CONTRARY TO COMMON SENSE

Have you ever wondered why God didn't send Jesus to earth today? or in our lifetime? With the technology we have, just think of it...

• He could fly, not walk. He could have traveled worldwide.
• And those areas that He couldn't personally visit, He could communicate via Satellite transmission - or better yet, via the Internet.
• There could be interviews by Katie Couric - on location with Anderson Cooper - CNN could cover His every move.

But God, didn't choose to send Christ today. . . everything He did was contrary to common sense.
 

Sunday
It's the Sunday before Jesus death. He enters Jerusalem in style. A very large crowd has gathered and are shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" The crowds know Jesus is presenting Himself as the Messiah, the anointed One. His ministry is thriving - word about Him has spread throughout the region. 

He had been traveling through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing those who have leprosy, and driving out demons.

The people knew who He was. . . Jesus was a famous personality of His time. He would have been known by His first name only like. . . Tiger or Julia or George W.

If men had written the story it would have been filled with events that focus on the phenomenal, the success stories. But, the Son of God hasn't come for earthly prominence. . . He has come to Jerusalem to die.

The leaders of the day are jealous and say to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. The whole world has gone after him!" From their viewpoint, this ridiculous fanaticism with Jesus has gotten totally out of hand, and they were losing control. The masses were following Jesus instead of them, which meant potentially losing their positions, their power, and their possessions. Instead of recognizing who Jesus is - God in the flesh - they focus on their own selfish desires for power and prestige.

MONDAY

Jesus is in the Temple. He drives out the merchants and moneychangers who are seeking to make a profit off the religious activities of the Temple. The Religious leaders earnestly try to find a way to destroy Him. And yet, they could not do it, because all the people hung on his words.

TUESDAY

Jesus´ authority is challenged and questioned by the religious leaders, only to have His answers silence His accusers. The crowds reaction: they are amazed with His teaching, in awe of His answers. They want to crown Him their King.

What have you agreed to do for money? What relationships have you sold out on for an extra buck? What ethics or values have you compromised with for more income? How are you compromising socially to fit in with the affluent? The allurement of riches did not begin with capitalism. . .

Judas, one of Jesus' 12 disciples (followers), goes to the religious leaders and offers to lead them to Jesus. In return, he receives 30 pieces of silver, the sum paid for a slave. Judas agrees to offer himself as a witness against Jesus when He is brought to trial.

THURSDAY

It's Thursday evening. In response to an argument among His disciples as to which of them would be the greatest, Jesus washes His 12 disciples' feet. God washing their feet one by one.

The disciples were fighting for top position, but no one would pick up the towel and do a servant's job. But, contrary to common sense, Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve others.

Two reasons why Jesus may have chosen to wash the disciples feet: 1) They were proud - they wanted to be top dogs!  2) They're feet were dirty. In dry weather the roads of Palestine were inches deep in dust, and in wet weather they were liquid mud. For that reason there were always great waterpots at the door of the house; and a servant would wash the soiled feet of the guests as they came in.

After washing the disciples' feet, Jesus and His disciples begin their Passover meal, their Last Supper together.  As they're eating, Judas leaves to meet the chief priests to carry out their scheme. 

Jesus tells the remaining 11, that He will be leaving. He begins to give them with their final instructions. It's the 2 minute warning. What He shares with them is what He wants them to remember when He's gone.

After their meal they leave the home where they've eaten the Last Supper and walk outside the city gates to a place called Gethsemane. There Jesus agonizes in prayer to the point that His sweat was like drops of blood. He prays, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."  Not my way Father, but Your way - perfect obedience!

THURSDAY - FRIDAY

It's now around midnight. . . When Jesus rises from prayer and goes back to the disciples, a crowd comes up. Judas is guiding a detachment of soldiers {200-600 soldiers in all} and some officials.

They're carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. The lights indicate that they thought Jesus might hide away in the dark recesses of the garden. They are armed because they feared a riot. After all, this must be some notorious criminal - someone so dangerous, the Jewish Supreme Court had gotten involved. But, Jesus voluntarily gives Himself up. Jesus shows an awareness that his life and death are proceeding according to a definite pre-arranged pattern. He knew He had come to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus asks them, "Who is it you want?"
"Jesus of Nazareth," they reply.
"I am he," Jesus says. When Jesus says this they drew back and fell to the ground. Like dominoes falling, one after another, flat on their faces before Him.

A little embarrassed, they get up, and brush themselves off. Again Jesus asks them, "Who is it you want?"
And they say, "Jesus of Nazareth."
"I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go."

Unlike Jesus who voluntarily surrenders, Peter (one of His closest friends) draws a sword. He strikes a servant, cutting off his right ear. But, Jesus tells Peter to put his sword away! Jesus touches the man's ear and heals him. There would be no blood shed but His own.

The soldiers arrested Jesus, bind Him and bring Him to the officials, to begin the first of 6 trials. Jesus is shuffled back and forth between to 3 different settings for 3 separate Jewish trials.

The accusations:
1) Irreverence to the father-in-law of the High Priest. . .hefty crime!
2) Jesus claimed to be Messiah. . .blasphemy against God was worthy of death under Jewish Law

But, the Jews could not condemn someone to death under Roman rule. They rush to Pontius Pilate. The accusation of blasphemy would not be punished under Roman law, so instead they change the crime to treason. 

Pilate questions Jesus declares Him not guilty. The religious leaders keep pushing. Pilate hears that Jesus is from the region of Galilee and tries to pass off the responsibility to King Herod, who has jurisdiction over that region.

Herod is pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see Jesus. From what he had heard about Him, he hoped to see Him perform some miracle. After questioning Jesus, Herod finds Him innocent. Then Pilate has his soldiers ridicule and mock Jesus. They dress him in an elegant robe, and send him back to Pilate.

Jesus is now at His sixth trial. Pilate starts to walk the tight rope of upholding justice and appeasing the people. He knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him, so he tries reasoning. He calls together the religious leaders, the rulers and the people, and tells them he has found no basis for the charges against Jesus. As a matter of fact, neither had Herod. Jesus has done nothing to deserve death. . . Pilate suggests that they

The intent (of scourging) was to cause so much blood loss, pain and circulatory shock that the victim would be near death. In Jesus' case, there would have been the added rigors of a sleepless night, physical and emotional abuse, appearances before the various tribunals, and walks from place to place totaling perhaps 2 1/2 miles. from Jesus and His Times

rough Him up a bit instead and sends Jesus to be scourged.

In a scourging the condemned prisoner was stripped, bound to a post, and given 39 or possibly more strokes with a whip. It took no more than about 3 minutes. Generally, 2 soldiers took turns administering the strokes. The whip used had a handle to which one or more leather cords were attached. Sometimes these cords were knotted or weighted with pieces of metal or bone to make the whip more effective as a flesh-cutting instrument.

Jesus who is now exhausted, is being beaten, mocked and ridiculed. . . and He's innocent! His response: while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats,

When have you been mistreated? Unjustly accused? Misunderstood? Victim of false rumors? An innocent victim? Jesus understands how you feel.

but kept entrusting Himself to His Father.

Pilate thought that the mockery and scourging would satisfy the demands of the Jews. He brings Jesus out for all to see. . . What did He look like? His appearance is so disfigured it was beyond that of human likeness - a lump of flesh - bloodied, skin ripped off - Jesus, the Son of God, teetering from exhaustion and pain - made a spectacle before a blood-thirsty crowd.

FRIDAY

5 times Pontius Pilate and King Herod declared Christ innocent of the charges brought against Him. But, afraid of a riot breaking out and of being accused of disloyalty to Caesar. . .Pilate goes before the crowd, washes his hands and says "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" Pilate sentences Jesus to die by crucifixion.

Crucifixion was the Romans most severe form of execution - so severe, it was reserved for slaves and criminals. The punishment was invented to make death painful and lingering. The cross was not a symbol of faith, but a symbol of failure. . . not a sign of morality, but lawlessness. . . not a symbol of respect, but of unspeakable shame...

Jesus is led in a processional that travels about 1/3 of a mile to a place outside Jerusalem called Golgotha, named for its skull-like shape and appearance. It's now 9AM. Two others are crucified

Contrary to artists renderings, the crosses are not set high above the ground. The feet of the victims were only a foot or 2 above the ground, putting the condemned almost at eye level with those watching.

with Jesus. The Roman soldiers begin by fixing the three upright portions of the crosses.

The condemned are stripped of their garments and knocked to the ground. Jesus is nailed to the crossbar with 5" long iron spikes driven between the bones of his wrists. Then, 4 soldiers lift the crossbar up, dragging Jesus with it to fix it onto the upright beam. Finally, Jesus' feet are nailed in. Jesus responds by saying: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." The sovereign, omnipotent, eternal God, did not threaten, did not condemn, didn't even pronounce doom on His crucifiers. . .contrary to common sense He prayed for them.

Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. The sign proclaimed His name: JESUS OF NAZARETH and His crime: KING OF THE JEWS.

Golgotha, the site of the crucifixion, is at a major intersection outside the city. Those who passed by stared at the condemned and "hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, 'You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!'" . . .Come down from the cross - BUT HE COULDN'T COME DOWN - all this is happening according to God's pre-determined plan!

As Jesus hangs on the cross. . . Slowly He begins to sag down

“Cramps swept over the muscles knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by His arms, the pectoral muscles are paralyzed and unable to act. Air can be drawn into the lungs but it can't be exhaled. Finally carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream and it causes partial asphyxiation. ...along with a deep crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with fluid and begins to compress the heart. And this leads to death." Dr. Truman Davis

more and more. His weight being held up by nails running through His wrists causes excruciating pain to shoot up His arms. In an attempt to relieve the pain, Jesus pushes up on the two wounds in His feet resulting in even more pain. Hour after hour He endures a wrenching pain in His arms and legs. After awhile, the pain made it impossible to move at all.

The One who is the Creator of life. . . the One who breathed life into those who are crucifying Him, gasps for air. It's now 3PM - it has been pitch dark since noon - Jesus cries out in a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" For the first and only time, the Father and the Son are separated. How long? We do not know. As Jesus took on all our sins, past, present, and future. . . as His life became the ransom price for our lives. . .for a moment, the holy Father separated Himself from His Son who had become sin.

And then Jesus says: "It is finished" and He dies. He's even in control of His own death. From start to finish, Jesus death had been planned. . .His job is complete.

Contrary to common sense. . .what looked like tragedy, became triumph

The rest of the story!

- while hell was rejoicing. . .God was waiting for his ultimate victory over sin and death. Jesus died that we may live. . .the cross cost us nothing. . .it cost God everything!

What do you do with the cross? Have you accepted Christ's death on the cross as payment for your sins? Why not begin a relationship with Him today?

What do you do with the cross? You can meditate on how much God loves you. . .think of it. . .He had a crown in Heaven that He laid aside to die for you, so that you too may be crowned in heaven. In between the triumphant entry and Easter, the resurrection morning, is the CROSS - the single, strongest, most evident sign of God's love for you and for me.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The transcript above was taken from passages in Matthew 21-27; Mark 11-15; Luke 19-23; John 12-19; and miscellaneous passages in both the Old and New Testament as well as from historical background information.