HOLY WEEK: FROM HOLY MONDAY TO "SPY" WEDNESDAY

This entire Holy (or Passion) Week was filled with stunning events which have stood the test of time for almost 2000 years. For it is on this week, that Jesus first over turned the corrupt religious High Priest Annas' money tables in the Jerusalem Temple on Monday, to the teach of the Parables and more on Tuesday (see below).

On the day before the Passover of Holy Week, which the Lord Jesus celebrated with His disciples, the Gospel of Matthew records the betrayal of Jesus by Judas for 30 pieces of silver. This day of rest for Jesus in Bethany, also saw the woman anoint His feet with the expensive jar of Alabaster oil.

On Holy Monday: 

Cleansing of the Temple  (Matthew 21:12-13)

Then Jesus went into the temple [d]of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

On Holy Tuesday: 

The Parable of the Two Sons (Matt. 21:28-32)

Then on Holy Tuesday, some of these same priests tried to lay a trap for Him. 

Jesus dispatched them with ease and proceeded to teach on The Parable of the Two Sons, The Parable of the Two Tenants, and The Parable of the Wedding Feast:

 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.  Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.  Which of the two did the will of his father?”  They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants (Matt. 21:33-41)

“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants[c] to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 

Finally He sent His Son to them, saying, ‘They will respect My Son.’  But when the tenants saw the Son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill Him and have His inheritance.’ And they took Him and threw Him out of the vineyard and killed Him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will He do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give Him the fruits in their seasons.”

The Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matt. 22:1-14)

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,  “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for His Son, and sent His servants  to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again He sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared My dinner, My oxen and My fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’  But they paid no attention and went off, one to His farm, another to his business, while the rest seized His servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.  

The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then He said to His servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.  Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’  And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, He saw there a man who had no wedding garment.  And He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  For many are called, but few are chosen.”

ON "SPY WEDNESDAY"

JUDAS BETRAYS JESUS (MATTHEW 26:1-16)

When Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said to His disciples,  “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,  and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him.  But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to Him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste?  For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”  

But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to Me.  For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me.  In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare Me for burial.  Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests  and said, “What will you give me if I deliver Him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray Him.

READ MORE ABOUT HOLY TUESDAY HERE FROM THE BOOK OF MATTHEW 

(CLICK) ON BIBLE GATEWAY

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

RESURRECTION POWER -EASTER VERSES THAT CELEBRATE JESUS

Martina McBride had a big hit years ago called "INDEPENDENCE DAY" and the kicker line was "Let Freedom Ring". Nothing says that better than Galatians 5:1 where the LORD says "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery".

All of this Freedom and Independence and standing firm etc. are only possible because of one thing - The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the abode of the physically dead. He was NOT spiritually dead. He is God. The Resurrection, on the Third Day from His willing death on the Cross to remove the sting of death from us, is what makes it possible for us to live with Hope and Joy on this side of Eternity.

Easter Sunday, or Resurrection Sunday, is more significant than even Christmas because this is the one which immediately affects our own personal destination. Easter Sunday is celebrated almost the same in homes across the Western World, with minor cultural food or music differences. However the message remains the same - Jesus is alive, just as He said He will be!! There is never any doubt. God speaks, we listen.

As we have been doing over this past days, we present the Word of God in pure straight form, without comment, to show how the Bible not only speaks for itself but predicts with precision...even thousands of years in advance. With that in mind, here are some verses for us to be grateful, at this time when Jesus guaranteed our waking up into Heaven when we pass from this world to the next! Thank You, Lord, for Your blessings on me!

VERSES ON THE RESURRECTION - "EASTER IN THE BIBLE"

OLD TESTAMENT:

JOB 19
“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last, He will take His stand on the earth. “Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh, I shall see God (verses 25-26).

ISAIAH 26
Your dead will live; their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, for your dew is as the dew of the dawn, and the earth will give birth to the departed spirits (verse 18).

DANIEL 12
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. (verse 2)

NEW TESTAMENT: 

LUKE 24
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! (verses 1-5)

JOHN 20
So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”  Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” (verses 25-26)

ACTS 1
To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God (verse 3).

ACTS 4
And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.  And with great power, the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales (verses 32-34).

1 CORINTHIANS 15
After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles (verses 6-7).

There are many other verses, to which we should devote ourselves in Bible study, but suffice it to know that Jesus was not just seen by His disciples and the women who followed and ministered to His food and clothing needs, but 500 people in Jerusalem saw His physical body. Later, on Scripture tells us that even some of the Pharisees believed in Him. These were the same men who voted to executed Him!

The Apostle Paul, the great persecutor, and hater of the early Christian church had the most dramatic conversion to Christ. It is because of this stunning event in early church history when he was called Saul of Tarsus, that we have half of the entire New Testament.

The Resurrection changes EVERYTHING. Because Christ rose from the grave, and the Angel blew the stone away, then sat on it, as if to say "get a load of this", we are all set to be at the great "getting up morning in the sky". Glory to His Name! However, this can only happen if we are born-again and converted from the spirit of death and destruction to the instant we are suddenly indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God - the very same Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead. It was for THIS Freedom, Jesus Christ set us free. Amen.
ROMANS 10:
if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth, he confesses, resulting in salvation (verses 9-10).

HOLY WEEK: - THURSDAY ....."PROPHESY REVEALED, REALITY UNVEILED"

The Ultimate Sacrificial Death on the Cross, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, was both predicted in the Old Testament and confirmed in the New Testament, sometimes almost word for word!  About 740 years before Jesus gave His Life as a ransom for many, that all the world could be saved, the Prophet Isaiah wrote and prophesied in one of the greatest Chapters of the entire bible – Isaiah 53.

Jesus was the propitiation – the acceptable to God the Father sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, for all time.  Jesus, the Perfect Lamb of God, came meek and humble, yet knew what He taught and the reason for it. While He spoke a few words in front of His corrupt religious accusers and Pilate, He said not a word to the heathen King Herod.  As for Herod, Jesus will have a lot to say to Him on Judgment Day.

Here, we present the Word of God, from selected verses from Isaiah 53 (blue),Matthew Chapter 27 (red),Matthew 28 and 1 Corinthians 15:3, without comment:

ISAIAH 53:

4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.

Matthew 27:
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer.  13 Then Pilate *said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

ISAIAH 53:
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living. For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:3
"Christ died for our sins".

ISAIAH 53:.
10 But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

Matthew 28:
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

A VERSE AND A THOUGHT: PSALM 24: 8 - "JESUS - THE KING OF GLORY!!!"

Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle (Psalm 24:8)

THOUGHT:

Our point of reference of historical times for Kings and Rulers of bygone eras, are from books and movies. For most of human history, all major towns and cities had some sort of fortification or system to keep evil out and protect the townspeople.  This was necessary because mankind has always been sinful and evil, since the Fall of Man, recorded in Genesis Chapter 3.

The more significant the town or city, the stronger the fortress, turrets and wider the walls so that you could ride a chariot around it. Then when the ruler of king of that town would return from a campaign, or even hunting out in the countryside, the armorbearer would always have to call out to the Gatekeepers to “Open the Gates”. After the gatekeepers inquired as to the purpose of the visit, the armorbearer would say “It is the King, Let the King come in” (or something to that effect).

In this instance – Psalm 24:8, this is no ordinary King and He doesn’t need permission to come into any part of His Creation. This is the King, Commander and Creator of the Universe.  This is the Lord Jesus Christ. In this current Age, until the church/believers/Christians are called Home at once, in the final raising up, He still announces Who He is to the hearts and lives of all peoples, from all corners of this blessed earth.

The Majestic Lord, Who is currently occupying the Throne on the Right Hand of God the Father, still offers a Royal invitation to join Him in Eternity in Heaven – FOR FREE. There is an equation to fulfilling the requirements to being a resident of the Eternal Kingdom. He had it written down for us – confess (ask forgiveness wholeheartedly – after realizing you’re going down the wrong road); then believe in your heart (with every fiber in your being) that Jesus is Lord, then you SHALL be saved!  Did it cost you money in a church collection plate? No. Did it cost you obeying a bunch of rules and tenets of some man-written religious rule book? No. Did you have to go do something for it? No! Why not? Why would the King, Whom we assume will be a high-taxing, hard-driving, high-living monarch like all the other kings and rulers of the earth, give something away for free?

The free gift from the Royal Throne of Heaven is only free for one reason – the King paid the freight.  He did not send some lesser subject to do it, He came off His Majestic Throne, after creating ALL we see around us, and lowered Himself to be just like us in the flesh. The one major and most significant difference between This Eternal King and the human He became like, for only 33 years is this – He never sinned.  The King only never sinned, He came to explain everything  written about Him from Genesis to John the Baptist as well as the Law of Moses, which He told to Moses.

There is no mind like His. There is no work like His. There is no one comparable. He is not only the beginning and the end, He is in the middle of all history. History will boil down to only His story.

ACTION:

Knowing Jesus as Savior of all mankind is excellent. Knowing Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior is even more important to your final destination. At death, people go one of two places. There is no such thing as purgatory.  In order to KNOW the King as He really is, He must be completely the LORD of your life, as well as Savior. This means everything.  Here is how we proceed:

-     Take your foot off the gas pedal of your life. He owns the vehicle of your life, let Him drive from now on. It also reduces your stress level

-     Leave no corner of your life unswept by the Blood of the Lamb, the Washing of the Word and the Conviction of the Holy Spirit.

-      Allow the Holy Spirit, Who is the Ultimate Gentleman, to turn on the search light and recover every hidden cobweb and buried sin action from even from when we were 5 years old. Then repent of it and move on.

-     If your church does not teach on the Holy Spirit because “that is a Charismatic thing”, forget that – the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and does not follow church or men’s doctrines. He interprets our prayers and the thoughts of our spirit and communicates them with the Lord Jesus Who intercedes with the Father.  If you think your prayers are not answered, consider this – are you fully committed as a Christian to Jesus and if so, repent, surrender to Christ and ask the Holy Spirit to take full control. Do not grieve Him. He goes to the background when that happens. So keep it real, real clean and ask for His intervention. You will not regret it.

Psalm 24 has 10 verses. Verses 9 and 10 are the same as verses 7 and 8, so this is the end of this majestic ode to our great God and King – the Lord Jesus. There is a twofold purpose here. The first one is for the church of the Jesus to wake up from culturally induced slumber and realize just Who He really is! This makes a huge difference as we see less and less reverence for the power and holiness of God in most of our western churches these days, as well as less focus on making disciples.

Secondly, on an individual level, opening the gates to the King of ALL Glory, means the extreme vetting of our hearts and souls to ascertain, in the affirmative, if Jesus Christ TRULY is the Lord of our lives. Anything else is vanity. Amen.

"Before we can have any right idea of the love of Jesus, we must understand His previous glory in its height of majesty, and His incarnation upon the earth in all its depths of shame. But who can tell us the majesty of Christ? When He was enthroned in the highest heavens He was very God of very God; by Him were the heavens made, and all the hosts thereof. His own almighty arm upheld the spheres; the praises of cherubim and seraphim perpetually surrounded Him; the full chorus of the hallelujahs of the universe unceasingly flowed to the foot of his throne: He reigned supreme above all His creatures, God over all, blessed for ever. Quote from Charles H. Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening Devotional" - March 28, 2018

HOLY WEEK - THURSDAY: "TWO TRANSFORMATIVE EVENTS"

On the day which some call “Maundy Thursday”,  a series of significant events occurred which brought a new paradigm and way of thinking to those who aspire to be both leaders and servants of the Lord.  It was Passover, just as it is now, in 2017 around Good Friday. On the biblical calendar (which is different from the Julian calendar we used in today’s world – the one created by Julius Caesar), Passover is always on 14 Nisan 5777 (not the automaker Nissan, but Nisan – which was April 10th 2017 this year). Jesus had sent Peter and the disciples ahead to prepare the Upper Room for the Passover Seder.

The Passover Seder is much like what some of us, who are versed in these things, have done in various venues for years, with all the required elements. Except when Jesus is doing the Passover remembrance, it is the real deal! He is not just the actual Passover Lamb Himself, metaphorically speaking, but it was Christ Who led the Exodus out of Egypt all the way from when He met Moses on Mt. Sinai in the Burning Bush...and created the original Passover at that time.

Apart from the physical preparations for the meal, the strong undercurrent and tension of the previous few days events in Jerusalem, now packed with up to one million people for the Passover, weighed heavily in the air. Jesus, the Man Who preached peace, love and forgiveness was starting to reassume His eternal title of Divine Judge and had overturned not just the tables, but the same corrupt and evil order who had existed since the time the Magi (the Wise Men) visited Herod looking for the Christ Child. These Magi had seen the Star of Bethlehem in the East and followed it to find the baby Jesus in the Manger. Jerusalem was in uproar, knowing the prophesied Messiah had come to mess up their evil world order and now, 33  years later, nothing had changed. The worldly powers had seen first-hand, what a Righteous God can do. They still did not believe. The question is, if we were alive in Jerusalem, would be part of the uproar against Christ, or would we stand on the sidelines or would we have been all in? These are serious things to ponder, even now! Please do not think modern day Christians are incapable of acting just like some of these folks from Bible times! 

What happened during the meal carries deep significance for us Christians, and Christian leaders, alive today.  The one that is most talked about and emulated, is the actual “Washing of the Feet”.  I have been honored to be asked to be the recipient of this act of selfless humility and service, decades ago while attending a church in Hartford, Connecticut.  It shakes one to the core. It makes you feel completely unworthy and it brings home not just the symbolism of what Jesus – the CREATOR OF THE WORLD – did for this rag tag group of men who would abandon him less than 12 hours later, but what He actually did for us on the Cross.

The Ultimate Life Coach – King Jesus – basically did what He came off the Eternal Throne of Heaven to do. He did the job Himself. But in this act of washing the disciples’ dirty feet, He instituted the only acceptable form of leadership which is fit for the Kingdom of Heaven. Listen to what He said here in John 13:12-17:
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 

Jesus surely made these men uncomfortable by this act and they should have been. Just as Jesus shook up the world order for the sons of perdition, He was even more intentional about Kingdom Order for the few who are chosen then, and the many who will be chosen in the Kingdom to come.  When Peter recoiled, as maybe a lot of us would have,  He was told in no uncertain terms, that this is how it was going to be. In our own way of thinking, how would we have reacted to Jesus washing our feet? In a sense He already did. He washed us clean with His Supernatural Blood if we are born again and have accepted His Lordship in our lives!

The other significant event that night was the betrayal.  It was particularly noteworthy that everyone or most of the disciples thought that he was the one who was going to betray the Lord! In a sense, most of them did. They scurried away and headed for the hills as soon as King Jesus was captured by the bad guys, after their crooked treasurer Judas betrayed Jesus. 

All the disciples, from the rambunctious Peter who literally cussed up a blue streak while denying Jesus Christ three times to the fabulous sons of thunder, (minus John who wrote the Book of John), ALL abandoned the Lord. The beloved John the Revelator not only showed up at the Crucifixion, but stood next to Mary, mother of Jesus, James, Jude and other sisters and a brother. He was the only one spared an early death, but not persecution.

In a sense, we have all betrayed Him.  When one sinned – all sinned. There is no difference between Adam, whom God had personally instructed face to Face, standing next to his wife while she negotiated with Satan and then joining her in her sin….and the daily sin we commit, even as Christians. Sin is sin and missing the mark, big time. 

We also miss the mark when we do not stand up for Christ in the marketplace. A person very close to me and a group of new recruits of over 50 men and women stood before the local Colonel at their first military drills.  Out of the blue, the Colonel asked if anyone in the group was a Christian. Only one person put his hand up and it was that person whom I knew very well. Then the Colonel explained the reason he asked. He just wanted to inform them that chaplains were available for Christians and others if they needed.  It was as simple as that and not a call to join the Crusades. Still, while others may have said they were later on, the reluctance to even identify as a Christian in so-called “Christian America” is absolutely stunning.

When we pass on even stating who we are, in the marketplace, alongside our co-workers or even the classroom, because in the world’s opinion it is not the “cool thing” to do, we too run from Christ and hide like His disciples did. We are not saying that any of us would have sold out Jesus to the enemy for 30 pieces of silver or bitcoin. No real Christian would ever do that, but we have all kept silent when Christ has been blasphemed, maligned and/or worse. Most Christians – professing or authentic – are incapable of even explaining one substantial answer for the Hope that is within us, as Scripture prescribes because only 9% of Adults even know the Bible or have a worldview which encompasses the Real God of Heaven. Even less millennials are Biblical literate – 4% and declining (all current George Barna figures).  Within two generations, most young people will be completely lost to the world. There is absolutely no difference between any of this and what the disciples in scattering to the four winds. 

These are two of the most significant things which occurred in the hours (on the Thursday of Holy Week) leading up to the arrest and six illegal trials of the Lord Jesus.  Both have had significant impact, on not just the church, but has affected each and every authentic follower of Christ. Those who are wise, will rise and learn from this one incredible act of Jesus (washing of the feet) and the betrayal (the acts of men). May we be found wise in His Eyes and may our Lives be continually transformed into HIS Likeness and not the one which reflects this quickly perishing and fleeting age. Amen.

THE DECK WAS STACKED - 6 ILLEGAL TRIALS IN 6 HOURS

Everything done in western courtrooms had its origins in the Bible.  The system of Justice practiced in most civilized countries of the West for almost 2000 years, came from the Book of Deuteronomy and the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20. From the swearing on the Bible to the calling of witnesses- all were given by God for our current Judeo/Christian paradigm.

Still when the religious authorities, who were persecuting Jesus for allegedly violating the same Law (Torah) that HE gave, brought Him up on the night before they killed Him, they violated every single letter of the Law they claimed to uphold! In less than 24 hours, there were, therefore, six (6) illegal trials conducting against the Messiah by evil men, bent on temporarily getting rid of the Man Who had threatened their corrupt lifestyle.

The deck was stacked against Jesus. Although He went willingly to the Cross to pay the penalty of sin for us, was nonetheless, railroad through a corrupt system. There were six illegal trials under both Jewish and Roman law:

RELIGIOUS TRIALS (BEFORE TEMPLE PRIESTS):
Illegal Religious Trial #1: TRIALS WERE ILLEGAL (AT NIGHT/NO CHARGES): Jesus was arrested at night after being betrayed by Judas and immediately taken to trial in front of a man who had no legal right to question anybody, far less some arrested by the official Temple Guard. Annas was the former high priest with no legal standing AND he was also questioning a man, under this illegal authority, who was not charged with anything.

Illegal Religious Trial #2: FALSE WITNESSES: The second trial, less than two hours after the first corrupt one in front of Annas, was before the real Jewish High Priest - Caiaphas, who was appointed by his father-in-law Annas. It is against ANY law to have false witnesses (Commandment #9). We know from John 8:6 that the religious authorities were looking for something they could use against Jesus to bring a charge against Him. Still the Gospels showed that many of their pharisee priests lied openly about Jesus' teaching even though He did so openly in the Temple for three years.

Illegal Religious Trial #3: PASSOVER: Apart from the fact that the "trials" were conducted at 2 am (night) with no charges and false witnesses, it was against the Law of the Hebrews to conduct a trial on a Feast Day! To wit, it was Passover, the most sacred of days on the Jewish Calendar and which God had instituted into perpetuity for them.  But powerful men, full of hate and acting irrationally, cared nothing about breaking the same Law they claimed to be standing up for.

SECULAR (ROMAN) TRIALS BEFORE PILATE:
Illegal Roman Trial #1:  CHARGES CHANGED: When the Temple priests brought Jesus to Pilate the first time, they had by that time "cooked the books" and changed the charge from "Blasphemy" against God to "treason" because they knew Pilate would not prosecute a religious charge which he knew or cared nothing about.
Illegal Roman Trial #2: FALSE IMPRISONMENT: Pilate violated supposedly civilized European (Roman) law when he kept Jesus under arrest, knowing he was innocent. Jesus did not absolve him of that sin, in fact He told Pilate that those who handed Him over to Pilate had the greater sin. This too will be closed one day, on Judgment Day before the Great White Throne of Judgment when death and hades will be cast into hell forever.
Illegal Roman Trial #3: KANGAROO COURT JUSTICE: This final one was the kicker. Pilate knowingly let an innocent Man be killed. He could wash his hands with all the water in all the oceans, the Blood stains will never come off as the stain was on his soul. He did the bidding of evil "religious" men to save his own temporary powerful status and lost his soul. There was no proof of anything, no evidence presented and still, Pilate allowed Jesus to be sent to the Cross to die. The thing is - He knew the Truth and put it in writing at the top of the Cross for all History to note "Jesus, King of the Jews". What Pilate meant for mocking, God used for the facts of the matter.

VERDICT OF ALL SIX ILLEGAL TRIALS: GUILTY 
Even the verdict was illegal (apart from Pilate's) for the following reasons:
- The Law said the Sanhedrin council should have been polled (like a real jury). This did not happen.
- The Law said that Jesus was supposed to have a defense counsel. None was allowed.
- The Law said there should have been 24 hours before any verdict and sentence and that if the sentence was execution, there was to be a period of waiting of three (3) days before execution, so that the Sanhedrin- the Jewish religious "supreme court" could pray and fast to see if they made the right decision! NONE OF THIS WAS DONE!

Jesus was rushed through this ENTIRE six trial process in less than six hours and was executed by the priests and Pilate in less than 12 hours. But He turned those three (3) days of waiting upside down on its head. He rose from the Dead on the Third Day and has been turning this world upside down for almost 2000 years now!!! As for these illegal trials, all of this will be addressed in God's Courtroom on Judgment Day when the Chief Judge of the Universe will be the same Jesus Whom they did all this to, on that fateful day for Mankind, on Passover, 33 AD.

THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HIS INDESCRIBABLE GIFT.

GOSPEL REFERENCES FOR THE SIX ILLEGAL TRIALS OF CHRIST:

"Judge"	Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
1.     Annas	Matt 26:57-58	Mark 14:53-54	Luke 22:54-55	John 18:12-23
2. Caiaphas	Matt 26:59-75	Mark 14:55-65	Luke 22:56-65	John 18:24
3. Sanhedrin	Matt 27:1	Mark 15:1	Luke 22:66-71
4.     Pilate	Matt 27:2-14	Mark 15:2-5	Luke 23:1-6	John 18:28-38
5.     Herod			Luke 23:7-12
6.     Pilate	Matt 27:15-26	Mark 15:6-15	Luke 23:13-25	John 18:39/19:16

Credits Here
Photo Credit: Google

HOLY WEEK ACTION POINTS - TUESDAY

WHAT FRUIT ARE YOU BEARING FOR THE KINGDOM?

What Christians recognize as the Holiest week of the calendar year and began as a celebration with Palms waving and loud "Hosannas", slowly began turning into a critical confrontation between the Creator and false religion.

After Jesus rode triumphantly on a previously unridden colt of a donkey, He went back to Bethany to spend the night. This was at the home of Mary and Martha, His trusted friends. This would be His staging ground for the fateful events of the final week of His earthly life.

Bethany was two miles outside the city and Jesus would travel to and fro, into Jerusalem each day. On the day after Palm Sunday (Monday of Holy Week) Jesus walked into the Temple and turned over the tables of the money changers! This created a huge hub-ub and led to more hatred of Him by the corrupt religious leaders of the time These guys were getting kickbacks from those vendors selling animals and items, at highly inflated prices, to Passover worshippers in Jerusalem.

As He destroyed their commerce inside God's Temple, Jesus declared "My House shall be called a House of Prayer, but you have made it a Den of Robbers" (Matthew 21:13). This was the key event of that Monday. The Temple leaders and chief priests dare not go near Him, seeing the Wrath pouring out Him! So Jesus continued to heal those who were sick, as He taught them.

On Tuesday (today) Jesus taught the following lessons:

The Parable of the Two Sons

The Parable of the Tenants

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

The Paying of Taxes to Caesar 

The Resurrection

The Greatest Commandment

I urge you to read Matthew chapters 21 and 22 about all these things (click on the numbers).

What I find significant for our Tuesday reflection is Jesus cursing the Fig Tree:

In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:18-22 ESV)

To me, what happened to that fig tree, which had NO fruit to offer the Savior, is a vivid illustration of what will happen on Judgment Day when professing Christians stand before the Lord and are called to account for their lives. Right before Jesus condemned those whom He said He did not know (Matthew 7:21-23), He said "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 7:19 ESV)

The lesson for us today, is not just the part about having the Faith to move mountains, but the Fruit to move the Savior to call us into His Storehouse as part of the True Harvest of believers! Therefore, please consider the following:

ACTION POINTS:

- Meditate on Matthew 7:19 above and see what, if any, fruit can be shown in your life, which can validate your claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ. 

- Search your hearts to see if that fruit is truly pleasing to the Lord and is resulting in others seeking and loving the ways and things of the Lord.

- Think of ways you can reach anyone, who needs to know Him personally, so that they could avoid being cut down and thrown into the fire, on the Final Day of Judgment.

(images from google)