The artist known as Prince, then formerly known as Prince, then as Prince again passed away on April 21, 2016. He is known as a singer and songwriter with a flamboyant and masterful stage presence. Selling over 100 million records worldwide, few have ever or will ever reach as many people as he did through his art, as testified to by seven Grammys and both an American Music and Golden Globe award. Rolling Stone called him “the most influential artist of the rock and roll era” and ranked him 27 on their 100 Greatest Artists list.
Last week, after getting ready for work, I checked the weather app on my phone. It was one degree outside. “One degree?!” I thought. “That’s all we get? Just one? I don’t mean to be greedy, but I’d prefer at least 49 more of those.” Despite the cold weather there is a lot to celebrate this time of year. Christmas is fast approaching and of course it is at the top of the list of things to celebrate. Christmas is all about the incarnation of God, Jesus, both 100 percent man and 100 percent God at the same time.
Joseph of Arimathea: International Man of Mystery. Some say he was a double agent, both a member of the Sanhedrin council (Luke 23.50) and a disciple of Jesus (Matthew 27.57). He was both wealthy and a man of great faith, something Jesus taught was nearly impossible apart from an act of God. In the 4th century AD the Patriarch of Constantinople, Saint John Chrysostom, was the first to assert that Joseph was one of the 72 apostles commissioned in Luke 10 (which is possible). Later Joseph would be written into legend as the supposed first keeper of the Holy Grail (unlikely).
Remember way back in chapter nine (Luke 9.1-6) when Jesus sent the 12 out to surrounding villages with no money, weapons or extra clothing? The disciples certainly did. Jesus reminds them of that training session and then, surprisingly, reverses his orders. Now he tells them to take up their money bag, extra clothes, and a weapon – and if they didn’t have a sword they were to buy one! (This is the equivalent of carrying a concealed weapon today, though that’s not what we’re talking about today). Why would Jesus say such a thing? Because they needed to be prepared for what was coming.
“Your naivety demeans you… Love and justice are not the primal forces of our world, sir. Gold is the primal force of our world. You believers say that is all about ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, but there is only profit and loss. You believe in laws, but there are only ledgers. Would that it were otherwise, Inspector Reid. Would that it were.” – Mr. Sacks, Ripper Street, season 2 episode 5, BBC.
Early morning After Jesus’ surprise in Emmaus, Cleopas and the unnamed disciple left at that late hour to return to Jerusalem and tell the other disciples what they had just seen. This was news that couldn’t wait, despite the dangers of nighttime travel. After relating the experience Jesus appeared before them all, “Shalom!” he said. “Pease be with you” instead of “Surprise!” which might have been more appropriate since surprised they were, startled and terrified at his sudden appearance. Luke tells us they thought they had seen a ghost! Even after all Jesus had told them and the events they had witnessed they still didn’t get it.
Luke leaves out many of the more brutal details that Matthew and Mark include and picks up the story with Simon of Cyrene taking the cross from Jesus to carry it the rest of the way to Golgotha (23.26). Jesus and two other criminals were led by the guards and followed by Simon and a group of women who wailed in mourning. Jesus addressed the latter group explaining their tears would be better expressed for those who would experience the coming judgment. What judgment is Jesus referring to? Probably not the one you’re thinking of.
The day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover) had come, and American readers may have difficulty understanding the timeline of events. Jewish holidays start at sunset on one day and end at sunset the next. This explains how Jesus and the disciples can have the Passover meal before the Passover sacrifice is made the following day. As the passage opens, Jesus instructs the disciples to follow a man carrying water to a house, and to rent a room from the owner of the home for their celebration. This reveals Jesus’ omniscience and surprising care for the smallest parts of our lives.
In September of 2011 Gaston Lacroix was hiking a summit near the town of Publier, France, located in the eastern Haute-Savoie region near Lake Geneva. A religious man, and the Mayor of Publier, Lacroix decided to mark the summit with a landmark. He commissioned a statue be made of the Virgin Mary, paying for it with funds raised by donations that came from around the world. 30,000 euros paid for the statue and the inscription beneath: “Our lady of Lake Geneva is watching over your children.”
Early morning on the first day of the week the same women who had followed Jesus and assisted Josephus and Nicodemus with his burial, returned to the grave taking with them more aromatic spices. Why they were doing so is not mentioned in any of the Gospel accounts. Perhaps, since the burial had been rushed due to the nearing Sabbath, they went to complete the work they had started. But there is another issue; they had seen Josephus and Nicodemus roll the stone into place, sealing the tomb. Why go to finish preparations when there was no way for them to gain entry?
Jesus was taken to the high priest’s house due to the fact that his arrest was unlawful. First, Jesus was arrested without charges being raised against him. That’s illegal in most any society including first century Israel. Second, Judas was bribed to testify against Jesus. This is not only unlawful but makes Judas a criminal and unworthy of testimony. Third, the judges in Jesus’ first trial (the Sanhedrin) were the one who bribed Judas, making them far from impartial at best, and co-conspirators (and therefore criminals) at worst. Jesus didn’t raise these objections because it was the path to fulfilling his mission.
Last week Jesus told us to watch for the signs of his second coming. We begin this week with the parable of the Fig tree, which underscores this point. Just as one can tell the change in seasons be looking at the leaves of trees, so one should be able to identify the season of Christ’s return. For those who see the signs will be the generation that witness his return. You can count on it, for Jesus has spoken it and his words will never pass away. For this reason, we ought to spend each day in anticipation of his return.
