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Jesus’s Olivet Discourse: Part One

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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)

 

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 now, while Jesus was sitting on the 1 Mount of Olives, 2 opposite of the temple , the disciples 3 Peter, James, John and Andrew approached Him and now asked Him in private, saying  “4 Teacher, tell us, when then will 5 these things happen, and what will be the sign when these things are about to happen? And what will be the 6 sign when all of  these things are going to be completed? And what is the sign of 7 Your arrival and the 8 end of the age?” And answering, Jesus began to say to them, “9 See to it , lest anyone deceives you, 10 lest you be deceived.  For many will come in My 11 name saying, ’I am the 12 Christ ’ and ‘the time is drawn near’ and they will deceive many. Do not go after them. You will begin then to hear of wars and reports of wars. When, then, you hear of wars and reports of wars and 13 disorder , “See, do not be disturbed, do not be terrified. It is necessary for these things to happen first, “14 but not yet , not immediately is the end.

Then He was saying to them, ““15 For nation will rise up against nation , and kingdom against kingdom. Also, there will be “16 great earthquakes throughout places and among places there will be 17 famines and 18 pestilences; 19 terrorizing sights also, and there will be 20 great signs from heaven .  These are the beginning of 21 birth pains .

22 But be on your guard; before all these things happen, they will lay their hands on you. At that time, they will deliver you to persecution, they will deliver you to 23 councils, prisons and the synagogues , leading you away to kings and leaders, on account of My name. You will be beaten, and will stand before leaders and kings because of Me, for a testimony to them. 24 It will result in a testimony for you.

But first, to all the 25 nations , it is necessary to 26 proclaim the gospel . And whenever they might lead you away, delivering you up, 27 do not be anxious beforehand about what you should say, but speak whatever is given to you in that hour; for you are not the one speaking but the 28 Holy Spirit . Set, therefore, in your 29 minds not to prepare beforehand to 30 premeditate a defense . For I will give you 31 speech and wisdom, which all those opposing you will not be able to stand against nor speak against.

At that time, many will 32 stumble, and they will betray one another and will 33 hate each other. And many 34 false prophets will raise up and will lead astray many. And because 35 lawlessness is to multiply, the 36 love of many will grow cold.  Brother will betray brother to death, and a father, his child; and children will rise up against parents, and will put them to death. And you will be hated by all the nations on account of My name.  And no, 37 not a hair on your head will perish.  But the one 38 having endured to the end will be saved. By your endurance, you will gain your 39 souls. 40 And there will be be proclaimed this gospel of the kingdom in all the earth for a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will arrive.

 

Want to continue reading? To read the Splice “Jesus’s Olivet Discourse: Part Two”, click here.

 

NOTES

 

1  Mount of Olives: The Mount of Olives is mentioned many times in the Bible, making it a significant landmark that people visit today. Zechariah 14:4 says that in the future, the Lord will stand upon Mount Olive. King David walked up the Mount in sorrow as he departed Jerusalem to run from Absalom (2 Samuel 15:30). Also, Jesus’s last moments of freedom before the cross were spent in the Garden of Gethsemane, located at the base of Mount Olive (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46). To read the Splice about Jesus’s night in the Garden of Gethsemane, click here. (BACK)

2  opposite the temple: By the wording in Mark 13:3, it would seem that Jesus was sitting in direct view of the temple. The Greek word used for opposite is katenanti and it means “Before/in the presence of/directly opposite”. It was no coincidence that Jesus is montaged with the temple in Mark’s account; God is not arbitrary. Perhaps Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant, was contemplating the Old Covenant (see Hebrews 8-9) . Perhaps Jesus, the ‘once and for all sacrifice’ was considering the building of Atonement, and it’s imperfect and repeated sacrifices (Hebrews 10:1-18). God is the perfect poet. All of this is surmising, however, because the Bible makes no mention of what Jesus was thinking about. (BACK)

3 Peter, James, John and Andrew: Certain evangelists like to call Peter, James and John “Jesus’s inner circle” with the proof being the order in which the names of the disciples are listed in Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16 and because Peter, James and John were present for the Transfiguration and were separated out in the Garden of Gethsemane. The order of disciples’ names in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19 and Luke 6:14-16 may have much to do with their leadership after Jesus’s ministry, because the gospels were written some time after Jesus’s resurrection. There is nothing in the Bible stating that Jesus had an ‘inner circle’ (click here and then go to NOTE 3). We must be careful not to make the Bible say things it doesn’t say. (BACK)

4 Teacher: The Greek word used for teacher in Luke 21:7 is didaskalos and it means “teacher/master”. It is fascinating that the disciples decided to use this word. In using didaskalos, the disciples are acknowledging Jesus’s mastery of Scripture and theology. As a side note, no human being or angel or demon can predict the end of this age nor the Parousia of Jesus Christ. Only God the Father has the answer to that (Matthew 24:36). (BACK)

5 these things: Jesus had just finished telling His disciples that someday the temple would be destroyed (Matthew 24:1-2; Mark 13:1-2; Luke 21:5-6). Before the group’s arrival to the Mount of Olives, Jesus and the disciples had been in the temple. While in the temple, Jesus had some exchanges with the Sadducees, scribes, Pharisees/Pharisaic disciples/spies, and there were some Herodians in attendance, for good measure. Also that day, He taught the large crowds, who enjoyed listening to His teaching (and, no doubt, enjoyed the entertainment of seeing the religious leaders mentioned above get their “noses out of joint” by Jesus’s answers to them). Jesus also observed the rich and poor alike offering their money to the temple treasury and then listened to the disciples extol the temple’s exquisite architecture and assorted accoutrements. Jesus’s answer to the admiration of the temple’s beauty was with a simple message: some day the temple would be destroyed. See Matthew 22:16-24:2; Mark 12:13-13:2; Luke 20:21-21:6. (BACK)

6 sign: The Greek word used for sign in all three Gospel accounts (Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:4; Luke 21:7) is sémeion and it means “miracle/sign/wonder/token”.  (BACK)

7 Your arrival: The term used in Matthew 24:3 for Jesus’s return to earth a second time is the Greek word parousia and it means “to be present; arrival”. When the New Testament speaks of Jesus’s return to earth at the end of our age (as described in Revelation 19:11-16), parousia is the word used.  (BACK)

8 end of the age: The disciples are asking “when will this current world order end?” The Greek word used for age in Matthew 24:3 is aión and it means “a cycle of time”. It can also mean “eternity/forever”. We know that aión is used here to express an era of time with a definite ending because of the usage of the word sunteleia, meaning “consummation/ ending/complete” right before it. The end of the age that the disciples are referring to is the era we live in right at this very moment. (BACK)

9 See to it: Matthew 24:4; Mark 13:5; Luke 21:8. Some English translations say “take heed” or “watch”. The Greek word used in all three gospel accounts for see is blepó. This word can also be translated as “behold”. Blepó means to “perceive, see, understand”, not only with your physical eyes, but it applies to mental or spiritual perception as well. (BACK)

10 lest: Matthew 24:4; Mark 13:5; Luke 21:8. The Greek word used for lest is mé and it means “not, never, lest”. It negates a verb. For example if the verb is mislead or planaó, using mé with planaó now means, in essence, “don’t mislead”. (BACK)

11 name: Matthew 24:5; Mark 13:6; Luke 21:8. The Greek word for name is onoma and it means “name”. Names were synonymous with a person’s character in Israel, and therefore names were chosen with the utmost of care to meaning. Doing anything in someone else’s name means in their character, in align with their reputation and with their authority. Some examples of names and their meanings in the Bible would be Ichabod (1 Samuel 4:19-22), Moses (Exodus 2:10), and Jesus (Matthew 1:21). (BACK)

12 Christ: The Greek word used for Christ in Matthew 24:5 is Christos and it means “Christ/Messiah/Anointed One”. Because the word Christ is a descriptor, the proper understanding of Jesus’s name would be: Jesus the Christ or Jesus the Messiah. Surnames did not really exist for the Hebrew people, at least not in the way we understand them. However, people were identified through many measures, such as by their region (Simon of Cyrene in Mark 15:21), notoriety (Simon the Zealot in Acts 1:13) and even by parentage (examples also present in Acts 1:13). When using parentage as an identifier, people were identified by their father’s name, such as “Simon, son of John” (John 1:42). People who knew Jesus while He was growing up, probably identified Him as “Jesus, son of Joseph” (see Matthew 13:55 where Nazarenes identify Jesus as “the carpenter’s son”). But Peter (eventually) knew better (Matthew 16:16), as do we. (BACK)

13 disorder: From Luke 21:9. The Greek word used for disorder is akatastasia and it means “disorder/tumult/upheaval”. It is important to understand that although the word disorder in English sounds mild, this word akatastasia is not. Akatastasia refers to anarchy, revolutions and instability in society/moral norms. (BACK)

14 but not yet, not immediately: All three accounts have this statement to some extent (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:7; Luke 21:9). It means that the wars, rumors of wars and the disorder is not when the age is finished. (BACK)

15 For nation will rise up against nation: We get a mention of this time of war (delivered by the rider on the red horse) in Revelation, after Jesus breaks the second seal of the book that only He can open (see Revelation 6:3-4). (BACK)

16 great earthquakes: We have experienced earthquakes throughout the ages. So far, the greatest earthquake (in intensity) that we have seen occurred in Chile on May 22, 1960. Will these earthquakes that Jesus is referring to be larger in intensity than the 9.5 earthquake in Chile or does the word great used in Luke 21:11 refer to the quantity of earthquakes? The Greek word used for great is megas, and it has a broad definition; it can refer to great in number or great in intensity. There are some great earthquakes mentioned in Revelation 6:12, 11:13, 16:18. These earthquakes are great in intensity. (BACK)

17 famines:  Revelation 6:5-6 has been interpreted as the blueprint for a famine: around a quart of wheat for a denarius and three quarts of barley for a denarius.  A denarius is the fair, agreed-upon wage for vineyard laborers working 12 hours (and for those working 1 hour, speaking to the generosity of God) in Matthew 20:2. Most historians agree that the worst famine in history (so far) was the Great Chinese Famine (roughly 1959-1961) due to (in large part) the Great Leap Forward and the policies associated with it.

There is a second part to Revelation 6:6 that says oil and wine should not be injured by the rider and his black horse. Note that the verse doesn’t say that the olives/olive trees nor the grapes/grapevines should remain unharmed. The refined and processed products, oil and wine, are to be kept safe. In today’s world, olive oil and wine are products that people with money-to-spare will purchase. If you have a super-tight budget these days you can get vegetable oil for much cheaper than olive oil. If you go to the food pantry, they are not giving out olive oil or wine. It could be, as some believe, God is allowing for some provisions since oil and wine were daily necessities back in Jesus’s day. However, oil and wine cannot make anything on their own and to make a basic foodstuff like bread in Revelation 6:6’s era you must have a day’s wages to buy the wheat or barley (which could be eaten on its own in a pinch) to mix with the oil! (BACK)

18 pestilences: Luke 21:11 alone mentions the disease. The Greek word used for pestilence is loimos and it means “pestilence/plague”.  The disease mentioned by Jesus seems to be the natural progression of wars and famines. It must be understood that this word loimos means that the disease will be severe, as the purpose of this bout of disease is to deliver divine judgment, ordained by God. Death, who is the rider on the ashen horse in Revelation 6:8, along with Hades, shall be fulfilling his name through: disease, war, famine, and wild beasts. One quarter of the earth’s population is to die. If these judgments were to be brought by God today, at the time of this writing, that would mean approximately 2.05 billion people would die by severe disease, starving to death, war with its bombs and guns, and being torn apart by/poisoned by/infected by wild animals. (BACK)

19 terrorizing sights: Mentioned in Luke 21:11 alone. If we think about Note 18 above, it is easy to imagine the terrorizing sights to be viewed. The Greek word used for terrorizing is phobétron and it means “terrible sight/cause of fear”. The book of Revelation has recordings of some pretty terrorizing sights to be seen, see Revelation 6:12-15; 8:7-12; 9:3-10; 11:8-13; 16:1-21. (BACK)

20 great signs from heaven: From Luke 21:11  .  The Greek word for signs is sémeion and it means “sign/miracle”. Jesus is speaking about miraculous signs, not natural objects such as the Hale-Bopp comet. The book of Revelation tells of these great signs from heaven in Revelation 6:12-14. (BACK)

21 birth pains: Both Matthew and Mark tell us that when all these things mentioned (wars, rumors of wars, chaos, famine, earthquakes, plagues, terrorizing sights, miraculous signs from heaven) happen, they are just the beginning of the pain and suffering. The Greek word used for birth pains is ódin and it means “birth pain/agony/sorrow”. The suffering of human beings during the aforementioned events will be tremendous, but alas, it is only the beginning of the affliction. (BACK)

22 But be on your guard: The warning comes from Mark 13:9. The Greek sentence actually reads as βλέπετε δὲ ὑμεῖς ἑαυτούς which transliterally means: “Perceive but you to yourselves”. The Greek word used for perceive is blepó and is the word that is often translated into English as “behold”. Blepó means “see” or “perceive” or in other words: take notice and understand. I chose to use the Berean Standard Bible’s translation of “be on your guard” and replaced their usage of the word “so” with “but”  because “but” is more closely related to the original word used. I have used BSB’s entire phrase “be on your guard” because it expresses the intent of the passage and is easy to understand. (BACK)

23 councils, prisons and the synagogues:  From Mark 13:9 and Luke 21:12. The Greek word used for councils in Mark 13:9 is sunedrion and it means “council/assembly” but the word was specifically used for the Sanhedrin. Prisons and synagogues are mentioned in Luke 21:12. Prison  was just a holding place before trial or before execution. Synagogues  were the local places of worship and community for the Jews. There have been fascinating archaeological finds in recent years regarding the ancient synagogues of Israel.  As far as the councils, prisons and synagogues go, this wasn’t the first time that the disciples heard about the troubles that they would face in following Jesus (see Matthew 10:16-25). (BACK)

24 It will result in a testimony: We see in Acts where arrest and accusation before the rulers resulted in testimony for the 12 apostles, such as in Acts 4:1-12 and Acts 5:17-32. We even see some disciples of Jesus who were not of the 12 have the same opportunity, such as Stephen (Acts 6:8-7:60) and Paul (Acts 16:19-33). Paul also reports that his circumstances resulted in progress for the testimony of the gospel (Philippians 1:12-14). (BACK)

25 nations: From Mark 13:10 (also used in Matthew 24:14). The Greek word used for nations is ethnos meaning “nation/Gentile/heathen”. It particularly applies to non-Jews. (BACK)

26 proclaim the gospel: From Mark 13:10. The Greek word for proclaim is kérussó and it means “proclaim/preach/herald”, with an emphasis on the preacher’s conviction that the message they bring is truth. The Greek word for gospel is euaggelion and it means “gospel/good news”. This mandate of preaching to the nations will occur in Revelation 14:6-7. Even so, has the good news regarding Jesus Christ been preached (with conviction) to all the non-Jewish nations, as of today? It seems so. Even countries that have a low Christian population still have some sort of population that believes (at least nominally) in Jesus as the Messiah, meaning they’ve had the gospel preached to them.  (BACK)

27 do not be anxious beforehand: Anxiety/worry has a connection to fear. Usually (it seems) fear acts as the bus ride to anxiety. There are many places in the Bible which tell us not to be anxious; for Jesus’s teaching on anxiety see Matthew 6:25-34. If you can trust Christ to save you from the pits of hell (John 3:16), you can trust Him with every other aspect of your life (Proverbs 3:5). He does not stop caring about you (1 Peter 5:7), He does not stop providing for you (Philippians 4:19), He does not stop interceding for you (Hebrews 7:25). (BACK)

28 Holy Spirit: From Mark 13:11 and also told to the disciples earlier in Jesus’s ministry in Luke 12:12. The Greek word used for Holy is hagios and it means “holy/sacred/set apart”. The Greek word used for Spirit is pneuma and it means “spirit/breath/wind”. There are a few English translations that substitute the word ghost for spirit. This is not correct and inappropriate at best! The Holy Spirit should never be referred to as a ghost. The Greek word used for ghost is phantasma, meaning “ghost/apparition”. Although we sometimes, in the English language, use the words ghost or spirit interchangeably, this cannot be the case for the Holy Spirit; using the word ghost in place of spirit for the Holy Spirit borders on blasphemous. (BACK)

29 minds: From Luke 21:14. The Greek word for minds is kardia and it means “heart/mind”. It’s literal sense refers to the physical heart that beats in the chest and pumps blood throughout the body. In kardia’s figurative sense, it refers to the emotional seat of the person: their feelings. But it must be understood that feelings begin in the brain, the thought center, and are not separated from intellect, as Jesus points out in Matthew 9:4, using “thinking” and “hearts” together. It seems that we have become a society that separates reasoning from feelings and encourages “following your heart” without thinking things through first! The Bible never advocates this kind of emotional volatility and instability. (BACK)

30 premeditate a defense:  From Luke 21:14. The Greek word for premeditate is promeletaó and it means “premeditate/rehearse/prepare beforehand”. The Greek word for defense is apologeomai and it means “defend oneself/to make a plea”.  Jesus gives this piece of information to His disciples earlier in His ministry as well, in Luke 12:11. 1 Peter 3:15 says to always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you about your faith. There is a difference between defending your faith in general and defending yourself in court. In Luke 12:11 and Luke 21:14, Jesus is preparing His disciples for the horrors of arrest and for standing before the courts in order to receive the terrifying consequences for their faith in Him. Jesus didn’t mean that the disciples shouldn’t know what God’s word means or that they shouldn’t have an answer to questions such as why Jesus is God. Jesus means that He, through the Holy Spirit, will give the disciples the exact words to use. These court testimonies will be the undeniable witness of His sovereignty and truth, so that anyone listening in on these extreme testimonial opportunities (in a court of law) will not be able to refute those words. (BACK)

31 speech and wisdom: From Luke 21:15. The Greek word for speech is stoma and it means “mouth”. The Greek word for wisdom is sophia and it means “wisdom”. Wisdom isn’t just a gathering of information or facts. Wisdom includes the insight and discernment to correctly apply the information to produce the desired outcome. Wisdom is not used in a negative scenario, e.g. we never say that a thief had the wisdom to navigate a bank heist (except, possibly, for sarcasm’s sake)! (BACK)

32 stumble: Matthew 24:10. The Greek word used for stumble is skandalizó and it means “stumble/entrap/ensnare” and means, in its figurative sense, to cause to sin. (BACK)

33 hate: Matthew 24:10; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17. The Greek word used for hate is miseó and it means “to detest/hate/love less”. Hatred can be righteous and it can be a sin. Hatred of sin/wickedness is an example of righteous hate (Psalm 97:10). Hatred against people, on the other hand, is a sin (Leviticus 19:17-18; 1 John 3:15). (BACK)

34 false prophets: From Matthew 24:11. The Greek word for false prophet is pseudoprophétés and it means “false prophet” or an untrue diviner of truth, propelled by self and not by God. Who is a false prophet? Anyone who preaches anything other than what is in the Bible. This includes the twisting of Scripture, omitting/adding to Scripture or giving one’s own interpretation of  Scripture. This can be a famous person or someone you know personally. Be cautious of anyone who tells you that they have “a word from God” for you. If God has anything to say to you, He’ll say to you personally and He’ll say it through the Bible or possibly, through your own prayer time with Him in the form of conviction (and it will line up with the Bible!). (BACK)

35 lawlessness: The Greek word for lawlessness is anomia and it means “lawlessness/iniquity/transgression”. In Matthew 24:12, this idea portrays not just breaking a secular law here and there, but the complete disregard of God’s moral Law as having authority over one’s existence at all. While this may include breaking the laws set by secular government, God’s moral Law is exponentially more expansive (think of what is a sin to God vs. what is a law in society), because His Laws include the attitudes/intentions behind the Law-breaking, which secular law rarely ever does. Even when a secular law does take into account “intent”, such as with murder, still, it’s not illegal to think about murdering someone, by society’s rule book. With God, thinking of murdering people is a sin: it is against His moral Law to even hate someone (see Matthew 5:21-22; 1 John 3:15). God looks within the person, into their thoughts/heart and that is where Law-breaking begins (see 1 Samuel 16:7; Matthew 15:18-20). (BACK)

36 love: From Matthew 24:12. The Greek word used in Matthew 24:12 for love is agapé and it means “love”. The whole Law of God is summed up in this kind of love (Matthew 22:36-40; 7:12 fits nicely along with this). This kind of love originates from God. Agapé love manifests in believers through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22), first towards God and also, for others (see Matthew 22:36-40; Galatians 5:14; 1 John 4:7-21). Click here to understand how to love, agapé style! (BACK)

37 not a hair on your head will perish: Jesus had just got done telling the disciples that some of them were going to be put to death (Luke 21:16), so He is not speaking of physical harm or physical perishing. Plus, we know for sure that at least James and Peter died as martyrs (Acts 12:2; John 21:18-19). Therefore, Jesus is talking about eternal perishing, the death that is both to body and to soul (Matthew 10:28). This eternal perishing is what Revelation calls the “second death” (Revelation 20:6; 21:8). We know that we all deserve this second death (reading all these together: Romans 3:10, 11, 23, 6:23). However, those trusting in Jesus for their salvation from this second death, live eternally with Christ (John 3:15-18). Our trust for salvation in Christ is a gift from God and not something we can conjure up on our own (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is important to understand that “belief” in Jesus is not enough (James 2:19). The faith and trust gifted by God is exponentially larger than just “belief” and comes with an undeniable pledge from the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22) that leaves you in complete security about your salvation (John 10:28-29; Romans 8:28-39). (BACK)

38 having endured to the end will be saved: From Matthew 24:13 and Mark 13:13, and echoed in James 1:12. The Greek word for endure is hupomenó and it means “to persevere/steadfast/endure”. This kind of endurance doesn’t just grit its teeth and wait for everything to be over while wallowing in misery or even in a silent resignation. This kind of endurance is hope-filled and even voluntary. The one having endured to the end does not perform this feat on his or her own. It is through the work of God that a person can endure endless hardships, prison, beatings, etc. for the name of Jesus (See Acts 16:23-25 for example). Why does God allow this kind of suffering to produce endurance? Romans 5:3-5 gives its explanation. So does James 1:2-4. We can see that this kind of endurance is actually tied to our faith, which is God-gifted (Ephesians 2:8-9).  (BACK)

39 souls: From Luke 21:19. The Greek word used for soul is psuché and it means “soul/breath/inner being”. Psuché refers to the living and breathing person, attributing thoughts, emotions, and desires. Psuché can also mean the soul of the person that lives on after death (see Revelation 6:9) and can even be applied to living animals, as far as the fact that they are living (Revelation 8:9). Psuché is not the same as the Greek word pneuma, which means spirit. Pneuma is the immortal spirit of a person and is even used of the Holy Spirit. Pneuma is not used of living, breathing people, and is never applied to animals. Psuché also differs from the Greek word zóé. Zóé, which means “life” can be applied to plants, animals or people, regardless of sentience. Zóé is used in John 3:16, but with the qualifier word eternal (aiónios). It is interesting to note that in  1 Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12, spirit, soul and body (poetically, joints and marrows in Hebrews 4:12) are used to describe the complete person. (BACK)

40 And there will be…: From Matthew 24:14. Revelation tells us about these events. In Revelation 14:6-7 we learn about the angel who preaches the gospel to all the nations and tribes of the earth, and ‘the end’ is described in Revelation 15:1-20:3. (BACK)

 

English Bible translation used: Berean Standard Bible

Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane

by

Scripture Used in Creating the Splice “Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane”

Matthew 26:36-46 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 26:36)

Mark 14:32-42 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Mark 14:32)

Luke 22:40-46 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 22:40)

 

Need to catch up first? To read the Splice Series about The Last Supper, beginning with Part One, click here.

 

Psalm 142:1
I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD; I make supplication with my voice to the LORD.

 

THE SPLICE

When He and the disciples arrived at 1 Gethsemane, He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and 2 pray/until I have prayed, and you pray that you may not enter into temptation”.  And taking with Him Peter, James, and John (James and John, the sons of Zebedee), He withdrew to Gethsemane from the rest of His disciples at about 3 a stone’s throw distance. 4 Jesus began to be grieved, very distressed and troubled. He said to Peter, James and John, “My soul is deeply grieved, 5 to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond Peter, James, and John, and 6 knelt down/fell to the ground/fell on His face and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by; He fell on His face and prayed, saying, “Abba! My Father! All things are possible for You; if You are willing, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; remove this cup from Me; yet not 7 what I will/as I will; not My will, but Your will be done.”   When He was finished praying, 8 He approached the disciples and found them sleeping and Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; 9 the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”

He went away again a second time and prayed, saying the same words as the first time, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” When He went back, He again found the disciples sleeping; their eyes were very heavy. 10 Jesus must have asked them to account for their behavior, because they did not know what to answer Him. And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in 11 agony He was 12 praying very fervently; and 13 His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. When He rose from prayer, He went to the disciples and found them sleeping again, specifically from 14 sorrow and He said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And then perceiving (whether by sight or spirit) that the betrayer, Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, and his 15 Sanhedrin-appointed gang 16 were approaching, He then said, “It is enough; Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

 

“Garden in the Morning”

 

Want to continue reading? To read the Splice “The Betrayal and Illegal Arrest of Jesus”, click here.

 

NOTES

1 Gethsemane: There are still olive trees located in the Garden of Gethsemane. Do an internet search on “how old are the olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane” and you’ll get some fun reads on the remaining trees. Sadly, none have survived (it seems) from when Jesus walked the earth.(Back)

 

2 pray/until I have prayed: Matthew 26:36 says “and pray” and Mark 14:32 says “until I have prayed”.(Back)

 

3 a stone’s throw distance: Meaning, a short distance away. Could the other disciples still see Jesus, Peter, John and James? Since the distance was rather abbreviated, I am uncertain as to why Jesus took P, J & J with Him. He even left P, J & J off to a distance from Himself, albeit a small distance. See Matthew 26:36-39, Mark 14:32-35, Luke 22:41. (Back)

 

4 Jesus began to be grieved and very distressed and troubled: It is easy to pass over these words, glassy eyed, while we read them and say, “Yep: grieved, distressed, troubled.” The levels of grief, distress and trouble experienced by Jesus were beyond anything we have suffered in our own lives. It’s a great reminder for us on how much Jesus took upon Himself to save us. (Back)

 

5 to the point of death: It is easy to think of this as hyperbole, because it sounds like the sort of hyperbole we might use today, as in, “I could just die” when of course, we wouldn’t. Jesus is not using hyperbole here. There were times, however, Jesus did use exaggerated comparisons as relatable teaching tools, such as in Matthew 7:3. (Back)

 

6 knelt down/fell to the ground/fell on His face: Matthew 26:39 says “fell on His face”, Mark 14:35 says “fell to the ground”, and Luke 22:41 says “knelt down”.(Back)

 

7 what I will/as I will: Mark 14:36 says “what I will” and Matthew 26:39 says “as I will”.(Back)

 

8 He approached the disciples: Luke 22:45 leaves me wondering if all of the disciples had fallen asleep, due to heavy eyes of sorrow? Jesus particularly speaks to Peter during the first discovery of sleep (Matthew 26:40 and Mark 14:37), but isn’t it possible that the other disciples were close enough to P, J & J and Jesus for them to hear Him? The Bible doesn’t specify that only P, J & J are the ones sleeping, although by the way Mark worded 14:32-38, we might assume with confidence that it was P, J & J at the center of the sleeping situation. John does not mention the prayers in the garden at all, Luke does not mention that P, J & J were separated out from the other disciples or that there were 3 prayer-times/3 discoveries of sleep by Jesus. Only Mark and Matthew mention the sleeping disciples and the 3 separate prayer times. See Matthew 26:37-45 and Mark 14:33-41. (Back)

 

9 “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”:  says Jesus, succinctly. Paul expands on this struggle in Romans 7:15-25. (Back)

10 Jesus must have asked them to account for their behavior: See Matthew 26:43-44 and Mark 14:40 for the only mentions concerning the second discovery of sleep. Although Mark 14:40 tells us that the disciples did not know what to answer Him, we don’t know exactly what was asked. (Back)

 

11 agony: The Greek word used for agony in Luke 22:44 is agónia and it means “great fear, terror, agony”. It also means “a contest”, due to the anxiety experienced before competition. (Back)

 

12 praying very fervently: From Luke 22:44. The  Greek word used for fervently is ektenesteron and it means “more intently, more earnestly”. (Back)

 

13 His sweat became like drops of blood: This information comes from Luke 22:44. Sweating blood is a medical condition called hematidrosis. This condition is extremely rare and there are very few actual cases. The Greek word used for like in Luke 22:44 doesn’t mean “one of the same things” such as a Fuji apple and a Granny Smith apple are the same or “like” in that they are both apples. The word used in Luke 22:44 is hósei. This Greek word is more akin to “about” or “as if”, and therefore it is not a comparison of exacts, but more like an estimation. We don’t know if Jesus actually sweated drops of blood, just that His sweat became like drops of blood. The Bible states, that in any case, Jesus was under great distress. (Back)

 

14 sorrow: John 16:6 tells us that Jesus mentions their sorrow. They are filled with sorrow because of the things Jesus was telling them at the Last Supper. To read what Jesus said to them at the Last Supper, see Matthew 26:20-35; Mark 14:17-31; Luke 22:14-38; John 13:2-17:26. John gives us the most information on what Jesus said that night. (Back)

 

15 Sanhedrin-appointed gang: See Matthew 26:47; Mark 14:43; Luke 22:52; John 18:3 for the description of this rough crowd comprised of the elders, chief priests, Roman guards, Pharisees, officers of the temple, scribes and Judas, armed with torches, lanterns, clubs and swords for arresting one Man. (Back)

 

16 were approaching: See Matthew 26:45-55, Mark 14:41-46, Luke 22:46-55; John 18:3-12 to read about Jesus’s last few minutes of freedom and the transition to His unjust and illegal arrest in the night, that led to those farcical trials (Matthew 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:66-71, John 18:12-24) and ultimately, to His wrongful death (Matthew 27:11-54; Mark 15:1-39; Luke 23:1-48; John 18:28-19:30). God uses these flagrant injustices, not only with Jesus, but many of His servants in the Bible, to complete His purposes. The Book of Acts records many details of injustice and wrongful persecution that leads God’s people to the places they need to be or to start events that unfold like dominos. We can even be sure today that injustice is used by God to complete His purpose, as God remains unchanged and the same (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8). (Back)

James and James The Less

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The cross references, along with chapters and verse numbers were not a part of the original manuscripts of the Bible. Also, the Bible wasn’t originally written in English, nor was it written in 21st century language and meaning. The Bible itself is infallible, as the writers were under the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). The English interpretations of the Greek, Aramaic or Hebrew could be muddy or “off” when there are several meanings to a word. Also,the cross references could be fallible; they were added by people who were not necessarily inspired by the Holy Spirit. Thus, sometimes the cross references are truncated/incomplete, possibly even wrong and therefore not perfect. This doesn’t mean we should throw out our English-interpreted Bibles or ignore the cross references. This means, as always, we shouldn’t try to make the Bible say anything that it doesn’t say (such as Salome is actually James’s and John’s mother, and therefore the wife of Zebedee).

There were many people named “James” back in the days of Jesus. There were even lots of people named “Jesus”. The Greek word for Jesus is Iésous and Iésous is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yehoshua or Jehoshua. When Jehoshua is shortened, we get the name Joshua. Unless there is a specific identifier to the person the writers of the gospels and epistles are referring to, we cannot know for sure who is being referenced.

There is one other Jesus mentioned in the New Testament and that is in Colossians 4:11, but it is clarified in that verse that this is “Jesus, who is called Justus” and not Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.

A Multitude of Men Called “James”

James the Less

Mark 15:40 “There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.”

Cross references for Mark 15:40

There is only a cross reference on “the Less”, not on “James”, and the reference is to Luke 19:3 which doesn’t mention any James at all, just Zaccheus and his “small” stature; therefore, the cross reference is for the word “small”. The Greek word for “small” in Luke 19:3 and Mark 15:40 is “mikros” and means “small, little, less, least”. According to Strong’s, this means small or little in size and this is it’s primary meaning. But it also could mean lesser in dignity, quantity, or number. However, we are given a little hint in the Bible verse, because James the Less is mentioned before his brother. This order-in-mention has a strong possibility to mean James the Less is the older of the two brothers. With all of this information, I interpret “the Less” to mean that James is a little guy in size and not a younger brother.

 

Another James?

Mark 16:1  “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.”

Cross references for Mark 16:1

There are no cross references pertaining to James in this verse. There is no attachment to Luke 24:10 nor to Mark 15:40. It is very possible that there were more than one “Mary, the mother of James” in the group of women (after all, almost every one is named “Mary” in that group and they could have easily all had sons named James). But Mark had just mentioned “James” and his mother and brother, Joses, in Mark 15:40. It is highly probable that Mark means the same Mary and son,  James the Less from 15:40. We don’t know for sure.

 

And Another James?

Luke 24:10 “Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.”

Cross references for Luke 24:10

There are no cross references pertaining to James in this verse. It does not connect to Mark 15:40 or 16:1. It would be easy to link this verse to Mark 16:1 and subsequently Mark 15:40, making this James the Less, but we don’t know for sure.

James, the Half Brother of Jesus

Matthew 13:55 “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

Cross References for Matthew 13:55

There are no cross references for the name James.

Mark 6:3  “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him.”

Cross References for Mark 6:3

There are no cross references to James here. The only idea that I take away from here, is that Mark is the one who uses Mary, James and Joses in the same breath out of all of the gospel writers (Mark 15:40 and Mark 6:3) and Mark addresses James as “James the Less”.

Galatians 1:19 “But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother”

Cross References for Galatians 1:19

The cross references on James  from Galatians 1:19 are Matthew 12:46 and Acts 12:17.

Just for reference, Matthew 12:46 says “While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him.”

Acts 12:17 “But motioning them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brethren.” Then he left and went to another place”.  Just to be clear here, James, son of Zebedee, has already been murdered in Acts 12:2 – this isn’t him.

Cross References on Acts 12:17

The cross references for the word “James” here are Mark 6:3; Acts 15:13; 21:18; 1 Cor 15:7; Gal 1:19; 2:9, 12.  These references are stating that the James in Acts 12:17 and all referenced verses, would be the James that is Jesus’s half-brother. I want to know why the James referenced Acts 12:17, 15:13; 21:18, Gal 2:9 and 12 and even James 1:1 isn’t James, one of the Twelve, the son of Alphaeus? It would make more sense to me if it were. Why couldn’t it be a mix of James, son of Alphaeus and James, the half-brother of Jesus? Could it be someone different from the two previously mentioned?

Acts 15:13 “After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me.”

Cross References for Acts 15:13

The reference for James is Acts 12:17.

Acts 21:18 “And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.”

Cross References for Acts 21:18

Reference for James is Acts 12:17

1 Corinthians 15:7 “then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;”

Cross References for 1 Corinthians 15:7

Reference for James is Acts 12:17

side note the Greek word “apostle” is “apostolos”, and means “ messenger, one sent on a mission, an apostle”. This word is not “special” and can be applied to anyone, not just the Twelve chosen, inner-circle disciples. The word Greek word for “disciple” is “mathétés” and means “a learner, disciple or pupil” and also could be applied to anyone.

Galatians 2:9  “and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” This seems to me to be referencing Acts 15:2-35 and James son of Z is already murdered.

Cross References for Galatians 2:9

References for James is Acts 12:17 and Galatians 2:12.

Galatians 2:12 “For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.”

Cross References for Galatians 2:12

References for James is Acts 12:17 and Galatians 2:9.

James 1:1 “James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.” This James is possibly in Israel.

Cross References for James 1:1

The word “James” is cross referenced with Acts 12:17.

James the son of Alphaeus, which identifies him as one of the Twelve

Matthew 10:3  “Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;”

Cross References for Matthew 10:3

James is referenced back to John 15:40. This would make James, the son of Alphaeus,  James the Less.

Mark 3:1 “and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot;”

Cross References for Mark 3:1

There is no reference for the word “James” in this verse.

Luke 6:15 “and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot;”

Cross References for Luke 6:15

There is no reference for the word “James” in this verse.

Acts 1:13 “When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.”

Cross References for Acts 1:13

There is no reference for the word “James” in this verse.

James, the brother of Jude

Jude 1 “Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,”

Cross references for Jude 1

There is no cross reference for the word “James”. However, the other cross references for Jude 1 cites Matthew 13:55 ,Mark 6:3, (both of which mention Jude/Judas as Jesus’s half-brother) Luke 6:16 (which states that Judas/Jude is the son of James and doesn’t mention his brother), John 14:22, Acts 1:13 (which would make this Jude/Judas one of the Twelve). The cross references seem to be associating this Jude/Judas as the brother of Jesus. Therefore, the connecting verses are saying that Jude/Judas, the brother of James, is not only one of the Twelve, but also Jesus’s half-brother. Jude is the son of James, and Jesus’s half-brother, as well as one of the Twelve? It could be possible. After Joseph passed away (we can only assume he is dead), Mary could have remarried someone named James. However, we could say that Joseph is alive when Jesus is twelve (see Luke 2:41-52 for the story referenced), but Luke only states that Jesus’s “parents” and “father” are present (along with Mary) and never says “Joseph” explicitly. I do think that Luke does mean Joseph, however. For some reason, I just think if Mary had been remarried, she would have just asked Jesus why He worried her alone, and not mentioned a father. Another problem would be that if Mary is remarried to someone named “James” and Joseph is still alive when Jesus is twelve, even assuming that Joseph died the year Jesus was twelve, we should assume then that the oldest that Jude can be when Jesus begins His ministry is 17, giving a year for an immediate marriage and pregnancy, since Jesus is about 30 at the time of His ministry (Luke 3:23). 

Greek word for parent is goneus and means “parent” “father” “begetter”.

Greek word for father is patér and means “father” “ancestor” “elder” “senior”

Jude 1, Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:55, Galatians 1:19 all use the same word for “brother” which is “adelphos” and means “a brother” and can also mean a fellow Christian.

Therefore, we can only assume that Jude 1 means that Jude is James’s actual brother, and he is not calling him his brother “in Christ”.

The Greek word for Jude is Ioudas which means Judas, Jude, Judah.

The Greek word for James is Iakóbos and only means James. It does not mean “Jospeh”.

The Greek word for Joseph is Ióséph and only means Joseph.

The Greek word for Joses is Iósés and means Joses only. However, the transliteral Greek uses the word “Joseph” and not Joses, but corresponds to Iósés. Berean Greek New Testament 2016 does not use Joseph at all, but Iósés, in Greek: Ἰωσῆτος . It is possible that Joses is another person entirely, and therefore the Jospeh and Joses listed as Jesus’s half brothers are two different people. Perhaps they used Joses and Joseph to separate out 2 boys with the same name. Mary, Jesus’s mother had a sister named Mary, so it doesn’t seem uncommon (see John 19:25), especially if there are half-siblings involved. Perhaps not. We just don’t know.

The Crucifixion: Part Two

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice Series “The Crucifixion”

Matthew 27:31-56 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 27:31)

Mark 15:20-41 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Mark 15:20)

Luke 23:25-49 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 23:25)

John 19:16-30(Greek Text Analysis starting with John 19:16)

 

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

 

Isaiah 53:6
We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.

 

THE SPLICE

And 1 the people stood by looking on. Standing by the cross of Jesus were 2 His mother Mary, and His mother’s sister Mary the wife of Clopas, John the disciple, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother, and 3 John, the disciple whom He loved, standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to John, “Behold, your mother!” From  that hour John took Mary into his own household.

And those passing by were hurling abuse at Jesus, wagging and shaking their heads, mocking Him, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to 4 destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! 5 If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way the 6 Jewish rulers, the chief priests, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and 5 we will believe in Him. 7 HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God. Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, 5 so that we may see and believe!” They also said,  “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”  The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” 8 The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words. But at some point, 9 one of the robbers had a change of heart because when the other robber was hurling abuse at Jesus, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”. The other robber answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

It was now about the 10 sixth hour, and 11 darkness fell over the whole land until the 12 ninth hour, because the sun was obscured; About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, 13 “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, 14 “I am thirsty.” And the rest of the onlookers said, “Let us see whether 15 Elijah will come to save Him.” Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, 16 he filled it with sour wine from a jar of sour wine that was standing there. They put the sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of 17 hyssop/reed and brought it up to His mouth and gave Him a drink, and said “Let us see whether 15 will come to take Him down.” After this when Jesus had received the sour wine, Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, uttered a loud cry and He said, 18 “FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT. 19 It is finished!” And He bowed His head and 20 gave up/yielded His spirit; 21 He breathed His last.

And behold, the 22 veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 23 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, who was standing right in front of Jesus, 24 saw the way He breathed His last, saw what had happened with the earthquake and the other things that were happening, began praising God, as well as becoming frightened, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent. Truly this man was the Son of God.”  And those who were keeping guard with the centurion also became frightened and 25 also said that Jesus was the Son of God.  And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, 26 began to return, beating their breasts. All of His acquaintances and many women who came up with Him to Jerusalem were there looking on from a distance, seeing these things. Also among them was Mary Magdalene (who had been at the foot of the cross earlier), Mary the mother of James the Less and 27 Joseph/Joses, the mother of the 28 sons of Zebedee, and Salome. When Jesus was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him.

 

Want to continue reading? To read the Splice “The Burial of Jesus”, click here.

 

Notes

1 the people stood by looking on: The people standing around were the chief priests, the scribes, the elders/rulers, and possibly some general rubberneckers who enjoyed a gruesome scene. (Back)

2  His mother: What must have been going through Mary’s mind this entire time, while her Son was being crucified? When Jesus was a baby, Simeon told Mary that “a sword will pierce even your own soul…” and these words must have come to her mind watching Jesus suffer. See Luke 2:25-35 to learn about Simeon and his message to Mary. (Back)

3 John, the disciple whom He loved: This is John, the writer of the gospel of John, as well as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd letters of John and the book of Revelation. After all the disciples scattered to their homes, John must have come back. Some think that he came back with Peter (John 18:15-16). But the truth is we don’t know which disciple came back with Peter; we don’t even know if it was one of the remaining 10 out of the 12 disciples (minus Peter and Judas), as anyone who was learning from Him and following Him could be a disciple. We know that the “disciple that Jesus loved” is John because of John 21:20-24, and this connects it with any other verse that states “disciple that Jesus loved”. But John 18:15-16 does not use that phrasing. It is possible it was John; it is possible it was another disciple. And, although John is mentioned at the cross (did he walk beside Jesus to Golgotha?), we do not know if he was the only disciple there. (Back)

4 destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days: This is a twisting of Jesus’s words. See John 2:18-22. Jesus said He would “raise up” the temple in three days. He uses the word egeiró to mean “raise up, arouse, to waken”. The Jews are saying rebuild in Matthew 27:40, using the Greek word oikodomeó, which means “to build, to build a house”. The difference between the two words is important. (Back)

5 If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross: Jesus performed many miracles and showed many signs that the Jews, scribes and Pharisees were witness to. They wouldn’t have believed Him to be the Messiah, even if He chose to disobey God and come down off the cross. It’s the same way with people today. We are all given enough in our lives in order to believe Him (Romans 1:18-20).  No miracle or even a visitation from the dead will change any person’s mind (see Luke 16:30-31) . I think that a person who doesn’t want to believe God would attribute such a miracle of visitation from the dead to mental hallucinations, the bad sushi they ate last night, anything but a miracle from God. For a sampling of miracles witnessed by the Jews and religious elders, see Matthew 8:1-3; 9:2-8; 12:10-15; Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6; John 6:1-14; John 9:1-34, 11:1-46. (Back)

6 Jewish rulers: These people had been up late into the night and up in the early morning (it is possible they were up all night), arresting Jesus, trying to catch Him in some sort of blasphemy, consulting with each other, obtaining false testimonies (Matthew 26:47-68; Mark 14:43-65; Luke 22:54-71; John 18:2-13, 19-24 ) and then convincing Pilate to crucify Him (Matthew 27:1-2, 11-26; Mark 15:1-15; Luke 23:1-5, 13-24; John 18:28-40, 19:4-16). Their hate for and jealousy of Jesus never runs its course. It is still fueling them, through that day, to ridicule and mock Him. (Back)

7 HE TRUSTS IN GOD: This is in reference to Psalm 22:8. (Back)

8 The robbers who had been crucified: These robbers walked with Jesus, presumably carrying their cross beams/walking in front of a conscripted beam-bearer (Luke 23:32-33). Were they in cahoots with Barabbas, who was also a robber (but also a murderer and insurrectionist, see Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19, 25; John 18:40)? Was Barabbas supposed to be crucified with these two that very day? Very possible, but the Bible doesn’t specify. (Back)

9 one of the robbers had a change of heart: Matthew 27:44 says that both robbers were insulting Jesus, but Luke clarifies that at least one of the robbers changed his mind about Jesus after some time on the cross (Luke 23:39-43). Horrible experiences can do two things, spiritually speaking: they can drive you to Jesus or drive you away from Him. (Back)

10 sixth hour: or, 12pm. (Back)

11 darkness fell over the whole land: We can consider this darkness as a supernatural event, not a natural event such as an eclipse. It brings to mind what the Egyptians experienced as the last plague before God struck down the first born of every household. See Exodus 10:21-23. (Back)

12 ninth hour: or, 3pm. (Back)

13 MY GOD, MY GOD: Jesus is repeating Psalm 22:1. (Back)

14 “I am thirsty.”: The Scripture that was fulfilled was Psalm 69:21. (Back)

15 Elijah: Elijah was a prophet, who had a chariot of fire take him to heaven in 2 Kings 2:11. Perhaps these people think that Elijah will come back down in the chariot to take Jesus to heaven. You can read about Elijah in 1 Kings 17-19; 2 Kings 1:1-2:11. (Back)

16 he filled it with sour wine: This was a cheap wine kept for the soldiers to drink. They didn’t care if Jesus was actually thirsty; this was just a way to extend the life of the sufferer. For anyone who would take part in hammering people to crosses, it was probably amusing to them, as well. You could say that they didn’t have a choice (everyone has a choice), as they were lowly soldiers with a centurion over them (Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39; Luke 23:47) but they seem to be gleeful as they mocked Jesus and beat on Him (Matthew 27:27-30; Mark 15:16-20; Luke 23:36) and nonchalant as they gambled for Jesus’s clothing (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34; John 19:23-25). And the soldier who pierced Jesus’s side didn’t have to stab Him—they could see He was already dead (John 19:33-34). (Back)

17 hyssop/reed: Matthew 27:48 and Mark 15:36 say reed, using the Greek word kalamos which means “a reed, reed staff, measuring rod, a reed pen”. John 19:29 says hyssop, using the Greek word hussópos which means “hyssop, a stalk of hyssop”. Reed is a general term and hyssop is specific. It’s a stalk/reed of hyssop. (Back)

18 FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS: Jesus references Psalm 31:5 (Back)

19 It is finished: John 19:30. The Greek word used for finished is tetelestai and it means “to bring to an end, complete, fulfill, I pay, to discharge a debt”. (Back)

20 gave up/yielded His spirit: Matthew 27:50 uses the Greek word aphiémi for the word yielded or gave up. Luke 23:46, and John 19:30 use the same word for yielded. The Greek word they use is paratithémi and it means “to hand over, pledge, deliver, commit”. It’s important to understand that Jesus gave His life—it wasn’t taken from Him. This was all part of the work that He was born into the world to fulfill. See John 10:18; 18:37. (Back)

21 He breathed His last: He breathed His last with quite a bit of strength left, as He was using a loud voice (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; Luke 23:46). After a scourging that left His entire back flesh-less, the loss of blood, carrying a cross beam weighing around 100lbs for about 1/2 a mile, being nailed to the cross and hanging for 6 hours in an awkward position, pushing Himself up for each breath, Jesus still had the strength for a loud voice. Most victims of crucifixion would have no strength to talk at the end of all of this trauma. Jesus could talk and could do so loudly.(Back)

22 veil of the temple was torn in two: The importance of this imagery cannot be stressed enough. The veil was the partition between the Holy Place and Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:33). The Holy of Holies was where God was present, above the mercy seat which was on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies and only once a year on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-34). The veil was torn from top to bottom, as God (top) is granting freedom to people (bottom) to come into His presence through Christ. To read about the veil and mercy seat, see Exodus 26:31-34. To read about the purposes and ceremony of atonement, see Leviticus 16. The ceremony itself was quite intricate. (Back)

23 The tombs were opened: Only Matthew tells us this detail. He says that the bodies of the saints were raised, but they only came out of the tombs after Jesus’s resurrection, appearing to many in Jerusalem. See Matthew 27:52-53. (Back)

24 saw the way He breathed His last: With strength. In the modern era, we cannot appreciate what a crucifixion or flogging entailed . See Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; Luke 23:46. (Back)

25 also said that Jesus was the Son of God: This is only the beginning of walking towards a God-gifted faith in Christ. Even the demons recognize God as God (James 2:19) and knew Jesus was the Son of God (Matthew 8:29). It’s not enough to just “know” this. God’s faith that He gives as a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9) is different than human-conjured faith. This article has a nice layout of the evidence of salvation and as does this piece. (Back)

26 began to return, beating their breasts: This is a fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10. (Back)

27 Joseph/Joses: Matthew 27:56 says Joseph, Mark 15:47 says Joses. Both names are similar, although not exactly the same. It is possible that Joseph went by the nickname Joses. It’s also possible that they are two different people. (Back)

28 sons of Zebedee, and Salome: Because we are not told specifically that Salome is the mother of James and John or the wife of Zebedee, I treat her as a separate person. Many writers and pastors insist that Salome was the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee and therefore, she was the wife of Zebedee. It’s possible, but there isn’t a shred of proof for that, in the English or the Greek. Places where James and John are mentioned as the sons of Zebedee: Matthew 4:21; 10:2; Mark 1:19; 10:35; Luke 5:10; John 21:2. Mentions of their mother: Matthew 20:20-23; Matthew 27:56. Mentions of Zebedee himself: Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:20. (Back)

The Crucifixion: Part One

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice Series “The Crucifixion”

Matthew 27:31-56 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 27:31)

Mark 15:20-41 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Mark 15:20)

Luke 23:25-49 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 23:25)

John 19:16-30(Greek Text Analysis starting with John 19:16)

 

Need to catch up first? To read the Splice “Jesus Before Pilate, the Second Time” click here

 

Psalm 22:14
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within me.

 

THE SPLICE

And Pilate released 1 Barabbas who had been thrown into 2 prison for 3 insurrection and murder, but Pilate delivered Jesus to the Jews’ will, that is, to have Him 4crucified. Pilate gave Jesus to the soldiers and 5 after they had mocked Him, they took the 6 scarlet/purple robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. Sometime during the start of the walk to the site of the crucifixion, the soldiers seized and pressed into service, a passer-by coming into Jerusalem from the country, 7 Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), 8 to bear His cross. The soldiers put the cross on Simon so he could carry it behind Jesus.

And following Jesus was a large crowd of the people, and 9 women who were mourning and lamenting Him. But Jesus, turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 10 ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin 11 TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, ‘FALL ON US,’ AND TO THE HILLS, ‘COVER US.’ For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Two others, also, who were 12 criminals/robbers, were being led away to be put to death with Him.  And Jesus went out, 8 bearing His own cross, and when they came to a place called 13 Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, the soldiers tried to give Him wine to drink mixed with 14 gall/myrrh; and after tasting it 15 He was unwilling to drink; He would not take it. And there 16 they crucified Him and the criminals/robbers, one robber on the right side of Jesus and the other robber on His left side. And by being crucified with the robbers, the Scripture was fulfilled which says,17 “And He was numbered with transgressors.”. But during this time, Jesus was saying a prayer, concerning the  soldiers carrying out this duty of crucifying Him, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross, above His head. Pilate’s inscription was the charge against Him and it said:

“THIS IS JESUS THE NAZARENE THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said , ‘I am King of the Jews.’ “ Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

It was the 18 third hour when they crucified Him. After the soldiers had nailed Jesus to the cross, then put Pilate’s inscription above Jesus’s head, and lifted the cross up off the ground in order to stand it upright, the soldiers took Jesus’s outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: 19 “THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

After dividing up Jesus’s clothes, they sat down, and they began to keep watch and guard over Him there.

 

 

Sketch of a branch

 

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

 

COMMENTS

 

1 Barabbas: This is what we know about Barabbas: He was a notorious prisoner (Matthew 27:16) and he was a robber (John 18:40). Some English translations say that Barabbas was an insurrectionist in John 18:40, but the Greek word used is léstés and it means “robber, thief”. But he did also take place in an insurrection as we learn in (Luke 23:19), as well as commit at least one murder. Barabbas was in prison at this time, being jailed with other insurrectionists who had also committed murder (numbers unknown) during this uprising (Mark 15:7). Acts 3:14 confirms (through Peter’s narration) that Barabbas was a murderer. (Back)

2 prison: Prison was synonymous with misery. To read a quick run-down on prison life in ancient Rome, click here. (Back)

3 insurrection and murder: It is important to understand that during Jesus’s time, the Romans ruled quite a bit the world, including Israel. Many Jewish people were resentful over this invasion of Roman power and the polytheism they brought with them. Therefore, there were many insurrections and consequently, murders, committed by the Jewish people during this time. All this unrest eventually led up to the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Jesus never became involved with these acts of violence and never sanctioned them. The Bible pointedly tells us to pay our taxes, pray for our government officials, obey the laws of the land (as long as they don’t conflict with God’s laws) and that any authority or ruler on earth was put into power by God. See Matthew 17:24-27, Mark 12:13-17, Romans 13:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-3, Titus 3:1-2, 1 Peter 2:13-15. (Back)

4  crucified: Why did God allow Jesus to be crucified? Jesus was ultimately crucified because God the Father deemed it right as the substitute payment for the sins of the elect He calls to be His own (see Galatians 4:4-5). But what about the human justification for Jesus’s crucifixion? The human reason and human method of death was political. The chief priests told Pilate that Jesus called Himself a King and Rome didn’t like self-styled kings (especially with faithful followers) or anyone else who made a move towards overthrowing the government. Therefore, even though Pilate knew Jesus to be innocent of the insurrection charges, Jesus was “officially” murdered for insurrection/conspiring to get others to take part in an insurrection. Insurrectionists/enemies of the state were crucified. (Back)

5 after they had mocked Him: See Matthew 27:27-30; Mark 15:16-19, and John 19:1-3. He had also been mocked by Herod and his soldiers when Pilate had sent Him over there (Luke 23:11). (Back)

6 scarlet/purple robe: Strong’s concordance tells us that Matthew 27:28 uses the Greek word kokkinos which means “crimson or scarlet”. Mark 15:20 uses the word porphýra which means “a purple garment”. Helps Word-studies© explains a little more in depth. There were basically three shades of purple used for this idea in the ancient world: deep violet, deep scarlet (or crimson), and deep blue. John 19:5 uses the Greek word porphyroús which means a purple (reddish-purple) cloth or dye. All three of these together tells us that the robe was a purple-scarlet color, maybe akin to red-violet or violet-red from a crayons box. We can only speculate on the exact shade of purple. (Back)

HELPS Word-studies taken from The Discovery Bible, available at discoverybible.com, copyright © 2021, HELPS Ministries Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

7 Simon of Cyrene: It is unknown if Simon was a true disciple of Jesus. Simon is mentioned in Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26. Mark tells us that Simon was the father of Rufus and Alexander. It is possible that the Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13 is the same person as Simon’s son, but we can’t know for sure. There are mentions of Alexander, as well, in Acts 4:6, Acts 19:33, 1 Timothy 1:20, 2 Timothy 4:14. It is unknown if any of the Alexanders mentioned in these verses are Simon’s son. (Back)

8 to bear His cross: John 19:17 says that Jesus went out bearing His own cross to Golgotha. Luke 23:26 says that when the soldiers led Him away, they conscripted Simon and Matthew 27:32 says “as they were coming out” they took hold of Simon to bear the cross for Jesus.  Mark doesn’t really clear up when Jesus carried His cross or when Simon does in Mark 15:20-21. The simplest answer is that when the soldiers were leading Jesus out, seeing Simon, they forced him to take up the cross at first, thinking Jesus would be too weak to carry it on His own. Perhaps it was just something they customarily and automatically did because victims of flogging were too weak to carry the heavy beams themselves. But Jesus was not weak; He cried out in a loud voice even at the very end of this flagrant injustice (Luke 23:46). How He took the cross back is up for grabs, (maybe He told the guards He could carry it Himself), but He definitely carried His own cross, by Himself, all the way to Golgotha, as John pointedly says. Why bring Simon into the story at all, then? I think Mark 15:21 clears that up: Simon’s sons were prominent members of the early Christian church, and people could identify with this information. It is unknown if Simon was involved with the Christian church at all.  (Back)

9 women who were mourning: We don’t know who the women are. We can guess that they were Jesus’s female followers, perhaps even His mother included, but it is only speculation. We only know from Luke 23:28-31 that Jesus spoke to them directly, with a warning. (Back)

10  Blessed are the barren: Jesus is referring to the tribulation at the very end of the current era, where He says that the blessed women would be the ones not nursing or pregnant. This is quite a change from the common view of the day that shame accompanied women who had no children (Luke 1:25). To see Jesus’s warnings concerning the end times, see Matthew 24:3-51, Mark 13:3-37, Luke 17:20-37, 21:7-36. (Back)

11  TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS: Jesus is quoting from Hosea 10:8. (Back)

12 Criminals/robbers: Matthew 27:38 and Mark 15:27 say “robbers” and Luke 23:32-33 says “criminals“. John 19:18 says “two others”. (Back)

13 Golgotha: There is no current-day Golgotha. It’s ancient whereabouts is speculated upon, but we don’t know exactly where it stood. (Back)

14 gall/myrrh: Matthew 27:34 says “gall” and uses the Greek word cholé which means “gall, bitter herbs”. Mark 15:23 says “myrrh” and  uses the Greek word smurnizó which means “mixed with myrrh” or “to be like myrrh” “to embitter (as a narcotic)”. This concoction of myrrh/gall was given to help deaden pain. It was made of wine (unknown what kind of wine) and then the painkiller. No drink or drug available back then (or now) would deaden that kind of pain— enduring a flogging and a crucifixion. This concoction was probably all that could be done for a crucifixion victim, other than not using such a cruel form of capital punishment. Also, since it couldn’t make much difference in the torture being inflicted, it may have been given in mockery, for the amusement of the soldiers, to see a desperate soul drinking it in hope. (Back)

15  He was unwilling to drink: Jesus refused the help of this laced wine, because drunkenness/being out of one’s senses (such as with narcotics or alcohol) is not Godly, but sound mind and soberness of mind is (see Ephesians 5:18, 1 Peter 4:7). Jesus was strong, even up to the very end (Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37, 39;Luke 23:46), and He still had work to do on the cross, such as giving His mother over to John (John 19:26-27) and speaking to the repentant criminal (Luke 23:39-43). It would only be fitting that Jesus would face His death in all consciousness and sagacity. (Back)

16  they crucified Him: Crucifixion was the worst way to die in Roman times, and a most disgraceful curse to the Jews (see Deuteronomy 21:22-23; 1 Corinthians 1:23). What is important to know is that Jesus became the disgraceful curse in our place, by His death on the cross, in order to reconcile us with God (Galatians 3:13). To read about the horrors of crucifixion, click here. (Back)

17  And He was numbered with transgressors:  This is a reference to Isaiah 53:12. Isaiah 53 contains a lot of information about the Messiah. (Back)

18  third hour: Mark 15:25 tells us that Jesus was crucified at the third hour (9am). Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44 says that from 12pm to 3pm there was darkness over the land and Luke 23:45 says it was because the sun was obscured. Jesus died around 3pm (Matthew 27:46-50, Mark 15:34-37; Luke 23:44-46). Darkness is symbolic of judgment from God. For a sampling of this symbolism see Isaiah 5:30; Job 5:14; Nahum 1:8; Matthew 22:13; 2 Peter 2:17 and Revelation 16:10. Also, there seems to be a discrepancy in the time keeping, as John 19:14 says it was the sixth hour while Jesus was still with Pilate. John is possibly using Roman time-keeping or keeping track of how many hours passed by since Jesus’s arrest. Matthew, Mark and Luke are using Jewish time-keeping. See this article for a great explanation. (Back)

19  “THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS: This is from Psalm 22:18. (Back)