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Jesus’s Olivet Discourse: Part Three

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice Series “Jesus’s Olivet Discourse”

Matthew 24:3-25:46 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Matthew 24:3)

Mark 13:3-37 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Mark 13:3)

Luke 21:7-36 (Greek Text Analysis beginning with Luke 21:7)

 

Need to catch up first? To read the Splice “Jesus’s Olivet Discourse: Part Two”, click here.

 

Revelation 19:16
And He has a name written on His robe
and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

 

THE SPLICE

 

And 1 He, (Jesus) told them a 2parable, : “Look at the fig tree and all of the trees. Now, learn this parable from the fig tree: When the 3 fig tree’s branch becomes tender and brings forth its leaves, you see for yourselves that 4 summer is near. So when you see 5 all of these things happen, know that He is near and at the door; the 6 kingdom of God is near. Truly I say to you that 7 this generation will not have passed away until all of these things have happened. 8 Heaven and earth will pass away , but My words will never pass away. But concerning that day 9 and/or the hour no one knows not even the 10 angels 11 of the heavens/in heaven nor the Son, but the Father only. Just as things were in the 12 days of Noah, so will be the arrival of the Son of Man. Just like they were in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until that day 13Noah entered into the ark. And they didn’t understand until the flood came and took everything away; so it will be also with the arrival of the Son of Man. At that time there will be two in the field: 14one is taken and one is left. Two will be 15grinding at the mill: one is taken and one is left. Therefore look and 16keep watch because you don’t know when the time is; you don’t know on which day your Lord comes.

But understand this: If the master of the house had known at 17what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. Because of this you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect. It is like a man going on a 18journey who left his house, having given to each of his 19slaves authority over each one’s own work, and commanded the 20doorkeeper that he keep watch. Who then is the 21faithful and wise slave whom the master has appointed to be in charge of his household to give the others their food at the proper time? 22blessed is that slave whose master finds him doing so when the master returns. 23truly I tell you, [the master] will put [that faithful slave] in charge of all his possessions. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—24whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. Otherwise, he may arrive suddenly and find you sleeping. If, however, the 25wicked slave says in his heart, ‘My master delays [in returning]’ and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and then to 26eat and drink with drunkards, the 27master of that slave will arrive on a day [the slave] does not expect and at an hour [the slave] does not know of. Then [the master] will 28cut [the slave] to pieces and will place [that slave’s] portion with the 29hypocrites where there will be 30weeping and gnashing of teeth. But 31watch yourselves, or your 32hearts will be 33weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the 34worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a 35snare. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of all the earth. Now keep watch at all times, 36praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that are 37about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man. And what I now say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch!

 

 

NOTES

 

1 He: Jesus has just told the disciples about His Parousia at the end of the age and about the mourning experienced by those left upon the earth (the un-redeemed) while they witness His glorious return (also see Revelation 1:7). Jesus has also told the disciples about the joyful gathering that all of God’s redeemed people look forward to at His return. Jesus tells us that this gathering of His people happens at the end of the tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27). Many people refer to this gathering of the elect as ‘the rapture’. Jesus and Paul refer to the anticipated event (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:52) as ‘gathering‘ or ‘gathering together’ in Matthew 24:31 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1. In 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Paul uses the term harpazó which means “catch, seize, snatch”. Harpazó brings together the idea that the gathering/rapture is a taking by force that is also abrupt or sudden. Paul also warns that this harpazó will not happen until the Antichrist has had his time (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). The events of the Antichrist’s rule has been prophesied in Daniel 11 and Revelation 13. (BACK)

2 parable: The Greek word used for the English word parable is parabole and it means “a comparison or allegory”. Parables are stories that are meant to teach a lesson about morality or truth. Why did Jesus use them (Matthew 13:10)? Matthew 13:13-15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40 says that Jesus used parables to fulfill the prophesy given in Isaiah 6:9-10. To read some of Jesus’s other parables, see Matthew 18:23-35; 20:1-16;  22:1-14; Mark 4:2-34; 12:1-12; Luke 5:36-39; 10:30-37; 12:16-21; 13:6-9; 15:3–16:31; 18:1-14; 19:11-27. (BACK)

3 fig tree…tender: Fig trees are mentioned a number of times in the Bible. Adam and Eve made some ‘bottoms’ by sewing the leaves of figs together in Genesis 3:7. Each man having his own fig tree (and grapevine) was linked with safety and prosperity in 1 Kings 4:25.  Jesus uses the fig tree to teach a parable in Luke 13:6-9. Fig trees have no leaves in winter and the soft/tender shoots start growing in spring when all the winter rains are finished. Some information on Israeli fig trees can be seen here, here or here. (BACK)

4 summer: We are assured in Psalm 74:17 that God has made both summer and winter. In Genesis 8:22 God promised that as long as the earth remains, summer and winter will always continue (along with planting time, harvest time, heat, cold, day and night). Summer in ancient Israel was the time of harvest and abundance (Proverbs 10:5). And here, while Jesus is using summer as the symbolized season of His Parousia and the hope of His elect, this also means that this symbolized summer is the season of dread for those who do not belong to Christ. Another time summer is thought of with a negative theme is in Psalm 32:4, when sin is compared to draining vitality away as with the heat of summer. (BACK)

5 all of these things: Jesus had just explained “all of these things” that would happen in Matthew 24:5-29; Mark 13:6-25; Luke 21:8-28. A quick rundown: wars, rumors of wars, nations against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms, false Christs and false prophets along with their fake signs and wonders, famines, plagues, earthquakes, terrors and great signs from heaven, a terrible and great tribulation that has never been seen before nor will ever be seen again. For the elect specifically there will be persecution, hate, arrest, prison, delivery to the courts, flogging in synagogues, and murder; people will fall away from the faith, betray each other and hate each other (non-elect who were ‘in the faith’ betraying those whom they congregated with). Family members will betray each other and have each other put to death. Also, we can expect increased lawlessness (God’s laws, specifically), love  growing cold (towards God), the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, armies surrounding Jerusalem, Gentiles trampling Jerusalem underfoot, a great and hurried exodus from Judea, supernatural darkening of the sun and moon, the stars falling from the view of our sky, dismay among the nations, perplexity, men fainting from fear, and the powers of the heavens shaken. (BACK)

6 kingdom of God: What do we know about the kingdom of God? There are several Bible verses that tell us about the kingdom of God, but here are some highlights: it will crush any human kingdoms, even those considered strong (Daniel 2:44); it cannot be destroyed and is designed to last forever (Daniel 7:14) it will be inherited by God’s elect (Daniel 7:18, 27; Matthew 5:10; Hebrews 12:28) and has been prepared for the elect since the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34); it will belong to Jesus (Daniel 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7); it cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28); the elect should be praying for its arrival (Matthew 6:10); it is a place of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Also, there is no way we can possibly understand it or try to imagine it at this time (1 Corinthians 2:9). Jesus uses two tiny parables to tell us about what the kingdom of God is like in Luke 13:18-21. (BACK)

7 this generation will not have passed away: From Matthew 24:34 and Mark 13:30. The Greek word used for the English word generation is genea and it means “generation”. Genea is not just a measure of what year or decade a person was born in. Genea also refers to the background, heritage, race or common link of the people referred to. The Greek word used for pass away is parerchomai and it means “pass away, to pass by, come to an end”. There have been a few interpretations for the meaning of this statement. We know for sure that Jesus does not mean that the people living at the exact same time as His statement was made will live to see the things described in Matthew 24:5-29; Mark 13:6-25; Luke 21:8-28 for Jesus has not come back yet! Therefore, Jesus is not referring to the siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D, as many have claimed. Jesus probably means that the Jewish people will not pass out of existence as a race before His return and/or He means that people at that time will be alive during the Great Tribulation and that those alive will not all die off before His return.  Both of these things we know to be true because of the redeemed people of Israel in Revelation 7:1-8 and because there are unredeemed people mourning when they see Christ’s return (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27). (BACK)

8 Heaven and earth will pass away: From Matthew 24:35 and Mark 13:31. The Greek word used for the English word heaven is ouranos and it means “heaven, sky” and refers both to the sky we can see and the place where God’s throne is located (Isaiah 66:1; Matthew 5:34) and where He resides. Peter tells us that the current heaven and earth are being reserved for the day of judgment in 2 Peter 3:7. In 2 Peter 3:10-13, Peter reminds us that while heaven and earth will pass way in, we are waiting for a new heaven and earth. Revelation 21:1–22:5 tells us about the new heaven and earth that will be put in place of what we have now. (BACK)

9 and/or the hour: Matthew 24:36 says “and” (kai); Mark 13:32 says “or” (é). (BACK)

10 angels: It is important to understand that angels are not equal with God (Revelation 22:8-9). And, although much is made of Michael and Gabriel in contemporary Christianity, Michael is only mentioned by name 5 times in the Bible (Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Revelation 12:7) and Gabriel is mentioned only in conjunction with the visitation to Zacharias (Luke 1:11-20), the visitation to Mary (Luke 1:26-38) and the visions of Daniel (Daniel 8:16-26; 9:21-27). It is important to note that no other angel (except the fallen one called Satan) is mentioned in the Bible by name. What do we know about angels? They are often specified as male and looking human (Daniel 8:15; Mark 16:5 in conjunction with Matthew 28:2-5 and Luke 24:4-5, 23). Sometimes their sex is not really specified, as in Acts 5:19. No matter, for we know that angels are not procreating beings, so their sex doesn’t seem to matter (Matthew 22:30). We know that angels in their angelic form are a little higher than us in our human form, for Jesus was made a “little lower” than the angels when He was born as a fleshly being (Hebrews 2:9). We also know angels are more powerful than humans because of 2 Peter 2:11. Angels ministered to Christ at least twice while He was on earth (Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:43). We know that angels are sent by God to watch over those who belong to God (Psalm 91:11), to clarify messages for God’s people (Daniel 9:22; Acts 1:11), to bring messages of import (Luke 1:11-38); to fight against evil (Revelation 12:7-9) and even to strengthen and minister to those belonging to God (Daniel 10:18; Hebrews 1:14). It seems that the elect may ‘have’ angels because of Matthew 18:10 and Acts 12:15. In both of these verses, the word angel (aggelos) has the word autos alongside it, marking some sort of identification with the human self and/or in participation in some capacity. These verses along with Psalm 91:11 is surely where the idea of guardian angels developed from. Matthew 22:30 and Acts 12:15 are probably why it is thought that the elect will have similar attributes as angels in heaven and this is surely the case, although we cannot know exactly what that means. Regardless of what it means, it is more important to understand that God is the font of all revelation, provision, protection, safety and security however He chooses to bestow it (Psalm 23). (BACK)

11 of the heavens/in heaven: Matthew 24:36 says “(of) the heavens” and Mark 13:32 says “in heaven”. (BACK)

12 days of Noah: Only Matthew mentions Jesus’s comparison to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39). Noah’s (selected) history is told in Genesis 6-9. (BACK)

13 Noah entered into the ark: Noah and his adventure on the ark is one of the most popular histories recounted from the Old Testament, especially for children. The Bible tells us a few things about God’s ark. The ark was made of gopher wood . Some believe gopher wood is cypress, some believe it to be cedar, but we don’t know for sure. Also, the ark was 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high or approximately 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high (cubit = approx. 18 inches).The ark was also covered inside and out with pitch and it had rooms built into it. There was a singular window approximately 18 inches from the top of the ark. There was a door in the side of the ark and the ark had 3 levels (Genesis 6:14-16). People and animals were vegetarian at this time, so Noah was instructed to bring the foods that were edible for both his family and the animals (Genesis 1:29-30; 6:21). People and possibly animals (the Bible doesn’t specifically say) did not become carnivores until after the flood (Genesis 9:2-4). Everything about this event is miraculous. I love how God closed the door of the ark Himself, demonstrating love and care in securing His people from the floods about to happen (Genesis 7:16).  (BACK)

14 one is taken and one is left: From Matthew 24:40-41. There are some who teach that this particular passage speaks of the gathering of the unbelievers. It is possible, but then the words used don’t make sense. The Greek word used for the English word taken is paralambanó and it means “to take, receive, to take with”. It has an underlining feel of receiving something to oneself or of being alongside someone/joined along with someone. This most certainly cannot apply to the unbelieving person because they have no participation with Christ and nowhere in the Bible does it say Jesus is alongside or joined with unbelievers. The Greek word used for the English word left is aphiémi and it means “leave, send away, abandon”. It also means “forgiven” with the idea of leaving sin behind or abandoning sin. Forgiven people will aphiémi sin by the power of God and God will not aphiémi His forgiven people! It is helpful, though, to read the parables of Jesus explaining the difference between wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43) and His parable regarding the dragnet (Matthew 13:47-50). Both of these parables do talk about the angels gathering up the unbelieving to throw them into the furnace of fire (Matthew 13:42, 50) and in Matthew 24:38-39, Jesus is speaking about unbelievers. But because of the words used in Matthew 24:40-41 we can logically assume Jesus is speaking of gathering His people, not the unbelievers. (BACK)

15 grinding at the mill: Until fairly recently, people ground wheat for bread by using millstones. Large mills used a bottom stone and a top millstone, grinding the wheat between the two stones. Animals were used to operate the grinding mechanism. There were also smaller grinding mills which were left to women to operate; it was heavy work and took hours every day. Bread has arguably been the most important food source throughout human history, even being used as currency during certain time periods. Mills were so important that God commanded that no millstone, upper or lower, could be taken as a pledge (Deuteronomy 24:6). For a quick read on Roman mills, click here. Here is how wheat is made into flour today. (BACK)

16 keep watch: The Greek word used for the English phrase keep watch is grégoreó and it means “stay awake, be alert, keep watch”. This is an active-guarding watch not a passive-nonchalant sort of watch. Paul also speaks of alertness in Ephesians 6:18 after providing the full armor of God, which an alert (elect) person should be clothed in: belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes that are the preparation of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation and the sword which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:13-17). After the elect have put on their armor of God, they should persevere and pray (Ephesians 6:18).  (BACK)

17 what time of the night: In Jesus’s time, people did not have clocks. They told time by the position of the sun or moon and they estimated their time. During the night time guards had watches that were divided up into four time frames:  the first watch (6pm-9pm), the second watch (9pm-12am), the third watch (12am-3am) and the fourth watch (3am -6am). (BACK)

18 journey: Journeys were long, arduous and dangerous back in Jesus’s day. People would be gone for many days, months and even years. If you were very wealthy, you might have a wagon/carriage you could ride in and had more wagons (or servants/slaves) that could carry your provisions. But those who weren’t wealthy had to walk and carry their own provisions. Some of the dangers for travelers included (not in any particular order): robbers, wild animals, bad/extreme weather, bad roads/dangerous footing over precarious pathways, counting on a spring/well for water and finding it had dried up. (BACK)

19 slaves: From Mark 13:34. The Greek word used for the English word slave is doulos and it means “slave, bond-slave”. Many English translations use the word servant in place of slave probably because of the images prompted by the word slave: the horrendous abduction and selling of people especially surrounding the trans-Atlantic slave trade (also see Exodus 21:16). The word servant also presents images: persons who have choices, voices, get paid, can leave if they don’t like the job and they are free to marry, have children, stay single and child-free, etc. This idea of a servant doesn’t fit what the Bible means by doulos . Doulos, whether you translate the word as ‘bond-servant’ or ‘bond-slave”, the word really focuses on the relationship between master and slave. The doulos/slave has no rights, no voice of their own and no will of their own. They are subject to the whims and abuses of a master without recourse or redress. They are dependent on their master for food, clothing, shelter and medical care. In short, the doulos is not a free person. True elect in God are bond-slaves/doúloi of Christ (Luke 1:38; Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; James 1:1; 1 Peter 2:16; 2 Peter 1:1), having been purchased/redeemed with His blood at the cross (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 7:22-23; Titus 2:14). Unlike the usual human master, our Master cares deeply for us (Matthew 10:29-30; 1 Peter 5:7), loves us (1 John 4:9-10), will hear our petitions and give us peace (Philippians 4:6-7) and provides all things for us (Matthew 6:30-33). We can trust Him for everything even when we don’t understand the ‘how’ (Proverbs 3:5-6). See Jesus’s own example to us as doulos (Philippians 2:5-8) and His statement on how the greatest will be bond-slaves of all (Mark 9:34-35). To read about God’s allowance of slavery in the Bible, click here. (BACK)

20 doorkeeper: A doorkeeper’s/gatekeeper’s job description was simple: they watched the doors/gates, allowing people in or keeping people out. In the rich man’s house this was the job of a slave and gaining access to the rich man depended very much on the keeper of the door (see Peter’s struggle with a doorkeeper in John 18:16-17). Being the doorkeeper wasn’t a very glamorous job and it had some risks involved: if you denied someone access, there was always the possibility that they would hurt you in order to get in. The Old Testament talks about the doorkeepers to the temple in 1 Chronicles 9:17-27. (BACK)

21 faithful and wise: From Matthew 24:45. The Greek word used for the English word faithful is pistos and it means “faithful, trustworthy”. This is the faith that is gifted to the elect when called by God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith of this kind is not a superficial faith; pistos faith is trust, not just belief. It isn’t enough to just ‘believe’ that God exists (James 2:19). The pistos faith from God enables you to trust Him to save you; you don’t doubt Him or the saving blood of Christ. This faith enables you to embody Proverbs 3:5-6. Do you trust God to do what He says He will do? This kind of faith will lead to obedience to do the work that God has set for you to do (James 2:18, 20-26), even if it means that you die in the process. This kind of faith is saving faith. The Greek word used for the English word wise is phronimos and it means “wise”. Phronimos is the wisdom that acts on its intellect and knowledge. Phronimos is not a passive understanding, it is active in its employment. It is important to understand that wisdom begins by fearing God (Proverbs 9:10). (BACK)

22 blessed:  From Matthew 24:46. The Greek word used for the English word blessed is makarios and it means “blessed, happy”. To be blessed is to be in favor with God and filled with joy because of this favored relationship with God. This blessed joy is not because there are circumstances to be joyful about, but because God graciously has favored and bestowed joy. (BACK)

23 truly: The Greek word used for the English word truly is amén and it means “amen, truly, verily”. Amén is a word used to express undeniable confidence in what is being said. Amén says that there is no doubt, no discrepancy, no reservation in the information provided. Sometimes the Bible records that Jesus said amén twice before making His statement (see John 3:3). Using the word twice is a vehement underscore for Jesus’s words which is interesting because amén is already an emphatic word in itself.  It is best to understand that Jesus’s usage of amén rests in His own authority to declare ‘true and sure’ His statements. Jesus is called ‘The Amen’ in Revelation 3:14 meaning He is the living guarantee of God’s word. (BACK)

24 whether in the evening: From Mark 13:35. Here, Jesus names all four watches of the night (see Note 17 regarding the watches of the night). It is important to note that Jesus does not name a daytime watch for His return. One might argue that there are no daytime watches, and therefore Jesus did not use them in His analogy, but this is not true; guards were on duty ‘guarding’ and ‘watching’ during the daytime, too! It is probable that no daytime watches were used in Jesus’s analogies due to the continuous theme in poetic figure throughout Scripture that daytime is the time of joy and spiritual awakening, reconciliation and salvation (see Romans 13:11-12; Revelation 22:5). (BACK)

25 wicked: From Matthew 24:48. The Greek word used for the English word wicked is kakos and it means “evil, wicked, bad”. This would be a morally corrupt, rotten-on-the-inside sort of slave. It is important to understand that wickedness is really a personal affront towards God who is holy and expects holy behavior from His people (1 Peter 1:15-16). (BACK)

26 eat and drink with drunkards: Eating and drinking in itself is not evil. It is the attitude we have when we eat and drink (1 Corinthians 10:31) and who we are keeping company with that matters. The good slave (i.e. the elect and beloved of God) would never seek out anyone immoral for intimate companionship nor would he be drinking to the point of drunkenness. With the beating of his fellow slaves and hanging out with drunks/getting drunk, this wicked slave continues to prove his moral corruption and therefore confirming that he is not the good slave (i.e. the elect and beloved of God). See Jesus’s commentary on how to know who belongs to God in Matthew 7:15-20, which is expanded on in James 2:14-26 . The verses in Matthew 7 are particularly about prophets, but can be applied to anyone claiming to be from God. (BACK)

27 master: The Greek word used for the English word master is kurios meaning “lord, owner, master”. There is no doubt as to what the word  means: the owner of a human being with absolute authority over that person. Jesus is often addressed with this title of kurios (Matthew 8:2; John 20:28, Romans 6:23). The Bible tells us to confess that Jesus is kurios with the promise that if we do (along with believing God raised Him from the dead) that we shall be saved (Romans 10:9). Jesus tells us that not everyone who calls him kurios will enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21). Why? I think Luke 6:46 and Matthew 7:21 (see John 6:40 alongside Matthew 7:21) explain it perfectly together: a true doulos of Jesus will do what He says, if Jesus is truly Kurios. We also know that every knee will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord, but that does not mean they do so willingly or with that saving faith as described in Note 21. (see Philippians 2:9-11). (BACK)

28 cut [the slave] to pieces: Matthew 24:51. The Greek word used for the English word cut is dichotomeó and it means “to cut into two, divide”. This word also refers to being flogged severely. In today’s world we do not (normally) witness such violent executions such as dichotomeó and therefore in reading about this slave’s punishment today we don’t really have a picture of the violence inflicted upon him embedded in our mental image. However, in Jesus’s day people would have been exposed to executions such as dichotomeó (or stauroó): Jesus’s listeners would have experienced real-life illustrations of this slave’s execution. (BACK)

29 hypocrites: Matthew 24:51. The Greek word used for the English word hypocrite is hupokrités and it means “hypocrite”. This word was originally used to describe a performer or actor who wears a mask. It was then adapted to describe a person who pretends to ‘being good’ or religious conviction. (BACK)

30 weeping and gnashing of teeth: Matthew 24:51. It is important to understand what weeping and gnashing mean. The Greek word used for the English word weeping is klauthmos and means “lamentation”. This kind of weeping stems from grief so deep that it is audibly/visually experienced by those who witness it…and witnesses cannot help but be moved by it. It is not simple crying, it is anguish. Anguish is inconsolable and it is raw. The Greek word used for the English word gnashing is brugmos and it means “gnashing”. Gnashing of teeth in hell is due to rabid rage and mortified misery. This rage in hell is twofold: it is aimed at God for the punishment and at the self who disregarded God in the first place. When Jesus says that those in hell will experience weeping and gnashing of teeth, He describes the inconsolable anguish, rage and misery that those persons experience in the ‘outer darkness’. Hell isn’t meant to be gentle: it is meant to be an eternal torturous punishment of the worst kind; it is the worst nightmare of all nightmares that has not the benefit of waking up to discover it was just a dream. (BACK)

31 watch yourselves: The Greek word used in Luke 21:34 for the English word watch is prosechó and it means to “give heed, pay attention, be cautious”. The word prosechó gives the sense that we should be guarding ourselves with diligent, purposeful and constant caution. (BACK)

32 hearts: From Luke 21:34. The Greek word used for the English word heart is kardia and it means “heart”. In the Bible the usage of the word kardia means the place inside the person: the thoughts, emotions and intellect. This “inside the person” would be in the mind where all decisions, thoughts, emotions and intellect/reasoning stem from. Although we, in the modern day era, seem to separate intellect, reasoning and thoughts from emotions, this is not the case in the Bible. Intellect, reasoning, thought and emotions all originate and take shape in one place: the mind. (BACK)

33 weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness: The Greek word used for the English phrase weighed down is bareó and it means “burden”.  Bareó conveys the sense of being crushed down with a great heaviness, whether literally or figuratively used. The Greek word used for the English word dissipation is kraipalé and it properly means a headache from drunkenness. The word extends to the excessive debauchery that goes along with the drunkenness. The Greek word for the English word drunkenness is methé and it means “intoxication, drunkenness”. It must be understood that drinking wine (or any alcoholic drink) in itself is not a sin (Psalm 104:15; Ecclesiastes 9:7; Isaiah 25:6; 1 Timothy 5:23) but the excess of drunkenness and clouding of the mind with intoxication is a sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:18). This would extend to any drug usage. If any substance clouds your mind and judgment or renders you intoxicated/out of control, it is a sin. There are many who might say they can use certain drugs and still keep a clear head. As long as one is keeping in mind Romans 13:1-3; 14; 1 Corinthians 8 and 9 and also 1 Peter 2:13-14, that is between them and God. When in doubt, consider 1 Corinthians 10:23 and remember it is never a sin to abstain and to exercise self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23). (BACK)

34 worries of life: From Luke 21:34. Earlier, in Matthew 6:25-34 and Luke 12:22-31, Jesus had mentioned that worry was not a useful mental exercise. Jesus had also mentioned before that the ‘worries of life’ is one of the things that drags a person from God and His word (Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19; Luke 8:14). Other Bible verses that tell us not to worry: Proverbs 12:25; Philippians 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7.(BACK)

35 snare: Some English versions of the Bible include the word ‘snare’ in Luke 21:34 and some include the word in Luke 21:35. It is important to remember that the chapters and verse numbers in the Bible were not in the original writings—they were added in much later on. This is also true for any cross-references, maps, notes, background information pages, title pages, prefaces, explanations, concordances, content pages, forewords, copyright information, indices, introductions, histories (those not found in the actual Scriptures), record-keeping pages such as Marriages or Deaths, presentation pages, charts, how-to’s, ‘features’, tabs, essays, theological theses, etc. It is helpful (sometimes) that these things are included, but they are not God’s Word and therefore should not be equated to God’s Word. (BACK)

36 praying: The Greek word used for the English word pray is deomai and it means “to beseech, beg, pray”. This word deomai has weight to it: it is not prayer in general (see proseuchomai and euchomai). Deomai contains urgency or begging in the requests placed before God. In general, prayer is to be conducted continuously with devotion, humility, praise, truth, thanksgiving and trust/faith in God (2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 145:2; Mark 11:24; Romans 12:12; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). People often wonder why their prayers are not answered. The first thing to understand is that God is not obligated to hear anyone’s prayers or to answer for Himself (see Job 38:1-42:6) . After that, it must be understood that all prayer must be in accordance with God’s will, within the name (character/reputation) of Jesus, while abiding (continuing with, existing in permanent unison) in Jesus and not actively/continuously participating and harboring in sin (John 14:13-15; 15:7; James 4:3; 1 Peter 3:12; 1 John 5:14-15). To read more on prayer see Matthew 6:5-13; Luke 18:1-14; Romans 8:26 in hand with Ephesians 6:18. (BACK)

37 about to happen: What is about to happen is described in Matthew 24:5-26; Mark 13:6-22; Luke 21:8-24; also see Revelation 6 and 13. (BACK)

 

 

English Bible translation used: Berean Standard Bible

 

Jesus Feeds the 5000

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice “Jesus Feeds the 5000”

Matthew 14:13-21 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 14:13)

Mark 6:30-44 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Mark 6:30)

Luke 9:10-17 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 9:10)

John 6:1-13 (Greek Text Analysis starting with John 6:1)

 

Exodus 16:13-15
13 So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.”

 

THE SPLICE

1 When the apostles returned and had gathered together with Jesus, they gave an account to Him and reported to Him of all that they had taught and all they had done. Jesus had also heard about what had been done to 2 John the Baptist. Now there had been many people coming and going, and the disciples were tired and did not even have time to eat. Because of John’s murder and because the disciples needed time for rest and food, Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” Taking the disciples with Him, He withdrew from there and they went away in a boat to a secluded place by themselves, to a city called 3 Bethsaida, on the other side of the Sea of Galilee 4(also called Tiberias). And when the large crowds of those that Jesus and the disciples had been healing, heard of this and were aware that Jesus and the disciples were going to leave and when the crowd saw them going, (many recognized them by sight) they ran there together, following Him on foot from all surrounding cities and the crowds got there ahead of Jesus and the disciples. They followed Him because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were 5 sick. When Jesus arrived, He went ashore and He saw the large crowd, and 6 He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  And Jesus went up onto the mountain and they were following; and 7 He welcomed them, and began to teach them many things, speaking to them about the kingdom of God and healing their sick, curing those who needed healing. 8 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.

The day was ending and it was already quite late into the evening. Jesus, lifting up His eyes, could see that this large crowd was approaching Him. His twelve disciples went to Him and said, “9 This is a desolate place/we are in a desolate place and the hour is already quite late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and 10 find lodging as well as 11 buy themselves something to eat/buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”  Jesus said directly to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” This He was saying to test Philip, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred 12 denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” And the other disciples said to Him, “Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?” And Jesus said to the disciples, “How many loaves do you have? Go look!” The disciple Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “This 13 little boy here has five 14 barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” And the other disciples agreed with Andrew by saying, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” Now there was much grass in the place. And ordering and commanding the people to sit down on the green grass, Jesus said to His disciples, “Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.” The crowds sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties, directed by the disciples. Then Jesus told the disciples, “Bring them (the fish and loaves) here to Me.” Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking to heaven, He blessed the food and gave thanks, and breaking the loaves and dividing up the two fish, He distributed the food to the crowds by giving the food to the disciples, and the disciples delivered the food to the crowd. And Jesus kept giving food to the disciples to set before the people. Everyone ate as much as they wanted. They all ate and were satisfied. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” So the disciples gathered the broken pieces, and filled twelve 15 baskets full with fragments from the five barley loaves and the fish which were left over by those who had eaten; all that was left over was picked up. There were about 16five thousand men who ate the loaves and fish, besides women and children . Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly 17 the Prophet who is come into the world.”

 

Sketches of bread and fish

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES

 

1 When the apostles returned: Jesus had sent the Twelve out in pairs to cast demons out of people, to heal people of disease, to tell folks to repent and to proclaim the kingdom of God. See Matthew 10:1-8; Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-6. There is a difference between the words apostle and disciple in the Greek, although many people use them interchangeably in English. It is important to understand that a person could be both at the same time. Mark demonstrates this in Mark 6:30 when the Twelve return from the mission they had been sent on by Jesus, and then in Mark 6:35, when the Twelve are back to being learners. (Back)

 

2 John the Baptist: Son of Zacharias and Elizabeth. John and Elizabeth are relatives of Jesus’s, because Elizabeth is a relative of Mary’s (Luke 1:36). John the Baptist had just been beheaded by Herod (Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29). To read about John the Baptist, see Matthew 3, 11:2-14,  Mark 1:1-9; Luke 1:5-25, 41, 57-80; 3:1-22; 7:18-33; John 1:6-36, 3:22-36. (Back)

 

3 Bethsaida: Today, the area where Bethsaida stood is completely desolate. The word “Bethsaida” is now only applied to a bus stop at a junction on Highway 87 in Israeli Golan Heights. (Back)

 

4 Tiberias: It is John (John 6:1) who wants to make sure his readers understand that the Sea of Galilee is also called Tiberias. It’s possible that at the time of John’s writing (later half of the 1st century), many people called the Sea of Galilee by the Tiberias moniker. John also mentions the Sea of Galilee as the “Sea of Tiberias” in John 21:1. He mentions the town of Tiberias, which is located at the southwestern side of the Sea of Galilee, in John 6:23. It should be noted that Luke 5:1 calls the Sea of Galilee “the lake of Gennesaret”. Gennesaret was a town on the northwestern side of the Sea of Galilee, approximately 2.5 miles from Capernaum. (Back)

 

5 sick: Jesus spent quite a bit of time healing the sick. See Matthew 4:24, 8:1-3; Mark 6:55-56; Luke 13:11-13; John 5:5-9 for a few examples. The reason why He healed the sick is explained in Matthew 8:17 and Isaiah 53:4. (Back)

 

6 He felt compassion for them: From Mark 6:34. If you have to sum up the ministry of Jesus in just a few words, this is the verse I would use. (Back)

 

7 He welcomed them: From Luke 9:11. Luke uses the Greek word apodechomai which means “to gladly accept, gladly welcome, to embrace, to entertain with hospitality”. (Back)

 

8 Now the Passover: From John 6:4. Since it is near the Passover, there were many people traveling about, making their way to Jerusalem for the celebration.  (Back)

 

9 This is a desolate place/we are in a desolate place: Matthew 14:15 and Mark 6:35 say “this is a desolate place” and Luke 9:12 says “for we are in a desolate place”. (Back)

 

10 find lodging: Luke 9:12 mentions that the people need lodging as well as food. I think that some or all of these people camped out on the green and grassy (Mark 6:39, John 6:10) mountain side, because of John 6:22, but we don’t really hear about the lodging situation and how it was solved. We do know that Jesus had dismissed the crowd, sending them away (away from Himself, but not necessarily the mountain’s side or its base), and He went up onto the mountain alone (See Matthew 14:22-23; Mark 6:45-47). Since it was near the Passover (John 6:4), we know from John 18:18 that it can get cold at night around Passover-time. If they did indeed camp out on the mountain’s side, we can only assume that people built fires or it was a comfortable spring evening, whether by miracle or nature, keeping people warm through the night. We do know that there was a strong wind over the Sea of Galilee between 3am and 6am, at any rate (Matthew 14:24, 30; Mark 6:48; John 6:18). (Back)

 

11 buy themselves something to eat: From Matthew 14:15; Mark 6:36; Luke 9:12. Everyone is in Bethsaida, in a desolate part of it, but it has some surrounding villages (Matthew 14:15; Mark 6:35; Luke 9:10, 12). Capernaum is also a couple of miles away (John 6:16-19). There were no large, “big-box” stores back then or any type of grocery store, to be sure. Also, people didn’t have an abundance of food in a pantry like people might have today, therefore going up to a house and asking to buy their food may not work out. This miracle seems to not only display the power of Jesus, but it also fills an immediate need. Who else could feed that many people at a time? (Back)

 

12 denarii: In Matthew 20:2, one denarius was agreed to as the day’s wages. We don’t know if this was a generous wage or a common wage, but from Matthew 20:13 it seems that this was the generally accepted wage for the day for a laborer in a vineyard. To read about the history of the denarius, click here. Some other mentions of the denarius in Scripture include Matthew 18:28; Mark 12:15; Luke 7:41; Revelation 6:6. (Back)

 

13 little boy: From John 6:9. We don’t know who this little boy is or if he is traveling with the disciples. We know that there were two boats that the disciples and Jesus had been traveling in (John 6:22-24), and it is possible that this boy could have been tucked in there with them. It would seem strange if Jesus is commanding the disciples “you feed” the crowd and to see how much food they have, but then use a stranger’s food, even if a child. This food (in my view) has to belong to the disciples and Jesus collectively, and by extension, the child belongs with them, too.  For the Greek on John 6:9, click here. (Back)

 

14 five barley loaves and two fish: Barley was considered  low quality for bread. Hulled barley seems to have at least some nutritional value though, all things being equal 2000 years later. Fish was preserved by salting way back then, and its preservation in this way enabled people to carry it around with them on long journeys. See this article for an interesting look at ancient fish preservation. (Back)

 

15 baskets: The Greek word, used in all of the accounts, for the word “basket” is kophinos which is a “hand-basket” or a basket that the Jews used specifically for carrying around their food. It could be large, it could be small; size seems subjective so we don’t know how much it held. It was probably made of wicker. (Back)

 

16 five thousand men: There are many current day estimates saying that approximately 15,000-20,000 people are on the mountainside, since only the men were counted (Matthew 14:21; Mark 6:44; Luke 9:14). We do not know the actual number of people fed through Jesus’s miracle. (Back)

 

17 the Prophet: John 6:14 tells us that people were proclaiming Jesus as the Prophet due to this miracle. The Prophet was promised by God to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. (Back)

The Last Supper: Part Two

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Scripture Used to Create “The Last Supper” Splice Series

Matthew 26:17-36 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 26:17)

Mark 14:12-32 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Mark 14:12)

Luke 22:7-40 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 22:7)

John 13:1-18:1 (Greek Text Analysis starting with John 13:1)

 

Need to catch up first? To read the Splice “The Last Supper: Part One”, click here

 

Psalm 41:9
Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

 

THE SPLICE

While they were eating, 1 Jesus took some bread and after a blessing and having given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it and eat; 2 this is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way, after they had eaten, He took the cup, and giving thanks, and He gave it to them saying, while they all drank from it, “Drink from it, all of you; this cup which is poured out for you is the 3 new covenant in My blood; My blood of the covenant, which is poured out 4 for many for forgiveness of sins; 5 do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table.” And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. And there arose also 6 a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. Jesus had dipped the morsel and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 7 After the morsel, Satan then entered into Judas. Therefore Jesus said to Judas, “What you do, do quickly.” 8 Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. For some were supposing, because 9 Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy the things we have need of 10 for the feast” or else, that he should give something to the poor. So after receiving the morsel Judas went out immediately; and it was night.

 

 

Want to continue reading? To read the Splice “The Last Supper: Part Three” click here

 

 

NOTES

1  Jesus took some bread: Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, and Luke 22:17-20 introduce us to the memorial of Holy Communion. John does not mention it at all. Because of Luke’s account (particularly in verse 21 with the usage of the Greek word meta), we could, with relative confidence, list Judas as “in attendance” for this church-wide ordinance, with the understanding that the Bible does not explicitly give the particulars of his whereabouts during that aspect of the night. (Back)

2 this is My body which is given for you: There are certain Christian sects that insist that this is a literal transformation: that the communion wafer turns into the actual body of Jesus, and the wine turns into the actual blood of Jesus, during Holy Communion. This idea is called transubstantiation. Holy Communion is a symbolic, not a literal, transformation. First of all, cannibalism is spoken of as a judgment from God in the Bible, and therefore by extension, forbidden as a practice for God-fearing people (Jeremiah 19:9; Ezekiel 5:10; Micah 3:3-4) and Jesus would never entertain forbidden practices (John 8:29) or introduce them into the church. Drinking animal blood is forbidden, much less from human beings (Leviticus 17:14). Jesus Himself tells us that the eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood is a metaphoric idea: He has come down from heaven and is the Way to eternal life with God, as explained in John 6:41-65. Plus, you can see it in your hand and taste it in your mouth. It’s unleavened bread in the form of oyster crackers (or whatever your church uses) and grape juice (or wine) in a tiny cup. (Back)

3 new covenant in My blood: There was an original or old covenant with the people of Israel, see Exodus 24, in particular verses 6-8. Hebrews 9 and 10:1-18 give a thorough explanation on the old and new covenants. Jesus’s sacrifice is once and for all (Hebrews 10:10) and there is no need to sacrifice any animals, especially since their blood never took away sins (Hebrews 10:4). Why have the old covenant, with the Law of God and animal sacrifices in the first place? The Law shows us that we are sinners and are under judgment by God (Romans 3:19-20). The animal sacrifices show that only blood will atone for sin (Hebrews 9:22). The old covenant was a preview of the perfect covenant in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:4-10). (Back)

4 for many for forgiveness of sins: This is only applicable to those who will accept the forgiveness, not a blanket statement for everyone in the entire world (Hebrews 10:26-30, 1 John 1:9). Forgiveness is offered to the entire world (John 3:16), and God doesn’t want anyone to perish in hell (1 Timothy 2:4), but many just won’t let go of their own ideals/identities, admit to their sin (1 John 1:8, 10) and repent of their sin (Luke 5:32), and take the only Way to God (Matthew 7:13-14; John 14:6). If we confess our sins (this is a part of repentance), acknowledging that God is right and we are wrong, He is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9). (Back)

5  do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me: This instruction of Jesus’s is from 1 Corinthians 11:25. None of the gospel writers include this statement in their accounts, but Paul received this information from Jesus Himself. Luke does include Jesus’s words “in remembrance of Me” concerning the bread, but not the wine, in Luke 22:19. See 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 for Paul’s account. (Back)

6  a dispute among them: From Luke 22:24. It is possible that the disciples were debating for someone other than themselves (John arguing Peter’s merits, for example), but human nature says that they were arguing the case for themselves (John for John’s merits, Peter for Peter’s merits). This seems especially probable, as they have had these arguments before (Luke 9:46-48). And then, there was that audacious request from the Zebedee family: that Jesus would seat John and James at Jesus’s right and left hand (Matthew 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45) in His kingdom.  The argument of “I am the best” would be what the world calls “tooting your own horn”. In reality, it is a gross and blatant display of pride. Pride is a world view and is not of God (Proverbs 11:2, 25:27; 2 Corinthians 10:18; 1 Peter 5:5.  (Back)

7  After the morsel: This is from John 13:26-27.  It never says if Judas actually eats this bit of food.  (Back)

8  Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him: Did the others not see the morsel passed or hear the conversation? It would seem that the words of Jesus and the action of giving the morsel would be enough to give a hint as to who the culprit is. Perhaps they were purposely blinded from the meaning of the conversation, as a provision from God, so that they would not try to stop Judas. (see Note 29 in The Last Supper: Part One) (Back)

9 Judas had the money box: The money box was full of donations, and the donations we know about are from women (Luke 8:3). Judas’s grip on the money box began long before this night (John 12:4-6). Also see 1 Timothy 6:9-10. (Back)

10 for the feast: Passover is a feast that lasts for seven days. There is the first night of Passover (on the 14th), where the lamb is eaten, along with the bitter herbs. The next day, on the 15th, The Feast of Unleavened Bread is observed. Since the Passover meal has already been consumed, it is possible that the feast meant is for the next day/rest of the days of Passover. See Exodus 12:1-20; Leviticus 23:5-6; Numbers 28:16-25; Deuteronomy 16:1-8; Ezekiel 45:21. (Back)

The Last Supper: Part One

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Scripture Used to Create “The Last Supper” Splice Series

Matthew 26:17-36 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 26:17)

Mark 14:12-32 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Mark 14:12)

Luke 22:7-39(Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 22:7)

John 13:1-18:1 (Greek Text Analysis starting with John 13:1)

 

1 Corinthians 5:7
Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.

 

THE SPLICE

Now before the 1 Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, 2 having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 3 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, Jesus was sending Peter and John out to prepare for the Passover,  and He said to them, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.” Peter and John said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?”  Jesus said to them, 4 “Go into Jerusalem and when you have entered the city, a certain man will meet you and 5 he will be carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples. Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ And the owner of the house himself will show you a 6 large upper room that is furnished and ready; prepare the Passover for us there.” Peter and John did as Jesus had directed them; they left Jesus and went into the city and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. When it was evening, Jesus went to the upper room with the twelve. When the supper hour had come, 7 He reclined at the table, and with Him, the twelve disciples/the apostles. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I 8 suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it 9 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 , until the day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” During supper, 10 the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given 11 all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, He got up from supper, and laid aside 12 His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to 13 wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then 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, 14“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 15 my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “16 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, “17 Not all of you are clean.” 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, 18 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. 19 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. I do not speak of all of you . I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 20 ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’ 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, 21 he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and 22 he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” After Jesus had said this and while they all were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus 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. There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom 23 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.” Being 24 deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” And He answered, “It is one of the twelve; 25 he who dipped and dips his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. For the Son of Man is to go 26 just as it is written of Him, as it has been determined; but 27 woe to the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man 28 if he had not been born.” 29 And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “ You have said it yourself.”

 

Want to continue reading? To read the Splice “The Last Supper: Part Two”  click here.

 

“Picked for a Charoset”

 

NOTES

 

1  Feast of the Passover: To read about the history of The Feast of the Passover and about the Passover Lamb, see Exodus 12:1-20, 42-50, 23:15; Leviticus 23:5-7; Numbers 9:1-14, 28:16-25; Deuteronomy 16:1-8 and Ezekiel 45:21. (Back)

2 having loved His own: From John 13:1. The Greek word used for loved in this verse is agapaó and it means “to love”. Agapé love is unconditional, made by choice and on purpose. God’s love for His elect begins before the person has even been given the gift of faith to believe (see Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:19). This love cannot be separated from those whom God has chosen as His own (Romans 8:38-39). Contrary to the teachings of some sects, the Bible says you cannot lose your salvation nor God’s love. Jesus’s sacrifice was sufficient and complete (Hebrews 10:10). (Back)

3 On the first day of Unleavened Bread: The first day of Unleavened Bread is a part of the seven days of Passover. From the 14th of Abib/Nisan (the first day of Passover and when the Passover lambs are sacrificed) until the 21st, no leaven is eaten. On the 15th is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. See Note 1.  (Back)

4  Go into Jerusalem: This event is included to show us the divinity of Christ. It is possible that the water-man or the owner of the house believed that Christ is the Messiah or heard Him teach on an occasion or two, but the Bible does not mention these possibilities, nor does it mention that Jesus, Peter, John, or any of the disciples had physically met these people before. See Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13. (Back)

5 he will be carrying a pitcher of water: People had to fetch their water every day, drawing it from wells or springs, and carrying it home in jars. To read some articles on the water supply of ancient Israel, click here and here. (Back)

6 large upper room: Was this the same upper room that the disciples were meeting in later on in Acts 1:13?  It is very possible; they would have needed a very large room, because by that time there were about 120 people gathering in it (Acts 1:12-15).(Back)

7 He reclined at the table: In ancient Rome and Israel, it was customary for people to lay down while eating. They leaned on their side, with their feet away from the table. To read about this ancient practice, click here. (Back)

8 Suffer:  Crucifixion was the worst way to die in ancient Rome. You can read about Jesus’s crucifixion in Matthew 27:26-56; Mark 15:15-39; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:16-30. To read the Splice on the crucifixion, click here.  (Back)

9 until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God: It is possible that Jesus is referring to the marriage supper of the Lamb (see Revelation 19:9). Since the Bible is not clear on the meaning, this is a guess. (Back)

10 the devil had already put into the heart: The devil can tempt anyone to do anything, but people always have the choice to resist, and to rely on the power of God (James 4:7-8). There are always lots of little steps that lead up to the committing of sin. At any of those steps, we can turn to God and ask for help to endure the temptation, and flee from it. See 1 Corinthians 10:13. (Back)

11 all things into His hands: With the understanding of John 1:1, 1 Corinthians 15:27,  Colossians 1:15-20 and Hebrews 1:2-4 see these verses: Matthew 11:27, 28:18; Luke 10:22; John 3:35, 16:15; Ephesians 1:22. We might ask why it is this way. The only answer available to us to consider is that the Father loves the Son (John 3:35) and because of  Revelation 5:9-10. I’m sure the full answer is vast and wide and beyond our comprehension (Isaiah 55:8-9). (Back)

12  His garments:  The Greek word used for garments in John 13:4 is himation which is an outer cloak or robe; the word is in the plural for this verse, so probably both a cloak and a robe. These are probably the outer clothes that the guards will divide up between the four of them (John 19:23) approximately 12-15 hours later. People did not own multiple cloaks or robes back then unless they were wealthy. See Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34 and John 19:23-24 for the account of the guards dividing up Jesus’s outer clothes and casting lots for Jesus’s tunic. (Back)

13 wash the disciples’ feet: Washing feet was a servant’s job, if you had one. To read about this custom in ancient Israel, click here and here. (Back)

14  Never shall You wash my feet!: Some believe this statement of Peter’s was an example of Peter’s pride. I don’t believe this to be true, because then Peter wouldn’t have been so quick to say, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head” in John 13:9. I believe the reason why Peter says “Never shall You wash my feet!” is because he was shocked at Jesus’s positioning as a lowly slave, washing feet. Knowing that Jesus was the Messiah, (see Matthew 16:16 and Mark 8:29), Peter was finding feet-washing an unfathomable position for Jesus and he didn’t understand yet that it was an object lesson. Jesus explains to him that he will understand it eventually. See John 13:4-10. (Back)

15 not only my feet, but also my hands and my head. In my opinion, Peter says Feet, Hands and Head because: Feet carry us to where we go (whether walking towards good or towards bad, metaphorically or physically), Hands are the tools we use to do work (whether good or bad, whether metaphorically or physically), and in the Head is where we first decide whether or not to sin, whether to do the Lord’s work or our own. (Back)

16 He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean:  Here, Jesus is saying that once you are saved (clean) you don’t need to be saved again. Allegorically, He is saying that this washing of the feet is the continued work that He performs in our lives, and the intercession that He makes on our behalf (Romans 8:30, 33, 34; Hebrews 7:25). (Back)

17 Not all of you are clean: Lookin’ at you, Judas Iscariot! Matthew 10:4, Luke 6:16; John 6:64, 70-71; Acts 1:16-17. (Back)

18 you also ought to wash one another’s feet: The idea of being a servant or a slave in God’s kingdom is an honored and elevated position, quite contrary to our nature as human beings and how the world views (and uses) slavery and servitude. See Matthew 20:20-28; 23:11. (Back)

19 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master: The Greek word used for truly is amén and it means “verily, truly”. It is used to emphatically mark the sentence as truth. It is used twice in a row in John 13:16. (Back)

20  HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME: Jesus is quoting from Psalm 41:9. (Back)

21 he who receives whomever I send receives Me: Jesus teaches this lesson vividly in Matthew 25:31-46. (Back)

22 he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me: See John 1:1, 14:6-11. (Back)

23 one of His disciples: John, writer of the gospel of John, 1st, 2nd and 3rd epistles of John and Revelation. John recalls this as a memory in John 21:20. (Back)

24  deeply grieved: The Greek text says “grieved exceedingly”. The Greek word used for grieved in Matthew 26:22 is lupeó and this kind of grief means “to experience an intense, deep grief, or an overwhelming sorrow”. Jesus was called “a man of sorrows” in Isaiah 53:3. See Isaiah 53 for an almost poetical description on the sufferings and sorrows of the Messiah.  (Back)

25 he who dipped and dips: It is important to understand that at the Passover meal, Jesus would be residing over it and would have given pieces of food to everyone there and everyone would have been dipping in the bowl with Him. (Back)

26 just as it is written of Him: See Isaiah 53. (Back)

27 woe to the man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: This would be Judas Iscariot. At least one of Judas’s duties was steward of the coffers (John 12:6, 13:29) for Jesus’s ministry. He, like so many others when given the opportunity, was stealing from the funds (John 12:4-6). Some of that money was from private donations from women (Luke 8:3), a group of people that were disregarded and marginalized by society, so it makes the crime even more distasteful, if that’s possible. He arranged with some of the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus, for a price of 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:1-6). When he realized his sin, he went out and tried to give the money back to the priests. Then he hanged himself and in the process, his body fell headlong and burst open on the ground (Matthew 27:3-10; Acts 1:16-20) . The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:9-10). (Back)

28 if he had not been born.: There are worse things than not being born. Being born and then dying into eternal damnation is far worse than not being born at all. Hell is eternal separation from God, eternal pain and suffering, eternal shame and darkness. See Isaiah 66:24; Daniel 12:2; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Jude 1:13; Revelation 14:11, 20:10-15. (Back)

29 And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “ You have said it yourself.”:  John 13:21-30 says that Jesus explains who the betrayer will be, and it also explains that no one recognizes that the betrayer is Judas. They don’t even recognize it when in Matthew 26:25, Jesus outright and out loud says, Yes, it’s you, Judas (I’m paraphrasing here). Why? There were several times where the Bible records that the disciples were kept from recognizing truth for God’s purposes. For an example, see John 20:9. It is possible that the other 11 disciples were too wrapped up in their own grief in hearing that one of them was to betray Jesus to pay any attention to what Jesus was saying to Judas, or it was kept from their sight because they might have tried to stop Judas. Peter was fairly quick with that sword in John 18:10, after all. It was for God’s purpose that Judas be the betrayer and actually go through with betraying Jesus. (Back)