Christian Apologetics Part 2 - How do we know there is a creator?

Instinct and Direct Revelation

Psa 14:1a

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. (KJV)

Rom 1:18-20

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.   For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (NIV)

It is clear by instinct and from observation of creation that there is a God.

The eighteenth century theologian William Paley wrote a book called Natural Theology – or evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity Collected from the Appearances of Nature.  The following is an excerpt:

In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my foot against a stone, and were asked how the stone came to be there, I might possibly answer, that, for any thing I knew to the contrary, it had lain there for ever; nor would it, perhaps, be very easy to show the absurdity of this answer.

But suppose I had found a watch upon the ground, and it should be inquired how the watch happened to be in that place, I should hardly think of the answer which I had before given, that, for any thing I knew, the watch might have always been there. Yet why should not this answer serve for the watch as well as for the stone? Why is it not as admissible in the second case as in the first? For this reason, and for no other, viz., that, when we come to inspect the watch, we perceive (what we could not discover in the stone) that its several parts are framed and put together for a purpose, … This mechanism being observed, (it requires indeed an examination of the instrument, and perhaps some previous knowledge of the subject, to perceive and understand it ; but, being once, as we have said, observed and understood,) the inference, we think, is inevitable, that the watch must have had a maker: that there must have existed, at some time, and at some place or other, an artificer or artificers who formed it for the purpose which we find it actually to answer; who comprehended its construction, and designed its use.[1]

Paley expounds on Paul’s statement that it is self-evident that nature was created and that such obvious evidence mandates the existence of a creator.

For those who reject human instinct and God’s revelation, science provides convincing evidence.

The Kalam Cosmological Argument

Gen 1:1-5

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was  formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. (NIV)

A fourth century Christian philosopher named John Philoponus formulated the Kalam Cosmological Argument to refute the teachings of Aristotle that the universe and God co-exist without beginning or end, and that God did not create the universe, He simply brings order to it.

It has since been promoted by various individuals in both the Christian and Muslim world.  It is as follows:

Whatever begins to exist has a cause,

The universe began to exist,

Therefore, the universe has a cause.

It does not expound on the nature of what exists or does not exist, but its logic is strong from an age before modern science could add any teeth to it.

The first statement (Whatever begins to exist has a cause) cannot be mathematically proven as such, but has never been disproven (by exhibition of some item which began to exist without a cause) and most people accept it as a strong scientific principle.

If the universe has a cause, then that cause must exist outside of the universe.  Since the universe is the boundary of time and space, whatever caused the universe to exist must exist outside of our time and space.

The obvious question is then, if everything which began to exist has a cause, then who caused God to come into existence.  The obvious answer is, God always existed, He never began to exist, therefore, does not need a cause.

The Big Bang

The second bit of scientific evidence is a bit more controversial, but is nevertheless also widely accepted as the truth.  The conclusion is supported by Hubble’s Law, Einstein’s theory of relativity, and the calculations of other scientists including Dr. Stephen Hawking.  While this conclusion was made based on mathematical calculations, there has also been observed evidence.

In 1929, American astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that the light coming from distant galaxies was redder than it should be.

If you have ever stood by a road and listened to the sound of a car passing, you will notice a change in sound as the car passes.  This is known as the Doppler Effect and is a result of the sound moving first toward you and then away from you.  Light behaves in a similar fashion and its color will change depending on whether its source is moving toward you or away from you.

This observation led Hubble to conclude that all of the galaxies he observed were moving away from us.

Here we apply a little physics.  Newton’s second law of motion states “An object in motion will stay in motion unless it is acted upon by an outside force.  An object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force.”

Hubble (and other scientists using other tests) determined that the universe is expanding.  By reversing time like a movie running backward, the approximate time can be calculated at which the entire universe would have been encapsulated in a single, extremely dense ball of mass called a singularity.[2]  This singularity contained all of the mass which ever existed or will ever exist in the universe.[3]   

The most basic question is then, where did the matter which makes up the universe come from?  If everything which had a beginning had a cause, then what was the “causer”?  Scientist Dr. Steven Hawking makes the statement in his book The Grand Design that the universe doesn’t need a “causer”, that the universe just spontaneously came into existence with no cause.  This assumption, however, fails the reasonable test.  Unless it can be shown that something can come into existence from nothing, this hypothesis carries no weight.

Also, at the point of its origin, the singularity would have had to be stationary.  Since Newton’s second law of motion tells us that an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an outside force[4], some entity had to have existed outside of our known universe and thus outside of our space and time to place the object into motion.  Further, it had to be an entity of intelligence and great power which could cause the intense heat (billions of degrees) needed to begin the expansion known as the Big Bang.  An intelligent and powerful being which exists outside our space and time is a good definition for God.

 To overcome the need for a causer, many have postulated alternate hypotheses for the origin of the universe which include the expansion contraction hypothesis - the universe expands and contracts in perpetuity and never had a beginning, it has just been bouncing back and forth forever.  There is absolutely no scientific evidence for such a hypothesis and it cannot be tested.  It comes from the notion that there cannot be a god, thus there must be some alternate explanation for the origin of the universe, that makes this hypothesis more philosophy than science.

Some would argue that whatever caused the universe to come into existence need not be intelligent. The problem with this objection is that a creator cannot create something more complex than itself and the universe is extremely complex.  Since God was never created, there need not be anything more complex than God.

The next section talks a bit more about complexity and design.

The Anthropic Principle

There are several different definitions for the Anthropic Principle, but the essential idea is that the universe has been finely tuned for the existence of mankind.  It was first defined in the early 1960’s when cosmologists found that if certain constants in the universe were even a tiny bit different than they are, the universe would not exist.  Today, the number of finely-tuned attributes stands at thirty eight.[5]

As an example, the universe is expanding at a measurable rate.  If that rate of expansion was different by as much as one part in 10¹²⁰  the universe as we know it today would not exist.  If the rate of expansion was too slow the universe would collapse back in on itself and if it were too great, it would fly apart into nothingness.

Further, the odds that any given planet in the universe would be suitable to support life are just one in 10¹⁷³ and recent estimates are that the entire universe contains something like 10²⁴ planets.[8]

In addition to the rate of expansion of the universe, there are other aspects which must be the way they are to support life.  These include, the size and distance of the moon from the earth, the size and distance of the sun from the earth, the 23^o tilt of the earth on its axis, the location of the earth between too gaseous giants to protect it from comets, meteorites, and asteroids, the makeup of the planet’s core and additional layers, the age of the universe, and others.

According to Dr. Hugh Ross:

Today, no physicist or astronomer who has researched the question denies that the universe, the Milky Way galaxy, and the solar system possess compelling hallmarks of intentional design for human life. Many researchers have commented over the past twenty years that it seems the universe "knew" humans were coming.[7]

As we learn more about the earth, the evidence gets about a million times stronger every month that a supernatural, super intelligent creator designed the universe, the galaxy, the solar system, and our planet to make human life possible here on planet earth.[6]

Simply put, there are so many things which have to be so perfectly tuned for life to exist on this planet, the chances of them all occurring in our universe without some kind of intelligent guidance is so slim as to be impossible and, once again, defies reason.

We see, then, that the scientific evidence for a creator is strong and getting stronger by the day.  Remembering that science does not prove anything, but constantly attempts to ascertain the probability that something is true, we find that the more we learn about science the more the probability that a creator exists increases.[9]

This tells us nothing, however, about the nature of God.  We know that some entity must exist outside our known universe and thus outside our laws of nature including that of space and time.  We know that some such entity must have caused the Big Bang which brought our universe into existence, but do we know if that entity actually created life on planet earth or if that was mere chance?

For those answers we look to the world of molecular biology.  We will pick up with that in the next post.

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[1] Natural Theology: Or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity Collected from the Appearances of Nature, William Paley, 1839, pg 5.

[2] Some say the singularity would have had no mass and be infinitely dense.  Others have calculated that the singularity would be about the size of a dime.  Since the singularity cannot be observed, any such ideas are merely conjecture.

[3] Newton’s first law of thermodynamics (the law of conservation of mass and energy) tells us that in an isolated/closed system (like our universe), all of the energy exists that will ever exist.  Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. Einstein’s theory of relativity equates energy with mass.  E=mc² says that energy is mass (or weight) times the speed of light (299,792,458 meters per second), squared).  Therefore, all of the mass/energy that will ever exist in the universe currently exists.

[4] Some will argue that Newton’s second law of motion does not apply since the needed outside force would exist outside the system and thus is not bound by the physical laws of the system.  Such a statement just goes to further prove the point.  The laws inside the singularity are known.  It could not have spontaneously erupted without intervention by some intelligent and powerful force existing outside our universe.

[5] http://www.reasons.org/scientists/anthropic-principle-precise-plan-humanity

[6] From the podcast: “Science News Flash”, by Dr. Hugh Ross, 04/08/2001.  http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/c450913.r13.cf2.rackcdn.com/snf20110408hr.mp3.

[7] http://www.reasons.org/scientists/anthropic-principle-precise-plan-humanity
[8] http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2013/01/05/how-many-planets-are-in-the-universe/ 
[9] For a much more in depth study on this subject I highly recommend Dr. Hugh Ross' book "More Than a Theory".  It is a relatively short read and summarizes a multi-disciplined creation model including evidence from such sciences as astronomy, physics, genealogy, microbiology, and many others.  Another excellent resource supporting this information is Lee Strobel's "The Case for a Creator".

Christian Apologetics Part 1 - Introduction

Introduction

1 Peter 3:15b,16

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (NIV)

Today's blog is the first in a 9 part series on Christian Apologetics.  There are many, many resources and more books than you can count on this subject and it seems everyone has their own approach.  My approach here is to take the most common objections that I have heard and answer them as best as I can.  These span scientific, logical, and philosophical issues with sidebars thrown in as appropriate

There are five main questions which will be addressed (some broken down into sub-questions).

1. How can we know there is a creator and that he interacts with his creation?
2. How can we know that the Bible is accurate and true?
3. How do we know that Jesus is the Messiah?
4. Why would a good God let bad things happen to good people?
5. What must I do to be saved?

 I draw heavily from other sources and where I have done so, I provide a reference where you can find the information for yourself.

I begin today with a discussion of the basic philosophy behind my approach when answering, as Peter directs, "everyone who asks [me] to give the reason for the hope that [I] have."

Christianity is logical and reasonable

Salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).  The purpose of apologetics is to remove the obstacles to that faith being careful not to create more obstacles in the process.  Once a person takes that step of faith, the “scales will fall off” and they will understand the peace that passes understanding which is unfathomable to anyone who has not experienced it.

Simply quoting scripture to a person who does not believe the Bible is true could have less than the desired effect.  Giving evidence based on sound Biblical doctrine using logic and reasoning, however, is powerful and effective since Christianity is both logical and reasonable.

The Christian should also be prepared to stand up for his faith when untruths are being used to lead others astray and should be prepared to give his own testimony when asked.  A Christian’s testimony can be very powerful and cannot be refuted.

Faith which cannot stand up to scrutiny is sure to collapse under a strong wind

The basic tenets of the Christian faith cannot be refuted and are not subject to question.  The most basic tenets of Christianity are the following:  Everyone is a sinner in need of salvation.  Jesus is God and has the authority to save us from our sins.  All that is required for salvation is the admission of the need for salvation (I am a sinner in need of a savior) the belief that Jesus is who he says he is (Jesus is that savior), and the acceptance of Him as personal Lord and Savior (come into my life and save me from my sin).  Everything else is just doctrine.  In these matters of doctrine we should not hold so tightly to a particular position that it is not subject to reason or an alternate explanation.  An open mind can lead to greater wisdom.

By subjecting your faith to scrutiny regularly your faith will be able to endure when the gale force winds blow.  It is doubtful that any denomination has all the answers and strict dogma can be off-putting to a seeker who finds certain positions to be illogical or unreasonable.

If your belief is truth then it should be able to withstand any challenge and so such challenges should not be avoided nor discouraged, but rather sought out and encouraged.

Discourse with the unbeliever should be dispassionate

Some “anti-Christians” will spew forth blasphemy to get you upset and even potentially irrational.  If this is allowed they win without ever having to support their position and witnesses to the scene could be negatively impacted as well.

Never participate in ad hominem attacks.  Use your dispassionate response as an asset to lend credibility to your message.  Additionally, you should never raise your voice and be accused of yelling at someone even if this was not the intent.  It is very easy to get upset during an intense debate and the Christian should enter such debates intentionally not allowing the discourse to be reduced to such lack of civility.

A seeker (who may be a family member or friend) who has legitimate objections will be reticent to dialogue openly with you if they believe you will get upset or dismiss their objections out of hand.  Objections should be stated openly and then openly addressed in a respectful manner.

Answer all objections and ensure all of your points are acknowledged and responded to, otherwise, little headway can be made.  If an objection cannot be answered immediately, research an appropriate answer and reply at a later time.

Do no put words into your another person’s mouth.  It is okay to restate the question or objection to ensure you properly understand the point, but to restate with exaggeration or intentionally misstate the point loses credibility and hinders progress.

You cannot argue someone into heaven.  If the discussion is going nowhere it may be appropriate to politely end the discussion and save the relationship.  The conversation can always be picked up at a later time and you may have had more of an impact than you realize.  Ego (or some other factor) may be preventing immediate acceptance and your attitude may have a bigger impact than anything you say.

The Scientific Method

One of the greatest fallacies of the non-believing world is that Science and Christianity conflict.  This could not be farther from the truth (see http://www.reasons.org for ample evidence to the contrary).  A person who states, "I believe in science and science cannot prove God exists, so I don't believe in God" simply doesn't understand the scientific method.

It is not the objective of science to prove anything.  Any scientific understanding is only as good as its latest test.  The scientific method is based on 1 Thessalonians 5:21: “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;” (NIV) and is designed to show ever increasing probabilities that something is true.  The more tests validate the stated hypothesis the more likely it is to be true, but it only takes one test to invalidate it and no scientific theory is so strong as to be unfalsifiable.

Certain terms are used in a specific way in science and mean very specific things as opposed to the same terms when used in everyday language.  It is important to define what a scientist means when he uses the terms hypothesis, theory, and law.

The term “hypothesis” is essentially an educated guess.  A scientist will formulate a hypothesis based on some observation, logic, calculation, or other reasoning.  Once a hypothesis is formulated, the scientist will make predictions of what should be found when the hypothesis is tested.  Tests are then carried out and if the tests do not support the hypothesis, it is reformulated and retested.  This process will continue until the hypothesis cannot be disproven despite rigorous testing.  Importantly, the objective of the tests is not to prove the hypothesis is true, but to disprove it.

When the hypothesis is sufficiently tested (and not disproven) that it becomes generally accepted as true, it becomes a “theory”.  Theories will continue to be tested and are only as valid as the latest test.  Even the most accepted of theories can be disproven by a single test.  An example of a theory is the Big Bang Theory.

A theory will typically explain not only what, but also why.  A “law” on the other hand, is something which is observed to be true, but has no explanation as to why.  The difference in a theory and a law is whether or not the why is explained.  An example of a law is the Law of Gravity.  It is generally accepted as valid and true, but nobody knows what causes it.

Another principle of the scientific method is, when seeking an understanding of nature one should proceed without preconceived notions.  A scientist should seek the truth regardless of where that truth takes him.  Eliminating any possibility (such as the existence of God) invalidates the test.

Finally, a critical part of science is proper interpretation of the data.  In many cases, the exact same data can be interpreted in more than one way.

As an example, evolutionists believe that since most creatures have eyes, the logical deduction is that they all evolved from the first creature who ever acquired eyes (through the evolutionary process).  The similarity of all of these eyes in these various species shows obvious evidence (to them) that all creatures with eyes evolved from a single species, or that similar environmental conditions for multiple species resulted in the same evolutionary process in these species.

Christians, on the other hand, believe that God created a good design for an eye and reused that design in every creature he created which would benefit from eyes.

For the die-hard atheist and evolutionist, there is no argument which will convince him that a creator exists because they can always interpret the data in a way which supports their point of view.  Even the more ardent objectors, though, must admit that since the existence of God cannot be disproven, there is always the possibility that He exists.  If there is a possibility that God exists then the possibility that God is the "why" also exists.

An atheist once said to me, "You can never prove that God exists."  I responded, "If you see Jesus coming on the clouds as He says he will in Mark 13:26 will you believe that God exists?"  He said, "If I see Him coming in the clouds I will believe he exists."  That's a good start.

It is very important to understand that, whereas you may find it necessary to defend your faith against these individuals, it is unlikely that any evidence you provide will change their mind.  It isn’t our mandate to change their mind, only to speak the truth in love and let God do the rest.  For those who are truly seeking, however, and see these issues as obstacles to faith, the principles outlined in this study can be quite helpful.

Since the scientific method is a Biblical principle, the method works well for Bible Study also (that was it’s original intent).  A person can formulate a hypothesis based on what he has been taught or what he finds logical and then search for verses which invalidate the hypothesis.  If contradictions are found, the hypothesis is reformulated based on the new information and then retested until all questions are answered to the individual’s satisfaction.  This is contrary to the popular method of formulating an opinion base on what we want to believe is true and then trying to find support for that opinion in the Bible (often ignoring the verses which contradict it).

The process may occur over long periods of time (perhaps over a lifetime) as the Bible student seeks knowledge and understanding of the many and various aspects of Biblical truth.

God and Science

God has revealed Himself to us in two ways (two books), Special Revelation (The Book of the Bible), and General Revelation (The Book of Nature).

In the Bible, God reveals Himself to us directly.  He tells us “I am a jealous God (Exodus 20:5)”.

The Bible also tells us that God reveals Himself to us through Nature.  Romans 1:19,20 tells us, “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (NIV)”

God is a God of truth and cannot contradict himself.  Science is the study of nature, so if God is the author of the Bible and nature, then the Bible and science must agree.  If they do not, then either the Bible or nature is being interpreted incorrectly.  Notice I didn't say either the Bible or science is wrong, just that they are being interpreted incorrectly.

As an example of an incorrect interpretation of the Bible, it was widely believed in the 14^th century and earlier that the earth was flat.  This was due, at least to some degree, to verses in the Bible referencing the “four corners of the earth.”[1]  Those who believed the earth to be round were accused of heresy.  It is well understood today, however, that the earth is spherical and that such Biblical references are metaphorical.  In this case, our understanding of the Bible was improved by our understanding of nature.

On the other hand, it was widely believed by science as recently as a century ago that the universe had always existed despite the Biblical account of creation.  This was later disproven when it was discovered that the universe is expanding at a measurable rate.  By reversing time, one will come to a point when the universe began.  As science discovers more and more about our world we find that it makes the biblical account of history stronger and stronger.

According to astronomer Hugh Ross, “As we learn more about the earth, the evidence gets about a million times stronger every month that a supernatural, super intelligent creator designed the universe, the galaxy, the solar system, and our planet, to make human life possible here on planet earth.”[2]

It is most important to note that since God is omnipotent and created nature, He can operate supernaturally.  It is reasonable to assume, however that He will operate within the bounds of nature and using the laws that He created unless it suits his pleasure to do otherwise.  God’s ability to perform miracles and subvert the laws of nature that He created is His way of proving to His creation that He is God.

In this study we will show how science supports the biblical worldview and the biblical story.  We will also investigate some philosophical questions and end with the greatest question of them all: What must I do to be saved?

Hopefully this study will provide the information necessary to speak confidently with non-Christians about your faith and will help strengthen your faith as well.

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[1] Revelation 7:1;20;8, Isaiah 11:12, et al

[2] “Testing Anthropic Selection: A climate change example” 04/06/2011.  http://www.reasons.org.

God's Will

What is meant by “God’s will”?

First, we must understand that there are different levels of God's will.  I have broken it down into three catagories: God's intentional will, his ultimate will, and his circumstantial will.

•  God’s Intentional Will - There are some things that are God's will for every person.  I have called this God's intentional will, meaning, this is what God commands every person to do, or what he intends for them to do.  For example, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). 
• God’s Ultimate Will – God’s ultimate plan for the world cannot be thwarted by Satan’s evil schemes and will come to fruition no matter what any of us does.  God's ultimate will is revealed to us through the Bible.
•  God’s Circumstantial Will – This is God’s will for specific situations in our life.  God interacts with his creation constantly and he wants us to pray to him and seek guidance for the decisions we make in our daily lives (In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.  Prov. 3:6).

Since we have no control over God's intentional and ultimate will, the real question is, How can we know God's will in the daily circumstances of our lives?  That is the question this blog post will attempt to answer.

How can we determine God’s circumstantial will for our lives? 

 Those who live according to God’s will for all Christians can discern his will for themselves as individuals.

The author of Romans spells it out for us clearly.

 Romans 8:5: Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

Romans 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. (emphasis mine)

Seems simple enough.  But how do you renew your mind?

When you are living according to God’s will for all Christians, your desires will be given to you by God.

When you ask God what His will is in a particular situation, He will put in you the desire to do that which is His will.

 Romans 8:26-27: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

Psalm 37:4: Delight[1] yourself in the LORD and he will give[2] you the desires of your heart.

This does not mean that God will give you whatever you ask for as some prosperity gospel evangelists have claimed, the word give here is best interpreted as "deliver up", or "direct".  What it means is, the Lord will place in you the desire to do that which is His will.  For a clearer picture look at the complete thought rather than just one verse:

Psa 37:4-6 Delight yourself in the LORD;
     And He will give you the desires of your heart.
 Commit your way to the LORD,
     Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
     And your judgment as the noonday.

When taken in the proper context, this passage is putting the onus where it belongs for making decisions according to God's will.  God does not expect us to always make the right decisions on our own, he expects us to "delight" in him and when we do that, he will give us clarity of judgement such that our righteousness comes forth.

So far so good, but then, what does it mean to “Delight yourself in the Lord”?

According to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, that word Delight[1] literally means to be "soft or pliable" or "have delight in".  That means to seek His will and be open to it whatever it is.

That's easy for David to say, right?  How do we get to the point that we are soft and pliable to his will?  How can we get to that place where we can feel confidence that what we desire in our hearts is actually God's will and not our own selfish desires?

That entails a process whereby we grow closer and closer to God.  The closer we are to Him the more easily we can discern that "still small voice".

I suggest the way to start is to ensure we are compliant with his will for all people.

There are certain things which are God’s will for all Christians.

God has laid out in His word a set of principles that we should live by.  These principles are God's intentional will, these are the guidelines by which he intends for us to live our lives.  The New Testament, especially the epistles, is filled with guidance on how the Christian should live his life.  The good news is, we don't have to do it all on our own.

As Christians we have "Christ living in us (Galatians 2:20)".  In Acts 2:38,29, Peter tells us that the gift of the Holy Spirit is "for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call."  It is through the Holy Spirit that we as humans can have any victory over sin.

So what are those guidelines that are God's will for all people?  There are a few that I think are most important.  I think if we can start with these, then the rest will follow naturally.

That we be Saved

 John 6:40: For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

 Galatians 1:3-4: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

 2 Peter 3:8-9: But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:  With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.                                                                                                                                                                 

That we be baptized

 Matthew 3:13-15: Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"  Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

 Acts 2:38: Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

That we love God and each other

Matthew 22:36-39:  'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?'  Jesus replied: '`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.'

 Galatians 5:14:  The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

 1 Peter 4:8:  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

That we forgive each other

 Matthew 6:12:  Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

 2 Corinthians 2:5-11:  If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent--not to put it too severely.   The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him.   Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.   I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.   The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.   If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

That we use our Spiritual Gifts

1 Peter 4:10: Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

 1 Corinthians 14:26: What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

That we tithe (give back to God some of what he has given us)

Matthew 23:23: Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharises, you hypocrites!  You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin.  But you have neglected the more important matters of the Law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.  You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

1 Corinthians 16:1-4:  Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.  On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

How much should we tithe?

a)     Hebrews 7:2: This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means 'king of righteousness'; then also, 'king of Salem' means 'king of peace.'

b)     Hebrews 7:5:  Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people--that is, their brothers--even though their brothers are descended from Abraham.

c)      2 Corinthians 9:7:  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

This last one is important.  Whereas, the Hebrews under the law were required to give a tenth of everything to the Levites (the priestly tribe who got no inheritance in the promised land, but rather tended to the affairs of God and the temple), under the new covenant, tithing is a matter of obedience and not law.

 This is a weighty subject in its own right, but for our purposes here, I think it is important to note that Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians does not mandate a tenth.  He instead says that whereas each person should give, they should give only what he can give "not reluctantly or under compulsion".

That we be sanctified (holy)

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5:  It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;

How do we make ourselves holy?  Here are a few ideas:  Galatians 5:19-26;Ephesians 4:25-6:18;Colossians 2:6-17;Colossians 3:1-17;2 Timothy 1:8-9;Titus 2:1-12;Titus 3:1-2;Hebrews 13:1-17;The book of James;The book of 1 Peter;

That we endure through the suffering which entered the world as a result of original sin and man’s free will

 Acts 14:21-22:  They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said.

2 Timothy 3:12:  In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Philippians 1:29:  For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,

1Pe 1:6,7: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

 1 peter 4:12-19;Hebrews 12:7-11;James1:2-4;James 1:12;1 Peter 2:21;1 Peter 5:10

 Job 13:12-16: Keep silent and let me speak;  then let come to me what may.  Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands?  Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.  Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him!

God’s Circumstantial Will Can Change (Prayer and our actions can affect God’s circumstantial will)

Jeremiah 18:5: Then the word of the LORD came to me: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. 7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.

Jonah 3:10:  When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

James 5:16: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (emphasis mine)

God’s Will Never Contradicts His Word

1Thessalonians 5:19-22:  Do not put out the spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt.  Test everything.  Hold on to the good.  Avoid every kind of evil.

1 Corinthians 14:29: Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.

1 John 4:1(-6):  Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Isaiah 8:19-20: When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God?  Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?  To the law and to the testimony!  If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. (emphasis mine)

Acts 17:11: Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Conclusion

Discerning God's circumstantial will for our lives also takes practice - the more you listen the easier it is to hear.  Spending time in His word and in prayer brings us closer to Him and the closer we are to Him the more confident we can be that that choices we make are in compliance with His will.

We should also remember that our timing and God's timing are not always the same.  There are times where I have prayed for guidance when the peace that comes with God's answer is almost immediate.  In other circumstances, I have prayed earnestly many times throughout the day, every day for weeks before experiencing that "peace that passes understanding" that is associated with being in God's will.

In my experience, God invariably waits to answer when He has something bigger He wants us to see or to teach us.  The time spent waiting can be agonizing, but I believe if it were not for our own good He would not make us wait.  In these times we can show our spiritual maturity by waiting on the Lord, diligently expecting that the answer will come.

Our model in these times is the Prophet Daniel who in Daniel 10 prayed and fasted for three weeks waiting for an answer from God, never giving up and always confident that God would answer his prayer.

Dan 10:12  Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.  The Lord be with you all! (2Th 3:16)

---

[1] Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: H6026

ענג

‛ânag

aw-nag'

A primitive root; to be soft or pliable, that is, (figuratively) effeminate or luxurious: - delicate (-ness), (have) delight (self), sport self.

[2] Strong’s: H5414

נתן

nâthan

naw-than'

A primitive root; to give, used with great latitude of application (put, make, etc.): - add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, X avenge, X be ([healed]), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit consider, count, + cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute do, X doubtless, X without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up). + sing, + slander, strike, [sub-] mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, + weep, X willingly, + withdraw, + would (to) God, yield.
 

Easter

Around midnight Friday Morning

After dinner, Jesus led his disciples (other than Judas who had left earlier from dinner in the upper room) to an olive garden on the other side of the Kidron Valley named Gethsemane.[1]  Jesus took his inner circle of disciples, Peter, James, and John, and went off to another spot to pray.

His demeanor had changed significantly after dinner.  A sense of sorrow and dread came over him.  He told Peter, James, and John of his worries and told them to stay and keep watch while he went further still and began to pray.

He pleaded with his Father to remove this burden (the impending crucifixion and death) from him, but always remained faithful and obedient to his Heavenly Father.  He returned to find his disciples asleep.  After rebuking them and telling them to pray that they would be strong and not fall into temptation he went away again to pray asking again that this burden be taken away from him.

When he returned, he found them asleep again.  This time he left them there and went away to pray a third time and asked the same thing.

When he returned the third time he woke his friends and seeing a hoard of people coming toward them he told them to get up, he was about to be betrayed.

1am Friday morning

While he was still talking to them, Judas arrived with some of the temple guard sent by the Great Sanhedrin[2].  They were carrying clubs and swords, torches and lanterns.

“Who is it you want?” Jesus asked.

“Jesus of Nazareth”, they replied.

“I am He”, said Jesus.

At this, the crowd moved backward and fell to the ground in fear.

When he saw this, He asked them again who they wanted and they replied the same way.

Jesus told them the He was the one they were looking for and they should let his disciples go.

Just then Judas walked up to him to kiss him on the cheek.  Jesus asked him “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”  Judas replied, “Rabbi,” and kissed him on the cheek.

 

Judas had pre-arranged with the temple guard that the one he kissed would be Jesus and that He is the one they should arrest.

 

The disciples started asking if they should use the swords Jesus had commanded them to bring[3] to defend themselves. Peter jumped up, drew his sword and took a swing at the servant of the high priest, Malchus.  Malchus tried to avoid the blow, but Peter’s sword made contact with the side of Malchus’ face cutting off his right ear.

“Stop this!  Put your sword away!” command Jesus to Peter.  “Shall I not drink the cup my Father has given me?”  Jesus knew His destiny was to die for the sins of the world and He was prepared to fulfill his duty no matter how difficult it was for him to bear.

 

Jesus walked up to the bleeding Malchus who's ear was barely still attached to the side of his face.  He looked in Malchus face, reached up and touched his ear and it was healed.

 

Then He turned to the the hoard who had come to arrest Him and said, “Am I leading a rebellion that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?” Jesus asked.  I have been teaching in the temples and courts and you never tried to arrest me then.”

Jesus knew what they were going to accuse him of and he knew that in order for him to be arrested they must have the eye witness testimony of two or more witnesses.  He had been teaching in the temples and temple courts for years and nobody had attempted to arrest him before.  He was already beginning to show how he was blameless and being illegally tried and convicted having committed no crime.  The crowd knew exactly what he was saying but they didn't budge.

“This is your hour,” Jesus said, “when darkness reigns.  Do what you came to do.”

Upon hearing his surrender to the temple guard, His disciples deserted him.  John Mark, who was standing by and watching, was seized by a guard and he slipped out of his garment and fled naked to avoid being caught.[4]

Around 4am Friday morning

After leaving the garden they took Jesus to the house of Annas who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the High Priest.  Annas had been the high priest, but the Romans had fired him.  Annas had installed each of his sons in turn as high priests until they all got fired as well and he then appointed his son-in-law, Caiaphas.  But Annas was really the man in power and it was to his house they took Jesus first.

Interestingly, Caiaphas had earlier prophesied that Jesus would die to bring the Jewish nation together.  He just had no idea the significance of that prophecy.[5]

The entire Sanhedrin assembled in the courtyard of the large house.  John and Peter had followed the hoard to Annas’ house and because John was known to Annas, he was allowed to enter the courtyard.  When John saw that Peter was not allowed in, he spoke with the girl who was minding the gate and vouched for him and he was allowed to enter.

As he entered, the girl asked “You’re not one of his disciples are you?”

“I am not,” peter replied.

She allowed him to pass and he made his way to a fire that the servants, officials, and temple guards had made to keep warm.

Meanwhile, Annas and the entire Sanhedrin were trying to find a reason to have Jesus killed.  There were laws regarding capital crimes and punishment and Jesus was well aware of them.  Jewish law specified that a trial can only be held in public and in the light of day.  An accused man had a right to face his accuser and hear the charges against him and to have someone represent his interests and offer a defense. 

Interestingly, Jewish law also specified that if anyone brought false witness against someone, they were subject to the penalty that would have been imposed on the accused if he was convicted.  Evidently, the law was not of paramount importance at the moment.

Annas began to question him about his disciples and his teaching.

“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus said.  “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple where all the Jews come together.  I said nothing in secret.  Why question me?  Ask those who heard me.  Surely they know what I said,” and he pointed at the crowd.

By law, Jesus was not required to testify against himself and those making the charges against him had to provide two witnesses to the same illegal act and both of those testifying had to agree on all aspects of what had taken place.[6]  Jesus was heaping shame on the High priest pointing out the illegalities of everything that was currently taking place.

After Jesus had replied to Annas one of the officials nearby hit him in the face!  “Is that how you answer the high priest?” He demanded.

“If I said something incorrect, tell me what I said that was wrong.  But if I spoke the truth, why did you hit me?”

Another aspect of Jewish law specified that a person was innocent until proven guilty and that until he was proven guilty it was the obligation of the guard to protect him.  They were not allowed to abuse him in any way until he was convicted and then the only punishment was for that of the crime that was committed.

Unable to find any way to put him to death Annas had him taken over to Caiaphas, who was nearby.

At that time, many in the crowd began to speak out against him.  One person testified that he had said “I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.”  But even then those testifying couldn’t agree.

Then Caiaphas stood up and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer?  What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 

Jesus stood silently offering up no defense.

Then Caiaphas asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”  He was asking if Jesus claimed to be the son of God and thus God himself.  The name of God was too sacred to be uttered by man, so Caiaphas used the term Blessed One to refer to God.

“I am,” Jesus said, “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

The crowd gasped and Caiaphas tore his clothes in lament!

Turning to the people in the crowd, many of whom were the members of the Great Sanhedrin, he asked, “Why do we need any more witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy.  What do you think?”

The problem was, in Jewish law a man’s testimony even against himself was not suitable to convict him.  They were still required to produce two witnesses who would testify against him in a formal trial.  They also didn’t consider that it isn’t blasphemy to claim to be God if you actually are!

They all condemned him, though, and some began to spit on him;  they blindfolded him and hit him with their fists and taunted him shouting “Prophecy!”  Then the guards, who by law were required to protect him, took him and beat him.

Back in the courtyard, Peter was still standing around the fire.  The girl tending the gate was still nearby and some of the others there started to recognize him as well.  The girl looked more closely at him and said “You were with that Nazerene Jesus.”  But Peter denied it.

“Didn’t I see you at the olive grove?” another asked.

Someone else said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.”  Peter had the accent of a Galilean.

Starting to get scared, Peter called down curses on himself and swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Just then the rooster began to crow, Peter remembered what Jesus had told him back in the upper room about how he would betray him and he went outside the gate and wept bitterly.

Just then, very early in the morning, the Sanhedrin reached a decision.  The bound Jesus up tightly and led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

The plight of Judas

When Judas saw that they had condemned him to death, he was wracked with guilt and remorse.  He went to the chief priests at the temple and tried to give the money back, but they wouldn’t take it.

“I have betrayed an innocent man!” he exclaimed.

Rather than denying it, they said “What’s that to us?  That’s your responsibility, not ours.”

Judas threw the money into the temple and left.  He went and found a tree overhanging a cliff and hung himself.  The weight of his lifeless body eventually broke the branch from which he was hanging and he fell to the ground far below, his body breaking apart on impact.

Back at the temple, the chief priests then picked up the 30 pieces of silver.  Because they could not put blood money back into the temple treasury, they used it to purchase a plot of land on which foreigners could be buried.  It was named the Potter’s Field.

Around  6am Friday morning

Pilate would normally sit on a judgment seat placed on a stone platform and hear disputes from the people.  The entire Sanhedrin and the temple guard (perhaps more than a hundred men) brought Jesus in front of Pilate at his palace early in the morning.  They shoved him to the front of the crowd still bound and having been beaten by the temple guard.

“What charges are you bringing against this man?” asked the Roman Governor.

Knowing their case was tenuous at best, they answered, “If he were not a criminal we would not have handed him over to you.”

Pilate was not amused.  “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

The Romans kept the peace in outlying provinces by allowing the cultures under their reign to govern most of their own affairs.  The Jews had the authority to judge and punish their own up to a point.  They were forbidden, however, to carry out capital punishment.

“But we have no right to execute anyone!” they objected.  The members of the Sanhedrin began shouting accusations against him.  “We have found this man subverting our nation,” they said.  He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.”

Now they had Pilate’s attention.  Claiming to be king of Rome was treason and a capital offense.  There had to be more to the story.  Pilate walked back into his palace and summoned Jesus to follow him.

“Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked.

“Is that your own idea or did others talk to you about me?” Jesus replied.

“Am I a Jew?” he said, testily.  “Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me.  What have you done?”

“My kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus replied.  “If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews.  But now my kingdom is from another place.”

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate, thinking he was getting somewhere. 

“You are right in saying I am a king.”  Jesus said.  “In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Pilate grunted, “What is truth?”

He went back outside and motioned for Jesus to follow.  He stood in the courtyard with Jesus behind him and the Jewish hoard in front.

“I find no basis for a charge against him,” He pronounced.

But they insisted.  “He stirs up people all over Judea by his teaching.  He started in Galilee and has come all the way here!”

“Is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked.

They confirmed that he was and Pilate got a flicker of hope in his eyes.  Years before, some of Pilate’s soldiers had killed some of Herod’s subjects on the temple grounds, not knowing who they were.  Pilate now saw an opportunity to mend some political fences.  He and Herod had not spoken since the incident and if Jesus was a Galilean then he was one of Herod’s subjects.  He could kill two birds with one stone here.  He could get out of this current situation, which was getting more troublesome by the moment, and he could garner some good will with Herod.  He knew Herod had wanted to meet Jesus for a long time.  As luck would have it, Herod was currently visiting Jerusalem and was just down the street at that very moment.

“Take him to Herod,” he commanded.

Still bound, the temple guard dragged Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem to the place where Herod was staying.  When they arrived they told Herod’s men that Pilate had sent them and that they had Jesus with them.

Herod came out a short time later and was very pleased.  He had heard that Jesus could perform magic tricks and he wanted to see some.  He started asking Jesus questions, but Jesus remained silent, all the while, the members of the Sanhedrin were violently shouting accusations about him.

Disappointed with the lack of amusement he got from Jesus, he decided to create some of his own.  Together with his soldiers they ridiculed him, mocked him, and dressed him in an elegant purple robe as a mock king.

When they had become bored with their sport, they sent him back to Pilate.  Herod was pleased by the turn of events and from then on, he and Pilate were friends.

When Pilate saw that Herod had sent him back, he called the chief priests and the rest of the Sanhedrin together.

Trying to find a way out of his predicament he said, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion.  I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.  Neither has Herod, because he sent him back here to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.

“It is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of Passover.  Do you want me to release the king of the Jews or Barabbas?”

Barabbas had been thrown in to prison for insurrection and murder.  The Jews were accusing Jesus of insurrection, but Barabbas was the real thing.  Having also been convicted of murder, Pilate had hoped the people would not want him releasing a murderer back into the population.

Just then, while Pilate was sitting there making his offer, one of his officials arrived with a message from his wife: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

While Pilate was distracted, the chief priests had talked to the temple guard and others gathered with them there and convinced them to ask for Barabbas instead of Jesus.

“Away with this man!” they yelled, “Give us Barabbas!”

Pilate continued to try to reason with them but the chief priests had whipped the crowd into a frenzy. 

“What should I do with Jesus, then?” he asked.

“Crucify him! Crucify him!’ they chanted.

“What crime has this man committed?” he asked.  “I have found no grounds for the death penalty.”

Hoping to appease their blood lust he said, “I’ll have him punished and then released!”

But the shouts got louder and louder and it was beginning to look as if a riot would ensue.

Pilate then ordered that Jesus be scourged before being released to the Jews.  Perhaps he thought that if they saw him punished, they would stop trying to have him killed.

Around 10am Friday morning

Roman scourging was called the “halfway death” because it was supposed to stop this side of death.  It was not administered in addition to another punishment.  The two “thieves’ who would die on this day were not scourged.  And the Jewish law – Mithah Arikhta – forbade any manner of prolonged death for condemned criminals, and exempted any who were to die from the shame of being scourged…

The scourging of Rome … was administered by a trained man, called a lector – there were none in Palestine – and he used a short circular piece of wood, to which were attached several strips of leather.  At the end of each strip, he sewed a chunk of bone or a small piece of iron chain.  This instrument was called a flagellum.  There was no set number of stripes to be administered, and the law said nothing about the parts of the body to be assailed.

Jesus was standing, bent over a short column and tied to it securely…

The soldier who performed the flagellation for the Jerusalem garrison… moved to a position about six feet behind Jesus, and spread his legs.  The flagellum was brought all the way back and whistled forward and made a dull drum sound as the strips of leather smashed against the back of the rib cage.  The bits of bone and chain curled around the right side of the body and raised small subcutaneous hemorrhages on the chest…

The flagellum came back again, aimed slightly lower, and it crashed against the skin and flesh…. The flagellum now moved in slow heavy rhythm.

The Tribune was also watching…  It was his responsibility to stop the “discipline” when he thought that the guilty one might not be revived. He ordered the executioner to stop.

The scourging had not taken more than about three minutes.  It was now over, and the Tribune sent two men for cloths and cold water.[7]

The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head.  They put the purple robe Herod had adorned him with back on his shredded back and shouted “Hail, king of the Jews!” and struck him in the face.

When this was done, Pilate came back out and said, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”

Jesus followed Pilate out, still wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, He was barely able to walk.

Not moved at all by the pitiful shape Jesus was in, the chief priests and the rest of the Sanhedrin started their chant back up again: “Crucify him, Crucify him!”

“You take him and crucify him.”  Pilate answered, “I find no basis for a charge against him.”

Knowing they could not legally carry out a death penalty, the chief priest insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

When Pilate heard this he was even more afraid.  The Romans had many gods and it was not a good idea to get on the bad side of one of them.  He went back inside and had Jesus brought in with him.

“Where do you come from?” he asked.

When Jesus didn’t answer he yelled, “Do you refuse to speak to me?  Don’t you know I have the power either to free you or to crucify you?”

“You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above,” he said.  “Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

Pilate went back out to face the Jews, trying again to get them to relent.

“If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar,” they said.  “Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

They were trying to scare Pilate into crucifying him.  If Pilate allowed someone to live who claimed to be king he would be subject to the punishment for treason himself.

When he heard this, he sat back down on the judgment seat.

“Here is your king,” he said.

“Crucify him, Crucify him!” they chanted.

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

This was obvious:  God’s perfect design was for the Jews to have God as their king.[8]  The Jews believed the Messiah was to be their earthly king, but God sent his only son to be their spiritual king.  Their rejection of him was not new, the Jews had been rejecting God as their king for more than 500 years.

Finally, Pilate gave up.

Jewish law prescribed a very specific ritual for when a man was found slain and the perpetrator was not known.

They were to take a heifer from the nearest town, one that had never worked or been yoked, and sacrifice it.  The elders from the town would wash their hands over the heifer and declare: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done.  Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O Lord, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man.”  In this way the bloodshed would be atoned for.[9]

Knowing of this ritual, Pilate walked over to a basin of water and washed his hands.  “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said.  “It is your responsibility.”

The reply from the elders here, though, was different than that prescribed by Jewish law in the case of the unknown murderer.  Instead the replied, “Let his blood be on us and on our children,” they said.

Around 11am on Friday

Pilate’s soldiers then took charge of Jesus.  They brought out the crossbeam from a cross and made Jesus pick it up and carry it.  Just as his ancestor Isaac had carried to this very spot the wood on which he would be sacrificed by his father Abram, Jesus now carried the wood on which he would be sacrificed, as was the will of His father. 

Severely weakened from the beating he had taken, Jesus was barely able to stagger down Via Dolorosa.  Becoming impatient with his progress, the Roman soldiers conscripted the help of a passer by named Simon of Cyrene.  They put the cross on Simon's shoulders and made him carry it instead.

By this time, all of Jerusalem had heard what was going on and had come out to watch.  Jesus was followed by a large crowd including women who mourned and wailed for him.

Jesus turned to them and quoted to them from the prophet Hosea: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.  For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’  Then “’they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”  and to the hills, “Cover us!”’[10]  For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry.”

Two other men, both criminals, were also brought out to be executed along with him.  Together they climbed the hill called Golgatha, The Skull.  Jesus hands were tied to the crossbeam Simon had carried and nails were driven through his hands and into the wood.  They then placed the crossbeam over another slotted beam to form the shape of a “T”.  They pulled his feet to either side of what was to be the upright beam and hammered nails through his heels into the wood to hold him there securely.

The Roman custom was to put a sign above the person being crucified which explained the crime for which this person was being executed.  This was expected to be a deterrent to those who would commit the same crime.

Pilate had written the sign above Jesus’ head himself and it read: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”  After all, that was the crime for which he was being executed.  He wrote it in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek ensuring everyone who passed by the place could read it.

When the Jews read the sign they protested and asked Pilate to change it to say he “claimed” to be the king of the Jews.  Disgusted, Pilate said “What I have written, I have written.”

 

Once he was secured to the cross, one soldier walked to either side of the crossbeam and lifted the cross until the bottom of the vertical beam dropped into a hole causing Jesus extreme agony.

He looked up into the sky and said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

 

The clothes Jesus wore were no longer of use to him.  The Roman custom was to humiliate the criminals as much as possible; they were crucified naked.

The soldiers divided his garments amongst themselves.  There were four soldiers and five garments, Jesus undergarment was woven in one piece from top to bottom.

“Let’s not tear it,” they said.  “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

Near the cross, stood Jesus' mother, his mother’s sister, Mary, and Mary Magdalene.  Also nearby was John who claimed to be Jesus' best friend.

He looked down on them and said “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to John he said, “Here is your mother.”

As Jesus and the two other criminals hung there dying, the chief priests sneered at him.  They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”

The soldiers mocked him.  They offered him wine vinegar to ease the pain and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

One of the criminals who hung beside him joined in on the insults: “Aren’t you the Christ?  Save yourself and us!”

The other criminal on his other side, though, chastised the first.  “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, and we are getting what our deeds deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Filled with compassion, Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Noon on Friday

At noon, the entire region turned to darkness which lasted for three hours.  At 3pm Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Some of those watching thought he was calling out to Elijah.  The word for “My God” in Aramaic is “Eloi” which sound like Eli.

Immediately, someone went and got some wine vinegar and put it on a stick and offered it to him.

Then the others said, “Now leave him alone.  Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him”

In reality, Jesus wasn’t crying out to Elijah, and he wasn’t lamenting that God had “turned his face away.”   He was quoting his ancestor David who had prophesied about this moment some 500 years before.

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?”

The psalm goes on to say “Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust you even at my mother’s breast.  From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.”

A bit later the psalmist says, “Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.”

Then the psalmist gets to the real message Jesus was trying to convey, the real truth of the prophecy.

“You who fear the Lord, praise him!  All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!  Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!  For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

“From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.

“The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the Lord will praise him – may your hearts live forever!

“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.

“All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him – those who cannot keep themselves alive.

“Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.

“They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn – for he has done it.”

Jesus’ exclamation from the cross was a shout of victory: “He has done it!”  He has achieved the greatest gift of love ever bestowed up on the world, the gift of salvation, just as he promised!

Then he said “I am thirsty.”

They soaked a sponge in wine vinegar and put the sponge on a stalk of hyssop plant and raised it to his lips.

When he had drank some of it he called out in a loud voice and said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.  It is finished.”  Then he bowed his head, and breathed his last... for now.

At that moment, the curtain in the temple separating the Holy of Holies (the earthy home of God) from the rest of the temple was torn from top to bottom.  Man no longer needed a priest to intercede for him to God.  Jesus, God Himself, was seated at the right hand of the father interceding for us.

Then there was an earthquake and when those guarding Jesus saw what had happened they said, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

It was getting late in the day on Friday and Jewish law said that a body could not be hung on a tree over night.  The soldiers came to break the legs of the criminals so that they would die quicker being unable to raise themselves to take a breath.  When they came to Jesus, though, they saw that he was already dead.

Rather than breaking his legs they used a spear and stabbed him in the side causing a gush of blood and water to escape from his chest.  Just like it said in the prophecy of his ancestor David, his side was pierced and none of his bones was broken.

Friday Evening, some time after 3pm

Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body.  Joseph was a member of the Great Sanhedrin but he did not agree with what they had done.[11]  Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead and asked for confirmation from the centurion.  The centurion confirmed that it was so and Pilate turned the body over to Joseph.[12]

With the help of Nicodemus who had brought myrrh and aloes (about 75 pounds), Joseph took Jesus’ body down off the cross and wrapped it, along with the spices, in strips of linen according to Jewish burial customs.[13]

Near the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden in which there was a tomb which had been carved out by Joseph for himself and no one had ever been buried there.  It was the day before the Sabbath and it was growing late.  The tomb was close and so they placed him in the tomb and Joseph covered the entrance of the tomb with a large stone. [14]

The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee followed them to the tomb and watched as they laid him inside and rolled the stone in front.  They then went home and prepared spices and perfumes.  By the time they were finished, though, it was too late for them to apply them because dusk was near and they were not allowed to work on the Sabbath.[15]

Early Saturday Morning (The Sabbath Day)

On Saturday, the Sanhedrin went to see Pilate.  They told him that Jesus had promised to rise again in three days.  They said his disciples could come and steal his body and tell the people that he had risen and that would be worse than anything he had done before.  Pilate sent a guard with them and told them to secure the stone as best they could.  They put a seal[16] on the stone and posted guards.[17]

Early Sunday Morning

Early Sunday morning before dawn, Mary Magdalene[18], Mary, Mother of James and Joses[19], and Joanna[20], and Salome[21], wife of Zebedee and mother of James and John, left home to bring their spices and perfumes to anoint the body of Jesus.[22]

At dawn, there was a violent earthquake[23] and an angel rolled away the stone and then sat on it.  The guards who had been posted at the tomb shook with fear and fainted.[24]

The women arrived at the tomb just after dawn and were asking each other how they were going to get the stone rolled away from the tomb when they noticed it was already moved.[25] 

Mary Magdalene immediately turned and ran back to the house.[26]

The other women entered the tomb and saw two angels in white robes[27] that gleamed like lightening[28].  The angel on the right said “Do not be afraid.  I know that you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was crucified.[29]  Why are you looking for the living among the dead?  He is not here, he is risen.  Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’  Come and look at the place where he lay.[30]

“Go quickly and tell his disciples ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him.”[31]

The women were scared and fled from the tomb, too afraid to talk to anyone.[32]

As they were running down the road, Jesus met them and said “Greetings”.  They came to him clasped his feet and worshiped him.  Then Jesus told them “Do not be afraid.  Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”[33]

In the meantime, the guards went to the chief priests and reported what had happened.  They paid them to say that his disciples had come during the night and stolen him and promised to keep them out of trouble if the governor found out.[34]

Also during that time, Mary Magdalene had arrived back at the house and told Peter and John that Jesus body had been stolen.  They ran to the tomb to see for themselves.  John arrived first, but did not enter the tomb.  Peter arrived a short time later and went in to see the linen strips laying there and the burial cloth folded up and laying separately.  John then entered the tomb and saw it and believed Jesus had been raised from the dead.

In the meantime, the other women had arrived back at the house and told the other disciples what they had seen, but they didn’t believe them.[35]

Mary Magdalene had followed Peter and John and was waiting outside the tomb.  Peter and John returned to the house, but Mary stayed behind and wept.  She walked into the tomb and saw two angels, one at the head and one at the foot.  They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they have put him.”

She then turned away and saw Jesus standing there, but didn’t recognize him.  She thought he was the gardener.

“Woman, why are you crying?  Who is it you are looking for?” He said.

“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” She replied.

Then Jesus said to her, “Mary.”  And she recognized him and cried out “Teacher!”

“Don’t get too attached to me,” He said, “I have not yet returned to my father.”  Go and tell my brothers ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”[36]

Then she returned to the house and told the disciples what she had seen.

Later That Evening

Later that day, two of Jesus' disciples (but not of The Eleven) were walking along the road to Emmaus.  Emmaus was a town about 7 miles or so west of Jerusalem.  They were talking about everything that had happened that day when Jesus appeared, came up an began walking with them.

They did not recognize him and He asked them what they were discussing.  They told him, incredulous that he didn’t know what had happened that day.  Jesus then started with Genesis and went through all of the scriptures telling them everything that was said in the scriptures about him.

When they approached Emmaus, they asked him to come and eat with them, so he did.  As he took the bread, prayed over it, and then broke it and gave it to them their eyes were opened and they recognized him.  He immediately disappeared.

They immediately got up and returned to Jerusalem, found The Eleven, and told them everything that had happened to them.[37]

They had found the disciples in a house with all of the doors locked for fear of the Jews.  While they were still talking about these things, Jesus appeared to them and said “Peace be with you!” [38]

The disciples were afraid, thinking that they had seen a ghost.  He showed them his hands, his feet, and his side and his disciples were overjoyed, but they were still in a state of shock and couldn’t believe it so he asked them “Do you have anything here to eat?”  They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he ate it.  Ghosts can’t eat solid food, so his disciples believed.[39]

He told them “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised[40]… in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

They asked him “Is it time to restore the kingdom to Israel?”  He had told them that this generation would not pass away before the Son of Man came in all his glory.[41]

“It is not for you to know times or dates that the father has set, but when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” He replied. [42]

                                                                                          

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures.[43]

He said “As the father sent me, I am sending you.[44]  All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”[45]

Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany and lifted up his hands and blessed them[46] and while he was blessing them he left them and ascended up to heaven.  While they were intently looking up into the sky, suddenly two men dressed in white appeared beside them.

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who as been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”[47]

Pentecost, 50 days after the crucifixion

50 days later, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came on them in power and the age of the church had begun.[48]

---

[1] John 18:1

[2] The Jewish Supreme Court made up of a religious chamber of 23 priests, a law chamber of 23 scribes, and a popular chamber of 23 elders, plus two presiding officers, the chief priests.  They had original jurisdiction of capital crimes, crimes involving the peace and majesty of the people, and crimes committed by public officials.

[3] Luke 22:36-38

[4] Mark 14:51

[5] John 11:49-53

[6] Deuteronomy 17:6

[7] Bishop, Jim.  The Day Christ Died, Harper Collins, 1957, 1977.

[8] 1 Samuel 8:4-7

[9] Deuteronomy 21:1-9

[10] Hosea 10:8

[11] Luke 23:50-51

[12] Mark 15:44-45

[13] John 19:40-41

[14] Matthew 27:59-60

[15] Luke 23:55-56

[16] We’re not sure how it was sealed, but most likely this was some kind of wax in which the seal of the governor or the Great Sanhedrin was impressed, notifying anyone that tried to open it that they would face the wrath of the sealer if they broke the seal.

[17] Matthew 27:62-66

[18] John 20:1

[19] Matthew 27:56

[20] Luke 24:10

[21] Matthew 27:56

[22] Luke 24:1

[23] Earthquakes indicate the presence of God

[24] Matthew 28:2

[25] Mark 16:3-4

[26] John 20:1

[27] Mark 16:5

[28] Luke 24:4

[29] Mark 16:6

[30] Matthew 28:5-6

[31] Matthew 28:7

[32] Mark 16:8

[33] Matthew 28:9-10

[34] Matthew 28:11-15

[35] Luke 24:9-11

[36] John 20:2-18

[37] Luke 24:13-35

[38] John 20:19-20

[39] Luke 24:37-43

[40] Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4

[41] Matthew 24

[42] Acts 1:4-8

[43] Luke 24:45

[44] John 20:21

[45] Matthew 28:18b-20

[46] Luke 24:50-51

[47] Acts 1:10-11

[48] Acts 2