Easter Advent Day 5: Who is in Charge Here?

Who Is In Charge Here?


When the chief priests and scribes decided to get rid of their “little problem" named Jesus, they had no intention of it happening on or around Passover. Their plan was to wait until after all of the Passover festivities were over, but who was really in charge? The night Jesus was having his final meal with the disciples; Judas had no intention of betraying Jesus that night. He had his instructions…betray Jesus after the Passover, but who was really in charge? When the chief priests’ officers came with Judas to arrest Jesus, they were not planning on just letting the disciples go…but who was really in charge? When Jesus was stripped, beaten, scourged, mocked, spat upon, had his clothing divided for lots, and was hung on the cross...who was really in charge? When Jesus was hanging on the cross, the Roman soldiers had every intention of breaking Jesus’ legs, but who was really in charge? When Satan planned to kill Jesus, he had every intention of that being the end of his “problem”, but who was really in charge?
Every event during the most important week in history happened because the Father in heaven, the Holy Spirit, and the Son on earth allowed or commanded it. There is nothing that happened leading up to the cross, or on the cross, that was not a complete fulfillment of prophecy. Every single detail of what happened as Jesus hung on the cross only happened because He allowed it. There was not one moment in time where God was out of control or surprised by what was occuring.

Judas did not plan on betraying Jesus that night, but when your “victim” points out that He is not only aware of the plan, but tells you to get on with it…you don’t have much choice…especially when that "someone" is God. But there is something else we can miss if we are not paying attention here…It wasn’t just Judas whose timetable had been altered….it was Satan’s…and regardless of his rebellion against the Almighty God, he still had to obey when Jesus said “get moving.”

Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now AFTER the piece of bread Satan entered him. THEN Jesus said to him, “What you do, do it quickly.” John 13:26-27

Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night. John 13:30

The word for night in this last verse is nyx. This can be translated; night, the time of death, or the time for deeds of sin and shame.

In the garden…

While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one, seize Him.” Matthew 26:47-48

……..and he approached Jesus to kiss Him, but notice something….before he had the chance to carry out his plan to betray Jesus with a kiss….

But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Luke 22:47-48

……….Judas immediately went to Him, saying, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him. Mark 14:45

“Friend, do what you have come for.”…….Matthew 26:50

Jesus is again speaking to not only to Judas, but to Satan…and He is giving His permission for things to proceed…

So Jesus knowing all the things that were coming upon Him went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”

They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.”

He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.

So when He said, “I am HE,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (AWESOME!!!!!)

Therefore He again asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”

Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you seek Me, let these go their way,” to fulfill the word which He spoke, “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.” John 18:4

THEN they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him. Matthew 26:50

 
Just Who was in control here? Who was calling the shots? Even when it came to the fate of the disciples on that night, it was Jesus commanding His captors to let the disciples go their way. I love this!!

When Peter drew his sword and cut off ear of the high priest’s slave, what does Jesus say?

“How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen this way?” Matthew 26:54

When Jesus went before Pilate, Pilate mistakenly thought the power over Jesus' life was in his, Pilate's, hands to release Jesus or crucify Him. But Jesus corrected him on this error …
 
So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do you not know that I have the authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify you?”
Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.” John 19:10-11

Every single thing that happened HAD TO HAPPEN to fulfill the hundreds of prophecies that were given about Jesus in the Old Testament.

In the Old Testament it was said not one of His bones would be broken. However, the Jews wanted Jesus off the cross and dealt with before sundown because of the Passover. To speed things along, the Roman soldiers would break the legs of those crucified. This would cause a faster, even more painful death, because the person on the cross would no longer be able to hold themselves up, and they would suffocate more quickly. But before the Roman soldiers got to Jesus to break His legs, He had already given up the Spirit and died…..

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two….. Luke 23:44
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!”....
John 19:30

And Jesus crying with a loud voice said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:44(cont.)

…..and He bowed His head and gave up His Spirit.Then the Jews because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath was a high day, asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him, but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of them pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
John 19:30-34(cont.)

For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “NOT ONE BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN.” And again another Scripture says, “THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED.’ John 19:36

Jesus, at every step of the way, made the choice to ALLOW each thing to happen. This was to fulfill the prophecies that foretold all that He had come to accomplish. It was confirmation of WHO He was and is. It was to accomplish exactly what He came to do. It was to do exactly what He declared right before He drew His last breath…

 ”It is finished!” John 19:30

Jesus was, in that one sentence, declaring our sins and our penalty of death for our sins “PAID IN FULL!” That is exactly what  tetelestai means. In the first century when someone had paid their debt in full, tetelestai was written across the bill. When a criminal paid his debt to society, the Roman government would write, “tetelestai” across the decree of punishment. When Jesus was drawing His last breath, He was declaring our debt PAID IN FULL. This little word packed with so much power, because of Who said it and what it means for me, makes me want to shout and praise His AWESOME, WONDERFUL, HOLY NAME!!!

Oh, Jesus, I love you so much. Thank you for your sacrifice for me. Jesus, thank you for loving me. Thank you for Your blood that removed my sin. I cannot begin to imagine the suffering you endured, not only physical, but the ultimate suffering….Your separation from God for the first time in eternity. We can’t even begin to fathom what You suffered in death for us. You were cut off for us. You defeated death so that we will never have to taste eternal death and damnation. You did this of your own accord. You did this BECAUSE you first loved us…while we were yet sinners, You died for us! Father, thank you for loving us and giving Your Son, Jesus, in our place.

For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on my own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from my Father.”John 10:17-18  
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8