Chapter 17
At that moment, about four thousand years in the future,
Jesus, was at the end of his earthly ministry.
He sat with his disciples in a room and celebrated the Jewish
Passover. He was the only one in the
room who truly understood what this ceremony meant, the eating of the bread
symbolizing His body which would be broken for them and the drinking of the
wine, symbolizing His blood which would be shed for them, a typology that those
in bondage in Egypt could not even begin to comprehend which symbolized the
coming of the perfect Son of God who would deliver them from their bondage to
sin.
His mind was drawn back to Egypt on that all important evening
when God’s chosen people, the descendants of Abraham, were to be
delivered. Delivered in the same way
that Jesus was about to deliver all of humanity from the bondage of sin.
The death angel was about to pass over Egypt and those who were to be
saved would have to paint the blood from a perfect lamb over their door
posts. They would be saved by the blood
of the lamb.
He remembered the careful instructions given to them after
they left Egypt concerning
the setting up of the tabernacle in such a way as to replicate the throne room
in heaven and that which was to come in the distant future when He would come
again to rule the Earth from his throne in Jerusalem.
He remembered the rituals of the High Priest as he prepared
for the annual sacrifice. The blue,
gold, purple, scarlet and white colors of his robe symbolizing heaven, precious
worth, royalty, blood, and purity. He
considered how the priest would enter the Holy of Holies to plead for his
people, just as Jesus would enter the throne room of God to plead for his
people. He smiled as he thought about
how His actions would rip the veil which separates the priest from the seat of
God, symbolizing the removal of the barrier between the people and their God.
He was brought back to the present by bread and wine being
served at the table where he sat. He had
just finished teaching them a lesson in humility and servitude by washing their
feet and commanding them to serve each other as well.
He looked around the room and his gaze fell on each disciple
in turn. He looked at John who was
sitting next to him and would outlive all the rest and die alone, exiled to the
Isle of Patmos. He looked at Peter who
was sitting next to John and who he knew would soon deny even knowing him. He looked at Judas who would betray him.
Judas was reclining uneasily at the table looking nervously
at the others and trying to laugh along with the others as though nothing were
bothering him.
Jesus watched him with pity.
His chest tightened with despair at every soul he saw whom he knew would
not enjoy the free and eternal gift of God’s love. His anger raged at the powers that warred
against Him in His struggle to secure the blessings of happiness for his
beloved children.
He also knew what was coming to Him in the next twenty four
hours and His human side was in anguish at the thought of it. He knew it was the reason he came to the
earthly realm, though, and he was resolute in His conviction to finish what He
started.
Finally, he looked into the dark corner where the Prince of
Darkness sat waiting for his opportunity.
Satan stared back at him with fierceness and resolution. It had been a long time since he had been
defeated and kicked out of Heaven. His
anger was as strong as ever. He would
destroy every soul he could, and with each one cause God the Father that much
more pain.
Surrounding those who were seated at the table were a
platoon of angels standing strong and tall and facing outward toward a large
contingent of Satan’s minions who were milling about nervously awaiting orders
from their master.
The glory of God shone brightly from Jesus in the heavenly
realm indicating the strength of the Holy Spirit which was present within him. In fact, everything else paled in
comparison. The powerfulness of it
scorched the demons like a flame whenever they got close and they all kept
their distance.
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to those in the room,
“one of you is going to betray me.”[i]
His disciples looked at each other and murmured to each other
quietly trying to figure out who it was.
Judas sat quietly and closed his eyes as if in meditation.
Satan stood and moved around the table to stand behind
Judas. A deal had been made and the
angels did not oppose him.
Peter nudged John, who was sitting next to Jesus. “Ask him who it is,” he said.
John leaned back against Jesus and whispered, “Lord, who is
it?”
“It is the one to whom I give this bread after I’ve dipped
it in the dish,” He whispered back.
Then he dipped the bread in the dish and handed it to Judas.
Satan surged forward and dove headlong into the body of
Judas who shuddered and sat up suddenly.
His eyes opened wide and he looked into the eyes of the Creator of
Heaven and Earth.
“What you are about to do, do quickly,” said Jesus.
Judas stood and left the room, driven by the spirit of Satan
who was now in possession of his body.
Since he had been chosen as one of the twelve Judas had
never really believed. He was the keeper
of the purse and would regularly help himself to what was there.
He was a greedy man and despite what he had seen and heard
while traveling with Jesus he never really considered the he could be what he
said he was.
When he made the deal with the high priest to betray his
teacher he assumed Jesus would be tried and jailed as a heretic. He had no idea what was really in store for
Him.
After Judas left, Jesus looked back at his disciples. The time had come, the clock had started, and
it was time to move things along.
“I’ll only be with you a little while longer,” He said. “I’ll tell you what I told the Jews. Where I’m going you cannot come. But here’s a new command for you. Love everyone just as I have loved you. This is how the whole world will know that
you are my representatives – because you love one another.”
“Where are you going?” asked Peter.
“You can’t come with me now, but you will be coming later,”
Jesus replied.
“Why can’t I come?” replied peter, emotionally. “I would die for you!”
“Really?” said Jesus.
“Peter, you will deny you even know me three times before the sun comes
up.”
Then he looked at the others still seated at the table. They were all looking at him in eager
anticipation of what he would say next.
His heart filled with compassion and warmth for his
companions.
“Don’t worry,” he said.
“Put your faith in God and also in me.
I’m going to my father’s house to prepare a place for you. Then I’ll come back for you and take you
there. You know the way.”
Thomas replied quickly, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re
going so how could we know the way?”
Jesus looked directly into Thomas’ eyes and said “I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one can
get into my father’s house unless I bring him.
If you really know me then you know my father as well. In fact, from now on you do know him and you
have seen him.”
The disciples murmured again in confusion. None of this was making any sense.
Finally, Philip spoke up.
“Lord, show us the father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus shook his head ever so slightly and smiled a small smile. He looked directly at Philip and said,
“Philip, don’t you know me even after all this time? How can you say ‘Show us the father’? Don’t you know that I am a part of the father
and the father is a part of me?
Everything I’ve been teaching you all this time is not just from
me. It’s the father living in me and
doing his work from whom you’ve been learning.
At the very least believe because of the miracles you’ve seen.”
He then looked around the room at the others who were
utterly quiet and looking at him intently.
“If you love me you will do what I’m telling you,” he
said. “and I will ask the father and he
will send you another counselor. He will
be with you forever – he is the Spirit of truth. The world will never accept him because they
cannot see him nor experience his power in their lives. But you will know him because he lives with
you and will become a part of you.
“I won’t leave you alone, I will come to you. Soon the world will see me no more, but you
will see me. Because I live, you will
live, too, when that happens you will understand. You will realize that I am a part of the
father and you are a part of me and I am a part of you. Whoever accepts my words and obeys them loves
me and whoever loves me will be loved by the father. I will love them as well and will reveal
myself to them.”
There was another Judas there who was not the one who was
going to betray him. Now he spoke up.
“But, Lord, why are you just going to show yourself to
us? Why not reveal yourself to the whole
world?”
They still couldn’t get past the notion that Jesus should
setup an earthly kingdom and rule over the entire Earth with them at his side.
“Anyone who loves me will do what I’ve instructed. Then my father will love them and we will
become a part of them. Anyone who
doesn’t love me will not do what I’ve instructed. These are not my words, they are the words of
the father.
“I’ve told you all this while I’m here with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit that my
father sends to you because I’ve asked him, will teach you all sorts of things
and will remind you of everything I’ve taught you.
“I’m not giving to you what the world gives. I am giving you peace, my peace, so don’t
worry, and don’t be afraid.
“You heard me say ‘I’m going away and am coming back to
you.’ If you knew what was going to
happen you’d be glad because the father is more powerful than I am. I’m telling you this now so that when it
happens you will believe.”
He then looked around the room. All eyes were on him. Not just the human eyes, but also those of
all the angels and demons who were gathered around this small band of mighty
warriors. The heavenly hosts were
getting restless.
“The time is getting close and the prince of this world is
coming. He has no control over me but
the world must learn that I will do what my father commands me to do. Come on now; lets go.”
