The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus and the Cross
Above a cross made out of olive wood.
Short study Luke 23: 26 – 31
Trees.
In the book of Genesis Moses inspired by the Holy Spirit placed the creation of humanity in a garden, with trees being a focal point: the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. Genesis 2: 9
The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Adam and Eve were instructed by God not to eat anything from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but they fell into temptation by the devil and ate some fruit from this tree, as a result they became separated from God.” Genesis 3: 1-7
The tree of life
Adam and Eve were sent out of the Garden of Eden. God placed a Cherubim at the entrance to the garden bearing a flaming sword, he blocked the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3: 24.
The wooden cross
Jerusalem must have very busy with those who had travelled from far and wide to celebrate the ‘Passover.’ After Jesus had been condemned by the crowd outside the Praetorium (Judgement Hall) he was scourged mocked by the soldiers and led away to be crucified. However, Jesus was so weak by the violence against his body that Simon of Cyrene was seized by a soldier to carry the cross for him.
Simon had just arrived in Jerusalem coming from Cyrene the capital of Libya. Mark wrote that he was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Mark 6: 6-15. 15: 21. Acts 4: 27
Above Jesus started out carrying his cross until Simon carried it for him..
When Jesus spoke about his suffering, death and being raised on the third day, he went on to say that anyone following him should deny himself daily taking up their cross. Luke 9: 22, 23.
Simon of Cyrene did it literally he followed behind Jesus carrying his cross. We don’t know how Simon felt about carrying Jesus’ cross, but Mark wrote that his two sons became disciples, so it would seem quite likely that Simon became a follower of Jesus.
For us today denying ourselves to carry our cross daily for some sadly, tragically means being persecuted, imprisoned or losing their earthly life. For others it means putting Jesus first and foremost on an everyday basis in serving Christ in practical ways as well as prayer, study and witnessing about Jesus. Some Christians are called to missionary work abroad and that can be really hard to do, leaving family and friends behind.
At that point Jesus summoned the energy to speak to the wailing women who followed them.
“Daughters of Jerusalem do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck. Then they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us and to the hills “Cover us.”
Jesus had earlier on his triumphant entry into Jerusalem wept over Jerusalem as he foresaw its destruction, so here he reiterated his earlier prophecy in telling them that their tears for him would not change what was to befall Jerusalem. Luke 19: 41-44.
“For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry.”
“For if they do this when the wood is green,” Jesus in the midst of the living dead, having come under man’s fallen nature and judgement from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
“What will happen when it is dry.” After he died, he found life from the dryness of the tomb God resurrected Jesus from the dead, would the people believe when they heard?
Jesus the green olive tree that was to be felled because of the sin of Israel also bearing mankind’s sin.
The Olive tree is spoken of as a green tree.
“The Lord once called you, (Israel) A green olive tree, fair and goodly fruit: but with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed.”Jeremiah 11: 16
Jesus bore the sin of the nation and took the punishment under law.
The prophecy to Ezekiel: “Prophesy against the forest of the Negeb, say to the forest of Negeb hear the word of the Lord, “Thus says the Lord God, behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you and every dry tree. The blazing flame shall not be quenched.” Ezekiel 20 : 45-48. A fire within them speaks of judgement
“And if a man committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is accursed by God; you shall not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance.” Deuteronomy 21: 22, 23.
Jesus fulfilled every law, he was taken down from the cross before nightfall by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and buried the same day.
“What will happen when it is dry?” After he died, God resurrected Jesus from the dead, would the people believe when they heard? God raised Jesus bodily from the dead, his resurrected body the new living temple, God in Christ.
God left his temple at Jerusalem before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD
When the veil in the temple was torn in two the way to the tree of life was made open. Genesis 3: 5, 24. Matthew 27: 51.
Below the empty cross
Jesus the Tree of Life.
The way into God’s Kingdom is through Jesus’ death and resurrection, prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures through an incident on the Israelites way to the Promised Land, fulfilled in the New Testament by Jesus.
The Israelites journeyed towards the Promised Land, they were desperate for water, they came upon a pool of water, but it was undrinkable, as it was bitter. The people complained, so Moses prayed to the Lord and the Lord showed him a tree and he threw the tree into the water. As a result the water was sweet and drinkable. Exodus 15: 22-25.
The bitter water representing sin.
The tree- living we died (representing eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.)
The cross – dead find life (all of humanity’s sin borne by Jesus on the cross, the way is opened to the tree of life)
The sweet water- representing sins forgiven, resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
How amazing God is, the revealed plan of salvation as the Israelites journeyed towards the Promised Land.
Below: Olive Tree
St Paul wrote that the natural branches (Israel) broken off because of unbelief. The Messiah’s calling was to the nation first and then to the world. The Gentiles have been grafted into the olive tree by faith in Jesus. Romans 11: 24.
The Messiah’s Secret
At Pentecost and after was the time for the nation’s leaders to accept Jesus as their Messiah. Not before Jesus’ death as I was brought up to believe. In 1996 the Lord revealed to me that it was impossible for the nation of Israel to receive, install Jesus as their King and Messiah before his death, resurrection and ascension. Jesus had to die for the sins of the whole world and universe, all things cleansed by the blood of the lamb of God, including the devil who held the power over death was defeated by the blood of Jesus.
Three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
John the Apostles wrote in his first letter. “This is Jesus who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth. There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree. 1 John 5: 6, 7.
Water is something that we all use for cleansing purposes and when we add a cleansing agent to it, stubborn stains, dirt and germs are removed.
So when we think of Jesus’ baptism: the water together with the cleansing agent the blood of Jesus applied to our heart, we can understand the implications, it removes sin and its causes, things that spoil our relationship with God and other people too; selfishness, pride, envy, covetousness, rivalry, deceit, fornication, slander, lies, licentiousness and theft.
So the water of the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ blood cleanses us. We are made alive by Holy Spirit, a new creation, born again into the kingdom of God. Having received from God the Holy Spirit, one experience is worth a thousand arguments.
The Real Jesus.
Jesus is risen, he is alive, and he is real today. Lives are transformed by him as the Trinity indwells the believer, the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us.
God is Spirit; God is love, love that is patient, kind, forgiving, just, tolerant, truthful, peaceable, fervent, generous, grateful, thankful, joyful, fun and faithful. Wise and discerning in knowing when to speak and when to be silent. Wanting the best for others and to be content in every circumstance.
Given grace to be yourself and at peace.
When we come to Jesus in faith he accepts us as we are. His indwelling presence changes the way we think and our attitudes, this takes effect immediately, but continues over many years as the Holy Spirit gives us fresh insight about ourselves.
The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus through the written word, especially his promises, here are four: “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you. . . . . how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11: 9-13.
The Holy Spirit is at work in the world and often at work in people’s lives without a person knowing him personally. He enables an unbeliever to be touched with the words about Jesus, in order to give every person the opportunity to make a choice to accept Jesus as their personal Saviour.
“All things are possible to them that believe.”Mark 9: 23.
A friend reminded me of this when I was sharing this word yesterday. I was grateful for his word to me, he said, “Noah knew the dove had found dry land when it brought back an olive leaf to him, it’s like when we reach out to people with an olive branch telling them about Jesus.
We speak of giving or receiving an olive branch as a token of forgiveness, of peace. Genesis 8: 11.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, may the leaders of nations in their conversations with each other have opportunities today to hand an olive branch of forgiveness and peace and may we too have opportunities to do the same. Help us to serve you with willing hearts and to put into practise carrying our cross today. In Jesus’ name.
