In The Days of His Flesh
Hebrews 5:7-10
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; (Hebrews 5:7)
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:8)
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:9)
Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. (Hebrews 5:10)
How wonderful is the Spirit’s voice. In our text it is the Spirit of God bringing forth the manifestation of the Son of God; this day have I begotten thee. (Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5) The Spirit of God declares in the days of his flesh: the Christ of God, the anointed One, the divine Son of God, and the divine servant of servants, even the world could proclaim that in the days of his flesh He did all things well. God took on the form of a man, God became flesh, and yet, the very body that was prepared was totally the divine Man from heaven sent by the Father of life. In the Almighty God there is no shadow of turning, truth is His dominion, and righteousness is His Being. Everything that man knows about the Holy must stem from these two qualities; for without God, and without God’s Christ man can do nothing.
In the days of his flesh we have the log of prophetic writings being fulfilled. The foreknowledge of God was so graceful to man that He allowed man to see His foreknowledge in the prophetic writings that He gave to His prophets. And even before the Lord’s birth the prophecies were coming true one by one. One of the greatest prophecies was about the Lord’s forerunner, John the Baptist.
Prophecy: The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3)
Prophecy: Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)
Prophecy: And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Malachi 3:2) For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (Malachi 3:3)
Fulfillment: In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, (Matthew 3:1)
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. (Matthew 1:4)
Jesus said . . .(For this is [he], of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. (Matthew 11:10)
Jesus said . . . For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (Matthew 3:3)
Note the address location of this prophecy in Malachi 3:1 points to the fulfillment in Matthew 3:1; must be a coincidence, don’t you think? Of course not, not by any means.
Prophecy is Revelation
When we look at prophecy man tends to enclose it with a cloud of mystery, however, prophecy is also revelation, and we miss so much by not laying hold of the divine mind contained in the very prophecy that God has given to us. In the Book of the Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ it is Christ who is the Spirit of prophecy. In the days of His flesh, the historical prophecy as recorded in Isaiah, Chapter 53, and others began to unfold in the reality and the manifestation of the fulfillment of these very prophecies. In the long history of mankind God has continually given man revelations through the prophetic word which were given by the Spirit of Christ that was in them.
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. (1 Peter 1:11)
Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. (1 Peter 1:12)
The Spirit of Christ that was within them is the same Spirit that is in the children of God today. The Spirit of Christ has not changed for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; however, there are many who have limited the work of the Spirit of Christ in the age of the Church. This is done because of unbelief. I advise those who will not believe the infallible word of God to take a red magic marker and cross out all the verses you don’t believe; when you are finished think of these words, The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin. Through that same Spirit of Christ we are ministered to, according to the Holy Scriptures, and according to the Spirit of Christ that witnesses with our spirit that we are the children of God; yea, even sons of God through adoption in our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Christ enlightens the present through His own past revelation. He takes us by the Scriptures (the revealed word of God) to the things that must be fulfilled in the future of this world, and the worlds to come. From the beginning God has been directing all things: He causes the rains to fall on the just and the unjust; He causes the sun to rise up over the horizon to bring light and warmth in His great love to man; in the darkness of night, He lights the stars, and as they twinkle out of the darkness we see the majestic lamplighter of all eternity. He gives breathe to man, He gives life in Himself to this world, and those who dwell therein. He shows forth (each and every day) His great mercies towards us; therefore, in the days of His flesh this was every day.
Consider: every second Christ walked on earth, every minute, every hour of His sojourn among men, every day He rose to the challenge, and to the darkness of the heart of man. Every week He walked and dwelt among a people who had rejected Him. Every year He was the complete fulfillment of God the Father’s will in His divine Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. All this time He knew and understood that the cross was before Him. Redemption was never a mystery to the Almighty God. Only man cannot see the divine mercies of God in God’s plan of redemption. Every day that Christ was upon this earth He was fulfilling the very plan of redemption in His life. From the moment the divine Spirit of God came upon Mary, He was that holy thing, He was the gift of God, He was redemption, and He was the very Redeemer of man. That holy thing was the manifestation of the Son of God. A body prepared for the redemption of others.
The Prophecy and Revelation of Blood
The life of the flesh is in the blood, and His life was given for all men. There is no life without blood. (Leviticus 17:11, 14; Deuteronomy 12:23) Upon death, blood is the first thing to decay. In the determinate counsels of God the blood becomes the first link of human life. Before the flesh, before the water of the womb, the smallest particle of blood brings forth life. And every man who is born of woman is connected to the very same blood. No matter what race, the life of the flesh is in the blood. And so, the man Christ Jesus, the anointed of God, brings life in the flesh from the smallest particle of blood. This is truly a mystery of mysteries that God was manifested in the flesh. (1 Timothy 3:16) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. This is the wonder that God took on the form of a man with both flesh and blood. In the determinate counsels of God this would be by divine design. For without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. The very life that was in the first man, Adam, was in his blood, and the blood of man became a divine symbol of life and death. The slaying of Abel by Cain (as documented in Genesis 4) was much more than a tragic scene for sin brought forth death.
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10) And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; (Genesis 4:11)
God Set a Value on Blood
The blood of Abel literally cried out from the ground. The cry came up to God, and God in His judicial counsel sent forth a curse that would remain with Cain and all his descendants for the blood that Cain had shed. This was the establishment of the value that God held for the blood of man.
The blood that cried out from the ground, and future blood of man would cry out for divine judgment and vengeance upon their blood.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4)
Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. (1 John 3:12)
And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24) See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: (Hebrews 12:25)
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. (Matthew 23:35)
And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. (Matthew 27:6)
Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. (Matthew 27:8)
That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; (Luke 11:50) From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. (Luke 11:51)
Through these Scriptures we see the value that the divine Creator placed upon the blood of man. We also see the value of the blood of the Son of His love, the Man, Jesus Christ. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28) The value of the divine blood of Christ is far greater than man’s own value of his own blood. Even the Spirit of God puts the highest price on the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:29) When man refuses the value of His blood, that His blood was given for the remission of sin, when they refuse Christ, they refuse His atonement. In refusing His atonement they refuse His blood. The Spirit of God declares to all that the punishment for denying the blood of the new covenant will bring forth sorer punishment.
Innocent Blood
In Judas we have the betrayer of innocent blood. Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. (Matthew 27:4) Even in the Lord’s betrayal, the Spirit of God wants us to see the purity of the Son of God. It is just not blood, but innocent blood. This could not be said of any other man. In the book of Hebrews, Chapter 10, the Spirit of God emphasized how much sorer the punishment would be; here we see in Judas the betrayer of that innocent blood, for with Judas there was no repentance, he went to a place that God specially prepared for him.
A Special Place Prepared for the Trinity of Evil
In the discrimination of the Scriptures, we have three men who have this tragic designation of a place prepared for them and their evil works. The first is Judas, the second one is the false prophet, and the third is the notorious man of sin. This is a divine destination for all three.
On the supernatural side, the Spirit of God also describes the last judgment upon the old serpent, the Devil. The embodiment of Satan in Isaiah 14 is described as the man which did weaken the nations in verse 12. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! In the fullness of our thoughts, we must connect verse 12 with verse 16, They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; (Isaiah 14:16). In this embodiment of evil in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we see the Devil cast into the lake of fire. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10) In the trinity of evil that we see in the lake of fire, we not only see the punishment and the judgment for shed blood, but we see the payment in the very place that they are cast. We are told they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. There is much more to the cost of man’s blood. He that sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed. The man who sheds blood, his own blood becomes defiled.
The Field of Blood
Abel died in a field, and his blood was shed there, And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. (Genesis 4:8) It had to be (in order to fulfill all righteousness) that Christ paid for the field of blood with His own blood; therefore, the price that was paid for the field of blood was 30 pieces of silver, because it is the price of blood. (Matthew 27:6)
Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. (Matthew 27:8) Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; (Matthew 27:9) (Zechariah 11:12, 13)
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, (Matthew 27:3)
Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. (Matthew 27:4)
And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:5)
And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. (Matthew 27:6)
And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. (Matthew 27:7)
Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. (Matthew 27:8)
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; (Matthew 27:9) (Zechariah 11:12, 13)
Thirty Pieces of Silver
Thirty pieces of silver was the price of a slave, and this was also the price of divine blood. This was what man thought the blood of Christ was worth and paid for the life of the divine Creator of all things. But thanks be to God, that this life was paid for in silver. 
For the very price they paid spoke of God’s redemptive purpose for man. If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering: (Leviticus 5:15)
Side note: In Leviticus 5:15 we have two symbols of grace in both 5 and 5, in the middle, however, is the number 1. Between grace 5 and grace 5, we have the Lamb of God. (5 – 1 – 5) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, and grace for grace. (John 1) ♦ End of Side Note.
The Value Set by the Sanctuary
There was a value set upon the lamb in Leviticus 5, this price was not set by man, but by the divine sanctuary. This was the worth that God set for the sacrifice that was given; the value was set as the worth of the shekel of the sanctuary; and this value could vary throughout the history of the Jews. What God wants us to realize was the establishment of silver as the redemption money of the sanctuary. In the case of a slave, or bondman, or woman, the servant was worth 30 shekels of silver, as in Exodus 21:32, If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. In both instances, whether it be the lamb or the servant, the price was determined by the shekel of the sanctuary. In the day of the Lord Jesus Christ, the treasury of the temple was controlled by a corrupt priesthood. It was this priesthood who set the value of Christ at 30 pieces of silver: the price of a slave. This price was determined by the custodians of the treasury: the Pharisees. As Judas held the bag, the Pharisees held the price of innocent blood. The Spirit of God brings before us that these particular 30 pieces of silver was the price of blood.
Christ The Servant
We should also consider the determinate counsels of God, we see the determinate counsels of God in Philippians 2:7, But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:. The divine counsel of God reveals His own Son as the servant of servants, and reaffirms to us that in the redemptive purpose of God, Christ was made in the likeness of man, but in this likeness, as a man, He did not exalt Himself. This likeness of man was under the complete control of the divine servant of servants. His servitude was not to a blind man only, but to those who had multiple diseases, to those who were in the pains of death, to those who He raised from the dead to the lepers who He cleansed, to the thousands who He fed. Has there ever been such a servant to mankind? And the greatness of this servant was to come in the darkness of His own death. The redemptive work of Christ is the greatest work of servitude that man has ever seen. It is the greatest work of servitude that God has ever displayed, and this was in the Man, Christ Jesus. And this One was only worth 30 pieces of silver.
Those who were under the jurisdiction of God, who claimed to be the priests of God could only value God’s Christ at 30 pieces of silver. It was the Pharisees who affirmed among themselves that the world is gone after him. (John 12:19), and in Mark 15:10 it is recorded of Pilate he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
It is no different today, the world in which we live has a low value of Christ. Every day, they resist the Son of God in their sins, and in their wickedness, they trample underfoot the blood of Christ; even a lower value than the 30 pieces of silver which was the price of blood. We thank the Almighty that He has set a higher value upon the blood of His dear Son.
Blood: the Price of Redemption
The last act of man against the Savior on the cross was to thrust a spear under His ribs to pierce His heart. The Roman soldier knew exactly what he was doing, and the method in which he would spear the Lord of glory. This was a practice of the Roman garrison, whether it be the sword or the spear, life would end with a thrust to the heart. This spear that was thrust into the side of the Lord Jesus Christ brought forth the blood first, and then the water.
In the blood we see the price of redemption, and in the water, we see the power of sanctification. All in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ in one divine act. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. (John 19:34) Those who are bought with this blood cannot set a price on it. They stand in awe of the majesty of God that He would lay down His life for them. And that the price of their redemption would be the blood of God the Son. For the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin. Considering the value of the blood of Christ, Christ Himself set a value on His own blood. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:20)
The Value of the Blood of Christ
So far we have seen the value that God the Father set upon the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have seen the value that Judas placed upon the blood of Jesus. We have seen the value that the religious system put upon innocent blood. We have seen the value that the centurion placed on innocent blood. We have seen the value that Christ placed on His own blood.
Now, we are going to see the price of the people, what the Jews placed for the value of the blood of Christ. The people consented, they were the Jews of Jerusalem, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians. The Herodians were a cross-bred of Jew and Gentile. The majority of them dwelt in Samaria. They lived in the jurisdiction of Herod, and formed they own religious rites that they performed in the mountains of Samaria. And yet added to their religion was a political element that also worshiped and followed Herod. (John 4:21, 22)
The people, cried out, Let His blood be on us, and on our children. (Matthew 27:25) Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. What a price! And yet, all were in agreement with this price. They had no idea of the very condemnation that they were setting upon themselves by their own words. Nine small words that proves the power of God, and the Spirit of Christ. God makes sure that we understand it was a united cry of all the people. Little did they discern the sentence they were placing upon themselves, and upon their children. These nine words have been echoing throughout more than 2,000 years of our earth’s history. The suffering, the misery, and the shed blood of the Jews has been without a doubt, one of the most tragic phenomena that has taken place in this world, and which has come at their own words. These words were spoken in hatred, the venom of the asp was under their tongues, and flowed from their lips: they had condemned the Son of God, they had condemned innocent blood. God’s eyes are not dim that He cannot see, nor His ears deaf that He cannot hear. Their words, the words of the people, all of the people, ascended like a thunderbolt across the sky into the divine realm of God Almighty; He who never forgets, He remembers all, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias, meaningful words from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ. The very name of Zacharias or Zechariah means, Jehovah will remember. And now, a greater blood than the blood of Abel has been spilt upon the ground. And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24)
God remembers all the blood that has been shed by man. From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. (Luke 11:51) But He has a greater remembrance in the divine court of the blood of His beloved Son. We consider our meeting with the Lord at the table of remembrance, and our remembrance of Him and His death as a joyous occasion of all believers. What we do not fully understand is the work of the Holy Ghost in this remembrance until our Lord and Savior comes. His blood, and His life is being witnessed by the world through our worship of Him. They are condemned by the very fact that we look on His blood as the very power of our redemption. The Lord Jesus said, Take the bread, and take this cup of salvation. In the bread and in the wine the world is condemned for it speaks of Him. All the hate that the world has, and will ever pour out against the Lord of glory is being paid for each and every day.
Even Pilate knew the price of the blood of Christ. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. (Matthew 27:24) Pilate was well aware of the sentence that he was passing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Deep within Pilate, I believe that he knew the sentence he placed upon himself, and yet, he could not turn from the pressure of Adam’s race. In washing his hands he thought he was merely symbolically cleansing himself from guilt, in reality Pilate would not be able to find enough water, nor a container large enough, neither a lake nor a sea, or an ocean big enough to wash away His blood from his hands. 
Pilate stated that he had the power to convict or to release the Son of God; yet, he bowed to a nation that was in bondage to the Sea of Rome. Pilate became withered under the political pressure that was applied to him, the Jews knew the right button to push, for they said to Pilate that he was no friend to Caesar. At these words, his backbone melted, and his will turned as the Jews set the hook in Pilate’s jawbone. I would think that all during Pilate’s life those words, Crucify him, crucify him echoed in his conscience. Pilate and all who took part in this world conspiracy against the Son of God, and God Almighty, the price of blood could never be paid. The 30 pieces of silver could only buy a field of blood.
The Spirit of God reminds us of the first righteous blood that was shed in a field, the field of Abel; and also through the red thread of blood connects us to the field of the world as Jesus said in Matthew 13:38) The field is the world;. Those 30 pieces of silver have cost the world its total worth, total resources, maybe not all is fulfilled yet, but during the great tribulation the foundations of the earth will be shaken. The mountains will be rent, the stars will fall from heaven, and the world will continue to pay for the price of Christ’s blood, and the 30 pieces of silver. The price that was paid that day could not be returned to the treasury because it was designated the price of blood. The Pharisees (in not placing the silver back into the treasury) were condemning themselves for their own actions. They were aware that this was the price of blood, and this price would demand a divine payment from the Almighty God. This price of blood is still being counted in heaven above. Even in the songs of the redeemed, it is His blood that has redeemed us out of every nation, out of every tongue, out of every people; and as a collective people, we are witnesses of that price that was paid at Calvary.
The Offering of Prayer
In our main study text of Hebrews, Chapter 5, verse 7, we have an overview of His prayers offered in both Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;. In Matthew and Mark’s gospel we not only see the agony of His prayer, but the persistency of His prayers. In both gospels it is recorded that He left His disciples three times to beseech God the Father concerning the cup that was before Him. This displays the magnitude of what was before Him. He, being the Son of God, returned three times with the same grave petition, and yet, in this agony He completely submitted Himself to the will of the Father.
In Luke’s gospel we have the intervention or comfort from heaven in the presence of an angel. It is also in this gospel that we see the weight of all that was upon Him; for He sweat, as it were, great drops of blood. In Matthew and Mark as the disciples slept they showed their lack of understanding, and their lack of concern for what they had previously heard from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ; that He would be betrayed and handed into the hands of man. In Matthew, Mark and Luke the prayers seem to encompass Him in His beseeching of the Father to take the cup away from Him.
The Role of the Priest: Offering
In the gospel of John, Chapter 17, we have more heavenly light poured out over His prayers. In Hebrews, Chapter 5, verse 7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;. Notice the divine progression in His prayers. First, we have the words offered up prayers, who could do this, but the divine Priest after the order of Melchisedec. We are told that we, as Christians, also have a priest-like nature for we have been made priests unto our God. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5) We are told that our prayers are spiritual sacrifices offered up to God. In verse 7, we have the divine Priest after the order of Melchisedec offering up prayers; which only He could do regarding what lay ahead of Him at the cross of Calvary.
The Role of the Priest: Supplication
The first part of His prayers are beseeching, in John 17, and we also see the prayer of supplication. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. (John 17:2) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3) In a prayer of supplication the person who is praying is not the object. He is praying for others. In John 17, His prayer goes beyond the cup to those who God has given to Him out of this world. In Hebrews 5:7, we see the progression of His prayer, the first is the offering of Himself, for in the end He is completely submitted to the will of God. Then next, He turns to those who He came into the world for, and prays for them. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared. All this was going on while men slept. Even though He had rehearsed and told them what was going to be accomplished in Jerusalem, they were weary and heavy with their own beings and their own cares. What was about to happen did not seem to concern them for they could not even watch while He prayed. According to His prayer the divine watchmaker of time knew exactly where He was, and that His hour had come.
To understand the mind of the Spirit we must consider John, Chapter 17. In verse 1, He is introducing Himself to the Father, He is presuming the office of Melchisedec in His approach to the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth. These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:. If we consider the full extent of His prayer in the garden, we see that He is the only one who could approach God in this manner, for He was praying in the mind of the determinate counsels of God. All that was prepared before the foundations of the world is now ready. He approaches God the Father to glorify God the Son that the Son might glorify the Father.
In the prayer of John, Chapter 17, we see the priesthood of Melchisedec, we see He who is Wonderful in facing what is before Him. We also see in the attitude of prayer for His disciples, the prayer of the Counselor. While He is before the Father in prayer we see the complete unity of heaven. We see both Father and Son as the Almighty God. In His strong crying and tears, we see the Son in the bosom of the Father, for He has declared the Father’s name unto His brethren. We can also see the work of the Prince of Peace in His prayer, for He has come to give them peace, and this peace is uniquely His own. He proclaims that thy Son also may glorify thee. Here we see the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth; not before the Jews, nor before man, but before the Father He brings up His Sonship, and we see the compassion and love between them both. This is God the Father’s only Son, this is the Son of His love, and the Lord Jesus looks at Himself as that particular only begotten Son. He turns to the glory that He had with the Father before the foundations of the world in verse 5 of John 17. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. This is the inseparable glory that the Son has with the Father this very day, that both Son and Father may glory in this divine plan, and in the fulfillment of the determinate counsels of God.
God Must Be Satisfied
In verse 2 of the gospel of John Christ stated that He had power over all flesh. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Here we have a subject that is not understood by many professing Christians. We won’t even consider the world, for they know nothing of the things of God. He knew what was before Him, it was the destruction, and death of His flesh. God had determined that all flesh would be judged in His Son, Jesus Christ. What is the extent of this judgment? Since God is holy and righteous, all the claims He had against man in Adam had to be satisfied. How could He accomplish this? All flesh must die! Does this expand your thoughts, does your mind see in order to have a great white throne of judgment, even in judgment, God must be satisfied. The divine act of judgment upon the Lord Jesus Christ satisfied God in every way so that man could come into the presence of God through Jesus Christ without sin unto redemption. Many church goers, and even preachers fail to see the value of the entire Chapter of John 3. They fix their sight, and their minds on 3:16, and completely ignore the rest of the Chapter. This is of course, a wonderful verse, but what we fail to see is John 3:16 is the gift; in John 3:14 and 15, we have the sacrifice. It is the sacrifice that gives value and fulfills the gift. God’s part comes first in the death of His Son; our part comes next in the belief of His Son. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (John 3:14) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.(John 3:15) Because of these two verses the Holy Spirit announces the love of God in verse 16. This love has been given without restraint that whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. The terms that are given to the world are first met and proclaimed by God Himself in verses 14 and 15. The responsibility to what God has done for man is related to man in John 3:35 and 36. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. (John 3:35) He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)
Blood Satisfied by Blood
Back to the end of all flesh . . . . the second man from heaven (Christ) had to put Adam completely out of the way. Adam had to be erased from the mind of God, all flesh who had sinned from Adam, and would sin, had to be taken out of the way in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. So now you see a very small part of the suffering that Christ endured for He had to die for all flesh. He had to die for all of Adam’s descendants. Only this would bring divine justice. Only this would satisfy all the cries of blood, even in the book of Revelation, the saints in glory ask the Lord, How long?
John 3:36 is truly a profound verse given to those who will not enter into the glories of Christ’s salvation, and because they refuse His life, they will suffer the second death. They see no value in the blood of Christ; therefore, they will not be partakers of His mercy. In John Chapter 17, we see that the Lord Jesus already has possession of those who the Father has given Him. And to these He will give eternal life. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. (John 17:6) This text is not the natural thoughts of man. His religion does not allow man to believe that man cannot play a part in his own salvation. The Father had given these to the Son, and in divine ownership had taken them out of the world. The reason that man lays hold of his own brand or brands of salvation is that he does not know the Scriptures, nor the power of God. Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. (Matthew 22:29) This mind set of not knowing the scriptures is universal among men. Only the Spirit of Christ can show man his need and provide a safe haven for him. There are endless questions asked by man that have no scriptural proof or origin. They are always questioning the determinate counsels of God in unbelief, and then, man ends up like Esau of old, who could not find repentance, although he sought it by strong crying and tears. Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. (Hebrews 12:16) For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. (Hebrews 12:17)
The Price and Reward of Betrayal
Let us again consider the man Judas who betrayed the Lord, the Prince of Life, in exchange for 30 pieces of silver, and an untimely death.
Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.(Acts 1:16) For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.(Acts 1:17) Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. (Acts 1:18) And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. (Acts 1:19)
In retrospect according to John 6:64 the Lord Jesus knew exactly who was going to betray Him. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. In this verse, we have two categories: a key word is ‘they’ for there was more than one who contributed to the betrayal of the Son of God. In the closing part of the verse, the Spirit’s eye is focused on Judas with the word ‘who.’ This again gives complete witness of the omniscient mind of Christ. For from the beginning, He knew who would betray Him. This was the total diverse work of the prince of darkness against the Prince of life.
Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. (Luke 22:1) And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. (Luke 22:2) Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. (Luke 22:3) And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. (Luke 22:4) And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.(Luke 22:5) And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.(Luke 22:6)
The Covenants Sealed by Blood
The Devil and his cohorts always work by stealth and in darkness, even the darkness of their own souls. We draw a circle around Judas and the priesthood of the Jews, they made a covenant among themselves, little did they know that their covenant would also be sealed by the blood of Christ. What they conspired to do would be written down by the Spirit of God in the history of man as a testimony against their very act. But that’s not all, this conspiracy, this profound enmity against God was written in the eternal pages of the Lamb’s book of life as a testimony against this very act.
Power Over Death
The Lord knows who are His. In John 17:3 we have the divine answer, and the formula to one of the most profound questions that man has ever asked, What is and how does one obtain eternal life? And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3) This is the divine answer to both of man’s questions, and the divine statement to those who belong to Him found in verse 2 of John 17. Consider this: this is the prayer of the Priest eternal, only Christ could make this claim. He is bowed before the throne of all eternity, and He declared to the Father that all things that were given to Him to do on earth, He had finished. This was, of course, His daily testimony: the wonderful miracles, and the raising of Lazarus.
Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? (John 11:40) Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. (John 11:41) And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 11:42) And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. (John 11:43)
Many miss the communion that the Lord Jesus had with the Father before He raised Lazarus from the dead. In His communion with God the Father Christ spoke the very words that He would declare as a past thought before He utter the words, Lazarus, come forth. These words were spoken in the eternal realm of God. He had full confidence in His power over death, and He had full confidence in His glorious position before the Father. In His address to the Father He closed with these words, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
In the priesthood of Aaron, which was a type of our marvelous high priest Melchisedec, Aaron’s priesthood symbolized God’s power over death in the very offerings that he offered up to God. In the offerings sin was covered and its sweet savor ascended up to God. A wonderful symbol of the sacrifice of Christ, and of the finished work of Christ.
The Journey of Christ: The Four Courts
There are so many wonderful things that take place from the moment that Christ was led out of His garden to the moment that He claimed that all was finished on the cross. In His own testimony, and for His display of His power before man, mercy was always around Him. In His trial before Caiaphas, while He was being abused, He saw and met the tears of Peter and had compassion upon Him. When He went to Herod, (the man Christ had called that fox) He completed the request that Herod had made of Him, He gave Herod the audience that Herod desired. As Christ stood before Pilate, He proclaimed Himself to be not only the King of Jews, but the King eternal when He stated, To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world. (John 18:37) Only Christ could make this claim. At His weakest point while on the cross (wearing a crown of thorns) He exercised the power that God had given Him when He said to the thief, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43) Only one among all of mankind could have made this claim of eternal life and finish the work that the Father had given Him to do.
Power and Majesty
In verse 5 of John 17, we now walk through the veil of eternity, and we get a glimpse of the coming glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God has given us a small glimpse of that glory when He was upon the holy mount. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. In Matthew, Mark and Luke we have the divine testimony of His glory, and the manifestation of that glory as a witness to both heaven and earth. The witness to heaven is seen in the two, Moses and Elijah, who were transfigured from heaven to view His glory upon earth. The three (Peter, James and John) are the men of the earth who will witness to the world of the glory that they beheld on the holy mount through the gospels and their epistles. In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established.
We read in John’s account in John Chapter 1, verse 14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John confirmed the glory that He beheld on the holy mount. He adds to it that it was the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father; remember the words on the holy mount that came from heaven as documented in Matthew 17:5, While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. John further expands the mind of the Spirit to us in the words that Christ, the Son of the Father was full of both grace and truth. (John 1:14) We see the actual account (as a witness to us) in the first three gospels, as the number 3 is the number of divine witness. Then, the Spirit of God gives us two more witnesses in His divine log of Scripture: one is John 1:14, and the other can be found in 2nd Peter 1:16-18.
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2 Peter 1:16) For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (2 Peter 1:17) And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. (2 Peter 1:18)
Peter tells us of the glory that he beheld, not only glory, but the majesty of the One that was glorified. One of the most predominant terms that is given to a potentate upon this earth is, Your Majesty. This term invokes the devotion of the speaker, the loyalty of the speaker, the affection of the speaker, and yes, the adoration or love of the speaker. When Peter stated that they had beheld His majesty, he was expressing the total of his being for the service, devotion, and love of Christ. Many today feel that the glory is passed. For them it might be, but for those who love the Lord Jesus, with all their hearts, with all their soul, and with all their might, within them, they have felt, and they have beheld the glory of Christ transfigured within them. Believe me, I know that this is a strange declaration among men, but it is completely scriptural, for God’s Spirit witnesses with my spirit that I am a child of God, and that Christ is glorified within me.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Romans 8:16)
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
Once again, we return to John 17, in the absolute wonder of our high priest as He beseeches God the Father to be glorified with the glory that He possessed with the Father before the world was: the glory that brought forth the determinate counsels of God, and the future work of the Son of God upon the earth. It is the Father’s love reaching down to the Son, it is the Son’s love reaching up to the Father. The Father brings down all the power of heaven to support His Son, the Son (in His prayer) brings all that the Father has given Him to the Father to be engulfed and preserved by the love of the Father. Only the true high priest could do this for His own, only the high Priest of heaven could take men out of this world, yet, in John 17, we see this work proclaimed by the Son of God in His prayer to God the Father. Not only is it the things that He must suffer, but it is also the things that He will accomplish. In His sufferings we have the following verses.
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. (Matthew 26:36) And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. (Matthew 26:37)
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. (Matthew 26:38) And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39)
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. (Matthew 26:42)
And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. (Matthew 26:44)
And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; (Mark 14:33) And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. (Mark 14:34) And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. (Mark 14:35) And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. (Mark 14:36)
And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. (Mark 14:39) And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. (Mark 14:40) And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. (Mark 14:41)
And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. (Luke 22:39) And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. (Luke 22:40) And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, (Luke 22:41) Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42) And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.(Luke 22:43) And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22:44) And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, (Luke 22:45) And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. (Luke 22:46)
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39) And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? (Matthew 26:40) Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)
Through these Scriptures it is the Spirit of God who sets the scene, it is the scene of His agony before the cross. The divine Priest after the order of Melchisedec is filled with divine sorrow. His cup of sorrow is full, and He bears within His chest a heavy heart. He prays concerning His approaching hour, this prayer as we see in John 17 can only come from a divine Being, for only His Son Jesus Christ could have this relationship with God the Father in purpose, and in Being according to God’s will. The path that He is about to tread is so violent to the divine Being that He sweats as it were great drops of blood. This is from an agony that can only be felt by the Son of God. He would be glorified because of these sorrows, He would learn obedience by the things that He suffered, so great was the agony that God the Father sent an angel from heaven to strengthen His Son. The Son possessed all power. He had created the worlds, He had created man, all things were held by the word of His power, but now in the days of His flesh He must have the angelic strength that He was so familiar with; for in the history of man He had manifested Himself many times as the angel of the Lord, and as the angel of His presence. We see now the divine power that has been entrusted to this angel, who was created by the very One that He was to strengthen, oh, the mysteries of God. They both knew what was before the Son of God, even the angels desired to look into this mystery, this wonderment that God was performing.
The Unseen Battle
The Son of God knew the battle that was before Him. It would be the battle against evil men, and His testimony to them. It would be the battle against the Devil to overthrow the entire works of this demonic being. It would be the battle of sin, for the penalty of sin is death. And to remove the result of sin, He would also battle the cloud of death. In all of eternity, God had not been here before! God had not gone into death, God had not suffered the pains of death, yet God would bear sin and death upon Himself. This was the hour! Heaven chimed out the time, the voice of God proclaimed the moment, and there was no turning back. The Son of God would learn obedience in the things He suffered, for from the foundation of the world there was no suffering like unto His suffering. There was no sorrow like unto His sorrow, and there had been no work of righteousness like unto the work that He would finish. The words in Isaiah 53 would pour over His soul. In verse 10 of Isaiah 53, we have the offering of His soul for sin. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. In verse 11, we have the travail of His soul, He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. In verse 12, He has poured out His soul unto death, Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. and then back to verse 11, He shall see the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied. In Mark Chapter 14, He told His disciples, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death, and to this small company of His disciples, He exclaimed, Now is my soul troubled.
Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. (John 12:27) Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. (John 12:28) The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. (John 12:29) Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. (John 12:30) Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. (John 12:31) And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:32)
His Sufferings
The wonder of the Spirit of Christ in the hearts of men that He can give them a pen and cause them to write the very feelings of His own heart. The very thing that He was suffering within He proclaims to men by His Spirit in the wonderful word of God. In all the writings before us, Christ takes us in to the divine soul. Who can understand all these things? Such things are too hard for man. Only the Spirit of God can share such grief, and such sorrow, such travail as this. The divine Creator humbled Himself and poured out His very soul! How could this be? He laid down His life that He might take it again. He learned obedience by the things He suffered. Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:8) The things He suffered are more than man can conceive.
In the realm of men, He suffered the alienation of the world, He was in the world, and the world knew Him not. He came to suffer for Israel and deliver them, and they would not receive Him, they would refuse their own deliverance and their King. The world’s government of Rome sought to destroy Him even from His early childhood. Even in the course of His many miracles, and what they had seen, they still refused His Sonship, and His divine nature. They laughed Him to scorn, they rejected His love, they rejected His claims as the Son of God. And they would reject the sweet savor of His sacrifice and the Holy Ghost in the death of Stephen in Acts Chapter 7. While He was in His sorrow, they would come into His garden that He had created, they would be led by the man who had betrayed him, and Judas would deliver Him into the hands of the Pharisees with a kiss. They took Him by force, the holy and righteous God, the Creator of man was bound by His own creation. He would be taken to stand at the corrupt court of both Annas and Caiaphas.
Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? (John 18:4)
And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. (John 18:13) Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. (John 18:14)
And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? (John 18:22)
As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:. (Isaiah 52:14)
Side Note: Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. (Luke 3:2) The Jewish system had become so twisted and political that they now had two high priests. This was a defiant act against the law as given to Moses by God. ♦ End of Side Note.
The Journey of Christ Continued: Through the Four Courts
The slap (John 18:22) while the Lord was in the Jewish court was a symbol of contempt, and the very symbol of the power that this corrupt system held over the sons of men. This was just the beginning of the detestable acts of men, by both Jew and Gentile. In the four appearances that Christ would make in the courts of men there would be absolutely no justice. In all four appearances His divine Sonship, and His Kingship would be under siege by man in their denial of His divine position before God the Father. He suffered at the hands of man in man’s mockery of justice.
Before Caiaphas it was the beginning of His journey, He would travel from Caiaphas to Pilate, and then from Pilate to Herod, and then from Herod back to Pilate. Four opportunities for man to redeem himself and let the Son of God go free. In the court of Caiaphas, we have the corrupt religious system; in the court of Pilate, we have the corrupt governing system; in the court of Herod, we have the corrupt political system; in returning to the court of Pilate for the last and fourth time we see not only Pilate on trial, but we also see all earth dwellers on trial. Although they could not see it, they themselves, and the whole world was on trial before the divine throne in heaven. When He was before Caiaphas, we see the beginning of the things that He would suffer from the corrupt religious court to the cross. The very fact that there were four different occasions shows the children of God that in the trial of our blessed Redeemer the whole world in the number 4 was on trial by the Almighty God. This was their last effort to loose the cords of God and to cast away the cords from them as in Psalm 2. This was their final act upon their final curtain, and the One who they viewed in weakness would overturn them in strength, and soon in the near future He will shake the very foundation of the world that they took possession of by the injustice of their trial against the divine Creator of heaven and earth, and the possessor of all things. (Psalm 24:1) The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. The actual time period between the court of Caiaphas and the final court of Pilate was only a small portion in time in the light of the history of man, and yet, this small portion of time determined the rest of world’s history, and God’s dealing with a rebellious and evil system that man in his wickedness had usurped the world from God in the trial of the Lord Jesus Christ. They had finalized their deal and their wickedness in the very death of the Sovereign of the universe.
When His sufferings began at the hands of Caiaphas, the Lord Jesus knew that His ordeal had come, He knew His hour was at hand, He knew before Him would be spitting and punching, He knew there would be mocking, He knew that man would exhibit all his bent-up enmity against a holy and righteous God. He knew from His prophecies that He had witnessed to man that those very prophecies would be fulfilled.
I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.(Isaiah 50:6)
Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy (Matthew 26:65). What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.(Matthew 26:66)
Side Note in the numbering sequence of the reference number of Matthew Chapter 26, verse 66. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. (Notice these numbers 2 – 6 – 6 – 6 : <2 the number of witness to the number of man in the number 6> < 2 the number of witness of man’s true heart in the trinity of man’s evil in the triple number of 6>. The Holy Spirit of God (through numbers) witnesses that all mankind is guilty before God in the death of His Christ, and much more can be seen in this number sequence, yes, God the Holy Spirit uses even numbers to speak to us). ♦ End of Side Note.
Prophecy Fulfilled: Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,(Matthew 26:67) Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?(Matthew 26:68)
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. (Matthew 27:27) And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. (Matthew 27:28) And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! (Matthew 27:29) And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. (Matthew 27:30) And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. (Matthew 27:31)
Prophecy: He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
Anyone who thinks that goodness is found in man (the descendants of Adam) only needs to read this testimony of holy writ given by the divine Spirit of Christ, and examine these Scriptures, read them slowly and then contemplate that this all took place before the cross. As He stood before the courts, and before the final decision of Pilate let us look into the acts of the earthly history of the Son of God, the Son of man, Jesus Christ; the wind and sea had obeyed Him; the demons from the darkest dungeons of evil had obeyed Him; the sickness and diseases of man had obeyed Him; the very darkness of death that had come over man obeyed Him; the fish of the sea obeyed Him, but the rebellious heart of man could not. Man screamed with unified voices, Crucify him, crucify him. Their chanting voices screamed out blaspheme against the God of heaven in the very judgment that they had placed on the Son of God. They were performing their wicked deeds on the world stage. They brought the final act of their enmity when they pronounced, Let his blood be on us, and on our children. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. (Matthew 27:25) Truer words were never spoken by man, for each word has been a witness against them since that day. Jewish blood has been spilt in every corner of the earth ever since they cried out, His blood be on us, and on our children. This did not leave the Roman court guiltless. For the Romans continued to spill blood throughout the whole world, and of their own Roman citizens they built monuments in theaters to the blood that they had spilt. They built the great Colosseum where blood flowed as a river from the veins of both men and animals, while the audience of Cain thirsted for more blood till the ground cried out once more. And God heard the cry of their blood for Imperial Rome gradually lost control over their united empire, and experienced one defeat after another. Rome, the city, would be ablaze with the eternal fires from above. The cry of the depraved spirit of Nero would be, ‘Rome is burning, Rome is burning,’ until there remained but ashes of that once great city (approximately 30 years after the Lord’s death and approximately 6 years before the fall of Jerusalem) and (in time) their once great kingdom eroded and crumbled.
Man has not changed he still thirsts for blood. Let a rebellious crowd gather in their heated display of anger, and they will find a victim, and blood will be shed. This is the heart of man. Man would not change, has not changed, and will not change. In both his politics and his religion man is completely corrupt. He is still living his illusion that he has destroyed God and destroyed God’s Christ. Give either the political world or the religious world a reason and blood will be shed. Over the centuries the words of the Jews and the Gentiles have been completely fulfilled and proven through the holy Scriptures in every way. Nation against nation, great wars of the world, the unrighteous claim that they have holy wars, it is the claim of their false religions. For these religions only thirst for the blood of man.
We fail to see what man wanted to accomplish in the trial of the Lord Jesus; it was more than a trial of a mere man, it was their trial of God Himself. It was their trial of this righteous man, the Son of man, the Son of God. As they beat Him in the presence of Caiaphas we remember that the first mention of His blood in this ordeal was in the garden with God the Father as He sweat as it were His own drops of blood because of the suffering that lay ahead. These drops of blood from our Savior connects us to the first blood shed. The first blood shed was in a garden, the Garden of God (Eden) and God Himself shed the blood of the lamb. God took the life of the a lamb in a garden, but God (in a garden) gave the life of the Lamb.
At the religious court of Caiaphas they began to fulfill a stream of prophecies that was given by the prophets throughout the history of the Jews. These were being shown and proven of God to show His divine foreknowledge of their wicked acts. They were also displaying their part in the determinate counsels of God. This was their hour! As the Lord had come to His hour, they also had come to their hour. And in many ways, today, we see the same attitude of the hearts of the Jews and Romans, and the world against the possessor of the true house of God that is found in Hebrews Chapter 3, and belongs to the same Man, the same God, the same High Priest after the order of Melchisedec, the same Son of God who is over His own house, whose house are we. The final decision of the court of Rome was to crucify him, and yet Rome had stated by their servant Pilate that he had found no fault in the Prince of Life, the Son of God. The Jews could find nothing legitimate against Him, consequently, they brought in false witnesses and condemned Him based on lies. Then all the people united by hatred shouted, Crucify him, crucify him. They wanted to be free of God, and free of God they would be! Their sentence was in the very one that they desired Pilate to release, for Barabbas (his name means ‘son of his father’) was a murderer and a thief; the Jews would be in his hands for over two thousand years. Barabbas was also in prison for sedition, add this to the list of the Jewish will against God. We see it all played out in the history of the Jews, and in the history of Rome, and in the history of the world.
His Divine Purpose
The High Priest is upon His knees in John 17:3, the priest after the order of Melchisedec. The Priest of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth. The great High Priest, who is both King of righteousness, and King of peace; and praying to His Father He answered the divine purpose of His life. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Amen
© Copyright 2017, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the King James Bible. (KJV)