46 [deina] was like saying, "So and So's house" in today's language, deliberately avoiding identifying the person. This is the only place in the NT where this word is used. Not being a Greek scholar, I wonder if this word was chosen because the owner was a woman (Mary, the mother of John Mark). Other gospel accounts used the expected term "owner" [G3617, oikodespote_s, lit. "master of the house"] (Lk 22:11; Mk 14:14). ------

4.12. THE JEWISH TRIALS AND SOME CONCURRENT EVENTS.

4.12.01. FIRST JEWISH TRIAL: BEFORE ANNAS [Very soon after the arrest] (John 18:13-16, 19- 24; Matthew 26:57-58a; Mark 14:53-54a; Luke 22:54).

Having arrested Him [Jesus], they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest (Caiaphas), where the high priests and scribes and the elders were gathered together; but Peter was following at a distance (Luke 22:54; Matthew 26:57; Mark 14:53).

And they led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people (cf. John 11:47-53). Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. Now the slaves and the officers were standing {there}, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself (John 18:13-16, 18).

The high priest [Annas] then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said." When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, "Is that the way You answer the high priest?" Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?" So Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest (John 18:19-24).

******* NOTES ******* 4.12.01-A. Three Jewish Trials? It has become popular in some circles to speak of three Jewish trials and three Roman trials, mostly just to keep the different events separate. However, in reality, the last one of the three Jewish trials was the only one the leaders attempted to make legal. The others were more like pre-trial examinations, done in an attempt to insure that all will be ready for the official trial. However, Jesus treated them as trials, since it was illegal for them to examine Him before the witnesses were examined.

4.12.01-B. Two High Priests? Annas is first introduced as the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. However, later Annas is called the high priest. Annas was a former high priest, followed by five sons and one grandson. And at this point in history Caiaphas, his son-in-law, held the office. So his family had almost total control of the office from A.D. 6-41. Annas was the patriarch over this family and therefore had great power, probably even more than Caiaphas (cf. the list in Acts 4:6; Lk 3:2). So Jesus is interviewed by him first.

4.12.01-C. The Home of Caiaphas. Before I attempt to describe the home of Caiaphas, I want to reject the position of some scholars that Jesus is first taken to the home of Annas and then taken to the home of Caiaphas. This is highly unlikely for several reasons. An obvious reason is that the "power people" had already gathered hours before to discuss the possible arrest, trial, etc. They have been gathering the members of the Sanhedrin throughout the evening. All this must have been at the home of Caiaphas. And Annas would have been present - exerting his powerful influence. In addition, they would not have wanted to deliver Jesus first to one house and later deliver Him to another. It is not

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 47 likely that the Roman cohort would have waited around. So any additional moves would be without their protection. It would simply be too risky.

The best I can do in the following description of the house is to (1) describe a typical home of a wealthy Jew at that time in Jerusalem and (2) make the description fit the events.

The home was probably in the shape of a rectangle. It had an uncovered courtyard surrounded on all four sides by rooms. There were at least two floors. On the first floor, the rooms open onto a covered porch, which then opened onto the courtyard. On the second floor, the rooms would open onto a balcony which would be over the porch below. Probably several stairways were used for access to the balcony.

The doorway into the house was something like an enclosed hallway (covered by rooms on the second floor). This doorway (passageway) went from the front of the house all the way to the courtyard. A door somewhere near the front of the house blocked this doorway from unwelcome visitors. At the other end was the "gateway" [G4440, pulo_n] (Mt 26:71), connecting the passageway with the courtyard, probably an integral part of the covered porch. The passageway probably had side doors leading into the two rooms adjacent to the passageway. On this night a maid was assigned as doorkeeper [G2377, thuro_ros].

There would be at least one large room on the first floor for large gatherings of people. In the mansion of a high priest there were probably several large rooms. It appears that the second trial was held on the second floor (Mark 14:66). But it is still possible that the main body of the Sanhedrin would be gathering on the first floor. Annas would have been in one of the smaller, more private rooms. It is here that he interviewed Jesus. Most of the soldiers would have remained in the courtyard awaiting orders along with some of the servants who had to be available to assist their masters as needed. It is here that they built a fire to keep warm while they waited for orders. A few soldiers would have been assigned to guard Jesus and to transport Him from one location to another within the large home. Between interviews, etc. it appears that Jesus was kept in one of the rooms across the courtyard from the main meeting room.

4.12.01-D. The Unnamed Disciple. I accept the traditional view that the unnamed disciple here (John 18:15-16) is John, son of Zebedee. The only description given of this disciple is that he "was known to the high priest" (Jn 18:16). Is there any way we can make a probable connection? Well, there is a strong possibility that Salome is John's mother and also the sister of Mary (John 19:25; Mk 15:40; 16:1; Mt 27:56). And since Mary (the mother of Jesus) was related to Elizabeth (Lk 1:36) who is of the priestly family (Lk 1:5), Salome, Mary's sister, was of the priestly family. In support of this possible family connection would be the boldness of the request by the mother of James and John (Salome?) for her two sons to sit on the right and left of Jesus (Mt 20:20-23). Salome was Jesus' aunt. James and John were Jesus' cousins. Consider also that John appears to have been a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35-41). They were related through Salome and Elizabeth. This family connection of John with the priestly family would explain the source of several pieces of information given in the gospel records. For example, John knew the name of the person Peter hit with his sword (Malchus [18:10]), and that another person was related to Malchus (18:26). It is possible that John 18:14 might just be a hint that John had heard the declaration by Caiaphas that Jesus must die (John 11:49-51) through family sources.

4.12.01-E. John and Peter. John, who was known to the high priest, would have felt safe in following closely behind the arresting party. Peter more likely would have followed farther behind. The doorkeeper, recognizing John allowed him to enter, but apparently denied entrance to Peter. John needed to return and get the doorkeeper to let Peter enter. Unfortunately for Peter, the doorkeeper remembered the connection between John and Peter. It looks as if John followed Jesus as He was moved from room to room (and therefore heard Him being questioned, tried, etc.). Peter stayed in the courtyard where a charcoal fire and been lit. Note the details (charcoal) which gives us the impression of an eye-witness account.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 48 4.12.01-F. Annas Questions Jesus. Annas began questioning Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. Jesus responded by telling Annas that he should be questioning the witnesses. Jesus was reminding him that he should be following correct procedure. Jewish judges would first hear the testimony of witnesses. Then, if necessary, they would question any of the witnesses. But they were not allowed to question the accused.

One of the officers interpreted this response by Jesus as disrespectful, and he struck Jesus. Therefore, Jesus instructed the officer also of correct procedure. No one was allowed to strike the accused until after he was declared guilty. The only thing the officer was allowed to do was to be a witness.

Annas, realizing that Jesus was not going to give him any information, sent Him to Caiaphas. It appears that Jesus remained bound all this time (John 18:24). ------

4.12.02. PETER'S FIRST DENIAL [Probably concurrent with the first trial] (Matthew 26:69-70; Mark 14:54, 66-68; Luke 22:55-57; John 18:17).

After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among the officers (Luke 22:55) and warming himself at the fire. Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not" (John 18:17).

As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Nazarene [the Galilean]." But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are talking about" (Mark 14:66-68; Matt 26:69-70).

And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, "This man was with Him too." But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him" (Luke 22:56-57). And he went out onto the porch.

******* NOTES ******* 4.12.02-A. Peter's Denials. Peter's "three denials" are recorded in all four Gospels. It has been quite a challenge to attempt to combine these four accounts into one story. But it has been very rewarding also. The first thing I discovered was that it was impossible to match the statements from the four sources and arrive at three denials. Remember, these writers are more interested in presenting aspects of the denials of personal interest to their particular account than any type of chronological order. Actually, there appears to be more than three denials recorded! So, is there a way these four accounts can be combined to arrive at three significant denials? Yes, there is. I discovered the key after examining the accounts closely. The key is found in a statement by Jesus. "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me" (Luke 22:34). Although Peter denied several things, there are only three recorded times when he said "I do not know Him/the man" (Lk 22:57; Mt 26:72; Mk 14:71 [Mt 26:74]). And the fascinating thing is that these three special denials are spread over the same three time periods as given in the four gospel "denial" accounts. Also fascinating (for me at least) is that no one account recorded all three of these special denials. (There can be rich benefits in attempting a Combined Gospel!)

Having said all that, I decided it would be more profitable for the reader if I included all the statements from the four Gospels instead of attempting to combine them. The exception to this rule is that in those places where Matthew and Mark are very close, I combined them into one.

4.12.02-B. Chronological and Concurrent Order. In each of the four accounts of the three denials, these denials are presented as one unit (with one exception). I have separated them into three units and attempted to place them in some type of logical order with the other concurrent events. The chosen order appears to be reasonable, but there is no way of knowing the accuracy of my order of events.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 49 4.12.02-C. The Doorkeeper. The Gospel of John fills in some helpful details. John had asked the doorkeeper to let Peter into the house. The doorkeeper obviously knew that John was a disciple of Jesus and therefore could at least consider the possibility that Peter was one also. So the first question comes to Peter, not as an accusation, but a simple request for clarification. It is expressed in such a way as to anticipate a negative answer. The doorkeeper said to Peter, "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" We might speculate that if the first questioning of Peter had been an aggressive attack, he might have responded with a strong affirmative answer. But Satan is too smart for that. He sifts (Lk 22:31) Peter (not looking for the true kernels but for the chaff) and finds a way around his aggressive, combative, heroic nature. A tiny girl with an inquiring mind gives him an opportunity to hide his identity. And all the other denials follow the path consistent with this first denial. After all, he is in the camp of the enemy, and it is not wrong to lie to the enemy. Or is it? ------

4.12.03. SECOND JEWISH TRIAL: BEFORE CAIAPHAS AND THE COUNCIL (SANHEDRIN) [Soon after the first trial] (Matthew 26:59-66; Mark 14:55-64).

Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, and they were not finding any. For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent.

But later on two came forward. [The first witness] said, "This man stated, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.'" [The second witness] stood up and gave false testimony against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'" Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.

The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, "Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?" But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One [God]."

Jesus said to him, "You have said it ('I am' [Mark 14:62]); nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power (Ps 110:1), and coming on the clouds of heaven (Dan 7:13)."

Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?" They answered, "He deserves death!"

******* NOTES ******* 4.12.03-A. Council / Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish court and had seventy members with representatives from three groups: chief priests, scribes and elders (Mk 11:27-33; 14:43; 15:1; Lk 20:1; Mt 27:41). The majority of the chief priests were Sadducees and the majority of the scribes were Pharisees. When in session they were seated around the walls of the room. When judging crimes, the accused and the witnesses were placed in the center of the room.

Since the nation was part of the Roman Empire, the power of the Sanhedrin was limited. For example they could not sentence a person to death and carry out the execution (John 18:31).

4.12.03-B. Illegal Procedures. Some scholars spend lots of effort attempting to show all the illegal aspects of the trials of Jesus. This task is really quite difficult since the earliest available documentation of correct procedures for the Sanhedrin is dated much later than the time of Jesus' trial. Also, the focus of the Gospel writers is not on identifying illegal procedures. Instead they focus on the bias of the Sanhedrin. They are meeting to convict Jesus of a capital crime, not to find justice. "Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put Him to death" (Mk 14:55). They wanted Jesus dead!

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 50

4.12.03-C. Witnesses. Jewish trials centered around the testimony of witnesses. The Law was clear about one important detail. There must be at least two witnesses (Deut 19:15). Two witness were essential before a person could be sentenced to die (Dt 17:6; Num 35:30). In such cases, the court demanded unanimous evidence from at least two witnesses. Their evidence could not differ even in trivial details. If so, such testimony was inadmissible as evidence. The emphasis of this second trial was to establish that unanimous testimony. Even though they knew they would need to have a third trial at dawn (to make it legal), at this point they were adhering strictly to the legal standards for the hearing of witnesses.

They had gathered many witnesses! "For many were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimony was not consistent." They needed credible witnesses so they could justify themselves in the weeks ahead. They were not finding any!

We are not told what they were attempting to prove against Jesus. But looking ahead, it is highly probably they wanted to prove that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah. Jesus had outsmarted them all. He came to Jerusalem and declared Himself to be the Messiah/Christ in such a way (entry, cleansing temple, teaching, debating with leaders, etc.) that the whole city knew what He was "saying" without Him actually saying it. He was so successful that even these attempts at obtaining false witness failed.

4.12.03-D. Destroy the Temple. Since they were not able to establish clear testimony of two witnesses that Jesus had claimed to be the Messiah, those wanting Jesus dead changed their strategy. They remembered that, at some point, Jesus had said something about destroying the temple. If they could show that Jesus threatened to destroy the temple, they would be able to get Him put to death. The Roman government considered any threat or attempt to defile an acknowledged place of worship (of any religion within the realm) a capital crime. And, of course, so did the Jews (about their temple). Jeremiah was imprisoned for simply announcing the destruction of the first temple (Jer 26:1-19). And Stephen was stoned for making comments about the temple (Acts 6:13-14).

However, Jesus did not say that He would destroy the temple. What did He actually say? At an earlier Passover, Jesus had cleansed the temple (John 2:18-22). "The Jews then said to Him, 'What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?' Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' The Jews then said, 'It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken" (John 2:18-22).

It is interesting that both Mark and Matthew mention this attempt to condemn Jesus by using a statement about destroying the temple. They both will use it again as a taunt when Jesus is hanging on the cross (Mk 15:29; Mt 27:40). Yet neither one cites a source for this reference. Since they thought it important enough to use it twice, I wonder why they did not mention it when they described Jesus cleansing the temple. The highly probable answer is that Jesus did not say it during the cleansing He did just a few day earlier. Therefore I think it best to support the idea of two cleansings of the temple.

But the testimonies of the two witnesses were too different to be acceptable for the death penalty. (Note: I took the liberty of quoting for Mark for one witness and from Matthew for the other just to illustrate differences.) At that point the high priest tried to get Jesus to respond to these testimonies. No doubt he was hoping that Jesus would say something to incriminate Himself. But Jesus was silent, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah. "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth" (Isa 53:7).

4.12.03-E. I Adjure You By the Living God. In frustration, Caiaphas does something to force Jesus to respond. He places Him under oath. Jesus must respond when placed under oath (Lev 5:1; cf. Prov 29:24; 1 Kgs 22:16). However, this law was for witnesses, not for the accused. Jesus should not have been placed under oath to testify about Himself.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 51

Now we see the real charge they want to level against Jesus. The high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One [God]." They want to condemn Him for claiming to be the Messiah. But how can that be a crime? Here is an example of how dangerous theology can be. The subject of the Messiah was one of the focal points of their theology. They had decided numerous things that the Messiah was going to do when he came. For example, they thought that the Messiah was going to bring back the daily manna from heaven (John 6:30-31). When Jesus fed the 5000, the people became so convinced that they would again get the "bread from heaven" that they attempted to make Jesus king (John 6:15). Later, when Jesus told them that He was the "bread from heaven" (John 6:41) and they would need to eat Him, they rejected Him (John 6:47-58, 66-71).

Put more simply, their theology maintained that the Messiah would come with sufficient evidence so that all must accept Him as the Messiah. Instead, Jesus expects us to respond by faith to the evidence the Father chooses to provide. For example, see the confession by Peter in :13-17.

Following the logic of their theology, if they could get Jesus to publicly claim to be the Messiah, then they could condemn Him because He has not demonstrated the proper credentials (from their viewpoint).

4.12.03-F. "You Have Said It" [su eimas] (Matthew 26:64). In our culture, this response appears to be an evasive answer. But it is not. First, please note that this is the exact same expression Jesus used when He answered Judas's question (Mt 26:25) and will use for Pilate's question, but in present tense (Mt 17:11). Matthew, writing to a mostly Jewish Christian audience, wrote what they would understand. Mark converts the answer to "I am" since he is writing to a mostly Christian audience. There can be no doubt that Jesus gave a clear affirmative answer. However, Matthew shows that Jesus used the proper, cultural expression as an answer to a very serious question. A simple affirmation ("Yes" or "I am") does not show that the answer has taken into account the importance of the question.

4.12.03-G. Son of Man. The high priest was hoping that Jesus would claim to be the Messiah. Jesus answered by claiming so much more. If they wanted some excuse to condemn Him to death, then He would give them something far beyond their wildest hopes. What we have is three OT passages coming together to reveal who Jesus really is.

1. The Christ, the Son of the Blessed One [God]. The high priest is making reference to Psalm 2.

"Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against YHWH and against His Anointed [Messiah], saying, 'Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!'

He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord [Adonai] scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, 'But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.'

'I will surely tell of the decree of YHWH: He said to Me, "You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the {very} ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware."'

Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship YHWH with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish {in} the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!" (Psalm 2:1-12).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 52 It was well accepted by the Jewish scholars of NT times that this psalm is referring to the Messiah/Christ ("anointed"). Here is where they get the expression "Son of God" as a title for the Messiah. However, they do not mean that the Messiah is actually God. For example they also use the expression "sons of God" to refer to angels. For them, it meant that the Messiah occupied a very special relationship with YHWH. Notice, for example, the psalm mentions that this special son will receive all the nations as an inheritance. This psalm is also where the Jews get support for thinking that the Messiah will come and conquer all their enemies.

When Jesus responded, "You have said it" He was acknowledging that He is the anointed one in Psalm 2. He is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One.

2. Sitting at the right hand of Power. Jesus immediately followed His "you have said it" with "nevertheless" [G4133, ple_n]. He is demanding that they accepted Him as even more than the Messiah of Psalm 2 (especially their interpretation of it). The Son of Psalm 2 is also the Lord of Psalm 110. "YHWH says to my Lord [Adonai]: 'Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet'" (Psa 110:1). This is the psalm Jesus used to confound the scribes (Matt 22:41-46). See my notes at 4.04.04-C.

Reading the two psalms together strongly suggests that both of these psalms refer to the same person. If so, then "Son of the blessed one [God]" takes on a much deeper meaning than the meaning assumed by the scribes. He is at the right hand of Power [God]. Whose Son is He? He is so much more than the son of David. We find the answer in Luke 1:26-35. Here is a portion of that passage. The angel Gabriel is speaking to Mary, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.... "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:30-35). Jesus is the son of God in the fullest sense of the title - far beyond the view of the scribes.

One of the reasons the scribes had not connected these two psalms is that Psalm 110 goes on to give this Person another role. "YHWH has sworn and will not change His mind, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek'" (Psa 110:4). The scribes could not imagine that the Messiah could also be both king and priest.

To make sure that the Sanhedrin understood that Jesus was enlarging the role of Messiah beyond anything they could imagine He also adds another role from another OT passage.

3. The Son of Man ... coming on the clouds of heaven. Throughout His ministry, Jesus has avoided the title of Messiah/Christ. Son of Man was His favorite title for Himself. We cannot take time to explore His rich use of this title. However, as long as He would not clearly answer their questions (e.g., "Who is this Son of Man?" [Jn 12:34]), it was a title that could not be challenged. It could simply be an acknowledgment of being a human being. It is often used this way in Ezekiel. Finally, at this critical point, Jesus tells the Sanhedrin (who have the job of evaluating a person's credentials) that He is the Son of Man revealed in the book of Daniel. "I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and {men of every} language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14). Jewish scholars of NT times were mystified by several people in the OT, such as the Suffering Servant of YHWH (Isa 52:12 - 53:12), the Shepherd (Zech 13:7), and the Branch who will be a priest on His throne (Zech 6:11-13). The "One like a Son of Man" along with the "saints of the Highest One" (Dan 7:18) were perhaps the most puzzling. What could it mean for this person to be like a man? Does that mean that he is not human? Or more than human?

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 53 4.12.03-H. Blasphemy. Many puzzling questions. But one thing is clear to the high priest. By combining Psalm 110 (the One seated at the right hand of God) and Daniel 7 (the One receiving dominion over all), Jesus has claimed an even closer relationship with God than they ever considered the Messiah would have. Jesus has reached beyond being a Messiah on the throne of David to the Son of Man on the throne of God. To hear such a claim from this person standing before them with His hands bound was to hear blasphemy (from their viewpoint). Jesus had insulted God! In their hurry to find some valid charge against Jesus, they never even considered the possibility that the claim may be true. It appears that the message of judgment upon them was also totally missed.

It had become a custom that people hearing blasphemy would tear their clothes (an expression of grief [cf. 2 Kings 6:30; 18:37; 19:1]). Of course, the high priest could not tear his sacred, priestly robe. So he wore a shirt under the robe for this express purpose.

4.12.03-I. Deserving of Death. The Law required that a person guilty of blasphemy was to be stoned to death (Lev 24:15-16). However, a capital sentence could not be executed by the Jewish court (John 18:31). Jesus would need to be sent to Pilate to be condemned to die. ------

4.12.04. PETER'S SECOND DENIAL [Possibly concurrent with the second trial] (Matthew 26:71-72; Mark 14:69-70a; Luke 22:58; John 18:25).

The servant-girl (the doorkeeper) saw him [Peter], and began once more to say to the bystanders, "This is {one} of them!" But again he denied it (Mark 14:69).

"Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You are not also {one} of His disciples, are you?" He denied {it}, and said, "I am not" (John 18:25).

A little later, another saw him and said, "You are one of them too!" But Peter denied it, and said, "Man, I am not!" (Luke 22:58).

When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." And again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man" (Matthew 26:71-72).

******* NOTES ******* 4.12.04-A. The Doorkeeper and Others. The accounts from Mark and John appear to go together. Peter has returned from the porch to the fire to warm himself. First the doorkeeper, who could only be at the fire from time to time, returns to the fire and tells everyone there that Peter is a disciple. Peter denies it. Then the group confronts him directly. Peter responds "I am not" (probably very emphatically).

4.12.04-A. Another Servant-girl. The accounts of Luke and Matthew appear to go together. The confrontation by those at the fire causes Peter to leave before it gets worse. He moves to the gateway, perhaps even thinking he should go through it and out the front door. But the gateway is a busy intersection! So "a little later" Peter is questioned by someone. "Man, I am not!" is his denial. Now another servant-girl (perhaps one who had been talking to the doorkeeper) points Peter out to those around them, and declares Peter to be with the Nazarene. Now Peter denies with an oath that he does not know the man. This oath [G3727, horkos] is similar to the oath given in our legal system. It places the person under judgment if the statement is false. It is possible that the judgment was included in the oath ("Let [something bad] happen to me if I am not telling the truth"). ------

4.12.05. WAITING FOR MORNING: JESUS IS RIDICULED AS PROPHET (Matthew 26:67-68; Mark 14:65; Luke 22:63-65).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 54 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him. They spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, "Prophesy to us, You Christ, who is the one who hit You?" And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming.

******* NOTES ******* 4.12.05-A. Spitting and Striking. Spitting and striking was almost considered an essential aspect of the judgment on a person condemned to die. It was a symbolic way of rejecting what the person had done. If these symbolic acts were not done, it was almost as if you did not agree with the judgment and you actually condone his actions (Isa 50:6; cf. Num 12:14; Dt 25:9; Job 30:10).

Since no one was allowed to strike prisoners until they were condemned, beating Jesus at this time meant that these soldiers considered this second "trial" as a real trial.

4.12.05-B. Jesus as Prophet. As Jesus endures these next hours, we find that He is ridiculed in three of His major offices: prophet, king, and priest. Prophecy, in this situation, does not refer to telling the future, but declaring truth. The "brilliant" scholars of that day had decided that, based on Isaiah 11:3, the Messiah did not need to see or to hear in order to recognize truth. He could know it by smell. So the soldiers are "proving" that Jesus is not the Messiah by striking Him (while blindfolded) and demanding that He identify the person who struck Him. Jesus remains silent (cf. Isa 53:7). ------

4.12.06. PETER'S THIRD DENIAL (Matthew 26:73-75; Mark 14:70b-72; Luke 22:59-62; John 18:26-27).

One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" Peter then denied it again (John 18:26-27).

After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, "Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too." But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about" (Luke 22:59-60).

And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean -- even the way you talk gives you away. But he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this man you are talking about!" And immediately a rooster crowed (Mark 14:70b-71; Matthew 26:73-74).

The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:61-62)

******* NOTES ******* 4.12.06-A. The Relative of Malchus. John give a unique account of a relative of Malchus (the one whose ear Peter cut off) who remembered seeing Peter in the garden with Jesus. Peter then denied it again.

4.12.06-B. A Galilean. Perhaps when Peter was denying the charge from the relative of Malchus, those around the fire recognized his accent. In this Jerusalem crowd, Peter was clearly an outsider.

4.12.06-C. Curse and Swear. As Peter gave the final denial ("I do not know this man you are talking about!") he began to curse and swear. To "swear" [G3660, omnuo_] basically means the same as taking an oath (which he did in the second denial). This word "curse" [G332, anathematizo_] does not mean that he used profanity. Instead it meant that Peter cursed someone. A few scholars have suggested that Peter actually cursed Jesus. Instead of such a wild accusation, we need to choose the more obvious. After all this badgering, Peter's combative spirit returns along with a great deal of anger

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 55 (at himself even more than others). He curses his accusers, daring them to deny his denial (taken under oath)! He is cursing them for questioning his integrity. What irony!

Of course, maybe there is a double irony. When Peter denied Jesus the first time, did he stop being a disciple? Remember Jesus said, "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven" (Mt 10:33). In support of this possibility, later when Jesus predicted Peter's failure, He said to Peter, "I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers" (Lk 22:32). We will find later in our study that Peter needs to be reinstated as a disciple. But all of this raises theological questions which I will not pursue. However, if at some point in these denials, Peter stopped being a disciple, then some of what he is saying might be true. There is a possible double irony.

4.12.06-D. Three Trials Each for Jesus and for Peter. In a very real sense, Peter is also on trial. In fact, I think the Gospel writers want us to contrast the two trials. Here are a few samples. While Jesus is saying "I AM" (Jn 18:5, 6, 8; Mk 14:62; cf. Lk 22:70), Peter is saying "I am not" (Jn 18:17; Lk 22:58). Jesus is revealing who He is (Mt 26:64; Mk 14:62; Lk 22:67-70). Peter is denying who he is. Jesus is placed under an oath by the the high priest and speaks the truth. Peter swears an oath to protect his lie.

4.12.06-E. Converging Events. Picture this probable turn of events. The soldiers have been holding Jesus in a side room (see 4:12.05 above), waiting for dawn. As soon as it is dawn, the Sanhedrin will officially meet to condemn Jesus. So, the soldiers are transporting Jesus from the holding room across the courtyard to the room being used by the Sanhedrin as dawn arrives. At that moment, the cock crows and the Lord turns and looks at Peter (Lk 22:61). (Notice that the writer used the title "the Lord" for Jesus.)

4.12.06-F. The Rooster Crows. This word "crows" [G5455, pho_neo_] is found in Mt 26:34, 75; Mk 14:30, 72; Lk 22:34, 61; Jn 13:38. People debate what it was that Peter heard. Since, roosters crow many times (both day and night), it is not unusual for them to crow before dawn, why would this particular crowing catch Peter's attention? Many have suggested that Jesus really just meant that Peter would deny Him before dawn. For some of us, it is no problem for God to have a rooster crow at dawn, and for God to call Peter's attention to it. Others look for a more "reasonable" explanation. One that has been suggested is that a bugle was sounded in Jerusalem at the dawn changing of the guard. They have even suggested that "cock crows" was the name people often gave to this particular bugle call. If they are right, then this bugle was a signal to the Sanhedrin that they could officially begin their session. It would also signal to Peter that dawn had arrived and he, as Jesus had predicted, had thrice denied that he knew Jesus. I think I can wait until I get to heaven to find the correct answer to this unimportant question.

4.12.06-G. Peter Wept. Luke tells us that Peter went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:62). No doubt this weeping was a combination of several emotions including self-disgust. However, we are expected to see the kind of sorrow that leads to repentance. Peter will again affirm Jesus as his Lord and return to leadership among the disciples. ------

4.12.07. THIRD JEWISH TRIAL: BEFORE THE WHOLE COUNCIL (SANHEDRIN) [Early in the morning, probably at dawn] (Luke 22:66-71; Matthew 27:1; :1).

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death (Mt 27:1; Mk 15:1).

The Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask a question, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God" (Ps 110:1). And they all said, "Are You the Son

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 56 of God, then?" And He said to them, "You say that I AM." Then they said, "What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth" (Luke 22:66-71).

******* NOTES ******* 4.12.07-A. Timing. The Sanhedrin needed to wait for dawn in order to make an official decision. This trial was only a formality and probably took only a few minutes. They are on a tight schedule. They must get Jesus before Pilate as soon as possible.

4.12.07-B. The Charge Against Jesus. "If You are the Christ, tell us." Notice that the chief priest does not pursue the "Son of Man" claim by Jesus, one which would actually be easier to get a conviction. He is content to stick with charging Him with claiming to be the Messiah. Perhaps one of the reasons for staying with this charge is that it is the one they probably told Pilate they would bring against Jesus.

4.12.07-C. Determined Unbelief. Jesus does not immediately answer their request. His response ("If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask a question, you will not answer") shows that He knows that they are determined to condemn them. They are not interested in the truth. He again claims the right to ask the questions! They are the ones on trial! And, in the same way they refused to answer His questions about the authority of John the Baptist, they would now refuse to answer any questions from Him about His messianic credentials.

4.12.07-D. Reversal of Roles ("From Now On"). Jesus warns them, "But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God" (again drawing from Ps 110:1 and Daniel 7). But they do not listen. He stands bound and ready to be condemned before them. All judgment in heaven and earth will be turned over to the Son of Man. They will face Him at the Final Judgment.

4.12.07-E. You say that I AM. When they ask the final question about Jesus being the Son of God, Jesus respond with an expression of irony. When they used the title "Son of God" for Him, they were saying far more than they could imagine. If only they would confess it, in faith, from their hearts! But they only want to condemn a false Messiah not confess this true Messiah, Son of God, Son of Man. ------

4.12.08. THE REMORSE OF JUDAS [time unknown] (Matthew 27:3-10; Acts 1:18-19).

Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See to that yourself!"

And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.

The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood." And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter's Field as a burial place for strangers. This man [Judas] acquired a field with the price of his wickedness. And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that to this day in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood. Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of Israel; and they gave them for the Potter's Field, as the Lord directed me" (:12-13; cf. Jeremiah 18:2; 19:2, 11; 32:6-9).

******* NOTES ******* 4.12.08-A. Time and Location. It is not possible to know with any certainty where to place this event in chronological order with the other events of the Easter Story. It could have happened any time following the condemnation of Jesus by the Sanhedrin to some days after the resurrection. Matthew probably chose to insert it before the Romans trials because he did not want it to detract from the flow of the story being told. It is quite likely that it happened on Sunday or even a few days later. Notice that the priests are in the temple at this point. The high priest was not likely to be at the temple until

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 57 after Jesus is placed on the cross, and not on Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath). Luke chose to hold off the story until the time when the apostles decided to chose a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:18-19).

4.12.08-B. Matthew's Purpose. A major theme in the is showing ways that Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT. A major passage of interest for Matthew involving the Easter events is the rejected Shepherd-King in Zechariah 9-14. He quoted from this passage for Jesus' entry into Jerusalem (21:4-5; Zech 9:9-10) and for the falling away of the disciples (26:31; Zech 13:7). It is possible that even the picture of mourning in 24:30 is picked up from Zech 12:10-14). There can be no doubt that Matthew intends to match the thirty pieces of silver Judas received and returned with the reference in Zechariah 11:12-13.

However, this passage is far more complicated than the other references. Matthew 27:9-10 combines several OT passages together in what one scholar called a "creatively compiled formula-quotation" (R. T. France). Scholars write pages attempting to unpack this complicated passage. I will not pursue these attempts, but will give some of the OT passages Matthew appears to have used as sources (Zech 11:12-13; Jeremiah 18:2-6; 32:6-15 and especially 19:1-13). Matthew's main purpose is to show that the "Judas Event" was a fulfillment of OT prophecy. He would also have us see that even though Judas confessed his guilt in betraying innocent blood, the priests were unwilling to admit their guilt. The irony is that their use of the money (could not be returned to the treasury) showed that they knew of their guilt. In one sense, they gave the money back to Judas by using it to provide him with a burial site. The supreme irony, in the same way that the Shepherd-King was devalued, they "purchased" the precious blood of Jesus (1 Pet 1:19) for only a month's salary of a laborer. But, it appears, that this "purchased" blood never became "precious" for them.

4.12.08-C. Remorse. Matthew also wants us to grieve over the loss of Judas who felt remorse [G3338, metamelomia] but actually did not repent [G3340, metanoeo_]. While we can weep with Peter over his failure, we also rejoice over his return to Jesus. There are two types of sorrow, and the differences between the two have eternal significance. "For the sorrow that is according to {the will of} God produces a repentance without regret, {leading} to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death" (2 Cor 7:10).

4.12.08-D. Insufficient Data. We simply do not have enough information to clearly picture what actually took place when Judas committed suicide. However, the lack of data should not allow people to declare the impossibility of both accounts (Mt 27:3-10; Acts 1:18-19) being true. ------

4.13. THE ROMAN TRIALS

4.13.01. FIRST ROMAN TRIAL: BEFORE PILATE [Passover: Early in the morning] (Matthew 27:2, 11-15; Mark 15:1b-5; :1-7; John 18:28-38).

Then the whole body of them got up and they bound Jesus, and led Him away from Caiaphas into the Praetorium; and delivered Him to Pilate the governor, and it was early. They themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.

Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?" They answered and said to him, "If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you." So Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law." The Jews said to him, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death," to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die (John 18:29-32).

And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King" (Luke 23:2).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 58 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?" Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, "I find no guilt in Him" (John 18:33-38; cf. Mt 27:11; Mk 15:2; Lk 23:3-4).

And while He was being accused harshly by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, "Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!" And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

But they kept on insisting, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place." When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time (Luke 23:5-7).

******* NOTES ******* 4.13.01-A. Passover. This opening passage shows that this day is the day the Passover lambs were to be slain. The chief priests had not yet eaten the Passover meal.

4.13.01-B. Timing and Confusion. The chief priests must have been very pleased with themselves. They were right on schedule with their plans. It was early in the morning and Pilate was waiting for them. He even came out of the Praetorium for them. However, they were then thrown into confusion. A careful reading of this passage strongly supports the idea that they had already arranged with Pilate for him to ratify their condemnation of Jesus.

Instead of pronouncing the judgment of death on Jesus, Pilate starts the trials in the same way he would start one where he had no advance knowledge ("What accusation do you bring against this Man?"). The chief priests were not ready to state a formal charge against Jesus. Taken by surprise, they stammered out some meaningless charge ("If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you."). What an embarrassment! Standing before the Roman governor they were seen as totally inept. Pilate seizes the advantage and sends them away ("Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law."). Not wanting to be sent away, they acknowledge that they want Jesus dead ("We are not permitted to put anyone to death").

4.13.01-C. What Kind of Death. Is that really true that the Sanhedrin was not permitted to put anyone to death? Scholars have debated this question. The Sanhedrin appeared to have no trouble putting Stephen to death. Stephen was dragged before the Sanhedrin and false witnesses spoke against him (Acts 6:11-14). They stoned him to death (Acts 7:54-60). I think the answer to our question can be found in the comment ("to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die"). The penalty for blasphemy is stoning (Lev 24:15-16). Several scholars agree that, regardless of the official position (whatever it was), the Romans allowed the Jews to stone people who have violated some very sacred aspect of their religion. I think the Sanhedrin did not want to stone Jesus for blasphemy; they wanted Him crucified. Why? Here is my guess. Crucifixion was the Roman way of dealing with crimes. If Jesus is crucified, the people will blame the Romans, not the Jewish leaders. It was the Sanhedrin that declared Jesus guilty of blasphemy. But under their law, since they were the witness, they had to do the stoning (cf. Acts 7:58). Why was this feature built into the law? Because, if it was found out that the witnesses had lied, then these witnesses were guilty of murder. So they would be stoned to death (Deut 19:15-21). None of the members of the Sanhedrin wanted to take that type of risk. I think a key feature of all these trials is that no one wanted to be left with the blame for the death of Jesus. They wanted Him dead, but they wanted someone else to bear

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 59 the blame. They knew in their hearts that there was something very special about this Nazarene. They knew that they were committing an evil deed by wanting Him dead!

4.13.01-D. Pilate. Before we continue with the trial, I want to take some time to provide some background. Pilate married Claudia Procula, a Roman with very high connections. (She was the grand-daughter of Augustus Caesar.) She was able to get him high positions in the Roman government. But, wherever He went, Pilate showed himself to be a very poor administrator. Historians describe him as coarse, tactless, obstinate, haughty, overbearing, etc. He loved to wield power over others. He enjoyed humiliating others by making those under him submit to his authority.

With such a history in treatment of people, we should be puzzled by the Pilate we find in the Gospels. Pilate the overbearing becomes Pilate the indecisive. We find a Pilate torn between a strong desire not to condemn Jesus and what appears to be an obligation to please these Jewish leaders. I have been careful to choose my words here. As we go through the story, look for evidence that Pilate does not want to be the one who condemns Jesus. But he doesn't really care if someone else does the condemning! What is it that has given Pilate this dilemma?

At this point I will continue the "reading between the lines" story I started earlier (see 4.11.01-G). Remember, most of this material is not found in the Bible. I am suggesting events which may have happened. 9. It is highly probable that Claudia Procula (the wife of Pilate) was much more aware of various aspects of the Jewish religion than Pilate. Perhaps she was knowledgeable of all the talk buzzing around the city regarding the conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, as well as the unspoken claims of Jesus to be the Messiah. When learning of the agreement Pilate had made with the Jewish leaders, she must have strongly urged him to avoid getting involved in these attempts to kill Jesus. She probably considered Jesus to be a "righteous Man" (Mt 27:19) and shared her views with Pilate. 10. After going to sleep that night, Claudia "suffered greatly in a dream" about Jesus (Mt 27:19). Pilate had probably already gone before she rose from her bed. So she needed to write a message to prevent him from carrying out his promise to the high priest. This message likely contained an even greater urgency that what she had expressed before going to bed. Many people in those days considered some dreams to contain important messages from the gods, and they took such messages as serious warnings. 11. Even before the letter from his wife arrived, Pilate had already decided that he wanted nothing to do with the blame for killing Jesus. His actions are consistent with a person who has made a promise, but is now trying some way not to carry through with it. For Pilate that must have called for a great effort. He must not exhibit any of the traits typically associated with him (coarse, tactless, obstinate, haughty, overbearing, etc.).

4.13.01-E. The Priests Regroup. Realizing that they must bring a formal charge against Jesus, they tell Pilate what they probably already told him the night before. "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King" (Luke 23:2). There is no mention here of blasphemy or about a threat to destroy the temple. They want to avoid any ideas that might send Jesus back to the Sanhedrin to carry out of a sentence of stoning. They want Rome to kill Jesus for them!

4.13.01-F. Pilate Questions Jesus. For the most part, Jesus will remain silent before His accusers. But, at this point, Jesus will talk with Pilate and give him the opportunity to choose Truth. I will not take the time for an extensive study of this dialogue. Let's address a few items. Pilate starts out doing exactly what he should do. He deals with the political charge against Jesus ("Are You the King of the Jews?"). In his efforts to satisfy himself that Jesus is not a threat against the Roman government, Pilate has become impressed by the man. He asks a probing question ("So You are a king?") wondering about a king with no political ambitions. Jesus honors this request with the respect due to an important question using the same phrase He used in answering the high priest ("You have said it"). Then He offers Pilate the opportunity to hear and accept truth. But Pilate responds with a deflecting question ("What is Truth?"). Pilate has accepted that Jesus is a king (and a little later he will force the title

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 60 "King of the Jews" upon the Jewish leaders). But he rejects the necessary commitment to Truth ("of the truth") that must follow such an acknowledgement. Pilate joins the billions of people down through the centuries who refuse to come under the authority of Truth. Not really being "of the Truth" they do not hear the voice of Jesus (i.e., responding with obedience to the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life [Jn 14:6]).

Pilate now, for the first of several times, goes to the Jewish leaders and states, "I find no guilt in Him" (John 18:38).

4.13.01-G. Pilate Finds an Escape. The Jewish leaders continue to harshly accuse Jesus. Pilate is amazed that Jesus does not answer a single charge but remains silent. However, in one of the charges, it is noted that Jesus is from Galilee. Pilate jumps at the chance of not condemning Jesus. He sends Him to Herod, who had jurisdiction over Galilee but was in Jerusalem for the Passover. ------

4.13.02. SECOND ROMAN TRIAL: BEFORE HEROD (Luke 23:8-12).

Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing. And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently. And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other (Luke 23:8-12).

******* NOTES ******* 4.13.02-A. Herod. It is hard to keep the Herods separate. This Herod is Herod Antipas, the one who had John the Baptist beheaded (Mk 6:14-29). He is the son of who killed all the children in (Mt 2:1-22). The Herod mentioned in Acts 12 is Herod Agrippa I (grandson of Herod the Great). His son, Agrippa II heard Paul's defense (Acts 25-26).

4.13.02-B. Second Roman Trial. For our convenience, we call this the second Roman trial, but in reality, Herod never intended to pass judgment on Jesus. As we can see by several references to Herod checking up on Jesus, he was well aware of what was going on. Jesus was very popular with the people of Galilee. No way was Herod going to be drawn into the killing of Jesus. However, he did want to see Jesus and wanted Jesus to perform some sign for him. He was given a sign, but did not recognize it. For Jesus to be completely silent throughout this "trial" was a judgment upon Herod. This person who had killed the forerunner of the Messiah was under the judgment of God. The conscience of Herod was so seared that he caught none of this sense of judgment. Instead, since Jesus would not perform for Herod, Herod and his soldiers would play games with Jesus. Seeing this person, who he had once greatly feared, in such a helpless condition and not making any defense, Herod mocks Him. Here begins the ridicule of Jesus as king; He is dressed in a gorgeous robe. It is the same way some people will tease a caged lion when they see that he is safely confined and they "know" they are safe from attack. But Herod was not safe from God.

4.13.02-C. Herod and Pilate Become Friends. Herod probably felt honored that Pilate would consider sending Jesus to him. "Becoming friends" perhaps meant only that they ceased being enemies. Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate. ------

4.13.03. THIRD ROMAN TRIAL: BEFORE PILATE AGAIN (Matthew 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:39 - 19:16)

Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, "You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. No, nor has

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 61 Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. Therefore I will punish Him and release Him" (Luke 23:13-16).

While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him {a message}, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him" (Matthew 27:19).

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people {any} one prisoner whom they wanted. At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called . Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection (Matthew 27:15- 16; Mark 15:6-7; cf. Luke 23:19).

The crowd went up and began asking him {to do} as he had been accustomed to do for them. Pilate answered them, saying, "You have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?" For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy (Mark 15:8-10; John 18:39; cf. Matthew 27:17-18).

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. But the governor said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" So they cried out, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas." Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Crucify Him!" And he said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Crucify Him!" (Matthew 27:19-23; John 18:40; cf. Mark 15:11-14; Luke 23:18, 20-21).

And he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt {demanding} death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him" (Luke 23:22).

Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted together a and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; and they {began} to come up to Him and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and to give Him slaps {in the face} (John 19:1-3)

Pilate came out again and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him." Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. {Pilate} said to them, "Behold, the Man!" So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, "Crucify, crucify!" (John 19:4-6).

But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices {began} to prevail" (Luke 23:23).

Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him." The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out {to be} the Son of God." Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?" Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has {the} greater sin" (John 19:6b-11).

As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out {to be} a king opposes Caesar." Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha (John 19:12-14).

(Note: At this point Jesus is brought out for formal sentencing. He would probably have His own clothes on again, the purple robe and crown being removed.)

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 62 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold, your King!" So they cried out, "Away with {Him}, away with {Him}, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar" (John 19:14-15).

When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see {to that} yourselves." And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!" (Matthew 27:24- 25).

And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, but he delivered Jesus to their will. He handed Him over to them to be crucified (Luke 23:24-25; Mark 15:15; Matthew 27:26; John 19:16).

******* NOTES ******* 4.13.03-A. Jesus is Returned to Pilate. Pilate must have felt frustrated when Jesus was returned to him. But he is smart enough to see some advantage this return gave him. He speaks to the leaders again. Pilate now declares that Herod has joined him in finding Jesus not guilty of the charges the Jewish leaders have ascribed to Him. As a result, Pilate states that he will punish Jesus and then release Him since He had done nothing deserving death. Of course, Pilate should not have even suggested punishment. But this was probably an attempt on his part to fulfill, in some way, his commitment to the Jews. He knew that they want Jesus dead, but perhaps to see Him bleeding might be enough for them.

4.13.03-B. A New Opportunity. However, before Pilate can carry out his plan, a new possibility presents itself. The people of the city have come to expect that Pilate will release a prisoner on this special day. So people began arriving to have their requests made known to the governor. (Here is an indicator that, in spite of all that has happened so far this day, it must still be quite early in the morning.) Pilate, knowing that Jesus has been very popular with the people, decides to use the wishes of the people to thwart the wishes of these Jewish leaders. He is well aware that they are envious of this popularity of Jesus.

Now, if it had been later in the day when the pilgrims would be coming into the city from the country- side, Pilate's strategy might have worked. But it was still early morning. In addition, the release of a prisoner was a favor to the city primarily. But the main reason his strategy failed was that he misjudged the power of the Jewish leadership. The city folks might like Jesus and even like the ways that He embarrassed the leaders. But they were not about to shout something in public that was in direct opposition to the Jerusalem leadership, especially in a conflict with Rome. They may not admire the priests, but they hate Rome.

4.13.03-C. Jesus is Scourged. Since that plan had failed, Pilate returns to his original plan. He hopes that the priests and the crowd will be satisfied if Jesus is punished, not crucified. So He has Jesus scourged. Following the scourging, the soldiers place a crown of thorns on His head and a purple robe on Him, and pretend to honor Him. But they slap Him instead. Pilate then brings Jesus out to them, having been severely whipped and wearing the crown and robe. (People were known to have died from this scourging.) Pilate had intended to generate sympathy for Jesus by the scourging. Why didn't it work?

4.13.03-D. Behold the Man. I think one reason Pilate did not satisfy the death lust of the priest and the crowd, was that the scourging did not reduce Jesus to a pathetic wreck of a man. Instead, Jesus maintained such a strong presence that impressed Pilate so much that he spontaneously exclaimed "Behold the Man!" when he presented Him to them. To see Jesus completely unbroken by all that has been done to Him infuriated His enemies. The chief priests and officers led the crowd in cries for the crucifixion of Jesus.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 63 4.13.03-E. Out of Options and Out of Control. Pilate has exhausted all his options. The many voices demanding crucifixion for Jesus have prevailed over all his efforts.

In an attempt to save himself from being responsible for killing Jesus, and probably in a fit of anger, Pilate gives the Jews permission to crucify Jesus ("Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.").

The priests are also out of control. In their frustration they reveal their hidden reason for wanting Jesus dead ("We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out {to be} the Son of God."). They should never has revealed this charge to Pilate, because it could justify carrying out what he had just exclaimed. Blasphemy came under Jewish Law and could have been handled by the Sanhedrin.

But it is not a problem. Although Pilate and priests are out of control, God is not. He has made the priests reveal their secret motive, but He will not allow Pilate to take advantage of it. Instead, God will give Pilate one more chance to properly respond to the claims of Jesus.

4.13.03-F. Even More Afraid. Why does Pilate miss this opportunity to excuse himself from condemning Jesus? Because of fear. This fear goes back to his wife's dream. Pilate saw the dream as a message for him to avoid condemning Jesus. Now his fears are confirmed. But not before he has scourged Jesus! If Jesus really is a god appearing as a man (a common theme in polytheistic societies in ancient times), then what should Pilate do now? He doesn't know what to do! So he interviews Jesus again ("Where are You from?"). We can almost hear the fear in his voice. But Jesus remains silent. The frustration of this silence brings back a bit of the real Pilate. He reminds Jesus that he is in charge and His life is in his hands! And Jesus politely tells him he is not! Jesus even tells him that someone else (probably referring to Caiaphas) was more guilty than he is. Small comfort that will be on Judgment Day!

4.13.03-G. No Friend of Caesar. Again Pilate makes some effort to release Jesus, but we are not told what it is. No doubt the Jewish leaders have noticed through the trial the underlying fear in the way Pilate was acting. They now hit him with a charge to intensify that fear ("If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out {to be} a king opposes Caesar."). The political situation in Rome was far too volatile to risk allowing them to hear rumors that Pilate may not be loyal to the emperor (Tiberius). Pilate caved in.

4.13.03-H. Behold Your King. At this point Jesus is brought out for formal sentencing. He would probably have His own clothes on again, the purple robe and crown being removed. Pilate has been defeated, and he now must sentence Jesus to death by crucifixion. But he has been humiliated. The "real" Pilate surfaces again, and he will get some revenge for this ill treatment. He will get them to say something they thought they would never say. And He gets them to accept the guilt for the death of Jesus. Pilate baits them by claiming that he will now crucify their king ("Behold, your King!", "Shall I crucify your King?"). The irony is that Pilate was very impressed by Jesus and probably, to some degree at least, believed what he was saying. Their response must have produced a great deal of personal shame in the days following ("We have no king but Caesar"). What an irony! Just a few days before, they tried to trap Jesus with a question about taxes. They have answered their own question in a way that would shame them with the people of Jerusalem!

4.13.03-I. Pilate washes His Hands. The fear that has gripped Pilate all day now drives him to a washing of his hands in front of the crowd. He is telling the whole world (and all the gods?) that he is innocent of the blood of Jesus. And he places the guilt upon the crowd. And the triumphant crowd responds with words that will ring out forever ("His blood shall be on us and on our children!") and will be seen by many as the reason city and temple are destroyed in A.D. 70.

4.13.03-J. Delivered to Their Will. Pilate releases Barabbas and hands Jesus over to be crucified. "He delivered Jesus to their will" (Luke 23:25) is a strange way of wording this act, since the crucifixion was totally a Roman operation. Perhaps Luke wanted to remind us that both the Roman governor ("he

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 64 delivered") and the Jewish leaders ("to their will") share the guilt of the crucifixion. We could say of them what was said of Judas. "The Son of Man {is to} go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born" (Matthew 26:24). ------

4.13.04. JESUS IS RIDICULED AS KING (Matthew 27:27-30; Mark 15:16-19).

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him.

******* NOTES ******* 4.13.04-A. Jesus Mocked as King. Jesus was mocked during the Jewish trials as Prophet. Now the Roman soldiers mock Him as King. Later the priest will mock Him as Priest (another of His major offices). All four Gospel writers saw the importance of this mocking Jesus as King. Luke recorded the mocking by Herod's soldiers (Luke 23:11). And it appears that John recorded an earlier mocking by Roman soldiers following the scourging (John 19:1-3).

4.13.04-B. Mock Enthronement. While waiting for Jesus to be taken away for crucifixion, the soldiers use this time to set up a "throne room" for this King of the Jews with the entire Roman cohort as the "audience" for the King. They provide him with symbols of office: robe, crown, and scepter. But the robe is probably an old worn out military cloak. The crown is made of thorns. The scepter is probably a bamboo reed. And their way of honoring the King is to hit His head with a reed (making the thorns dig into His head). They probably first had the entire audience kneel before Him and hailed Him as king in unison. That mock honoring was then followed by hitting His head and spitting in His face. Of course, the soldiers probably saw "King of the Jews" as a challenge to the authority of Rome. They must have really enjoyed mocking this Jewish king!

4.13.04-C. Predicted. Jesus had predicted this mocking earlier. "As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve {disciples} aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, 'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify {Him}, and on the third day He will be raised up'" (:17-19 = Mark 10:32-34 = Luke 18:31-33). ------

4.14. THE CRUCIFIXION AND BURIAL

4.14.01. ON THE WAY TO THE GOLGOTHA (Matthew 27:31-32; Mark 15:20-21; Luke 23:26-32; John 19:17).

After they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha (John 19:17).

As they were coming out, they seized a man, (the father of Alexander and Rufus), coming in from the country, whom they pressed into service, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus.

And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 65 yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him (Luke 23:27-32).

******* NOTES ******* 4.14.01-A. Time. The time used in these gospel accounts starts at dawn (our 6:00 a.m.), which makes the third hour be 9:00 a.m., the sixth hour is noon, and the ninth hour is 3:00 p.m. Mark states, "It was the third hour when they crucified Him" (Mark 15:25). But none of the other writers provide a time of crucifixion. In fact, John makes a statement which appears to be in conflict with Mark. During the trial before Pilate, John notes, "Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour" (John 19:14). However, that time notation appears to be in conflict with all the other three, when they clearly state "Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon the land until the ninth hour" (Matthew 27:45 = Mark 15:33 = Luke 23:44). And all three record events happening before the three hours of darkness. Scholars tend to accept John ("about the sixth hour") and then try to reconcile Mark ("the third hour") to it. But that does not make sense to me. Mark's "third hour" is the one that is consistent with the three hours of darkness (as recorded by all but John). It is better to examine John's statement to find reconciliation. For me, it appears so simple that I might be missing something! John is matching what is happening to Jesus with the Passover. He reminds us that today is the day the lambs are to be slain for the feast that night. Then he tells us that it is "about" [G5613, ho_s] the time for the sacrificing of the lambs. It is John's way of saying that Jesus was right on schedule! Although, technically the lambs should be slaughtered "in the evening", there were so many people in Jerusalem that the sacrifices started around noon (about the sixth hour) in order to finish before sunset. (Remember that a priest had to perform the sacrifice and there were lots more lambs than priests!) Having said all that, we must remember that people had to guess at the time of day, since they did not have clocks. So, for Mark to say "the third hour" probably meant roughly between nine and ten in the morning.

4.14.01-B. Place. The place where Jesus was crucified is given in all four gospel accounts. "And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull" (Matthew 27:33). "Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull" (Mark 15:22). "When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left" (Luke 23:33). "They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha" (John 19:17).

The Greek word for "skull" [G2898, kranion] is found in all four of the passages quoted above (and nowhere else in the NT). Three of the above accounts (Mt 27:33; Mk 15:22; Jn 19:17) also include "Golgotha" [G1115, Golgotha]. It is a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic gulgulta_ or Hebrew gulgo_let [H1538]. As the verses above show, "skull" is the meaning of this word. It is not found in Luke's account. The fact that Luke did not use the word "Golgotha" gave rise to another word: . Notice that this word does not appear in any of the verses above. Where do we find it? It is from the KJV. "And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him..." (Lk 23:33; KJV). The NKJV retained this translation: "And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him..." (Lk 23:33; NKJV). The translators probably did this for historical reasons, since the word Calvary had become an integral part of the language of the church (especially in sermons, poems, and hymns).

But why is it in the KJV? Probably the translators of the KJV did not want to translate kranion [G2898] simply as "skull" considering it was not "formal" enough for the name of a hill. Instead they chose to use the Latin word for skull, Calvarius or Calvary. Why? Perhaps because the Vulgate (a fourth century Latin translation of the Bible) was a major source for the KJV. (Which, by the way, accounts for many of the errors in the KJV, since the Vulgate is a very poor translation of the Bible.)

4.14.01-C. Garments. Those people who were condemned to crucifixion were usually stripped completely naked as part of the humiliation of the victims. However, the Romans made concession to

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 66 the Jews in their homeland, since public nakedness was forbidden. Although most of His clothing will be removed later, Jesus probably was at least partially clothed when He was crucified, perhaps a loin- cloth.

4.14.01-D. Bearing His Own Cross. Only John records that Jesus carried His own cross. Actually, it was only the cross-beam that was carried. It would be attached later to the upright pole. In order to reconcile John's account with the others, it has been suggested that Jesus was not able to carry it very far before He fell under the weight of the cross. However it appears that He made it out of the city before He could no longer carry the cross.

4.14.01-E. Simon of Cyrene. It is remarkable that all accounts except John mention the name of the person pressed into service to bear the cross-beam for Jesus. Roman law allowed Roman soldiers the right to commandeer local people for limited tasks without reimbursement (e.g., Mt 5:41). Mark even gives the names of two sons of Simon. It is quite likely that these three (at least the two sons) became Christians and were so involved in the activities of the church that they were well-known to many of the early readers of these accounts. The order of this "parade" would be (1) a placard identifying the crimes committed (see later) carried by a person, (2) the criminal (Jesus), and (3) the person carrying the cross (Simon). Some have commented that since Simon Peter had refused to be a disciple of Jesus (through his denials), the Father got another Simon to serve His Son that day.

4.14.01-F. Daughter of Jerusalem. Typical of Luke, with his focus on the disenfranchised of society, he begins to show another face to the story. Up to this point, there is the appearance of total solidarity in opposition against Jesus: the Jewish leaders (both Sadducees and Pharisees), the people of Jerusalem, the Roman soldiers. This different viewpoint will even include a criminal acknowledging his need for Jesus (Lk 23:39-43). But first we have the daughters of Jerusalem weeping along the Via Dolorosa ("the way of pain and sorrow"). Jesus turns to them and tells them to save their weeping for the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, since that is the consequence of the city's rejection of its King. And He draws some of His language from Hosea 10:8. The destruction of Jerusalem will be so terrible that the curse of barrenness will be seen as a blessing (because of the death of so many family members).

4.14.01-G. Green Tree vs. Dry Tree. Jesus compares Himself with Jerusalem. He is full of life and comes to bring life to others. Jerusalem is nothing but a dead tree not able to give life to others. Remember the dead fig tree (Mk 11:12-14, 20)? In addition, if the dead will attempt to destroy the living (and His resurrection will prove that it has failed), what will the Living God do to the dead tree (Jerusalem). It is ready to be burned, and will be in A.D. 70.

4.14.01-H. Two Others. This is the first mention of two others to be put to death with Jesus. It is possible, and perhaps even probable, that Pilate had planned for these two, along with Barabbas to be crucified on this Jewish holy day. The three criminals were probably sentenced before this day, but their execution postponed so it could be on this special day. It would be typical of Pilate to display his authority in this fashion. ------

4.14.02. JESUS IS PLACED ON THE CROSS [Approximately 9:00 A.M.] (Matthew 27:33-38; Mark 15:22-27; Luke 23:33-34, 38; John 19:17-24).

And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall and myrrh; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink (Matthew 27:33-34; cf. Mark 15:22).

And they crucified Him. At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left, and Jesus in between.

And they divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them to decide what each man should take (Mark 15:24; Mt 27:35). Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 67 garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be"; this was to fulfill the Scripture: "They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots" (John 19:23-24; cf. :18).

It was the third hour when they crucified Him. And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there (Mark 15:24-25; Matthew 27:35-36). But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34)

Pilate also wrote an inscription (the charge against Him) and put it on the cross. It was written, "JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS."

Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews'; but that He said, 'I am King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written" (John 19:20-22).

******* NOTES ******* 4.14.02-A. Drink. Jesus was offered a drink of wine mixed with myrrh [G4669, smurnizo_] and gall [G5521, clole_]. There is some historical evidence that the women of Jerusalem often provided this drink to those being crucified. Their intention was to provide a type of narcotic to ease the pain of crucifixion. It is unlikely that the soldiers would prepare and provide something of this nature. If it really did have a numbing effect, then we can understand why Jesus refused it. He would want to be able to think clearly. Myrrh [G4666, smurna] was also used in the burial of Jesus (see below [Jn 19:39]). Some people have seen a connection between the gift of myrrh to the baby Jesus (Mt 2:11) as a prediction of His death and burial. Others see Matthew's inclusion of gall in the description is intended for the reader to make a connection with Psa 69:21 [LXX].

4.14.02-B. Crucified. Many people consider it important to present the details of crucifixion in order to show how much Jesus had to suffer. None of the four Gospel writers do that. "And they crucified Him" is about all any of them say. Christian writers, film makers, etc. should follow this pattern. It is wrong to place too much emphasis on the physical suffering of Jesus. He is not some "tragic hero" of classical fiction. His suffering in the Garden is much more significant than His physical suffering on the cross.

4.14.02-C. Two Robbers. "At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left, and Jesus in between" (Mt 27:38; Mk 15:27; Lk 23:33; Jn 19:18). These two are called "robbers" [G3027, le_ste_s] (Mt 27:38, 44; Mk 15:27; Jn 18:40 [Barabbas]) and "criminals" [G2557, kakourgos] (Lk 23:32, 33, 39). Earlier Jesus had used the term "transgressors" [G459, anomos] (Lk 22:37) so that the disciples would not miss the connection with Isaiah 53:12 ("Because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors"). He was "numbered with" them, but He was really not "of them" (not a criminal). He was there to bear the sins of many, not His own. All four Gospel writers note that Jesus was placed between the two robbers. Even the soldiers knew He was different!

4.14.02-D. Garments Again! Matthew, following Mark, only makes a brief comment about the dividing up of the garments. Compare that with the details supplied in John. Here again, we get the sense of John as an eye-witness. We now know that there were four soldiers and they divided the outer garments and only gambled for the seamless tunic (not wanting to diminish its value). Only John calls our attention to the passage in Psalm 22:18. But the choice of Greek words by Mark shows that they also were aware of the fulfillment of Psalm 22:18, and expected the reader to make the connection. People down through the years have speculated about the seamless tunic. We should bypass their effort and stick with the basic message. Before Jesus is "stripped" of life, He is stripped of all else (disciples, family, friends, support) including even His garments. Although (as stated above) Jesus probably was not totally uncovered, the message here is that he is "naked" - a total loss of identity (in that culture). One purpose for matching this event with Psalm 22 is to show that it was all in God's

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 68 planning. The One who came to represent all humankind is not even considered human by those He came to save.

4.14.02-E. Forgive Them. The four guards now sit down and keep watch. Their only duty at this point is to see that no one interferes with the crucifixion. It is easy to imagine that they now ignore the "non-humans" on the cross. But Jesus does not forget them. He speaks for the first time. It is a message of forgiveness. But who are the objects of this forgiveness ("them"). Does "them" refer to the soldiers? Are they the ones who do not know what they are doing? It is more likely that Jesus is including everyone who had been involved (cf. Acts 3:17; 13:27-28). Perhaps He is even thinking of a corporate "them" (indicating the entire human race). Jesus does not forgive them directly. Realizing that the Son became human as a gift from the Father, Jesus prays to the Father that He will forgive those who have treated His Son as a non-human, thereby rejecting the gift.

4.14.02-F. The Inscription. All four writers mention the inscription by Pilate, giving the charge against Jesus. But here again, John gives the most complete description ("JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS"). Although it is not stated in any of the accounts, it is likely that this was written on a placard and carried before Him as He traveled to the site of the crucifixion. It could have been carried tied around His neck. After Jesus was placed on the cross, the inscription would then be placed over His head where all could see.

Crucifixion was the violent way Romans dealt with many situations, especially crimes against Rome. The cruelty was deliberate. It was intended to stop potential problems. With this in mind, it was a very public affair. Note, for example, the site chosen for (probably all) at Jerusalem was near the city where people could easily see from the city. The charge was written in three languages, so more people could understand.

All this was very offensive to the chief priests and the people of Jerusalem for several reasons. For one thing, it was written by Pilate. He was declaring his "victory" in the struggle he just experienced with the leaders and people of Jerusalem. He had made them say that they had no king but Caesar and that the blood of Jesus was upon them and their children. The king they denied, Pilate now claims for them. He was showing them exactly what will happen to any "king of the Jews" who opposes Rome.

But there is the opposite side of this victory. Jesus is the king nobody wanted, but everyone needed. Pilate sensed this truth, and so did the Sanhedrin. The Jews desperately wanted a Messiah, but he had to be their kind of Messiah. They clearly did not want their Messiah to be a despised Nazarene (John 1:45-46). At the trials, the Jews wanted Jesus to claim to be the Messiah, not so they could declare their allegiance to Him, but to have Him killed. But He declared Himself to be more than the Messiah they wanted. Although they could not understand what was going on, somehow they knew that Jesus had won.

The irony, of course, is that they tried to get Pilate to say that Jesus claimed to be the King of the Jews - which He never did publically! Pilate's declaration ("What I have written I have written") not only showed his stubborn nature, it declared for all time, that what he had written was true. He remains the King even after they have killed Him. ------

4.14.03. JESUS IS RIDICULED AS PRIEST (Matthew 27:39-44; Mark 15:29-32; Luke 23:35-38).

And the people stood by, looking on (Luke 23:35a).

And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross" (Matthew 27:39-40, Mark 15:29-30).

In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were sneering at Him and mocking Him among themselves and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. Let Him save

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 69 Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One. Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, and we may see and believe in Him. He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God'" (Matthew 27:41-43; Mark 15:31-32; Luke 23:35b).

The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!" (Luke 23:36-37).

The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words (Matthew 27:44; Mark 15:32b).

******* NOTES ******* 4.14.03-A. Five Groups. Five groups may be identified with regard to those who came to ridicule Jesus as Priest (the people, those passing by, the Jewish leaders, the soldiers, and the robbers). He has come to save His people, and people respond with sneering and mocking.

4.14.03-B. First Group: Those Looking On. The first group consists of those who are watching but remaining silent. We will return to some people from this group later.

4.14.03-C. Those Passing By. This group represents the typical Jews residing in Jerusalem. These people resented outsiders coming to Jerusalem and disturbing the status quo. In the early days of His ministry, Jesus had cleansed the temple. His declaration at that time regarding destroying and rebuilding the temple was misunderstood and used as a charge against Him at the Jewish trials. (See the notes there.) Here it is used to ridicule His helplessness. If He really could destroy the temple and rebuilt it in three days, then He could also save Himself now and come down from the cross. Since He has not saved Himself, He is to be treated with abusive language as well as the "wagging" of the head (an expression of scorn). For them the title "Son of God" is equivalent to "Messiah" (not a declaration of deity). "Hurling abuse" (Mt 27:39; Mk 15:29) actually uses the Greek word for blasphemy [G987, blasphe_meo_].

4.14.03-D. The Sanhedrin. Chief priests, scribes, and elders were the three groups within the Sanhedrin. These were the people who sat in judgment against Him.

Earlier, following the raising of Lazarus by Jesus, God used the high priest to unintentionally prophesy. "But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, 'You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.' Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad" (John 11:49- 52).

Now, in a similar manner, God will make the Sanhedrin unintentionally prophesy as well as declare the fulfillment of prophecy. One of the functions of the Sanhedrin was to verify or deny the credentials of people who claimed to speak for God (e.g., prophets). As with Caiaphas earlier, their words will mean more than they intend them to mean.

Psalm 22 is a psalm which predicts the events of this day. (Its description of suffering provides a good picture of crucifixion even though it was written centuries before crucifixion was practiced!) We must not take time for a detailed study of this psalm, but will only note a few things. This psalm has already been quoted with regard to the garments of Jesus. There we noted that to be naked was to lose identity. That shows again in this passage. "But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me; they separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, 'Commit {yourself} to YHWH; let Him deliver him; let Him rescue him, because He delights in him'" (Psa 22:6-8). The way these leaders sneered and mocked at Jesus fulfilled this prophecy.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 70 Next, by quoting Isaiah 42:1 (a reference they accepted as messianic), they bring together prophecies of the Messiah and the Servant who suffers (Psa 22; Isa 53). "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one {in whom} My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations" (Isa 42:1).

When they said "He saved others; He cannot save Himself" their words meant more than they intended. By "saved" they meant the healing ministry of Jesus. These words are full of irony. These leaders can only picture a militant Messiah who comes with great power. "Their Messiah" could save Himself. Therefore they are assured in their conclusion that Jesus is not the Messiah. But Jesus the Messiah came to save souls (not just heal bodies). And, in order to bring about this salvation, He has to suffer and die (Mk 8:31). So when they said "He cannot save Himself" they were stating a great truth regarding God's plan for our salvation.

What if these leaders are wrong? Then they have given Jesus some really great titles: Christ of God, His Chosen One, the King of Israel, the Son of God.

4.14.03-E. The Soldiers. Perhaps, as something to pass the time, the soldiers occasionally joined in with the mocking. An interesting feature that gives support to the historical accuracy of these accounts is that the soldiers used the title "King of the Jews" while "King of Israel" was used by the priests, perfectly matching their two perspectives.

Some people view the offering of sour wine (vinegar) by the soldiers as an act of compassion. However, in the context of mockery, it is more likely intended as an insult ("a fake wine for a fake king"). It is probably another connection with prophecy in (already noted above). "You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; all my adversaries are before You. Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink" (Psalm 69:19-21).

A few hours later, near the time of His death, sour wine will again be given to Him (Mt 27:48; Mk 15:36; John 19:28-30).

4.14.03-F. The Robbers. The robbers join in with the insults. It is hard to assess their perspective at this point. Their leader Barabbas had escaped this punishment ("Why him and not us?"). Perhaps a whole variety of emotions filled their souls: envy, anger, despair, frustration, disappointment, etc. It is quite possible that their leader's full name was Jesus Barabbas. (Some manuscripts have "Jesus Barabbas" at Mt 27:16, 17.) If so, did they catch the irony? Did they see the exchange of one Jesus for another as significant? Did it stir up a vague hope within them? If only Jesus really was the Messiah! Maybe there is still a chance for them!

An added note. Although "robber" gives the basic meaning of this Greek word [G3027, le_ste_s], it does not convey the seriousness of their crime. Robbery was not normally considered a capital crime. This word was commonly used for an insurrectionist. For example, Barabbas was called both a robber [le_ste_s, Jn 18:40] and an insurrectionist [G4714a, stasiaste_s; G4714b, stasis] (Mk 15:7; Lk 23:19, 25). Luke will use a more general term in the next section: "criminals" [G2557, kakourgos] (Lk 23:32, 33, 39). ------

4.14.04. ONE CRIMINAL EXPRESSES FAITH AND IS REWARDED (Luke 23:39-43).

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:39-43).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 71

******* NOTES ******* 4.14.04-A. Blasphemy. In the early hours on the cross, those being crucified typically cursed anyone and everyone. It was one way of taking their minds off the pain. Later, they would be too exhausted to speak much. "Hurling abuse" (Lk 23:39) is actually the Greek word for blasphemy [G987, blasphe_meo_]. This word is also used to describe the language of "those passing by" (Mt 27:39-40, Mk 15:29-30; cf. Lk 22:65). It normally refers to insulting God, but the word can be used for strong verbal abuse of another person. Luke probably wants the reader to see both aspects.

4.14.04-B. Belief. Perhaps Luke is presenting us with two levels of belief. Although we are not told, it appears that both criminals modified their belief about Jesus. It is likely that they were impressed by the way Jesus was handling the situation. Jesus was not cursing others. It is quite possible they heard Him ask the Father to forgive others for the way He was being treated. No doubt His unique personality was evident to them. Who knows what else. But in truth, it was God. The Father was giving them a last opportunity to seek forgiveness for their way of life.

The first criminal acknowledged Jesus as the Christ ("Are You not the Christ?"). His blasphemy was not fearing God. Instead, he demands that Jesus use His power to save them. Even worse, he does it in a way that questions the character of Jesus. He only wants to be rescued from his present condition. He believes, or at least considers it possible that Jesus might rescue him.

The actions of the first criminal actual helped the other one as he was coming to faith. First, he recognized that the other criminal was blaspheming (not fearing God). He acknowledged that they both were getting what they deserved. Further, he saw, through insight, that Jesus had done nothing wrong. Next came the realization that what was happening here was God's plan. Perhaps he grasped even greater truths. What was important was that he used the small insights he was given by God to reach out in faith. This Person was the Christ. This confessed criminal deserved nothing from Him. But he asked anyway to be remembered when Jesus establishes His kingdom. He received so much more than he expected. He becomes an example for all times of grace given where no merit exists. And the future he requested will happen today! Jesus promises, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43). ------

4.14.05. WOMEN AND OTHERS AT THE CROSS (John 19:25-27).

MATTHEW: Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. Among them was , and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Mt 27:55-56).

MARK: There were also {some} women looking on from a distance, among whom {were} Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of and Joses, and Salome. When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and {there were} many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem (Mark 15:40-41).

LUKE: And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things (Luke 23:49).

JOHN: But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of , and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household (John 19:25-27).

******* NOTES ******* 4.14.05-A. Women at the Cross. We are told that "many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him" including acquaintances. We should have expected this. Whereas the disciples might be fearful of being arrested if found near

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 72 the cross, the soldiers would not have seen these women as a threat. Any type of interference would come from men. In fact, women were often allowed to provide some help to those being crucified (mentioned earlier).

A major difficulty is in determining the women who are named. Some commentaries fill several pages with this problem, since there are a number of possibilities. For example, they wonder whether John is identifying two, three or four women. We will not explore these possibilities. All we need for our study is an identification of women that is reasonable.

Examining the Gospel of John, it appears that John wants to separate out four women to be used as a contrast to the four soldiers (remember he specifically mentioned four). He expects us to draw a number of contrasts when we consider these two groups. For example, the soldiers dehumanize Jesus by taking His clothes. The women honor Him and give Him dignity. Several other contrasts are possible. Give it a try!

Luke does not give the names of any women at the cross. He does however supply a few names of women visiting the tomb. Here is an attempt to match up the women in the four accounts. 1. MARY MAGDALENE. At the cross (Mt 27:56; Mk 15:40; Jn 19:25); at the tomb (Mt 27:61; 28:1; Mk 16:1; {16:9}; Lk 24:10; Jn 20:1, 18; Elsewhere (Lk 8:2) 2. MARY. At the cross ("Mary the {wife} of Clopas" [Jn 19:25]; "Mary the mother of James and Joseph" [Mt 27:56]; "Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses" [Mk 15:40]); at the tomb ("other Mary" [Mt 27:61; 28:1]; "Mary {the mother} of James" [Mk 16:1; Lk 24:10]) 3. SALOME. At the cross ("Salome" [Mk 15:40]; "the mother of the sons of Zebedee" [Mt 27:56]; "His mother's sister" [Jn 19:25]); at the tomb ("Salome" [Mk 16:1]). 4. MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS. At the cross ("His mother" [Jn 19:25, 26, 27]). 5. JOANNA. She is not on the list of those at the cross, but she was at the tomb ("Joanna" [Lk 24:10]), which suggests that she was probably among the "many others" at the cross.

4.14.05-B. Men at the Cross. Only one man is identified as being at the cross: "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (Jn 19:26, 27). I have already decided that this person is John, the son of Zebedee (see 4.12.01-D). The Bible suggests three other men as possibly being among those standing at the cross. 1. JOHN, the son of Zebedee "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (Jn 19:26, 27) 2. (Mt 27:57-60; Mk 15:43-46; Lk 23:50-54; Jn 19:38-42). Since Joseph buried Jesus, he probably also spent time at the cross. 3. NICODEMUS (Jn 19:39; cf. Jn 3:1-9; 7:50). Nicodemus assisted Joseph with the burial. 4. THOMAS, called Didymus [the twin] (Jn 20:24-28; cf. Jn 11:16; 14:5; 21:2). Thomas's description of the wounds of Jesus suggests an eye-witness.

4.14.05-C. Jesus Provides for His Mother. Scholars have long noted that there are seven "words" by Jesus from the cross. We are now given the third of these "words" ("Woman, behold, your son!", "Behold, your mother!"). I want to mention two things about the mother of Jesus which have especially puzzled the scholars. First, why is she not mentioned more often in the gospels? Of course, Mary is the central figure (after Jesus) in the birth and childhood narratives of Jesus (Lk 2; Mt 1:18- 25). She appears again prior to the beginning of His ministry when Jesus turned the water into wine (John 2:1-12). Following the resurrection she is mentioned in one verse along with the brothers of Jesus (Acts 1:14). In the only other reference that I can remember, Jesus comes close to actually denying her (Mt 12:46-50 = Mk 3:31-35; Lk 8:19-21; cf Mt 13:55). There appears to be a united effort by the gospel writers (including all the writers of the NT) to prevent the church from focusing too much on the mother of Jesus. Of course, they did it anyway, giving Mary a status in the church without any scriptural foundation to support it.

Second, why is she placed in the care of the Apostle John? The puzzle is complicated further by the reference in Acts. "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers" (Acts 1:14). If the brothers of Jesus are available and showing strong indication here that they are or will be followers of Jesus, why do they not take over the care of Mary? (Two NT books were written by two of Jesus's brothers:

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 73 James, Jude.) Remember, we will not explore various possible answers. All we need is one reasonable answer.

The key here is to examine the last statement: "From that hour the disciple took her into his own household" (John 19:27). What kind of household did John have? Certainly not one in which he was the head of the household! John, at this point, is a very young man, probably the youngest among the Twelve. He has been a disciple of Jesus for several years (perhaps as many as three and a half!), traveling around the country. So "household" here must refer to his larger family. We need to recall all I wrote about John in 4.12.01-D. First off, Mary is his aunt, the sister of John's mother Salome. They are related in some way to the high priest's family. (This is why John can attend trials, stand at the cross, and avoid arrest.) But it also means that the family of Zebedee and Salome was well established financially and socially. By contrast, Joseph (probably dead at this point) and the brothers of Jesus appear to be a very poor family from Nazareth. In addition, Mary and Salome have been traveling with the Twelve (perhaps for several years) ministering to Jesus. Remember when Salome tried to get Jesus (her nephew) to give her sons (James and John) the privilege of being seated on the right and left of Jesus (Mt 20:20-23)? From her viewpoint the inner circle of three (Peter, James, and John) had one too many members! Anyway, it is perfectly natural for Jesus to request that this larger, more well-established family take care of His mother. ------

4.14.06. THE THREE HOURS OF DARKNESS (From 12 Noon to 3 P.M.). (Matthew 27:45-50; Mark 15:33-37; Luke 23:44-46; John 19:28-30)

When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, because the sun was obscured. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, "This man is calling for " (Mark 15:33-35; Matthew 27:45-47; Psalm 22:1; cf. Luke 23:44-45).

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, "I am thirsty." A jar full of sour wine was standing there. Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed (a branch of hyssop), and gave Him a drink (John 19:28-29; Matthew 27:48; Mark 15:36a).

But the rest of them said, "Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him" (Matthew 27:49; cf. Mark 15:36b).

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He cried out again with a loud voice, "It is finished! Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Having said this, He bowed His head, breathed His last, and yielded up His spirit.

******* NOTES ******* 4.14.07-A. Darkness Over the Land. The sun was obscured [G1587, eklego_, "failing"] for three hours (from noon to 3:00 p.m.). There is no need to try to explain this phenomenon with something spectacular such as a solar eclipse. (It could not have been an eclipse, since it lasted too long for that. Also, since it was the time of the full moon, an eclipse is not possible.) This event can be explained with a very heavy, dark, cloud cover. Have you ever experienced the darkness before a violent thunderstorm? It can be awesome! There was still enough light for people to observe events around the cross.

The gospel writers leave us to ponder the significance of this darkness. I think its main purpose is to generate a sense of awe and wonder. We should not try to fully explain it, for surely by doing so we will lose some of the magnitude of its impact. For example, if the darkness was due to clouds, then those people who were experiencing this heavy darkness must have expected a major storm to occur. Would they interpret these events as God's wrath? Given that it is the Passover season, surely many

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 74 people around the cross remember that three days of darkness was one of the judgments on Egypt (Exod 10:21-22). Perhaps even more important is the Day of the Lord in Amos 8:9-10.

Integral to any interpretation must be the fact that the light returned at the moment Jesus died.

4.14.06-B. Forsaken by God. We now are given the fourth of the seven "sayings" of Jesus from the cross ("Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"). In the past it was popular to call this expression "the cry of dereliction" (abandoned or forsaken). Again, we will not probe deeply into this mystery. However, some observations should be made.

Sin separates. Jesus has become the offering for the sins of the entire world. In some way which we cannot explain, in order to actually bear the sins of the whole world, the Son must experience separation, not only from disciples, family, etc., but from the Father also.

There must be some significance to the fact that Jesus quotes Psalm 22:1. And the gospel writers try to stress the significance of this quotation by using original language (not translating it in the Greek language). So this cry is not just some outburst from highly charged emotions. (I am not saying that the abandonment is not fully felt by Jesus.) He has already been through the emotional trauma associated with the cross. The cup mentioned in the Garden of Gethsemane had already been accepted. Of course, in these three hours of darkness, He is actually experiencing the cup. But He is ready for it. He is totally in control. For example, the cry is given at the end of the three hours of darkness, not at the beginning or in the middle.

So, it is also a cry of victory. It is addressed to "My God" with the full confidence that, regardless of being forsaken, the relationship is maintained. He quotes the psalm to declare it to be so. He also quotes it so that we can examine the psalm and gather more meaning to what is happening that day. (Remember, other aspects of Psalm 22 have already been used to connect the psalm and these events together.)

This brings out at least one aspect of the darkness. It is symbolic of the Father not looking upon sin.

4.14.06-C. Calling for Elijah. Scholars are somewhat puzzled over the response of some of those who were standing there. A popular folklore of that period was the belief that Elijah would appear at times to help people in difficult situations. This folklore probably arose from two OT passages. First, Elijah went directly to heaven without dying (2 Kgs 2). Then he is mentioned as being sent to restore, etc. (Mal 4:5-6). Scholars tell us that these people should not have mistaken this cry to God as a cry for Elijah. But people often "hear" what they are expecting to hear.

4.14.06-D. Thirsty. Again we are reminded that Jesus was fully aware of what He was expected to do. At this point everything necessary was already accomplished. However, earlier Jesus had refused the drink offered Him (Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:22). Now that He was ready to go, He chose to accept a drink in order to fulfill the Scripture. So we have the fifth "saying" from the cross ("I am thirsty"). The Scripture needing fulfillment is probably Psa 69:21. "They also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink" (Psa 69:21).

There is another possibility. The text might be saying that Jesus knew that all the Scriptures pertaining to the crucifixion had been accomplished, and He was ready to leave. He wants for everyone to hear His final words, but His throat is very dry, so He requests something to drink. This possibility matches well with what followed.

4.14.06-E. A Branch of Hyssop. Both Mark and Matthew write that a reed was used to hold the sponge. John calls it a branch of hyssop. Scholars generally admit that the significance of this observation eludes them. It does continue the pattern of supplying interesting little details characteristic of an eye-witness. John has remembered details of this entire week that have enriched the story immensely!

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 75

4.14.06-F. It is Finished! It appears that Jesus was silent during almost all of the three hours. At the closing of that time period, He does everything quickly. First, He placed His mother in the care of John's family. He gave the cry of dereliction. The text then says "after this" He declares He is thirsty. The "after that" indicates something following shortly after. That was then followed immediately by the sixth "word" from the cross ("It is finished!"). The Greek word "finished" [G5055, teleo_] has the sense of "to carry out to the end" as in the completion of a mission. The text says that He cried out again with a loud voice. The gospel writers want to emphasize that Jesus still was in control and still had plenty of strength. He had fully accomplished the work the Father had given Him to do (John 4:34; 5:36; 17:4). Last of all, He drank the cup His Father gave Him (Mt 26:42; John 18:11). There is no need to linger.

4.14.06-G. Last Words. Only Luke records the seventh "words" from the cross ("Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit" [Lk 23:46]). Jesus is quoting from Psalm 31:5, the ending of a passage where trust in YHWH is emphasized (31:1-5). Although the Son is quite capable of rising from the dead in His own power, He will wait for the Father to do it as an expression of total trust, vindication, and victory (cf. John 10:18).

4.14.06-H. Death. None of the four accounts describe the death of Jesus in the usual way. On the other hand, they say it in very simple ways, probably not making any effort to give us insight into something we could not possibly understand anyway. One point appears to be clear. Jesus did not wait for death to "take Him" but chose to die when He had accomplished all. One of the reasons for the "loud cry" was to declare this choice. Matthew states it clearly ("yielded up His spirit" [Mt 27:50]). And so does John ("gave up His spirit" [Jn 19:30]). Mark and Luke ("breathed His last" [Mk 15:37; Lk 23:46]) are not quite so forceful, but still are in agreement.

"Bowed His head" (John 19:30) gives the sense of a peaceful death, full of trust. It may even have the idea of going home (cf. Mt 8:20; Lk 9:58 where the word "bow" is used in a sense of "lay" His head down). He found no home here, but now He can return home and rest. Again, John appears to be an eye-witness by giving little details such a this. ------

4.14.07. EVENTS ACCOMPANYING HIS DEATH (Matthew 27:51-56; Mark 15:38-41; Luke 23:47-49; John 19:31-37).

And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51a; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45b).

Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent." And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, {began} to return, beating their breasts. And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things (Luke 23:47-49).

The earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many (Matthew 27:51-53).

Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the way He breathed His last, the earthquake, and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39).

Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 76 water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, "Not a bone of Him shall be broken" (Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20). And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced" (:10) (John 19:31-37).

******* NOTES ******* 4.14.07-A. Veil of the Temple. We are told that the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. We are expected to see this as an act of God ("top to bottom"). Normally the weight of a heavy curtain would produce tears from side to side. (Any expert want to give an opinion here!)

Actually there were two curtains in the temple, the "outer veil" separating the outer court from the Holy Place and the "inner veil" separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (Exod 26:31-37). None of the writers specify which curtain was torn. Which, of course, gives scholars something to discuss.

First things first. What is the significance of this event? There are two very important messages here and perhaps a third. Perhaps first in importance is the idea of access. The death of Jesus has made access to God possible. We are helped in this choice by the emphasis on access found in the book of Hebrews (9:1-3, 11-28; 10:19-22; 4:16; 6:19-20). Every person can now have intimate fellowship with God. The second message is also emphasized in the book of Hebrews. The Old Covenant is passing away. There is no more any need for sin offerings. Jesus has entered the holy place and offered Himself once for all [G2178, ephapax] (Heb 7:27; 9:12; 10:10; Rom 6:10) as our sin offering. The tearing of the veil announced the beginning of the New Covenant. The third message is that the temple is now obsolete ready for destruction (A.D. 70).

Back to the "which veil" question. Scholars appear to want the torn veil to be the veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. They see this one giving the stronger message of access to God. Perhaps it does for them, but I don't think it would for those experiencing it that day. One reason is obvious. In order to observe the tearing of the second veil, you would need to be in the Holy Place. At any one time only a very few priests would be there. And this was happening during the busiest time of the day. Remember, today is Passover. All the priests would be involved in the slaying of the lambs. Essentially no one would see the veil being torn. And perhaps even more important, with respect to access, the priests would interpret the tearing of the second veil as opening up access to God for them (not for the people). No one would see the tearing of this veil as providing access for everyone. Only priests were allowed in the Holy Place. And you couldn't get into the Holy of Holies without going through the Holy Place.

If it was the outer veil that was torn, then the message was given with high drama. At the very moment the lambs were being offered by the people in the outer court, everyone there sees the curtain being torn, signaling access to all (not just priests). There is no need for the slaying of lambs anymore. And at the same time this happens other significant events are happening: an earthquake and the removal of the darkness.

Well, does the tearing of the first veil really picture access? Of course, it does! The Holy Place was God's "dining room" where He welcomed His guests. With its lamp, table, and bread, it was intended to symbolize table fellowship with God.

4.14.07-B. Reactions. Luke gives the reaction of three groups to the crucifixion of Jesus. 1. The Centurion. This is the first mention of the presence of the centurion. It is not likely that he was one of the four soldiers mentioned earlier. It is even likely that he was not present for the entire six hours. But he saw enough to be very impressed by Jesus. His reaction has two levels. First, he recognized that Jesus was innocent (lit. righteous). If that was all he understood, then he would be saddened (or angry) that an injustice had been done. However, he realized there was a deeper significance to what was taking place here. We are not told how much he understood, but it was enough for him to praise God.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 77 2. All the Crowds. The reaction of this group was the beating of their breasts (an expression of sorrow). They too recognized that an injustice had occurred. However, they failed to have the insight shown by the centurion. Here is a typical observation Luke would make, depicting "outsiders" with more spiritual discernment than the "insider" group. 3. Followers of Jesus. This group, no doubt, include a wide spectrum of people interested in Jesus, ranging from those devoted to Him to those who were mildly attached to Him. Their reaction is more an accepting of what they did not understand. Some have criticized this group for "standing at a distance" seeing it as a failure of commitment. Let me suggest a different possible group dynamic. There is a "permanent" inner circle: soldiers and "family" (the four women mentioned above, John, et al). The middle circle would be the "come and go" crowd which started out as those violently opposed to Him but would have changed throughout the day to more of the spectator-type people. (These people would be more apt to "beat their breasts" than would the initial strongly opposed people, most of whom have left by now, especially the priests who had to participate in the slaying of the lambs). The group under consideration here would make up a third group. They would have naturally gathered together for mutual support and to be out of the way of the come and go traffic. The "many women" would especially want to be out of the way. Which would place them at some distance from the cross.

4.14.07-C. Earthquake. Jerusalem sits on a fault line, so earthquakes are to be expected from time to time. But the timing of this earthquake suggests the handiwork of God. The story of saints being raised, etc. is found only in Matthew's account. It appears to distract rather than contribute in any significant way to the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Until I can find significance to this story, I will not comment on it.

4.14.07-D. The Centurion (again?). I have chosen to separate this exclamation by the centurion from the previous observation (see above). (Scholars typically try to blend them into one reaction.) I think the first reaction was the result of seeing something significant. The reaction here is more a reaction of fear resulting from the spectacular (earthquake, removal of darkness). Included would be the deliberate choice by Jesus to die at that moment. His response ("Truly this man was the Son of God!") was probably more of a response of a pagan fearful of the consequence of being involved in the death of Jesus, especially since he had already noted Jesus to be innocent. Roman soldiers grew up in a society that had many stories of gods taking human form, walking among people, and often doing harm to them. In fact, it is more likely that he said "son of a god" not "Son of God" as in the typical English translations (since Romans and Greeks usually believed in many gods).

4.14.07-E. Source. Again, we are dependent upon the eye-witness, John for all the material between the exclamation by the centurion and the burial. As we have seen, he even has family members who let him know the decisions made by the priests.

4.14.07-F. A High Day. John has used the expression "day of preparation" to indicate the day the lambs were sacrificed in preparation for the Passover meal (Jn 19:14, 31). Most scholars now want us to see the use here to mean the day before the weekly Sabbath. Of course, John does call the following day the Sabbath. But he modifies it in an important way ("for that Sabbath was a high day"). However "high" [G3173, mega] is most often translated "great" such as in John 7:37 when John refers to the last day of the Feast of Booths as great. Based on the evidence given in 4.09.01-E, I am suggesting the following day was a Passover Sabbath, not a weekly Sabbath.

4.14.07-G. Breaking the Leg Bones. Because the following day was one of the great days for Jews (the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread), the Jewish leaders wanted the three being crucified to be taken away before that day begins (at sunset). Typically, Roman authorities would leave people on the crosses even after they were dead. Some people were able to remain alive for several days. Then there was the awful sight of vultures eating the bodies left on the cross. All this drama was considered a huge deterrent for potential troublemakers.

On the other hand, Rome has a policy of great respect for the various religions within its realm. Jews believed that people being executed should be buried before sundown. If not, the curse of God on

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 78 them would become a curse on the nation. Of course, they did not always get their way. But to have God's curse upon them on this special holy day was unthinkable. Surely Pilate anticipated this request to hurry the process, and he readily agreed.

Breaking the legs of people on the cross often did two things. First, there often was heavy bleeding resulting from the hammer blows used to break the legs. Secondly, people hung on crosses needed their legs to be able to lift themselves enough to breathe. If the entire body is supported by the arms, then the lungs have great difficulty getting enough air. People often died within the hour after having their legs broken.

It appears that Pilate even sent more soldiers to do this task ("so the soldiers came"). They spread out, doing the two robbers approximately at the very same time. Perhaps they did them first because there were not so many people around them. It is also possible that, upon their arrival, the centurion directed them to the two robbers. But they were under orders, so they had to check Jesus also. When they came to Jesus they found Him to already be dead. John saw this as a fulfillment of Scripture ("Not a bone of Him shall be broken"). He was probably thinking of Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20.

4.14.07-H. Jesus Pierced With a Spear. However, to make sure that Jesus was dead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear. John saw this also as the fulfillment of Scripture ("They shall look on Him whom they pierced"), quoting from Zechariah 12:10. Zechariah was an important book for the early church because they saw several prophecies about Jesus in it.

4.14.07-I. Blood and Water. When one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, immediately blood and water came out. There can be no doubt that John considered this phenomenon to be extremely important. But he does not tell us why he considered it important. He goes even further to state that he is telling the truth so that the reader also may believe.

Pages and pages (even books) have been written addressing this phenomenon of blood and water. Here is not the place to survey this material. Most all agree on two truths. Jesus was human, and Jesus was dead. Both these facts denied current heresies. One heresy is that Jesus was some divine being who took the form of a human. The other heresy was that the Christ could not die. This witness showed both of these teachings to be false. ------

4.14.08. THE BURIAL (Matthew 27:57-66; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42).

When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, a good and righteous man, waiting for the kingdom of God, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews. Joseph was a prominent member of the Council (he had not consented to their plan and action). He gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked that he might take away the body of Jesus.

Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph (Mark 15:44-45). Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, and took away His body.

Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. (It was Joseph's own tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock.) Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there (John 19:39-42). He rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away (Mt 27:60).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 79 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee (including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses) followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment (Luke 23:54-56; cf. Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47).

Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, "Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I am to rise again.' Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last deception will be worse than the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how." And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone (Matthew 27:62-66).

******* NOTES ******* 4.14.08-A. Joseph of Arimathea. The bodies of those executed by Rome belonged to Rome. Rome's standard practice was not to bury those who had been crucified. They were either left on the crosses or dropped on the ground, to be eaten by vultures. However, here again Rome allowed burial due to the religious scruples of the Jews. Nevertheless, it had to be in unmarked common graves, not in family plots. There must not be any way of honoring these dead. (Jewish leaders provided such a common grave for this purpose, but far from the city of Jerusalem.) People had to petition the Roman authorities for any exceptions to this rule. But to ask for a body normally meant that you wanted to honor the person in some way. And that was dangerous. For Joseph to ask for the body of Jesus would be interpreted by Pilate as a request from a disciple of Jesus. So it took lots of courage for him to make this petition. By making this request, Joseph could no longer be a secret disciple. Although we are not told, Joseph probably paid a great price, both politically and socially, for what he did that day.

4.14.08-B. Pilate Gives Permission. It appears that Joseph's petition to Pilate came before the order to break the bones, maybe even before Jesus actually died. Perhaps Joseph left the place of execution immediately after Jesus died. Pilate, being surprised that Jesus was already dead, questioned the centurion. Here again we are given verification of the death of Jesus. The centurion would not dare say that Jesus was dead unless he knew for sure it was true.

Pilate probably granted this unusual petition because he knew that Jesus was innocent of any crimes against Rome.

Although the breaking of legs hastens death, death did not come immediately. So it is highly probable that the two robbers were not dead when Joseph was taking down the body of Jesus. No doubt the two robbers would end up in the common grave. By contrast, the body of Jesus was immediately wrapped in a linen cloth by Joseph.

4.14.08-C. The Body Prepared and Placed in a Tomb. Since the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread began at sunset, the body needed to be buried before sunset. We get the impression of advanced planning and a concerted effort. While Joseph was seeking permission, Nicodemus (introduced at this point) was purchasing supplies for the burial. Both being wealthy men, they probably had several servants performing assigned duties.

Fortunately, Joseph's own tomb was near the place of crucifixion. It is noted that it was a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. That in itself is highly unusual. Typically, rich people had family tombs which had been used for many years holding many family members. For some reason a new tomb was needed, and Joseph had it done - more of God's advanced planning.

This burial was a temporary arrangement. (They would be surprised that it would be more temporary than they planned!) Clearly, they planned on moving the body to a more permanent site after the Feast was over and after such a site could be prepared.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 80 They took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. The body was then placed in the tomb and a large disc-shape rock was rolled down a prepared groove so that it came to rest at the entrance of the tomb. To roll such a stone back up this groove required considerable effort, normally by several men.

"His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth" (Isaiah 53:9).

4.14.08-D. Women Look On. Some of the women who were at the cross followed Joseph and Nicodemus as they took the body to the tomb. Only Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses are identified. Perhaps only these two watched the burial. Salome (John's mother, Mary's sister) probably left with John and Mary (Jesus' mother) to help care for her.

The two Marys at the tomb not only saw the tomb but actually took note of where the body was laid. This could only happen with Joseph's permission. They left and bought supplies before sunset. They prepared spices and perfumes so that they could return and minister to the body. When they realized they need more spices, they had to wait until sunset on Saturday (when the weekly Sabbath was over) before buying more (Mark 16:1).

4.14.08-E. The Next Day. Matthew has a very strange way of identifying the next day ("on the next day, the day after the preparation"). Based on this statement and other evidence given in 4.09.01-E, I am suggesting the "next day" was a Passover Sabbath. Matthew words it this way so as not to confuse it with the weekly Sabbath (which will be the day after "the next day"). For further support, Matthew will use Sabbaths (plural) at 28:1.

4.14.08-F. Securing the Tomb. Where did these Jewish leaders hear the claim by Jesus that He would rise again after three days? He did make this claim a number of times to His disciples (e.g., Mt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19). So they could have heard it from Judas. Did they actually take these claims seriously? We do not know for certain. The reason they gave for their request was that the disciples might steal the body. But don't you wonder why they thought anyone would believe these disciples if they made such a claim with nothing but an empty tomb as evidence?

Did Pilate actually give them a guard? The question is debated among the scholars, since the statement ("You have a guard") can be taken both ways ("Take a guard" [NIV] or "You have your own guards"). The additional statement by Pilate ("go, make it as secure as you know how") tends to favor him supplying them with a Roman detachment of soldiers. Describing the soldiers as "the guard" and the placing of a seal also favor the use of Pilate's soldiers. There are some problems with this choice, and these will be dealt with later. ------

4.15. WITNESSES FOR THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST

4.15.01. SUMMARY OF RESURRECTION APPEARANCES BY PAUL (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

******* NOTES *******

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 81 4.15.01-A. Earliest Biblical Record. I thought it might be appropriate to start with the earliest biblical record of the resurrection appearances. First Corinthians was written by Paul ca. A.D. 55. In these eight verses, he first summarizes the gospel message he received ("that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures"). Then he records six separate appearances of Jesus to people following His resurrection: Cephas (Peter), the twelve, 500 brethren, James, all the apostles, Paul.

Paul is perhaps the greatest witness the church will ever have. But that story is for another time. ------

4.15.02. SATURDAY ACTIVITIES OF THE WOMEN [Saturday Evening] (:1; Mark 16:1).

Now late on the Sabbaths, as the first day of the week was about to begin, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave (Matthew 28:1). And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him (Mark 16:1).

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.02-A. Different Translation of Matthew 28:1. No doubt, it is the height of arrogance for me to challenge so many English Bible translations of this verse. But I am encouraged to do so from the Literal English Translation by Alfred Marshall found in The Interlinear Greek-English (Nestle Greek text). "But late of the sabbaths at the drawing on towards the first day of the week came Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary to view the grave" (Mt 28:1). Also Westcott's interpretation of this verse shows he would agree with the translation (above) I have chosen to use. See below for Westcott's sequence of events.

Here is a typical translation by others. "Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first {day} of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave" (Mt 28:1, NASB).

First of all, please note that the text has "sabbaths" (plural) which the translators ignore. For me, that indicates Friday was the Passover Sabbath and Saturday was the weekly Sabbath.

Matthew does not use the typical Greek word for "after" [G3326, meta], found ca. 126 times in the NT. Instead, he chooses an unusual word found only four times in the NT [G3796, opse] (Mt 28:1; Mk 11:11, 19; 13:35). In every case, "late" or "late in the day" (i.e., evening) gives a better translation. In fact a cognate [G3798, opsis] is translated "evening" all 14 times it appears in the NT.

And "began to dawn" [epipho_skouse_ from G2020, epipho_sko_] is a correct, but poor, translation. Since that is just its literal sense. But this word is typically used in a metaphorical sense. It is found only two times in the NT. It is translated "about to begin" in the other reference (Lk 23:54), indicating sunset (not sunrise!). "It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin" (Lk 23:54). The NASB should have used the same translation in Matthew 28:1 as it did at Luke 23:54, especially since the situations are almost identical. So, for me, it is obvious that Matthew is referring to the time on Saturday when it is getting close to sunset.

4.15.02-B. Activities on Saturday. If this is true, then the two Marys left before sunset on Saturday (weekly Sabbath) to view the tomb. They were taking advantage of the rule that allowed a minimal amount of travel on the Sabbath (ca. 1000 yds). After sunset, they (the two Marys along with Salome) went and purchased more spices.

Westcott suggests the follow timing. Just before 6 p.m. Saturday Mary Magdalene and Mary the [mother] of James go to view the sepulchre (Mt 28:1). After 6 p.m. Saturday, Mary Magdalene and Mary the [mother] of James and Salome purchase spices (Mk 16:1).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 82 Why does Matthew tell us about this visit to the tomb? I think he is trying to give us some sense of when Jesus arose from the grave. It is almost as if he is saying that the women viewed the tomb Saturday around sunset and noticed no change. So he is suggesting the possibility that the resurrection did not occur until after this visit. Contrary to many people's perception, the actual resurrection is not recorded in Scripture. ------

4.15.03. THE STONE ROLLED AWAY [Probably very early Sunday morning] (Matthew 28:2-4).

And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.03-A. Preparing for the Resurrection Appearances. In order for people to see that the tomb is empty, two things had to happen. The stone needed to be removed. The guards also had to be removed so they could no longer stop people from viewing the empty tomb. We are told that an angel took care of those issues. The stone was not removed to let Jesus out; it was removed to let witnesses in. Jesus was already gone before the angel removed the stone. I think we are to assume that God or the angel caused the earthquake. But the earthquake did not remove the stone. The angel rolled it away.

4.15.03-B. Who are the Witnesses? Did the women see the removal of the stone and the angel sitting on it? Some assume that is the way this brief passage should be interpreted. But I do not think so. Such an interpretation does not match up with the other accounts of the various visits of people to the tomb. Before we make that assumption, we need to remember that Matthew, in order to save space for the teaching sections, sometimes combines two accounts into one (conflation). Remember he did this with the story of the cursing of the fig tree. Well then, who are the witnesses to this event? The soldiers. Note the irony. The body they guarded was alive, but they became the "dead" (lit. "corpses"). It was such a terrifying experience how could they not tell others?

4.15.03-C. Order of Arrivals at the Tomb. With the four very brief accounts before us, is it possible to find an order of arrivals at the tomb? Not with a great certainty. But all we want to find is a reasonable explanation. So here goes.

Let's start with a passage from Luke. "Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them" (Luke 24:10-11).

It is quite possible that Luke is giving us a summary of three separate arrivals at the tomb and therefore three separate reports to the disciples, although this is by no means certain. It is possible that one group was coming from Bethany and another coming from Jerusalem. Probably the women planned to meet at the tomb. The writers agree that they planned to arrive "early" [G4404, pro_i] (Mk 16:1; John 20:1), "very early" [G3722, orthros] (Lk 24:1). But it is highly probable that they arrived at three different times. The three arrivals could then be as follows. 1. First Arrival ("while it was still dark" [John 20:1]): Mary Magdalene alone. She might have started out with one of the other groups but went on ahead. 2. Second Arrival (at early dawn [Luke 24:1]): Joanna and others. "Early dawn" is actually "while still" [batheo_s] "very early" [G3722, orthros]. 3. Third Arrival ("when the sun had risen" [Mark 16:2]): The other Mary, Salome, and others. "Risen" [anateilantos from G393, anatello_]. I have chosen to retain the order given by Luke. However, it does not make any significant difference if groups two and three are switched.

Let me now venture a guess at why we have three separate arrivals. Mary Magdalene probably was camped outside the city among the other pilgrims from Galilee and elsewhere. She could have left

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 83 camp at any time. Joanna, being the wife of an official, probably had no trouble getting through the city gates a few minutes before they were open to all. By contrast, Mary and Salome had to wait until the gates were officially opened for the general public to come and go. ------

4.15.04. FIRST ARRIVAL: MARY MAGDALENE ALONE [While It Was Still Dark] (John 20:1-2).

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.04-A. Focus on Witness. One of the disadvantages of attempting to provide a chronological sequence for these events is that we miss the structure the gospel writers use to tell their stories. John 20:1-18 is a good example. John builds a chiastic structure with Mary Magdalene as the frame and the observations of Peter and John are at the center of the structure to highlight their witness: A. Mary Magdalene (20:1); B. two disciples (20:2-4a); C. John (20:4b-5); D. Peter came (20:6a); D'. Peter saw (20:6b-7); C'. John (20:8); B'. two disciples (20:9-10); A'. Mary Magdalene (20:11-18).

4.15.04-B. Mary Magdalene: The First Witness. While it is still dark [G4653, skotia], Mary Magdalene comes alone to the tomb. She might have started out with one of the other groups but went on ahead. But she did not stay long! At this point her only witness is that she saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. It appears from the text that she leaves without even checking inside the tomb. Worse yet, she assumes that the body is gone. At this point she is a very poor witness. But things will get much better for this first witness.

4.15.04-C. Peter and John. Mary runs to tell Peter and John. The text appears to picture two separate arrivals ("So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved"). Perhaps Peter and John were in two separate locations. First she tells Peter and then they go together and tell John.

4.15.04-D. Mary's Message. The message Mary gives to Peter and John is full of realism. In her anxiety, she jumps to conclusions ("They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb") and she expands and strengthens her story to include other women ("and we do not know where they have laid Him"). Now she is not deliberately attempting to deceive the two men. In her imagination, she has already pictured the other women arriving at the tomb and coming to the same conclusion as she has made. These "flaws" in her witness actually help us believe the story so far. Notice that she uses "the Lord" instead of referring to the dead body. She still sees herself as serving her Lord, and this increases her anxiety over the situation. ------

4.15.05. SECOND ARRIVAL: JOANNA AND OTHERS [at Early Dawn] (Luke 24:1-9).

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn ["while still very early"], they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

******* NOTES *******

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 84 4.15.05-A. Time of Arrival. "Early dawn" [orthrou batheo_s] is better translated "while still very early" (Let's guess around 5:30 a.m. [Luke 24:1]). (It does not make a great difference if we switch groups two and three around in the order of arrival.

4.15.05-B. Joanna. I have placed Joanna in this group since she is mentioned only by Luke (Luke 24:10), and we are now studying the arrival of women described by Luke. The only other reference to Joanna in the Scriptures is where Luke describes her as being the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward and being one of the women who financially supported Jesus' ministry and who, occasionally at least, traveled with His group of disciples along with several other women (Luke 8:3).

4.15.05-C. Found ... Did Not Find. The women are astonished by what they found and what they did not find. These women found the stone rolled away from the tomb. My guess is that the stone was not just rolled back up the grove, but "tossed" on the ground a sufficient distance away to surprise them. Elsewhere it is described as "taken away from the tomb" (John 20:1). Instead of leaving immediately as Mary Magdalene did, they entered the tomb. They examined the tomb and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. By saying "body of the Lord Jesus" Luke gives the reader a hint that Jesus is alive (and still Lord).

4.15.05-D. Two Men. It is so obvious that these two men are angels. Why doesn't Luke call them that? After all, he is the one who records the visit of Gabriel to Mary and repeatedly called him an angel (1:26-38). My guess is that the women are so amazed that they did not even try to analyze the "who" and the "how" in this encounter. These men do not call themselves angels.

4.15.05-E. The Angels Witness. "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen." "The Living One" becomes a new title for Jesus Christ. The One who has such a huge capacity for life should not be sought for among the dead. "He has risen" becomes a proclamation of victory.

4.15.05-F. Remember. The angels ask the women to remember that Jesus, on several occasions, predicted His death and resurrection (e.g., Mt 16:21).

4.15.05-G. Reported. The women returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. They spread the word around. ------

4.15.06. THIRD ARRIVAL: MARY THE MOTHER OF JAMES, SALOME, AND OTHERS [When the Sun Had Risen] (Mark 16:2-8; Matthew 28:5-8; note Mark 16:1; Matthew 28:1).

Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed (Mark 16:2-5).

And he said to them, "Do not be amazed [afraid]; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said; behold, {here} is the place where they laid Him. But go quickly, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He has risen from the dead. He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'"

They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid (Mk 16:8).

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.06-A. Time of Arrival. Mark gives us two time markers: Very [G3029, lian] early [G4404, pro_i] and when the sun had risen [anateilantos from G393, anatello_], but neither provide a clear time marker for us. Let's guess it to be around 6:00 a.m.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 85 4.15.06-B. The Stone. The stone is mentioned often in the various Gospels (Mt 27:60; 28:2; Mk 15:46; 16:3, 4; Lk 24:2; Jn 20:1). It is called "large" [G3173, mega] (Mt 27:60) and "extremely [G4970, sphodra] large" (Mk 16:4). The women were concerned about how it could be moved so they could enter the tomb (Mk 16:2). All four writers record that the stone had been removed (Mt 28:2; Mk 16:4; Lk 24:2; Jn 20:1).

4.15.06-C. Young Man. Both Luke and Mark describe the angels as men. But two men appeared to the women at the second arrival. Mark uses "young man" to describe a single angel in this encounter. Luke speaks of "dazzling clothes" while "wearing a white robe" is used by Mark. In the Mark account the young man was inside the tomb, while "stood near them" is Luke's way of describing the position. Also the messages given to the women are different. All these differences support the idea of two separate incidents.

4.15.06-D. He is Not Here; He is Risen. The message "He is not here; He is Risen" is found in Luke, Mark and Matthew. The reason for the empty tomb is clearly stated, and it is given by angels. I get the impression that the heavenly host who announced His arrival (Luke 2:8-14) wanted to be the first to announce His resurrection also. Do you ever wonder about the selection process that decided which angels got the assignments? Personally I wonder why Gabriel didn't make this important announcement (see Luke 1:26-38). On the other hand, I also wonder how many angels were actually involved in this announcement. Maybe God intentionally involved several angels so that there were different ones for each encounter.

4.15.06-E. Disciples and Peter. The angel gives the women a message for His disciples and Peter. Does the special mentioning of Peter mean that he is no longer a disciple? Perhaps Peter is so discouraged that he no longer thinks of himself as a disciple. If that were the case, then he would not think the message is for him. Who knows? One thing we do know is that Jesus wants him back and expects him back (cf. Luke 22:31-32)!

4.15.06-F. The Message. As expected, the message included the announcement that Christ has risen. But it also is a reminder that Jesus had told them that He would go ahead of them to Galilee (Mt 26:32; Mk 14:28).

4.15.06-G. Afraid. Mark uses "trembling" and "astonishment" and "afraid" as well as "fled" and "gripped" to convey the emotional state of these women. It is no wonder that they said nothing to anyone. Matthew appears to disagree, writing that they "departed quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to the disciples" (Mt 28:5). See later for an explanation.

4.15.06-H. End of Mark. It is important to note that the original portion of Mark's Gospel ends here (16:8). Many people think that the original ending of Mark was longer but has been lost. The passage 16:9-20 was added later, and is not included in this study. ------

4.15.07. FOURTH ARRIVAL: PETER AND JOHN (WITH MARY MAGDALENE) (John 20:3-10).

So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face- cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

[Luke's version]. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened (Luke 24:12).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 86 ******* NOTES ******* 4.15.07-A. Time of Arrival. We have no time markers for this arrival, so we must guess. It is possible that Mary Magdalene had trouble getting through the city gates so early in the morning. And it appears that she went first to find Peter (perhaps not easy to do), and after she found him they went together to find John. (There are two places where we are given the possibility that they were at separate places [John 20:2, 10]). Also we are guessing that they arrived after the second and third arrivals examined above. So, let's guess 6:30 a.m. These guesses are not vital to the story at all. Even if these guesses are way off, they do not affect the validity of the accounts.

4.15.07-B. John the Eye-witness. This wonderful account is only found in the Gospel of John. And it is the only place where a visit to the tomb by any male disciple is recorded. However, Luke gives support by the short remark made in another story (Luke 24:12). The details are so clear. It has that "ring of truth" about it. It also is very personal (see below).

4.15.07-C. John First, Peter Second; Peter First, John Second. John outruns Peter and arrives first to the tomb. But Peter is first to enter the tomb. Some people think that John outran Peter because he was younger, but no explanation is given. And we have another question for which there is no clear answer. Why does John wait and let Peter go in first? Was it deference (Peter's age, status)? Was it personality (Peter rushes in, John more thoughtful and hesitant)?

4.15.07-D. Saw. John uses three different Greek words for "saw" in 20:1-8. When both Mary (v.1) and John (v.5) saw [G991, blepo_], it means a normal observation, more or less causally recorded in their consciousness, typically accurate but not complete. When Peter (v.6) saw [theo_rei from G2334, theo_reo_] the grave clothes he was observing carefully seeking to understand what he was seeing. We get our English verb "theorize" from this Greek word which implies that Peter was seeking an explanation for what he saw. The second time John saw [G1491a, eiden from the verb G3708, horao_] it was to perceive, interpret, and understand. We might say "he was able to make sense of what he saw" in modern language usage. Or to express it even simpler terms: first John glanced, then Peter gazed, and finally John grasped.

4.15.07-E. What Peter Saw. "Simon Peter ... saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself" (John 20:6-7). This carefully written description is at the center of the chiastic structure for this passage (John 20:1-18; see 4.15.04-A) and therefore it is very important as a witness to the resurrection. Knowing can be divided into three steps: observation, interpretation, and application. In this account, application must wait for later. John provides interpretation (for himself, not for us!) in the next verse. Peter provides the observation phase in 20:6-7. The linen wrappings (one word) [G3609, othonion] are mentioned three times here (20:5, 6, 7) and once each in Luke 24:12 and John 19:40. In the Luke version, Peter "saw the linen wrappings only" (Lk 24:12), highlighting the most important aspect, i.e., the linen wrappings were there, but there was no body!

4.15.07-F. What John Saw. What is it that John saw that made him believe? And what exactly did he believe at this point? Well, first off, I think we must accept that John is not withholding something from us. So, he saw what Peter saw. But he was able to interpret it. And so should we! Typical of John, he does not make it easy for us. He wants us to ponder, to consider possibilities. It is not important that you get it exactly right. First, we are to see that Mary's too-quick explanation is wrong. People did not come and take the body away. If they had, they would not have taken time to unwrap it. And they certainly would not have left all those expensive spices behind. And even if they did, the linen wrappings would be scattered around in no discernible order. Next, John interpreted the orderliness of the linen wrappings, noting especially the face-cloth ("which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself"). Many people think that it is necessary for us to fully picture what John is describing. I don't think so. If that was necessary, John would have given us more details. What John grasped was that what he was seeing could not have been done by human hands. Both the wrappings and the face-cloth had retained their basic shape enough so as to be discernible. The body simply left without disturbing the wrappings or face-cloth. It had to be a supernatural event.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 87

4.15.07-G. What John Believed. Many scholars are hesitant about accepting that John came to full "resurrection faith" (whatever that means!) at this point, citing the next verse (20:9) as evidence. We do not need to enter into that debate. John "saw and believed" simply means that he grasped the significance of what he saw. Surely we cannot expect him to immediately move on to the application area of his knowing in the few moments he was at the tomb. He saw the evidence in the tomb and believed that Jesus was alive as the result of a supernatural event. One scholar (Michaels) says that John believed at the level of John 14:28-29. Jesus was alive and had gone to the Father.

4.15.07-H. What They Did Not Understand. "For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead" (20:9). This statement does not deny John's belief expressed in v.8. At this point neither Peter nor John had reached the application stage in their knowing. Connecting John's belief with the Scriptures and the teaching of Jesus will take some time of wondering and pondering. Of course, the appearance of Jesus to the disciples later that day will help quite a bit. And Jesus will help them make some of these connections (Lk 24:25-27, 44-47). Other connections must wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church.

4.15.07-I. Separated. "So the disciples went away again to their own homes" (John 20:10). This verse supports the idea expressed above that Mary had to go to two different locations in order to inform both Peter and John.

4.15.07-J. Summary. It is passages such as this one that help us understand why "the disciple whom Jesus loved" never identifies himself as the Apostle John (although the reader is expected to make the connection). He has been chosen by the Holy Spirit to write this Gospel where he is the main character (after Jesus of course). John has accomplished this task with great humility. As a general rule he remains in the background while, over and over again, he brings forward key witnesses, including the woman at the well (John 4), Martha (John 11), and Mary Magdalene (John 20). Nevertheless he must be truthful about himself. But John's ability to move beyond Peter's basic observation into interpretation is stated in a very factual manner. The story is written so as not to display any superiority of John over Peter. In fact, Peter, not John, is at the center of the chiasmus.

In a very low-key way that does not distract from the significant witness of Mary Magdalene, John has provided the two male witnesses as required under the law to establish truth (John 8:17; Deut 19:15; Num 35:30; Deut 17:6; Mt 18:16). ------

4.15.08. FIRST APPEARANCE: TO MARY MAGDALENE [Sunday - ca. 7:00 a.m.] (John 20:11- 17).

But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.08-A. Time. How soon did Mary return to the tomb? Since Peter and John ran to the tomb, it is possible that they had already departed for their return to their residences before she made it back. We do not know. Regardless, it appears that neither Peter nor John shared any insights with her before

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 88 they left. By now it is perhaps 7:00 a.m. Mary appears to be so full of anxiety over the missing body that she is scarcely aware of what is happening. She is incapable of interpreting the information she is receiving.

4.15.08-B. Two Angels. Mary finally stooped and looked into the tomb. "Stooped and looked" (one word) [G3879, parakupto_] when used metaphorically usually means a close examination (cf. James 1:25). When used literally (where stooping is actually necessary) it can be more like the glance she made earlier of the rock taken away (Jn 20:1). The word appears only four times in the NT (John 20:5 [John], 20:11 [Mary]; Lk 24:12 [Peter]; James 1:25). Notice how unaffected she is by the sight of the two angels. When asked why she was weeping, she can only reply with the thought that has possessed her since the moment she saw the stone removed from the tomb ("Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him").

Two angels appeared to one of the groups arriving at the tomb. One angel appeared to the next group at the tomb. Peter and John did not see any angels. Now, perhaps just a few minutes after the men leave, two angels appear to Mary. Is it possible to make any sense to this apparent random "sighting" of angels? Well, first of all, it is important that we recognize that there is nothing illogical here. The way we have analyzed the stories, these appearances are all separate events. So there is no need for reconciliation of the accounts. And as we ponder it, there appears to be some logic here. Two apostles see evidence but no angels. Several women have various stories of encounters with angels but with different details. What God has given is convincing evidence for faith but not compelling evidence for certainty. The band of apostles will hear these various reports and wonder. What they should have done is remember the predictions by Jesus and believed. God is moving them (and us) towards a faith response.

4.15.08-C. Mary Saw. Mary saw [G2334, theo_reo_] angels. She then turned and saw [G2334] Jesus. In both cases she is observing details. But in both cases she is so focused on finding the body of Jesus she is incapable of drawing conclusions. She does not recognize Jesus. At this point Mary becomes a very important witness. Some people who want to deny the resurrection of Jesus have tried to portray Mary as having hallucinations. But experts in hallucinations tell us that they spring from anticipation. And Mary has shown that she did not anticipate seeing her risen Lord. Her responses to the angels and to Jesus show it clearly. Her concern that the body of Jesus was not being cared for properly was so passionate she did not even recognize Jesus.

4.15.08-D. Why are You Weeping? Jesus repeats the question of the angels. The evidence is before her. He is risen. Instead of being so concerned to minister to a dead body ("Whom are you seeking"), she should be rejoicing over a living Lord.

4.15.08-E. Stop Clinging. When Jesus speaks her name, she finally knows who is speaking to her. And she responds with "Rabboni" (my teacher). Jesus immediately charges her to stop clinging to Him. There have been various interpretations to this statement. The one that is probably not correct is that Jesus is referring to her grabbing His feet. As we will see later, the resurrected Jesus allows, even invites, people to touch Him. I think the answer has at least two levels. The most important level is shown by the explanation Jesus gives. He must go to the Father. Things have changed. Similar to the way He attempted to tell the disciples that He is going away, He now tells Mary that their relationship must change. But I think a second level refers to her possessiveness. As a hint to this misguided attitude, note that Mary refers to the body she has been looking for as "my Lord" and "him" (not "it"). This need to take care of Jesus is the same attitude we found in Peter. We are prone to fall into this same way of thinking when we try to defend God against those who would criticize Him or deny Him. God does not want our botched up defense of Him. We must let God be God. When He wants us to speak as a witness, He will let us know. And messenger is exactly what Jesus wants Mary to be now. Jesus sends her to "My brethren" with the same message He gave her.

4.15.08-F. My Brethren. We must not miss the importance of this new role Jesus gives His disciples. They have been His disciples (Mk 16:7), servants and slaves (Mk 10:43-45; Jn 13:14-16; 15:20), and even His friends (John 15:12-14), but now they become His brothers. As a result of His death and

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 89 resurrection, Jesus has made it possible for us to share with Him a family relationship with God ("I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God"). At that moment when I can call Him "My Father" He also becomes "My God" in a true relational sense (Mk 14:36; Rom 8:14-17; Gal 4:6). But we are children of God only because Christ is now our Brother. Of course we must also remember that His relationship with the Father is still different than ours. When Jesus says "My Father" and "My God", it is in a unique sense. Notice how He differentiates ("My" vs. "your"). This new relationship is anticipated in :46-50; 25:40.

4.15.08-G. Ascend to My Father. There has been too much guesswork in the attempts to explain what Jesus meant by ascending to God. The main point is that Jesus is trying to get them to see that He has fulfilled His mission He was sent to do. He returns to the Father. Their relationship has changed.

4.15.08-H. Mary the Messenger. Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her. ------

4.15.09. SECOND APPEARANCE: TO THE OTHER WOMEN (Matthew 28:8-10).

And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me" (Matthew 28:9-10).

And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples (Matthew 28:8).

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.09-A. Luke's Account. According to the way I have divided up the arrivals of women to the tomb, Luke's basic description is that of the second arrival of women (Luke 24:1-8). See my notes at 4.15.03-C and 4:15.05. Luke does not record any encounter of these women with Jesus.

4.15.09-B. Mark's Ending. Mark ends his gospel with the following statement. "They [the women] went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid" (Mark 16:8). One wonders the direction they fled. It is possible that they wandered around for a little while?

4.15.09-C. Matthew's Account. Matthew, who used Mark as a source, saw the need to clarify Mark's abrupt ending, since the women did finally report to the disciples. My guess is that it was their encounter with Jesus that changed their resolve from telling "nothing to anyone" to running to report their experiences to the disciples. Notice that Jesus addresses their fear ("Do not be afraid"), and fear becomes joy. For this reason I moved 28:8 to following 28:10. It is likely that Jesus appeared to these women soon after He appeared to Mary Magdalene.

4.15.09-D. Took Hold of His Feet. Note that Jesus allows these women to take hold His feet. So, the "stop clinging" statement to Mary Magdalene was not referring to being touched by her.

4.15.09-E. Brethren. Again we see the use of the new role (My brethren) for the disciples.

4.15.09-F. Galilee. Jesus repeats the instruction given by the angel for His disciples to leave for Galilee with the promise that He will see them there. The women ran to report to the disciples. ------

4.15.10. THE GUARDS REPORT ALL THAT HAD HAPPENED (Matthew 28:11-15).

Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 90 and stole Him away while we were asleep.' And if this should come to the governor's ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble." And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.10-A. Roman or Jewish Soldiers? Were the soldiers guarding the tomb assigned from Pilate or assigned by the chief priests? It is difficult to determine from the information in this tiny story. And, as I commented earlier, Pilate's answer to their request for soldiers was ambiguous (Mt 27:62-66; see 4.14.08-F). 1. Support for the soldiers being Jewish. They reported to the chief priests, not to Pilate. If the soldiers were Roman and they admitted that they were asleep, they would be severely punished (if not put to death). 2. Roman soldiers. The Jewish leaders had requested soldiers from Pilate. It would not have been necessary for Jewish leaders to give large sums of money to their own soldiers. The threat of punishment and the possibility of being discharged would have been enough to make them play the role of sleeping guards at the tomb. I think that others make too much of the fact that the soldiers reported to the chief priests. That could have been standard procedure whenever Pilate provided the Jewish leaders with soldiers. A strong piece of evidence that favors Roman soldiers is the concern that Pilate will hear about the empty tomb and punish the soldiers. Why would he punish the temple guard? They didn't disobey him (if indeed they were Jewish soldiers).

4.15.10-B. The Obvious Question. When reading this account, many people come up with the obvious question. If the guards were asleep how did they know what took place? So the "evidence" supplied by the soldiers sounds like a really poorly constructed lie. However, it is not easy to come up with a "good" lie (i.e., a better cover-up than the "fell asleep" one!).

4.15.10-C. Covering Up a Lie. When several people are involved in a lie, it becomes very difficult to cover it up. For example, if the disciples really had stolen the body of Jesus, it would have taken quite a few people to steal it, hide it, etc. Somewhere in the days and years following, the truth or at least parts of the truth would surface. Typically one of the "insiders" tells someone else ("but make sure you don't tell anyone") and a truer story begins to spread. With all the persecution of the early church (such as ravaging the church, trying to force people to blaspheme, etc. [Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-2, 13-14, 21; 22:19-20; 26:9-15]), it is almost certain that some (actually many) would chose not to die or even be beaten for a lie.

It would be the same with the soldiers. They could not keep the secret. For example, how would they explain to family and friends the source of the large sum of money? When several soldiers were involved, it is almost certain that one or more would spend the money recklessly. But even more certain, the fear they experienced when the angel removed the stone from the tomb would be whispered to others. In fact, as I said above (4.15.03-B) these soldiers are the witnesses of this event, and Matthew could have gotten his story from one of them. More likely, Matthew got the story from John, who got the story from someone within the high priest's household. Remember, the soldiers told the real story to the Jewish leaders. It is hard to hide a story as exciting as this one! ------

4.15.11. SUMMARY OF REPORTS AND THE REACTION OF THE DISCIPLES (Luke 24:10-11; cf. 22-24).

Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.11-A. Luke 24:12. Luke 24:12 is left out of this account. It reads: "But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened" (Lk 24:12). It is missing in some ancient texts. It appears that it was

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 91 not written by Luke but is a later addition written by someone else as a short summary of John 20:3-10. However, it is a true report. Its placement is especially bad since it confuses the issue by moving an event to the end of Luke's summary, when it belongs in the middle of it.

4.15.11-B. Exciting News From Many Sources. It must have happened just the way God planned it. The Eleven and others were bombarded with reports of events and of messages from angels, even encounters with Jesus. However, Peter and John had returned without seeing any angels. They certainly had not seen Jesus.

4.15.11-C. Nonsense. The Eleven and others evaluated what they were hearing from these excited women in light of the thoughtful report of Peter. (John probably remained silent.) They decided that the report from the women was "nonsense" [G3026, le_ros]. This word is found only here in the NT and is used in medicine to describe the wild talk of delirium resulting from high fever. "Nonsense" or "silly talk" gives its meaning when applied to others.

4.15.11-D. Not Believe. The male disciples would not believe the women. However, this reaction is not just a bias against the testimony of women (which of course it is). It is a refusal to accept something that is "too good to be true" in fear of the disappointment that might follow. It is as God planned. They are given convincing evidence for faith but not compelling evidence for certainty. Followers of Jesus must live a life of faith. If examined carefully, the evidence for Christianity is convincing but not compelling. We must all take seriously Jesus' admonition to Thomas (Jn 20:29). It will be studied later. ------

4.15.12. THIRD APPEARANCE: TO PETER [Sometime before evening on Sunday; location unknown] (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5).

[They were saying,] "The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon" (Luke 24:34). And that He appeared to Cephas (1 Corinthians 15:5).

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.12-A. No Details. It is fascinating that this appearance to Peter (aka, Simon, Cephas) is mentioned twice in the Scripture, both times without any details given. I do not feel that it is appropriate for me to speculate about the "what" and "why" of this encounter. It is logical that Paul (1 Cor 15:5) would have gotten this information from Luke (Lk 24:34), since they spent so much time together. ------

4.15.13. FOURTH APPEARANCE: TO THE TWO ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS [Sunday, probably in the afternoon] (Luke 24:13-35).

And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.

And He said to them, "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?" And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, "Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?"

And He said to them, "What things?" And they said to Him, "The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 92 the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see."

And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over." So He went in to stay with them.

When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?"

And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, "The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon." They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.13-A. Structure. This marvelous story is found only in Luke. Joel B. Green suggests a chiastic structure ("inverted parallelism"). A. The Journey from Jerusalem (24:13-15) B. Appearance, Obstructed Eyes, Lack of Recognition (24:16) C. Interaction (24:17-18) D. Summary of "the things" (24:19-21) E. Empty Tomb and Vision (24:22-23a) F. Jesus is Alive (24:23b) E' Empty Tomb, but No Vision (24:24) D' Interpretation of "the things" (24:25-27) C' Interaction (24:28-30) B' Opened Eyes, Recognition, and Disappearance (24:31-32) A' The Journey to Jerusalem (24:33-35)

But we should see an even wider structure. All these events happened on the third day (first Sunday). Morning: Angels instruct women (24:1-11) Afternoon: Jesus instructs two men on the road to Emmaus (24:13-35) Evening: Jesus instructs His disciples (24:36-49)

Key concepts which tie these three units together include: 1. Predictions made by Jesus (6-7) and Scripture (25-26, 44-46) 2. Christ must suffer (7, 26, 46) 3. Christ will rise again (6, 23, 34, 46) 4. Third day (7, 21, 46).

Earlier I mentioned three stages of knowing (Observation, Interpretation, Application). These stages should not be given undue importance; they are just some helpful tools. However, what we see happening in Luke 24 is God trying to move the disciples through these three stages. Jesus has predicted His suffering, death, and resurrection (24:6-7). He shows them that Scripture also predicted these things (24:25-26; 44-46). To arrive at Application they must now see that it was necessary (24:26) for "these things" to happen so that "repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name" (24:47).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 93

These three units combine to teach a principle of biblical interpretation. Jesus said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled" (Lk 24:44). By including all three major sections of the Jewish Scriptures, Jesus is saying that all the OT teaches us about Christ. But the OT can only be interpreted properly when we have the NT story of Christ and when we allow Christ (through the Holy Spirit) to explain it to us. The Old Covenant anticipates the New Covenant. The New Covenant explains the Old Covenant. The Old foreshadows; the New fulfills. The Old prepares; the New completes.

4.15.13-B. No Recognition. The eyes of the two men were prevented from recognizing Him. Jesus wanted to explain the Scriptures to them without them being emotionally overwhelmed by seeing the Resurrected Christ. Note the irony in the response ("Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?"). The truth is that Jesus was the only one who was totally aware of both events and their meaning.

4.15.13-C. Who is Jesus? As a result of the crucifixion of Jesus, these men no longer know how to describe Jesus. He "was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people" (Lk 24:19). "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel" (Lk 24:21). In other words they thought Jesus was the Messiah and that He would redeem Israel (i.e., free Israel from it's bondage to Rome). But now that He was dead, what were they to think? They needed to understand that Jesus did come to redeem Israel (and all the world) from their sins (not from the Romans). In order to do this He must suffer and die. "Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?" (Lk 24:26).

4.15.13-D. Scriptures Explained. They had heard that He was alive (Lk 24:23), but had not made the connections. So Jesus explains the Scriptures to them. "Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures" (Lk 24:27). "Foolish" [G453, anoe_tos] does not mean moronic [G3474, mo_ros] but slow to understand. It is found six times in the NT (Lk 24:25; (Rom 1:14; Gal 3:1, 3; 1 Tim 6:9; Titus 3:3).

4.15.13-E. Table Fellowship. By reclining, blessing the bread, breaking the bread, and giving it to them, Jesus illustrates the new Life they will have with Him. It is in this scene that He allows them to recognize Him.

4.15.13-F. Revelation. Evaluating what they had just experienced, they realized that the Holy Spirit had taken the Scriptures and the explanation by Jesus and brought revelation to them. "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?" (Lk 24:32).

4.15.13-G. Confirmation. They return to Jerusalem and to the Eleven and others. Before they can tell their story, they are told that "the Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon" (Lk 24:34). They then "relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread" (Lk 24:35). ------

4.15.14. FIFTH APPEARANCE: TO THE APOSTLES AND OTHERS -- THOMAS BEING ABSENT [First Sunday Evening] (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23).

While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst (Luke 24:36).

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you" (John 20:19).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 94 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when He had said this, He showed them His hands, [side,] and His feet (Luke 24:37-40; cf. John 20:20a).

While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them (Luke 24:41-43).

The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained" (John 20:20b-23).

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.14-A. Events Moving Rapidly. Cleopas and his companion rushed back to tell the Eleven that they had seen Jesus. Before they can tell their story, they are told that "the Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon" (Lk 24:34). As they were telling their story (Lk 24:35), He Himself [Jesus] stood in their midst (Luke 24:36). "He Himself" is emphatic.

4.15.14-B. Startled and Frightened. We need to back up a little bit. At the beginning of this day, it appears that the disciples were scattered about in different locations. (For example, as mentioned above, Peter and John came from and returned to two different locations.) As a result of various reports from the women and Peter, the Eleven and other disciples probably have gathered secretly and fearfully behind locked doors to discuss these (seemingly conflicting) reports. Even if they (in some measure) believed that Jesus was alive, they were not expecting to see Him tonight. Perhaps He was with the Father (John 20:17) or in Galilee (Mt 28:7; Mk 16:7), but surely not here. The expression "stood in their midst" (Lk 24:36; Jn 20:19) is probably intended to convey a suddenness that would frighten them. Perhaps Cleopas had just finished telling them that Jesus had "vanished from their sight" (Lk 24:31). Now He suddenly is standing among them. There appears to be a clear intent to frighten them. (For example, the locked door had not stopped Him.) Their fear heightens the realization of their lack of faith. They should have expected His coming! Nevertheless, Jesus immediately attempts to calm their fears ("Peace be with you").

4.15.14-C. Alive and Risen. They thought they were seeing a spirit without a body. Being disciples of Jesus they must have believed in life after death. But none of us know a lot about the little details of what that means. Paul does provide some help regarding spiritual bodies (1 Cor 15). That Jesus is both alive and risen is a shock to the disciples. Jesus tells them that they should not be troubled and have doubts.

4.15.14-D. I Myself. Jesus emphatically identifies Himself [hoti ego_ heimi autos "that I am myself"]. He tells them to look at His hands, feet, and side. They are encouraged to touch Him. When they were still doubting (but now with joy and amazement), He eats some fish while they watched. Finally they are convinced.

4.15.14-E. Commissioned. Christ has completed His earthly ministry. He now hands the continuation of His overall ministry to the church. If we can see what is given here in John 20:21-23 as directed to the church and not to individuals, then it will be easier to understand. "Peace to you" is given twice. The purpose of the first "peace" was to quiet their fearful hearts. But this second one encompasses the full meaning of the Hebrew word for peace [H7965, shalom]. Here it basically refers to communal well-being. But as part of the commission, Jesus offers them the fullest, richest way of life possible. In a way that is parallel to the Father sending His Son on His earthly mission, the church is being sent [perfect tense] to continue it. There can be no greater gift of peace (well-being) than that.

Next, Jesus breathed in (not "on them"). Breath represents Life. The church will not just have the well-being of a life and ministry that parallels that of Jesus, they will have His resurrected life as well.

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 95 Here Life has both dimensions of the communal life of the church being a taste of the life within the Trinity and the eternal life the individuals experience as being a part of this fellowship with Father, Son, and community. Eternal Life is "the life of the age to come", so it too is just a taste of the greater life awaiting us.

Finally, the Holy Spirit is given to the church. The church becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:11-22). (Note the emphasis on peace in the Ephesian passage.)

4.15.14-F. Forgiveness of Sin. Here is not the place to enter into the theological discussion of the meaning of this passage. Let's keep with the wider meaning. For the first time in all of history, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is now possible for sins to be fully forgiven. Before this time, forgiveness was based on the anticipation of this event. The church now has the task of proclaiming this possibility. Note, for example, the way Luke records the commission: "... that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem" (Lk 24:47). John extends this concept. With the receiving of the Holy Spirit, the church now participates in the actual forgiveness, remembering, of course, that it is only Christ, through the Holy Spirit who forgives. I think we should seriously consider that this is the greater work that the church will do that Jesus could not do until He died to make it possible. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater {works} than these he will do; because I go to the Father" (John 14:12). Forgiveness is one of the unique aspects of the New Covenant ("for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more" [Jer 31:34]). ------

4.15.15. SIXTH APPEARANCE: TO THE DISCIPLES (INCLUDING THOMAS) [The Next Sunday Night] (John 20:24-29).

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."

Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."

Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.15-A. Thomas. Thomas is identified as "one of the twelve" and called "Didymus" ["Twin"]. Members of the Twelve are rarely mentioned by name in John's Gospel. Thomas has the distinction of being named several times (11:16; 14:5; 20:24-28; 21:2).

4.15.15-B. The Crucifixion. Earlier I suggested that Thomas witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus (4.14.05-B). I did it from the way he describes the wounds here in this account as well as his absence at that first Sunday evening gathering. It may be that the shock of seeing Jesus die such a cruel death made him seek solitude.

4.15.15-C. After Eight Days. Most people agree that this expression refers to the following Sunday. Jesus appears in the same manner He appears the previous Sunday. In fact the wording is almost exactly repeated ("the doors having been shut", "stood in their midst", "Peace be with you").

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 96

4.15.15-D. Thomas Challenged. Jesus repeats Thomas's words back to him along with an admonition ("do not be unbelieving, but believing").

4.15.15-E. Response. Thomas does not need to apply the tests he demanded. He immediately responds with worship ("My Lord and my God!"). And Jesus accepts his worship and his declaration. As John closes out this major portion of his Gospel, he wants Thomas to speak for all of the Eleven - indeed for all of us.

4.15.15-F. A Better Response. There is a better response than the one by Thomas. Jesus says, "Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed" (John 20:29). Jesus is going away. If people are to believe in Him, they will need to do it without the "seeing" available to Thomas.

4.15.15-G. Purpose of the Book. John sees this as an excellent time to provide the purpose of the book. He expects people to read it and believe. This book provides all the convincing evidence needed for belief. "Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:30-31). Of course, the Holy Spirit who inspired this book must also illuminate it for the reader before faith is possible. ------

4.15.16. SEVENTH APPEARANCE: BESIDE THE (John 21:1-25).

After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way.

Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught." Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord.

Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.

So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love [G25, agapao_] Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know [G3609a, oida] that I love [G5368, phileo_] You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs." He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love [G25, agapao_] Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know [G3609a, oida] that I love [G5368, phileo_] You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love [G5368, phileo_] Me?" Peter was grieved

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 97 because He said to him the third time, "Do you love [G5368, phileo_] Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know [G3609a, oida] all things; You know [G1097, gino_sko_] that I love [G5368, phileo_] You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!"

Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!"

Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?" This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.16-A. Connection to John 20. It is difficult to simply tell the story given in this chapter without getting involved in all the scholarly debate surrounding it. Chapter 20 of John is a well-defined section consisting of three units. It closes with a clearly stated purpose for the entire letter. Many scholars wonder why we are given another chapter. However, this chapter's beginning shows a strong connection to the previous chapter ("After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples"). Can we discover what it is that still needed to be written? Well, to begin with, the word "manifested" [G5319, phaneroo_] is important. It is John's favorite word to use when he writes about Christ's first and second coming (John 1:31; 2:11; 17:6; 21:1, 1, 14; 1 John 1:2; 2:28; 3:2, 5, 8; 4:9). The focus is on revelation. So what is it that Jesus still wants to reveal about Himself to His disciples ("and He manifested Himself in this way")?

4.15.16-B. Sea of Tiberias. Tiberias is another name for the Sea of Galilee which means that the disciples had returned to Galilee as instructed.

4.15.16-C. Seven Disciples. John lists seven disciples as participants in this story, but does not name two of them. It is possible that he is matching (as much as possible) the seven witnesses from the early chapters of the book. If so, then the two unnamed disciples are not Philip (1:43-45) and Andrew (1:40; cf. 6:7-9; 12:21-22). Thomas is mentioned since he is a key witness from the previous account. We might ask (to no avail) about the missing four disciples. We are told neither why they are not here nor why it is that Jesus is content to make this manifestation without all being present. It is interesting that the expression "sons of Zebedee" [James and John] appears for the first and only time in this Gospel here in the last chapter.

4.15.16-D. Fishing. Simon Peter declares that he is going fishing. The others decide to go with him. "The boat" is mentioned (not "a boat") probably to indicate that it is Peter's boat (or perhaps, but less likely, one of Zebedee's boats). The results? "That night they caught nothing." It appears that we are supposed to compare this story with the one in Luke. Again, we see that John expects us to know the other Gospels. Here we see the value of producing a Combined Gospel.

When Andrew introduced his brother Simon to Jesus, Jesus gave Simon a new name (Cephas/Peter) which established their initial relationship (John 1:40-41). Soon after, Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James, and John to become "" and "they left their nets and followed Him" (Mk 1:16-20 = Mt 4:18-22). However, later we find that the four had returned to fishing, so Jesus calls them a second (or third?) time to service (Luke 5:2-11). So here again following the resurrection and the commissioning (John 20:21-23), Jesus finds Peter and the sons of Zebedee fishing. (Remember this is

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 98 the only time the designation "sons of Zebedee" is used in John's Gospel.) As with the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry, Peter is again frustrated with what is happening. Peter still wants the kingdom to be the way he pictures it. (He does not appear to be very interested in the ministry of bringing forgiveness to others [Jn 20:22-23].) He wants action. He would love for Jesus to come in power and overthrow evil people and governments. He wants immediate visual results. So he returns to something familiar where he knows he can get results (fishing). But, in parallel with the account in Luke (5:5), he catches no fish! Also, in parallel with their former encounter, Jesus tells the "expert" fisherman how to fish. And both times many fish are caught (Lk 5:6-7; Jn 21:6).

4.15.16-E. Children. Jesus uses a Greek word [G3813, paidion] for "young child", the diminutive of "child" [G3816, pais]. Following the resurrection, Jesus gave his disciples a new name (His brothers/sisters) establishing a new relatedness to the Father through Jesus. Because we are a sibling of Jesus we are now the children [G5043, teknon] of God. At this point He gives them/us another new name. This time the word "children" [G3813, paidion] is not focused on the privilege of the relatedness, but on the responsibility (cf. 1 Jn 2:13, 18). We are expected to be humble and eager learners as is typical of a young child. And Jesus tells us that such a young child is actually the greatest in the kingdom. "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, 'Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, 'Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children [G3813, paidion], you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven'" (Mt 18:1-4). Read Mark 10:13-15 and Luke 18:15-17.

4.15.16-F. Jesus is Recognized. John speaks up ("It is the Lord"). We are left to conjecture what happened to make him recognize Jesus. For example, maybe he remembers the earlier large catch of fish. Peter immediately leaves the boat to see Jesus. The others are left with the task of dragging the net with the fish towards shore. Look for the little details that suggest the writer is an eye-witness, such as Peter putting on his outer garment, a charcoal fire, fish and bread, counting 153 fish. (Does John want us to connect this charcoal fire with the time Peter sat around a charcoal fire denying his Lord?) When Jesus tells them to bring some of their fish, Peter goes and drags the net of fish up onto the land.

4.15.16-G. 153 Large Fish. Many people have puzzled over this information. In this situation, why would anyone count the fish? Who did it? Does the number have any significance? As far as I know, these questions remained unanswered in any significant way. Of course, the number has intrigued many scholars over the centuries. Many are convinced that there is some symbolic significance, but none has been found. (At least none that have satisfied me.) Instead of chasing after symbolic numbers, perhaps we would find more significance if we concentrated on the first two questions and not on the third. Remember, the sons of Zebedee were fisherman. And fisherman count fish, especially large fish.

4.15.16-H. Breakfast With Jesus. Again, we see table-fellowship as a promise of the ongoing life of the New Covenant. In the opening verses of the First Epistle, John will align Eternal Life with Fellowship. "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life -- and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us -- what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:1-3).

But the disciples are full of awe. They are not ready for intimate fellowship. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord. Only the gift of the Holy Spirit can make the desired fellowship possible.

4.15.16-I. Jesus Questions Peter. John want us to picture Jesus and the disciples continuing to sit around the charcoal fire following breakfast, but not with a relaxed atmosphere. Jesus breaks this

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 99 uneasy silence with three questions for Peter. Many scholars suggest that these three question are intended to parallel the three denials Peter made earlier around another charcoal fire (Jn 18:17-18, 25- 27). These scholars see these almost formal proceedings as a restoration of Peter back into this special set of disciples (the Twelve Apostles).

There has been lots of scholarly discussion regarding the use of two different Greek words for love. The more common word for love [G5368, phileo_] is used for the love among family and friends and is mostly focused on the affections (often translated "brotherly love"). The NT typically makes special use of the other word for love [G25, agapao_] as being the love God has for us and the love Christians should have for each other. It is more focused on the will and emphasizes love as a choice. Peter uses the first one [phileo_] in all his answers. Jesus use the second one [agapao_] in His first two questions and the first one [phileo_] in His third question. There can be no certainty that the use of different Greek words for love in this passage in significant. The majority of scholars today, after careful examination, have chosen the view that the use of two different verbs for love is simply for variety. And these scholars have some good points in their favor. For example, the original conversation between Jesus and Peter was probably in Aramaic, not Greek. But I think it is best to reserve judgment. We are not talking simply about human limitations and human choices. We cannot leave out the guidance of the Holy Spirit on the final product.

Peter loved Jesus deeply, but it was basically an affectionate love, not a fully committed love. Or, maybe I should say it another way. Peter was committed to Jesus as a person, but was not committed to His mission. On at least two occasions (Mt 16:21-23; Jn 18:10-11), Peter showed his unwillingness to support Christ's mission. Jesus was declaring that Peter could not have Jesus as a Friend unless He is also His Lord. Peter's denials actually demonstrated this truth. We can only be a friend to Jesus if we do what He commands (Jn 15:14). It is not enough to love God with our affection, we must be committed to the work of the kingdom of God.

Is it possible to learn something from this conversation without the need to resolve the problem of the use of two different words for love? Yes, I think it is possible. But in doing so, I want to sidestep another question. Is this commissioning solely for Peter or is it for others as well? That debate must be for another time.

In all three questions, Jesus addresses Peter as "Simon, son of John" which returns him to the status he had when they first met (John 1:42). During that encounter, Jesus said, "You shall be called Cephas/Peter" (the name means "Rock"). But it is clear that the day has not yet arrived. He has shown that the name "Rock" does not fit him! Jesus challenges ("Do you love Me more than these?") Peter's earlier claims: "{Even} though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away" (Mt 26:33; Mk 14:29-31; Jn 13:37). But that claim had to do with loyalty not with love. So Jesus has changed the focus without Peter realizing it. Peter leaves off the "more than these" in his response, but still confidently claims to love Jesus. It is highly doubtful that Peter understood what was happening in this first exchange. Jesus is trying to get Peter to refocus his "love" for Jesus. "Tend my lambs" becomes a New Covenant expression of our love for Jesus. The word "lambs" [G721b, arnion] (actually "little lambs") probably refers to the new converts resulting from the earlier commissioning regarding the forgiveness of sins (John 20:21-23). Jesus' command ("Shepherd my sheep") following the second question may be a little different with a focus on leadership. These expressions of love with the church are actions requiring both commitment and affection. This may be why John uses two different words for love. In order for Simon to becomes Peter, he must live out this new love commandment.

This new commandment (cf. John 13:34-35) will require a radical refocusing for Peter. Look at the example of the present focus. He left the others behind to drag in the nets, while he went ahead to "love" Jesus. He should have stayed with them and helped. Jesus is now telling him, that his love for God must be expressed in loving fellow believers. It appears that he learned this lesson, since he states it clearly in one of the epistles. "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren [G5368, phileo_], fervently love [G25, agapao_] one another from the heart" (1 Peter 1:22).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 100 4.15.16-J. The Way Peter Will Die. Jesus described His role as the good shepherd in the following ways. "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (John 10:11; cf. 10:15). "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father" (John 10:17-18). Peter, as shepherd, will lose his life, but he does not have the right to give his life.

There is an important concept here. We are to love as Jesus loved. It must be a sacrificial love. But God supplies the love, not us. Therefore there can be no glory for us in this sacrificial loving of the brethren. Peter's great desire to perform heroic acts must be put aside. He cannot give his life. However, by having a life focused in loving others, his life may be taken away from him. No glory for you, Peter ("someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go"). All glory belongs to God ("Now this He [Jesus] said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God"). He must learn what "Follow Me!" means. There was a sad period in the history of the Christian church where people chose martyrdom for the glory it gave them to die for Christ. Such actions are contrary to the principle taught here.

As usual, Peter overreacts. If he has to die in such an undesirable way, why shouldn't John have to die in like manner. Jesus tells him to stop trying to manipulate outcomes, and repeats the "follow me" command. ------

4.15.17. EIGHTH APPEARANCE: TO MORE THAN 500 DISCIPLES (1 Corinthians 15:6; Matthew 28:16-20).

After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:6).

But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful (Matthew 28:16-17).

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20).

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.17-A. Matching Events. This event is hard to identify with any great certainty. For those of us who attempt a chronological gospel story it is common to pair the event mentioned by Paul in First Corinthians with the event that closes out the Gospel of Matthew. If so, then that affects the way we interpret the Matthew passage. A number of scholars want to deal with the Matthew passage separately from other accounts. But I think it best to place it in the context of all the NT. For example, why were the seven disciples fishing (see the previous passage from John)? The easy answer is that they traveled to Galilee for the scheduled meeting with Jesus. They probably arrived back in Galilee early and, while they waited for the meeting date, they perhaps were earning money for their various families by fishing.

4.15.17-B. Galilee. Before His death, Jesus told the disciples to go to Galilee (Mt 26:32 = Mk 14:28). Following His resurrection an angel told the women to remind them (Mt 28:7 = Mk 16:7). Jesus also gave the message to some women to pass on to them (Mt 28:10). Don't we need to ask the obvious question? If Jesus had already appeared to the Eleven (and others) in Jerusalem (Lk 24:36-43; John 20:19-25), and the Ascension will take place in Jerusalem (Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-12), why did they need to go to Galilee and then back to Jerusalem for the Ascension? If the few words we have in Matthew 28:16-20 were intended only for the ears of the Eleven, they could have been said in Jerusalem. The very probable answer to our obvious question is that the words in Matthew 28:16-20 were intended for the "more than five hundred brethren" (1 Cor 15:6). When the Passover Week was

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 101 over, people returned home. The vast majority of loyal supporters of Jesus were from Galilee. These supporters are the ones to receive the .

4.15.17-C. Worship vs. Doubtful. When Jesus arrived in Galilee many of the "more than 500 disciples" worship Him. Without waiting for answers to difficult theological questions, they simply knew that worshiping Jesus was the right thing to do. Others were "doubtful" [G1365b, distazo_]. This word is found only here and at Mt 14:31. Several scholars suggest that "hesitant" would be a better translation here to avoid thinking that unbelief is what is being described. As much as some might wish that Matthew had left out the fact that some were doubtful/hesitant, it gives a touch of realism to the story. For many people, the moment of faith is obvious, similar to the turning on of a light bulb. For others, the coming of faith takes time, similar to the gradual awareness on a cloudy day that darkness has become light. Others need resolution of apparent contradictions. And, perhaps, many other reasons.

4.15.17-D. Importance. Matthew heightens the importance of the Great Commission by using three verbs instead of one ("And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying").

4.15.17-E. Daniel's Son of Man. Jesus has used Daniel 7:13-14 several times in an attempt to challenge people to accept His unique status (Mt 16:27-28; 19:28; 24:30-31; 25:31-34; 26:64). He comes close to actually quoting from it here. Perhaps, such a reference will help those who are doubtful/hesitant. It certainly has helped the church down through the following centuries. "I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and {men of every} language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:13-14). As a result of Jesus "becoming obedient to the point of death" (Phil 2:8), He now has all authority ("All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth"). From this authority base, Jesus now commissions His church to carry out the mission He has made possible through His death and resurrection.

4.15.17-F. Universal and Local. This Great Commission is both universal and local in scope. The mission is to "all the nations" (universal). But disciples must be taught "to observe all that I commanded you" (local). This command to teach disciples is not just learning what Jesus taught; it is observing [doing!] all that He commanded. Such hands-on instruction can only be done in a local community of believers.

4.15.17-G. Make Disciples. "Make disciple" is the main imperative verb here. This command is then divided into two tasks. But the entire Great Commission also includes a promise. Structurally it might be represented in this fashion.

A. Command: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, B. Task-1: baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, B' Task-2: teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; A' Promise: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

The purpose of our study does not include the development of the doctrines involved in the Great Commission (e.g., evangelism, salvation, baptism, church). In fact, it was not the purpose of Jesus when He gave this very concise commission to His church. It was left up to the early church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to work out the details of the Great Commission. These details are found scattered throughout the remainder of the NT.

It might be valuable to briefly compare the three commissions Jesus gave the church following His resurrection. We have already studied the one given to the disciple that first Sunday evening (John 20:21-23; see 4.15.14-E/F). The one in Luke has not yet been studied since it is given near the time of the Ascension (Lk 24:46-47).

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 102 Both the accounts in John and Luke emphasize the forgiveness of sin, which the Matthew account would include in the broader category of baptism.

All three include a promise of Presence. Jesus in the Matthew account speaks of His own personal presence. The other two accounts mention the presence of the Holy Spirit.

In John, foundational concepts without details are emphasized. In Luke, the focus is on the initial task of evangelizing the nations. In Matthew we are given a very concise, yet still much more comprehensive view of the tasks of the church. The rest of the NT fills out the details. ------

4.15.18. NINTH APPEARANCE: TO JAMES (1 Corinthians 15:7a).

Then He appeared to James (1 Corinthians 15:7a).

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.18-A. Only Source. Paul is the only NT source for this appearance to James the brother of Jesus. James later became the head of the Jerusalem church, and he is mentioned a number of times in the book of Acts. Perhaps this private meeting with Jesus had some influence on James' role as leader in Jerusalem. ------

4.15.19. TENTH APPEARANCE (THE ASCENSION): TO ALL THE APOSTLES [in Jerusalem, ten days before Pentecost] (Luke 24:44-53; 1 Corinthians 15:7b; cf. Acts 1:2-12).

... then [He appeared] to all the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:7b).

Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:44-49).

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven (Luke 24:50-51).

And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God (Luke 24:52-53)

******* NOTES ******* 4.15.19-A. Acts 1:1-12. Luke parallels this material with a more expanded version in his introduction in the book of Acts. That section of Acts will not be included here, although it may be referred to occasionally. For example, in Acts we learn that Jesus appeared several times in addition to the ones we have listed so far. "To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:1-3).

4.15.19-B. Encouraging Words. "Events have happened just as I said they would" is what Jesus is basically saying to them. Not only that, but what has happened is consistent with the things written about Christ in the OT. (The three major sections of the OT are all included.) And there is even more. All things written about Christ must be fulfilled. (There is still more to come!) The disciples should be excited and encouraged. And so should we!

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 103 4.15.19-C. Opened Their Minds. Earlier Jesus explained the Scripture to the two men on the Emmaus Road. "Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures" (Luke 24:27). Here "He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45). Over the years people have asked me to give them some OT passages so they can show Jewish friends that they are wrong. It just does not work that way. Again and again, Paul experienced the frustration of trying to convince the Jews about Jesus from their Scriptures. There are basic requirements. There must be a mind that is willing to be opened. But there also must be a divine opening of the mind. For the follower of Jesus who has discovered the Holy Spirit as a teacher, then the foreshadowing of the New Covenant is found often in the Old Covenant. But what is found is not compelling evidence to use in a debate. Instead, we find hope - hope to persevere! "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 15:4-6).

4.15.19-D. The Already. Jesus reminds them of what has already happened (i.e., Scripture already fulfilled). "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day."

4.15.19-E. The Not Yet. Now Jesus tells them of two predictions from the Scripture yet to be fulfilled. And they will be involved in both of them! 1. "Repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things" (Luke 24:47-48). 2. "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). These predictions point ahead to the book of Acts.

4.15.19-F. The Ascension. The group of disciples who had gathered for this last commissioning now are led by Jesus out of Jerusalem in the direction of Bethany. (Perhaps many of the 120 mentioned in Acts 1:15 were present.) The Ascension actually took place from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:12) which means that they did not go all the way to Bethany. (More details of the Ascension are given in the opening chapter of Acts.) At that point, Jesus lifted up His hands and blessed them. Blessing loved ones left behind is an important part of leaving. For example, see the departure of Isaac (Gen 27), Jacob (Gen 49) and Moses (Dt 33). The actual Ascension is described simply ("He parted from them and was carried up into heaven"). The expanded account in Acts includes a message from two angels (Acts 1:9-11).

Worship is briefly mentioned ("after worshiping Him"). Whatever else was included in this act of worship, it must have been a time of praise. Why? Because they returned to the city with great joy, and joy and praise typically go together.

As instructed, they returned to Jerusalem to wait to be "clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:48). Two major activities during this waiting period were "continually praising God in the temple" (Luke 24:53) and "continually devoting themselves to prayer" (Acts 1:14). ------

4.15.20. ELEVENTH APPEARANCE: TO PAUL (SAUL) (1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:8; cf. Acts 9:3-8; 22:6-11; 26:12-18).

And last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me [Paul] also (1 Corinthians 15:8).

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? (1 Corinthians 9:1).

******* NOTES *******

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 104 4.15.20-A. Jesus Appears to Paul. This appearance is listed here so that all the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus mentioned in First Corinthians 15 are included. Since this appearance is not in the four Gospel accounts, it will not be discussed. References to this appearance include Acts 9:3-8; 22:6-11; 26:12-18. ------

BB7124 (4-20-2017): Lee Brown's Notes on the Bible: Combined Gospel (Part 4), page 105