The Messiah’s Secret Revealed - Easter Reflection

I give thanks and praise that the Messiah's Secret Revealed identifies Jesus who he is 'the Christ' and  by accepting him in faith transforms the soul which enables me to follow his teachings empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in grace.                          

On the cross Jesus forgave those who had sinned against him, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”  Luke 23: 34                                                                          

The Messiah's secret -the Jewish people were not aware  that God had planned the Messiah’s death and resurrection. 

The Jews had been taught from the law that when the Christ came he would remain forever; they were not taught that the Christ would come and die. The scriptures concerning his death were hidden by God and were revealed to the disciples on the evening of his resurrection. Luke 24: 44-48.         

“So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"  John 12: 34   

The crowd wondered who this Son of man was that would be lifted up and draw all men to himself.  (Jesus said he would be lifted up to show what death he was to die verse 33).                                                                                                      

God allowed their ignorance and gave Caiaphas a prophecy that would determine that Jesus died at the hands of the Romans.

God had given to Caiaphas who was chief priest, the main man of the Sanhedrin, a prophecy: “That one man should die for the people and that the whole nation should not perish” so when the council gathered to plot against Jesus, Caiaphas told them the prophecy, they believed that Jesus was’ the man’ and that it was God’s will for him to die.  

They had acted in ignorance when they handed Jesus over to be tried for blasphemy before Pilate, “They began to accuse him saying, ”We found this man perverting the nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king.” Pilate said that found no crime in this man, He sent him to Herod, and Herod too found no fault, nothing deserving death.  Luke 23: 2, 7.

Pilate consulted the crowd outside the Praetorium, ”Whom shall I release Barabbas or Jesus?  They shouted for Barabbas to be released from prison and Jesus to be crucified. The Pharisees, scribes and others shouted to him, "He saved others but he cannot save himself, come down from the cross and we will believe in you." Mark 15: 15, 31, 32.
They did not expect the Messiah to come and die.

Jesus was condemned to death by the crowd that was made up of both Jews and Gentiles.

Acts 4: 27 “For truly in this city there were gathered together against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever they hand and thy plan had predestined to take place.”

Caiaphas’ prophecy had a double meaning: “That one man should die for the people and that the whole nation should not perish.” Jesus, died to save not just the Israelites but for the whole of humanity. “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3: 16.

Shortly after Pentecost Peter and John were going up to the temple to pray. As they came to the ‘Gate Beautiful’ the crowd gathered Peter gave testimony to the resurrection of Jesus and announced that they and their rulers had crucified Jesus in ignorance. If they would repent, the Lord would bring in the times of refreshing and send Jesus the appointed Messiah.  Jesus would have returned and the crowd who heard him say that they would see the Son of man come with the holy angels and the Kingdom of God come in with power would have witnessed it.   Acts 3: 17 – 21. Mark 8: 38. 9: 1.

This was the Messiah’s Secret Revealed that the Messiah, or Greek translation ‘ the Christ ‘ had to die and be resurrected and ascended into heaven before he could be received by the leaders of the whole of Israel as their Messiah, Christ the King. 
Paul wrote, "The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognise Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath." Acts 13: 27 
The Messiah’s call was to the nation and from them they would take the ‘Good news’ to the world. The time for the nation to receive Jesus Christ was at and after Pentecost and not before his death as I was taught. Lord, thank you for forgiving my ignorance.                                                          

Jesus in his humanity, in his dying moments in faith he commended his spirit into his Father’s hands. In obedient faith Jesus handed his whole being into his Father’s hands, making sure that there was no contention over his body like that of Moses. Moses had fallen into sin and therefore did not enter into the Promised Land, but Jesus was free from sin in his obedience in doing the will of his Father, his body was raised  from the dead by God. Jude verse 9.

Jesus died and to make sure so there is no doubt a soldier pierced his heart with his sword.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus went to Pilate and asked if they could take his body down from the cross and place it in a tomb. Pilate gave permission and put a seal on the tomb with soldiers to guard it.

On the third day when the disciples were told by the women at the house that someone had stolen his body they must have been so distraught. John raced to the tomb and Peter followed, John stood back to allow Peter to go in before him. Only the linen strips and the napkin were there.

As that day progressed Jesus appeared to Mary, Peter, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and those gathered in the house. Jesus had been raised up from the dead, raised up by God the Father.

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is the devil.” Hebrews 2: 14.

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2: 9.

Jesus’ victory over the devil was complete, The perishable has been clothed with the imperishable  and the mortal with immortality. “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” Isaiah 25: 8 1 Corinthians 15: 54, 55.

Sadducee Caiaphas and the majority of the Sanhedrin failed to see what God was doing in the involvement of the Gentiles in Jesus’ death through crucifixion, Jesus being the final atonement sacrifice for all sin and its causes and sadly King David’s prophecy of the resurrection of the Messiah failed to register with the Sadducee's who did not believe in the resurrection.

John wrote of what he had observed, He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.”

John's words are true for today to receive Jesus is to have faith in him. The Holy Spirit is given to us to empower our faith and enlightens our understanding of God who is our Father, so therefore, we are Children of God.

To the sceptic history records through the historian Josephus who was not a Christian recorded Jesus’ existence, his ministry and resurrection

Antiquities of the Jews - Book XVIII  First Century Historian Josephus

Chapter 3

3. Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ.

 And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, (9) those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; (10) as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”

Psalm 24 what a welcome he received in heaven

“Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!” Psalm 24: 7-10

The  Messiah’s Secret Revealed – Jesus at Bethany

(The visual aid I set up on Saturday ready for the Sunday morning service.)

I explained to the congregation - The desert on the right has no water so things don’t grow  on the other side things grow really well because there is plenty of water.  (picture on right showing water rising up)

So how do seeds grow?

3 children held up pictures: sun, soil and water

I’ve put some soil in the cups, ready to sow some seeds.

what do they need now? Sun and water.

I planted seeds in the compost in the cup three weeks ago and they have grown. 

When we hear or read about Jesus, and take the words to heart, they begin to grow within us and we become like Jesus.

                                                                       Prayer Focal Point

In a similar way, words about Jesus are seeds of faith, in every seed is complete, it contains the wholeness of Jesus, especially his love revealed to us in laying down his life for the forgiveness of our sins. When we listen to those words they planted into our heart. The Father's Holy Spirit waters the seed and they begin to grow within us. And we become followers of Jesus.                                       

Isaiah 43: 16-21. John 12: 1-8  
Jesus spent 40 days alone in the wilderness where he was tempted to sin unlike the Israelites in the wilderness who sinned and as a result wandered in the desert, for forty years, but Jesus resisted the devil’s temptations.                                                                                        

During the season of Lent the church encourages us to spend time examining our walk in Christ. For some Christians who maybe who have gone or going through a difficult time they can relate to Mary and Martha they had gone through a wilderness experience when Lazarus was seriously ill and later died. 

They had expected Jesus to turn up straight away after they had sent word to him that Lazarus was seriously ill. But he did not come.                                                  

Last Sunday evening  

Revd Chris Casey spoke about the different reactions between the sisters, When Jesus arrived later, Martha had a calm conversation with Jesus, she believed that he would have healed Lazarus had he come before he died and ‘even now’ she said, God will give you whatever you ask.”                                                                                                                  

Mary was silent, her emotions caused her to go weeping to Jesus”   

Both reactions found fulfilment when Jesus wept with Mary and when Jesus, said to Martha “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” 

God's greater plan for Lazarus
Jesus did not respond straight away to Mary and Martha’s plea because he had a greater plan – Lazarus’ resurrection.  

God’s greater plan for Jesus:  Annie Johnson Flint wrote: “If the Christ who died had stopped at the cross, his work had been incomplete. 
If the Christ who was buried had stayed in the tomb, he had only known defeat. 
But the way of the cross never stops at the cross and the way of the tomb leads on, to victorious grace in the heavenly place where the risen Christ has gone."  

God’s greater plan for us.
So for us, like Mary and Martha  we learn to put our trust in the Lord for he has a plan for us. 

John draws our attention to the fact that the resurrected Lazarus was sat at the table.   
When Lazarus had been 4 days in the tomb his body was like the desert, nothing could bring back life to his body. But Jesus was able to bring new life into his body like the spring its water bringing life to the desert. As we can imagine people were amazed when they heard of this fantastic miracle that Jesus performed. John wrote later they waved the Palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David.!” John 11: 17,18                                  

Mary came and knelt at Jesus’ feet and began to wipe them with her hair, mingled with ointment and her tears of joy, the perfume filled the room.

Mary wanted to show her love, honour and gratitude to Jesus, for what he had done by raising her brother Lazarus from the dead and we notice that she had planned before hand to anoint Jesus regardless of what under Law would not allow a woman to do.                                                                                                              

God in Jesus was doing a new thing, “He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smouldering wick.”  A change to the law, the law penalised a person for breaking the law. Under grace God looks at the motivation coming from the heart.  

Jesus healed on the Sabbath Day which was forbidden. When questioned he said that it was right to do good on the Sabbath Day.

The Messiah's Secret Revealed The Pharisees added extra laws to those given by God to Moses because they earned their righteousness by keeping the rules of the law."                                 .

Judas annoyed by Mary’s liberty tried to quench her spirit by saying the money she had spent could have been given to the poor. Having an appearance of concern for the poor, but John pointed out he was not sincere.  
Jesus upheld, did not quench Mary’s motivation and actions when he said, “Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial.” The anointing was in connection with his burial.                                                                                     
Anointing in the Old Testament was to give the gifts of Holy Spirit to the person for a particular service. 

Mary anointed Jesus for his burial, his ministry in death. 
In the Common Prayer Book in the Creed we say ‘He descended into hell.’ Peter in his letter wrote, ”He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit, through whom he went and preached to the spirits in prison.” during the time he was in the tomb he went and preached to those who had been held there, since before the flood. In God’s justice he gave all those who had lived in unbelief in God the opportunity to accept Jesus as their Saviour. 1 Peter 3: 18-22.                                                                                                              .                                                    

In our reading Jesus said, ‘The poor you will always have with you.” We know therefore, there will always be a ministry to the poor.

Christians Against Poverty 

Christians Against Poverty CAP based at Bradford is where there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and it is beginning to gain momentum it’s like a spring in the desert, the start of a river flowing turning desert into fertile soil.                                

They are helping people in various practical ways through managing debt, finding a job, release groups and learning life skills and more importantly showing them God’s love. People are becoming Christians and the Lord is turning there lives around.

Jesus in his love is weeping with those who find themselves poor in their circumstances.

We have a CAP Job Club Course that will start at the end of March, please pray that the people who come on the course will ask for a drink the life-giving water and through accepting Jesus into their heart, he will be their rock and hope for now and for eternity.