Reading Assignment

Please read the following text before contiuing on the study

The Passion Account in Mathews Chapters 26 & 27

The Medical Account by Douglass Jacoby

Part I Walking with Jesus to the Cross

1. Gethsemane

Jesus has been preparing for his death for some time. (see Matthew 16: 21, 17:22-23, 20:17-19). Now the prophecy is about to be fulfilled. In a few hours, Jesus will be facing his final destiny. What do you notice about his emotions? Are you surprised by the deep sorrow he is experiencing? Why do you think he is so afraid? Jesus has always been so courageous and authoritative. Yet here we see a feeble and frail human being. He needs support from his friends and pleads with them to be there for him. But they all fall asleep on him. Suddenly, Jesus finds himself all alone. Can you imagine asking your best friends to be there for you as you go through difficult times in your life – surgery, divorce, job loss, death of loved ones – and they let you down – leaving you emotionally alienated to deal with your own pains?

Even without support from his friends, Jesus turns to God in prayer. In his first prayer, he first asks God to take this cup away – basically, he wants to change his mind. Whatever he is about to face is so terrifying that Jesus is now pleading with God for a Plan B. But even at this gut-wrenching moment, Jesus shows God his willingness to submit to God’s final decision. (v.39). In both his relationship with his friends and with God, Jesus shows his raw emotions. Jesus doesn’t stop at the first prayer. He persists in the second prayer - notice here how his stance softens. If it is not possible…. Perhaps the grip of fear is loosening and new courage is slowly replacing the dread.

Then comes the third prayer. And notice the change in his attitude and tone after the third prayer. Do you hear the voice of readiness and confidence after the final prayer (v45-46)? And this is exactly why we pray. Prayer has the power to change our hearts to become obedient to God – to become one with God in our hearts. Jesus shows us how he persists in prayer until he completely surrenders himself to God. (See also Hebrews 5: 7-8).

Read Matthew 26: 36-46

2. The Arrest

Jesus’ relationship with Judas

Long before the final kiss, Jesus already knew that Judas was going to betray him. Yet none of the disciples knew – because Jesus’ love for Judas had remained constant – he didn’t change how he treated Judas – even up to the last moment – he let Judas get close enough to kiss him on the cheek. This is unimaginable love and vulnerability – for one’s enemy! Even at the moment of betrayal, Jesus calls him a friend – a sign of unconditional love and perhaps even the last plead for Judas to reconsider his action.

Power to Cancel

We saw earlier that Jesus voluntarily submitted himself to God’s will – to go through with Plan A, to be the sacrifice on the cross. Here Jesus lets us in on a secret: God gives him the power to change his mind anytime he wants! (v. 53) With a snap of a finger, God would send an army of angels to rescue Jesus and his ordeal would be over. Just like that. Now the plot thickens. Would Jesus be tempted to call it quit when it gets hard? Yes, God loves mankind and needs Jesus to be the sacrificial lamb for the plan to work. But he also gives Jesus the free will to be part of the plan, or not.

Read Matthew 26: 47-56

3. The Mock Trial

Jesus is taken first to the religious court for trial. His accusers couldn’t find evidence of a crime or moral corruption to charge against him. Imagine if someone wants to trap you, how quickly could they come up with something you have said or done? But they could NOT find any dirt on Jesus. Nothing. Finally, they trap Jesus by his own claim: that he is the Son of God. Notice how Jesus responds to their accusation: You have said so. He neither denies nor confesses. instead, he turns the responsibility for the confession back on his accusers – you are the one who said it. As the trial ends, Jesus’ physical suffering and social disgrace begin. Jesus takes it all in – in silence. But remember, he could end his ordeal anytime as he wishes.

Read Matthew 26: 57-68

4. Regrets

Only hours before Jesus’ arrest, Peter declares his fierce loyalty to Jesus (Matthews 26: 35). He follows through with this pledge with an attempted sword fight (Matthew 26: 51), only to be stopped by Jesus. Without the strength of Jesus to lean on, Peter’s courage gives way to fear. When everything seems to be lost, he disassociates himself from Jesus by denying knowing him. Both Peter and Judas betrayed Jesus. One by denying knowing him and the other by turning him over to the enemy. Both regret their actions. But they take very different paths afterward.

Judas attempts to redeem himself by returning the money he receives from betraying Jesus. What does this say about his taking responsibility for his own actions? When the religious leaders put the guilt right back on him, he ends his own life. What does this tell you about his faith in Jesus’ willingness to show mercy? Peter weeps bitterly. But he remains faithful and later witnesses Jesus’ resurrection, and is not only forgiven of his sin but is also given the responsibility to start the church after Jesus’ resurrection. Refer to  2 Corinthians 7: 10-11 for the two types of sorrow exemplified by Judas and Peter.

Read Matthew 26: 79 to 27:10

5. Pilate

Now Jesus is facing his second trial, this time by the Roman authority. The religious leaders incite the crowd to turn against Jesus and now everyone wants him dead. Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent and that the charges against Jesus is politically motivated. His wife’s dream only furthers his determination to release Jesus. (Luke’s account in 23: 13-25 provides more details). He thought he could save Jesus by presenting the crowd a clear choice between Jesus, the kind-hearted teacher and healer, and Barabbas, the insurrection prisoner and murderer.

Barabbas vs. Jesus

Imagine yourself as Jesus at the trial stand, looking into the crowd: these are the same people whom you may have taught and healed. They are the same people, who a week ago, just welcomed you into their city with great joy and fanfare. Now they all turn against you. Not only that, they consider your life not even worth living compared to a notorious criminal. Would you be tempted to shout at them and try to get them to come to their senses? Would you be so disappointed by their disloyalty? Would you be so wounded by such humiliation they crown you, after everything you had done for them?

Let’s bring this to our modern-day context. Imagine you have been working hard at your job and are due for a promotion. You have received excellent performance reviews, your colleagues and the upper managers speak well of you, and many thank you for how you often go out of your way to help them. Everyone expects that you will be the next Team Leader or Director. Then one day you come into the office and everything is changed. Your colleagues avoid you and you are taking off your favorite projects. Then you hear the announcement that the young graduate who joined the company seven months ago got the promotion instead of you. What? You are in shock. You know this guy well: he arrives office late, never completes his assignments, and his work is full of mistakes. And worse, no one in the office likes him.  And now he is your boss? Holding back your tears, you approach your manager for an answer. He gives you straight, “We don’t believe in you anymore. It’s true that the new employee is not qualified. But we must choose a new leader. We all feel that the least qualified person would still be better than you. “ How does this make you feel? Jesus understands.

Pilate’s Choice

As the judge, Pilate had the power to save Jesus, but he didn’t, though he tried. In the end, he went along with the crowd’s demands because he was afraid of the riot that could cost him his job. Is Pilate truly innocent of his choice by washing his hand? How often are we also like Pilate – where our indecision becomes our decision? The times when we don’t stand up for Jesus, when we don’t do what is right – we are making the decision against Jesus. Silence or looking away does not make us innocent.

Read Matthew 27: 11 to 27:26

6. Roman Soldiers

Once the death sentence is pronounced on Jesus, he is treated as the worst of the criminals. Jesus must now endure a physical beating at the hands of the soldiers who not only beat him like a helplessly trapped animal but also mocked him, adding insult to his injury, and deepening Jesus’ wounds. Imagine the legions (thousands) of angels in heaven, all watching the scene with bated breath. Ready with their sword drawn, they wonder: will the Son of God let himself be tortured by the cruelest of humanity, or would he free himself and give up on humanity?

Refer to the Medical Account of the Cross.

Read Matthew 27:27-31

7. The Crucifixion

As if the physical and emotional traumas are not punishing enough, Jesus must continue to endure the verbal assaults and mockery from his enemies. At some point, Jesus breaks his silence and cries out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?“  Before he bows his head and gives up his spirit, he says "It is finished,” (John 19:30)

It is finished.  Mission accomplished.  Suffering ended.  Temptation averted.  Sacrifice completed.  To become a sin offering for mankind, Jesus must live his entire earthly life, up to his last breath, sinless.  He knew that he could not depend on sheer willpower or the strength of the flesh to fight the temptations to sin.  Hence throughout his life, he went to God in prayers, fervent cries, and tears to save him from being disobedient to God. (Hebrews 5:7-10).   

In the last hours of his life, from the prayer in the Graden of Gethsemane to the cross at Golgotha, the temptations intensified as the suffering increased,  The fact that he could call on God to send him a legion of angels to rescue him only begs the question of why did Jesus choose to endure the suffering, or where and how did he find the will and motivation to carry on?

Read Matthew 27: 32 - 50

8. Resurrection

Read  Matthew 27:57-61 , 28:1-7

After his death, Jesus was buried in a tomb according to Jewish tradition.  Three days later, his body was not found in the tomb because he had risen from the dead.  His resurrection proves for the first time, that sin and death no longer have power over mankind.  A new era is dawned.

We now return to the question of why and how Jesus did not give up but chose to endure unimaginable physical, emotional, and social sufferings, on his way to be crucified and until he breathed his last.

Jesus Completely Trusts God

Read 1 Peter 2:21-23

Jesus suffered a great deal of humiliation and insults.  Yet he did not retaliate or retribute.  How did he do it?  He trusted in God.  He trusted that God was present and saw all that was happening to him.  He trusted that God would vindicate him and give him the justice he deserves, at the right time. 

He Loves His Father

Read John 15:9-10

Jesus' love for God is manifested in his obedience to God's commands, even knowing that it can be hard.  Hence he keeps himself in God's love - as a branch is firmly attached to a tree.  The ultimate expression of his love for God is to sacrifice his life on the cross, as God needed him to do. (Matthew 26:54)

God's Love for Mankind

Read Romans 6:23, Isaiah 59: 1-2, Romans 3:23

To understand the purpose of Jesus' sacrifice, let's take a step back to remember the spiritual law God has instituted for Mankind.  The law stipulates that for every crime committed, there is a punishment. This is called justice. Since God is just, the punishment is meted out to anyone who sins.  This includes us, his very beloved children.  Why? All of us are condemned to spiritual death because not a single one of us is righteous.  This means that we would be forever separated from God (Isaiah 59: 1-2).   

God is both just and merciful.  The merciful God wants to forgive our sins and be reconciled with him.  The just God must ensure, however, that the punishment is served.  As it turns out, the law allows for punishment to be transferred.   Consider this example: Albert breaks the law and must serve a prison sentence of 10 years.  He pleads for mercy because he has a sick wife and young children at home. The judge would let him go free but only if he can find someone to serve his sentence.  His brother Brian is willing to do it but he cannot because Brian himself has also broken the law and is already serving time behind bars.  Albert then turns to his sister Clara.  Clara has never broken any law.  So Clara willingly sacrifices her freedom and goes to jail instead of Albert.  When Albert walks out of the courtroom, he is free from serving the sentence for his crime.  It is as if he never committed any crime, because the guilt is now transferred to Clara.   Clara now takes on Albert's criminal record and punishment.  

And this is exactly what God needed Jesus to do in order to have our sins forgiven.  Jesus came to the world as a human sin-free and died as a human free of sin.  Moreover, Jesus willingly agreed to take on our sins and punishment, which is death on the cross, the most cruel form of capital punishment in the history of Mankind.   Yes, you and I should and would have been the ones to be tried, flogged, mocked, betrayed, beaten, shamed, humiliated, and ultimately hung on the Cross.  This is the punishment we deserve for our sins.

Instead, Jesus chose to sacrifice himself for you and me.  Why? The road to the crucifixion was full of unimaginable pain.  We saw already how Jesus trusted in God to revenge for him, and that his love for God compelled him to endure the suffering.  I often wondered what may have been going through Jesus' mind in his final hours.  I wonder if he was thinking about you and me - and all who will believe in him 10, 500, or 2,000 years later? For every whip that lashed across his back, he thought of the Johnnies and Joans, the Andrews and Anas, the Davids and Dianes, who would not have to die but would be free from their sins. For every breath he struggled to grasp while hanging on the cross, he saw the tear you and I shed in shame and guilt, in loneliness and fear.  Out of his vision, faith, hope, and love for me, Jesus endured and triumphed. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. "  John 3: 16-16

I am worth God's Love

Read Luke 15:4-7

Jesus' death on the cross opens the door for the whole human race to have a relationship with God,   This gift is offered to everyone, regardless of race, gender, education, occupation,  personal righteousness, etc.  Yet we each must decide whether to accept his love and forgiveness.  So when God gave his son to die on the cross, he took a gamble on us.

Jesus died on the cross for the billions of people who ever lived on the planet Earth.  Yet, not everyone will believe.  What if, out of the billions of people who ever lived, only the 8 million people today would come to faith in him, would Jesus still die on the cross for the 8 billion? 

What if out of the 8 billion people today, only those who live in your country (330 Million in the US, 84 Million in Germany, and 23 million in Taiwan, and so on), would come to faith, would Jesus still die on the cross for the 330/84/23 million people?

What if only the people in your city (1.6 million in Munich, for example) would accept God's forgiveness, would Jesus still die for them? ?

What if only the people who live in the quarter in your city (10,000 for example) would acknowledge Jesus' sacrifice,  would Jesus still die for them?  I mean, would he go through all that trouble just to save 10,000 people?

What if only the people who live on your street  (say, 400 people) out of the entire world,  would even care that Jesus died for their sins, would Jesus still die on the cross for them?

What if only the 40 people in your apartment building who would acknowledge their need for Jesus's sacrifice, would Jesus still go to the cross and die for only 40 people? 

What if you are the only one on earth who needs and wants forgiveness from Jesus, would Jesus die for you alone?  Just you. One Person.  All that pain and sacrifice, just for you? Would he do it?

Part II Love that Triumphs

Reflect on what the cross means to you.

Does the study help you to understand the cost of our sins and, at the same time, the deep love God has for Mankind? How do you feel about the grace God is extending to you? Do you eagerly accept it? Or do you hesitate?  Do you believe that Jesus cares for you personally, that he would leave the 99 sheep to look for you? Do you feel deeply loved by him?

What do you think of Jesus’ humility and his submission to God? Can you see yourself surrendering your will to God completely like Jesus? If not, what is holding you back?  When it comes to trusting God to provide and care for you, does Jesus' example help deepen your trust in God?

Write a love letter to God, let him know what the cross means to you, and to give thanks to Jesus and God for their love for you.

Part III Self Reflection

Next Study

Study #6 Sins

• The origin of sin

• Biblical definitions of sin

• Self reflection