I start each year by reading through the gospels chronologically. Funny… since I tend to write fiction that alternates between points of view, it somehow strikes a chord with me when I read the Bible in the same way.
And it just so happens—okay, maybe it was a little deliberate—that my reading program this week has me at the climax of the Gospel story, in the final days before the Cross. I managed to land this morning on Yeshua’s heart-wrenching Last Supper with His disciples, followed by Gethsemane.
So I’ve spent the past days reading the very last lessons our Lord imparted, both to the crowds that thronged Jerusalem and to His disciples. The things He most longed for them to remember.
Famous Last Words
The disciples were His principal audience during those last days. But they weren’t His only audience.
During the time of the Temple in Jerusalem, it was customary [for each family] to obtain the Korban Pesach [Passover lamb] four days before Passover so that worshippers could make sure that their lambs had no blemishes which would preclude them from being offered as sacrifices. This was done to fulfill the instructions given in Exodus 12 that the lamb for Passover be "without spot or blemish." Interestingly, this period of time allowed time for each family to become personally attached to their lamb, so that it would no longer simply be “a lamb" (Exod. 12:3) but rather “their lamb" (Exod. 12:5).
Isn’t it fascinating that Yeshua—the “one sacrifice for sins for all time” (Heb 10:12)—made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem five days before the Passover (John 12:1, 12)? He spent those final days on display before the crowds in the Temple courts, undergoing a thorough cross-examination by His nemesis: the religious leaders of the day.
Over the course of these days Yeshua was thoroughly "inspected" by the kohanim [priests] but was found to be tam (תָּם)—without spot or blemish.
Words to Live By
What exactly did Yeshua convey to the crowds, while He was displaying Himself as their spotless Lamb of God?
And what were the parting lessons He worked so hard to plant in His disciples’ minds?
For me, at least, a few themes jump out.
An Unapologetic War on Empty Religious Orthodoxy
Upon entering Jerusalem, Yeshua immediately went to the Temple and drove out all who sold there, overturning the tables of the "moneychangers" and the seats of those who sold pigeons (Matt. 21:12)…. In Mark's account… Yeshua actually stopped the “carrying of the ritual vessels”—meaning He LITERALLY stopped the sacrifices of Israel. Mark 11:16 states: “And he would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the Temple.” Despite performing miraculous works of healing in the Temple that day—including opening the eyes of the blind and causing the disabled to walk—the kohanim (chief priests) and soferim (scribes) were "indignant" at His actions and therefore sought to put Him to death….
What a scene! But the war only escalated from there. His rhetoric was fiercely pointed.
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. (Matt 21:45)
His adversaries spent long hours aiming cleverly-composed questions at Him, hoping they could catch Him in a trap and either discredit or frame Him. But He stumped them all, until ultimately “…nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.” (Matt 22:46)
Over the next two days, Yeshua was accosted by various priests, scribes, Pharisees, etc.—the whole religious establishment—which culminated in His denunciation of them…
His final public discourse—the last words we see Him direct at the crowds—are the “eight woes” of Matt 23, where He pegs the religious leadership as “blind guides,” “hypocrites” and “white-washed tombs.” I guess those are fighting words!
That’s where He left it. That’s the last they heard from Him until they saw Him, beaten and bloodied, on display before Pontius Pilate on his judgment seat.
And maybe that last smack-down on the very people who displayed the most religiosity in that day might give us a little pause, as well.
Preparing His Closest Friends for the Many Shocks to Come
I’ve written at more length about this here, but Yeshua spent much of those last days with his disciples doing His utmost to cushion them from the unfathomable shocks the coming days would have in store.
Lost sheep (and heartbroken disciples) don’t need a twelve-point sermon. The message here wasn’t complex or elaborate. They need something simple. Something REAL to trust….
The followers who just wanted their bellies filled fell away when the message got tougher, leaving only those who sought the “words of eternal life” (John 6:66-68). At the Last Supper only Yeshua’s inner circle remained. And they stood on the eve of events that would rock the world.
There, too, the message was simple—although it befuddled the disciples because it defied their expectations.
“Where I am going, you cannot come.” (John 13:33)
Things were going to look grim—desperately grim. But all would soon be well.
“You cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later…. Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places… I go to prepare a place for you…. 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.” (John 14:1-6)
What did those heartbroken and bewildered sheep need in that moment?… They needed to know the Way, the Truth, the Life, and to cling to Him!
“I Go to Prepare a Place”
Revisiting the events from the Triumphal Entry to the Last Supper, something a little different struck me this time. Yes, Yeshua declaimed the Eight Woes on His bitter adversaries. And yes, He reminded His dearest friends that they were meant to live in faith, love and service at the Last Supper. But a big part of cushioning the blow from His coming departure was assuring them that…
He. Will. Come. Again.
The Eight Woes of Matt 23 were an essential message to leave the world with. But so was the Olivet Discourse of Matt 24-25, Luke 21, and Mark 13.
For me, Luke’s version has a special to-the-point resonance. Yeshua speaking:
“And they [the Jewish people] will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:24-28)
The first verse gives you the eviction of the Jews under Hadrian in ~135 A.D., and the 1800-year Jewish diaspora, in a single sweeping sentence! Then the context jumps to the end of the Age of the Gentiles (Church Age).
Q. When are we supposed to lift up our heads?
A. When these things begin to take place.
Q. What is the event that precedes the miraculous signs?
A. The fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles, i.e., Jerusalem no longer “trampled under foot” by the nations.
I think you have to argue that time is now! Since 1967, the Jewish state has controlled Jerusalem.
Tellingly, right after discussing the miraculous signs that will accompany His second coming, Yeshua moves straight to the parable of the fig tree—a powerful symbol of the rebirth of Israel, which we’ve seen in our day.
(For a deeper dive into why I believe that’s so, see the “Hoofbeats in the Clouds” section here.)
Then Yeshua repeats the admonition.
“When you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.” (Luke 21:31)
Take comfort, friends. It is near indeed!
And He didn’t just say that on the Mount of Olives. It’s a theme He came back to again and again in those final days and hours.
Surely one of the most comforting promises in the entire Bible, for all millennia, is this one from the Last Supper:
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be.” (John 14:1-3)
Even in the very midst of establishing communion—as in, “do this in remembrance of me”—Yeshua gave the point repeated emphasis:
And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” (Luke 22:16-18)
So why do we so often remember the other bits, but forget about that one?
By the way, if you haven’t heard this before, there’s a beautiful aspect to Yeshua’s language when He instituted communion. He uses Jewish wedding language! Bringing the bride to His father’s house, where there will be a special place built for her—that’s about ancient Jewish marriage practices.
Also, in Matthew, “This is My blood of the covenant…” Yeshua’s phrase here reflects a Jewish bridegroom offering the Betrothal Cup to His prospective bride. “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.” Yeshua alludes here to the Wedding Cup, which He will drink with His bride at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Matt 26:28-29). And, there’s an allusion to the second coming again!
(You’ll find a deeper dive on the Jewish wedding topic here, under the subhead “Two Phases to the Wedding Process in Ancient Israel.” If you haven’t heard about this before I assure you it will bless you!)
Behold the Lamb of God
Many, many more things could be said about the significance of Yeshua as the Passover Sacrifice, the Lamb of God. But I’ll close with just this:
…The Torah refers to “Lamb of God,” as if there was only one: “You shall keep it [i.e., the Passover lamb] until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter him (אתוֹ) at twilight (Exod. 12:6).” Note that the direct object “him” (oto) can be read as Aleph-Tav (את) [the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet] combined with the letter Vav (ו), signifying the Son of Man who is First and Last.
On the afternoon of the Nisan 14, at twilight, the lambs were to be publicly sacrificed by the "whole assembly." And even though the entire nation was responsible for the death of the lambs, each family was to apply the blood of their personal lamb upon the doorpost as a sign of their faith in the Lord (Exod. 12:7).
There is no Passover apart from the sacrifice of the Lamb...
Yeshua was crucified (before sundown) on Nisan 14, prophetically corresponding with the time when the Passover lambs were sacrificed at the Temple.
Our Lord presented Himself for examination in Jerusalem as the people were picking out their Passover lambs. He walked the familiar Roman road from the Mount of Olives to the Temple for the final time with the bleating of lambs in His ears. He gave up His life “outside the camp,” even as the innocent and spotless Passover lambs were being slaughtered inside it.
For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood. So then, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city. (Heb 13:11-14)
But the road to the freedom that comes with full trust in Him often leads through a crucible of trials, as He shakes us loose from our dependence on our own set of idols. There are fabulous parallels between the smack-down of Egypt’s idols, which led to Israel’s freedom and establishment in the land, and the final judgment God will loose on His enemies in the last days–which will lead to the ultimate freedom for believers under His eternal reign.
Personally, I believe that day is here. The winnowing out of the believing remnant is beginning. I don’t think this shaking will end until we see Yeshua triumph over the kingdoms of this world and usher in His kingdom.
Have you painted the Lamb’s blood on your lintel?
Yeshua is THE door. Have you entered in?
If you’ve never opened God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus (Rom 3:23, 6:23), please please please be persuaded to do it now! It’s simple. Just tell God from your heart that you admit you’re a sinner that needs a Savior (“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Rom 3:23) that you’re done running your own life, and that you’re ready to make Jesus Lord of your life.
If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” (Rom 10:9-11)
The decision that saves you is that simple!
Simple… But no one said living it out will be easy. Especially now, in these last days.