Posts tagged Faith Lessons
Faith Lessons: Calvary
Mar 30th
The Crucifixion, part 1
Luke 23:33, “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.”
“There my burdened soul found liberty—at Calvary,” goes the chorus of a popular hymn. Every Christian immediately recognizes the place name, Calvary, as the location just outside the city gates of ancient Jerusalem where Roman soldiers executed Jesus Christ almost two thousands years ago, yet of the four gospel writers only in Luke 23:33 will one find a specific reference to Calvary in modern English translations. Writing in Greek, the language of all the New Testament books, Luke literally called it “kranion,” using the Greek word from which we get the English word, “cranium.” Actually, the word for Calvary never appears in the original manuscripts of the Bible. However, modern translators of the Bible follow the rich tradition of preferring the Latin term for cranium—“calvaria”—from which one will immediately recognize the familiar term, Calvary, and they routinely insert that place name into the text of Luke 23:33.
Another memorable hymn remembers, “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame.” However, the New Testament never directly describes Calvary as a hill. Although a fair assumption based upon Calvary’s description as a cranium, which obviously has a rounded shape not unlike a hill, the only other possible clue in Luke’s gospel comes in Luke 23:49 where Jesus’ acquaintances and some of the women are said to be able to watch the crucifixion from afar, possibly due to Calvary’s elevation.
Today approximately 250 yards north of the Damascus Gate in eastern Jerusalem sits a bus station enveloped in the unmistakable smell of diesel fuel as Palestinians scurry to buy tickets for their rides home. Generally ignored by the locals, a steep bluff with an unusual shape rises up from the back lot of the station. In 1883 British General Charles Gordon spotted that same bluff from inside the Old City and popularized the site as the biblical location of Calvary, for two large sunken cavities in its sheer face look remarkably like the eye sockets of a cranium or skull. Although championed for a time by the Anglican Church as the location for Jesus’ crucifixion, several problematic questions persisted, leading many to doubt the site’s authenticity.
But Gordon’s Calvary, as it has come to be known, certainly stirs one’s imagination of that day when Roman soldiers chose a slow form of execution for our Lord that maximized human pain and suffering. Each breath upon the cross took enormous effort as Jesus lifted his body by pushing up on his feet and by flexing his elbows thereby forcing the weight of his whole body upon his nailed feet and causing a fiery pain. The open wounds from his earlier scourging rubbed against the rough surface of the cross with every attempt. Over time muscle cramps would make the effort even more difficult until, having exhausted his strength, Jesus died of asphyxia.
However, before his death, according to Luke’s account, Jesus audibly prayed between breaths, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). What an amazing love that Jesus loved even his enemies to his dying breath! Thankfully I am no longer an enemy of Jesus, for I have placed my faith in him and “now my raptured soul can only sing—of Calvary.”
Further Reading: Luke 23:33-49
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Golgotha
Jan 21st
The Crucifixion, part 2
Mark 15:22, “And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.”
When referring to the place of Jesus’ execution, three of the Gospel writers use the term “Golgotha,” meaning “skull” or “head.” Many possible explanations have been suggested for the use of this term; for example, bare rock protruded form the site; a cemetery stood nearby; the site resembled a skull; the remains of human skulls had been unearthed there; or (my favorite) the Romans used the site as a customary place for executions and it came to bear that eerie name.
In any event Golgotha teemed with a diverse assortment of faces and feelings that bitter-sweet day so long ago just outside the city gate of Jerusalem where Jesus suffocated on a Roman cross for the sins of men. Three beaten prisoners—only two deserving of death—stumbled upon the site, leaving a trail of blood in the rocky soil beneath their early morning shadows.
Five soldiers practiced their gory craft and then, “sitting down, they kept watch” over the two guilty men and the guiltless Good Shepherd in much the same way that a small band of shepherds “[kept] watch over their flock by night” just six miles to the south in Bethlehem some thirty-three years earlier at the time of our Savior’s birth (Matthew 27:26; Luke 2:8).
Women stood near the cross as well, including Mary from Magdala who had been delivered from demons by Jesus; the mother of two of Jesus’ closest disciples, James and John; and Mary, the mother of Jesus, who felt, like no other, every painful breath of her dying son.
Only one of the twelve disciples found his way to the cross, braving the potential threat of arrest and punishment for his personal association with the crucified King. Fixing his wearied but loving eyes first upon his own mother and then upon John, Jesus challenged John to look after her. Mary’s remaining surviving children did not yet share her belief in Jesus as the Messiah and apparently shut her out of the family network for her unorthodox views.
Today in the Old City of Jerusalem stands the ancient but stately Church of the Holy Sepluchre, which memorializes not only the burial site for Jesus, but also the site of his execution. Although once outside the city walls, the church now finds itself surrounded by the rough stone ramparts of the Christian Quarter with its narrow streets and pushy merchants selling crosses, beads and postcards. Inside the light-starved rooms of the church, priests and pilgrims seek to connect with the memories of Golgotha—the beaten men, the soldiers, the mocking strangers, the women and the lone disciple, John. But ultimately they hope to connect with Jesus, their Savior, the crucified Son of God, who accepted the shame and suffering of crucifixion that all who believe in him might be delivered from their sins.
What a glorious message that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)!
Further Reading: Matthew 27:33-56; Mark 15:23-41; John 19:18-30
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Upper Room
Jan 20th
Washing the Disciples’ Feet
John 13:1, “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
Having spent the better part of the day buying and preparing a traditional Passover meal, Peter and John answered the knock at the door of the upstairs dining hall where they had been working with a mix of weariness and expectancy. Eleven men filed into the “large upper room, furnished and prepared” (Mark14:15) eager to escape the dirty and crowded streets of Jerusalem and to enjoy a dinner of roasted lamb and unleavened bread with a cup of wine to cool their tongues. Fifteen hundred years earlier their forefathers shared a similar meal before filing out of Egypt for their eventual destination—the Promised Land—and on this April night as thirteen men gathered to celebrate Israel’s deliverance from the bondage of Pharaoh so long ago, twelve of them little suspected that on the very next day the Lamb of God would be slain in order to provide deliverance from sin and the promise of forgiveness for all who would believe. Perhaps John the Baptizer anticipated it best, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Jesus had loved his disciples from the beginning, choosing them to serve alongside him despite their obvious imperfections; empowering them to defeat demons and disease; and showing remarkable patience with their ignorance. Now on the eve of his own death “He loved them to the end” (John 13:1) by taking up a towel and a basin of water to wash their dusty feet. Considered such lowly work that no Jewish homeowner would dare require the foot-washing of guests even of his own servants, the puzzled disciples experienced humility in action. Three years earlier John the Baptizer declared that there “comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose” (Mark 1:7), publicly admitting that even the work of washing Jesus’ feet was above him; his words stand in sharp contrast to the petty dispute that broke out between Jesus’ disciples during their Thursday night Passover meal regarding “which of them should be considered the greatest” (Luke 22:24).
Just a short walk south from Zion Gate and the south wall of the Old City of Jerusalem stands a pedestrian two-story building with a large upper room that tradition associates with the story of John 13. The present configuration of the room goes back to Crusader days, but archaeologists have discovered several layers of ruins that can be traced to a first-century Christian synagogue. Standing in the dark unfurnished room one can easily reflect on that night long ago when Jesus scrubbed the calloused soles of his disciples, patiently instructing them, “For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you.” From his example it is obvious that serving others knows no limits. Jesus loved the disciples despite their pettiness and ignorance. He loved them from the beginning; “He loved them to the end” (John 13:1).
He is our example and there are countless applications. Mow a neighbor’s lawn who’s on vacation. Wash the dishes before your wife gets home from work. Change a diaper for once. Cook a meal for a sick friend. In other words—find some feet and grab a towel.
Further Reading: Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13; John 13:1-20
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Citadel
Jan 17th
Trial Before Herod Antipas
Luke 13:32, “And He said to them, ‘Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.’”
Aesop wrote in his famous fables of a famished fox who spied a cluster of ripe black grapes hanging from a trellised vine. But despite every effort the fox could not reach the fruitful vine and so turned away muttering, “The grapes are sour and not ripe as I thought.”
The Bible tells a similar true story of a fox and a vine. According to John’s gospel, Jesus declared, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1). Again, “I am the true vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit” (15:5). According to Luke’s gospel, Jesus, warned by the Pharisees that Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, desired to kill him, responded fearlessly, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow and the third day I shall be perfected’” (Luke 13:32). So again we have a fruitful Vine and a hungry fox.
Herod Antipas—you may know him better as the king in Mark 6 who imprisoned John the Baptizer for denouncing his marriage to his brother’s wife and who later had John beheaded—had journeyed to Jerusalem from Galilee for the Passover feast. Although not particularly pious, Herod made it a habit to attend the feast, hoping to maintain his popularity with the Jews. Luke records the only known encounter between that fox and the Vine, for Pilate had sent Jesus to Herod for trial after learning that Jesus, a Galilean, belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction. Herod “had heard many things about [Jesus], and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him” (Luke 23:8). But try as he might, Herod could not bend the Vine to satisfy his desires, for Jesus would not do or say anything in Herod’s presence. Although Herod had reportedly desired to kill Jesus, surprisingly Herod simply muttered disappointment with him, and after roughing him up and mocking him for sport, the fox returned Jesus back to Pilate unimpressed.
If Jesus had displayed a tiny flash of his divinity, Herod might have intervened and spared Jesus from death. What would it have hurt to turn Herod’s servants to stone and then back again? Why not temporarily transform the king’s crown into a beautiful cluster of grapes? But Jesus refused to compromise, for the time of miracles had passed. Today he must “be perfected.” Today he must do his Father’s will and give his life for all mankind.
Herod had “gladly” listened to John the Baptizer (Mark 6:20) before signing off on his beheading, and “when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad” (Luke 23:8), but that changed too when the king could not get what he wanted. Prophets may not tell us what we want to hear. Jesus may not perform miracles at our bidding. Many find Jesus interesting or entertaining, but when they cannot get from him what they wish, they turn away from the Vine. Jesus answers only to his Father, the Vinedresser—not to our whims and wants.
Today inside the courtyard of the Citadel on the west side of the Old City of Jerusalem lie the ruins of the Herod family palace, the likely location of Herod Antipas’ encounter with Jesus. The modern excavations testify of Jesus’ wordless refusal to compromise before a self-indulgent king.
If you’ve been disappointed by God’s answer to your persistent prayers; if he doesn’t seem to act when you hoped; or if it may seem that he’s not even there, that does not signify that he is powerless or preoccupied, but only that he has a purpose that sees beyond your immediate wishes or wants. Do not turn away from the Vine. The grapes of God’s grace always taste sweet, and for those who will bend to his purposes, they are always within reach.
Further Reading: Luke 23:6-12
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Praetorium
Jan 16th
Trial Before Pontius Pilate
John 19:5, “Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, ‘Behold the Man!’”
A steady parade of Roman governors had tried unsuccessfully to keep the peace in Jerusalem, but Pontius Pilate knew that he must succeed where others had failed. Serving at the discretion of his emperor over a large territory that included Israel, one poor decision or one bad report from his subjects might derail Pilate’s career as well. The Jews living under Roman occupation understandably resented their Latin conquerors. Once a proud and independent nation, the Jews now lived under countless restrictions of travel, speech and law, including a statute forbidding them to practice capital punishment without Roman sanction (John 18:31).
So, very early on Friday morning following the final Passover feast for Jesus with his disciples, the Jewish religious leaders marched him to the praetorium—the governor’s headquarters in Jerusalem—seeking that sanction. The Jews pleaded with Pilate to put Jesus to death—to crucify him. Pilate, finding no fault in Jesus, but hoping to arouse sympathy for Jesus, ordered his men to scourge him. Having faced false accusations before Caiaphas and the nation’s leaders and now having endured a night without sleep and a brutal beating, Jesus “came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, ‘Behold the Man!’” (John 19:5). But at that moment it barely looked possible that Jesus, covered with sweat and blood and mangled beyond recognition by the sharp stoned tip of a Roman whip, could be called a king. But to Pilate’s surprise the crowd thirsted for more treachery. “Crucify Him,” they chanted, adding, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend” (19:12).
Friendship with Caesar meant almost everything to Pilate, and therefore, fearful that he might lose his governorship if the people complained against him to Rome, his heart buckled under the weight of the persistent wish of the frenzied crowd. The friend of Caesar thus delivered the Friend of sinners to be crucified. Pilate instantly became an enemy of God, for the Bible teaches that “whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Pilate chose his career over Christ—king Caesar over King Jesus. Pilate chose the world over our wounded Savior.
Today a simple arch spans the smooth stones of the Via Dolorosa inside the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem where tradition says that Pilate once stood before the early morning crowd. Called the Ecce Homo Arch (meaning “Behold the Man“ or more accurately “This is the Man” in Latin) it memorializes the place where Pilate presented Jesus to the people following his beating for their final decision—either to accept him as their king or to reject him as a blasphemous and insidious man.
Caesar and I could never be friends. I have chosen a friendship with Jesus. I trust that you have done the same.
Further Reading: Matthew 27:2, 11-31; Mark 15:1-20; Luke 23:1-5, 13-25; John 18:28-19:16
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Courtyard of Caiaphas
Jan 15th
Denials of Peter
1 Peter 2:6, “Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a Chief Cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’”
Rock Hudson played a steady submarine captain in the 1968 film, Ice Station Zebra; Rocky Balboa, the underdog boxer from Philadelphia, went the distance with Apollo Creed in Rocky which debuted in 1976; and more recently the big screen has introduced yet another marvel of brawn in the 2002 film, The Scorpion King, starring a desert warrior known simply as The Rock. But long before movies and strong leading men there lived another tough guy named “Rock.” Two thousand years ago when Jesus chose a Galilean fisherman to join his ministry team, Jesus changed his name from Simon, meaning “Hearing,” to Cephas, meaning “Rock.” Most know Cephas by another form of his name—Peter—which also means “Rock.”
For three years Peter stood resolutely with Jesus. When others questioned the identity of Jesus, Peter confessed him as Christ. When others hesitated, Peter stepped out of his fishing boat to walk on the water to Jesus. When others froze in fear, Peter drew his sword to defend his Master from armed men. But now, pacing anxiously in the chilly night air and eager to learn of Jesus’ fate, Peter pressed close to the blazing fire in the courtyard that warmed other curious citizens, the attending servants of the residence and even the officers who brought Jesus under guard from the Garden of Gethsemane to the high priest’s home for a secret examination and illegal nighttime trial. Peter the Rock would soon fracture even while Jesus, our Chief Cornerstone (Acts 4:11), would fail to crack under the intense interrogation and the hate-filled accusations hurled at him by Jerusalem’s leadership that had hastily assembled inside Caiaphas’ home under the cover of darkness.
Peter’s northern accent and attire caused him to stand out to the courtyard crowd, leading to a dangerous question from one of the servant girls and to a destructive response, “’You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?’ [Peter] said, ‘I am not’” (John 18:17). Having overheard the question, nearby soldiers laid their hands across their sheaths ready to arrest the accused. Jesus’ disciples had eluded the soldiers in Gethsemane and detaining at least one now would minimize the sting and embarrassment of having allowed all twelve to escape earlier in the evening. Hearing the stranger’s denial put the soldiers back at ease.
Over the next couple of hours, however, two more questions would challenge the Galilean fisherman, including, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” (18:26). After each accusation Peter denied any association with Jesus until a final denial shattered the Rock into pieces, releasing a torrent of tears that poured down Peter’s quivering jaw. He could never have imagined denying his Master. He could never have imagined falling so low. Only hours earlier he had confidently affirmed, “Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33), but now Peter had done the unthinkable.
1 Corinthians 10:12 warns us all, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Sometimes submarine captains falter during a mission, boxers hit the canvas hard and warriors face defeat. Sometimes disciples deny their Master. Sometimes a Christian lets dust collect on his Bible, stays home a bit more often from church or even brushes aside questions about her faith in the Lord, feeling pressured, embarrassed or fearful.
Today a short walk southeast from Zion Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem will bring one to the modern Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. Almost hidden by the slope of the hill and surrounded by large shade trees the church with its adjoining balcony provides a glorious view of the City of David and the three valleys that shape this historic countryside. Hardly a fitting place for devilry and denials, the church memorializes the tragedy that took place there one chilly April night so long ago. But Peter’s tears and the Lord’s forgiveness would later transform him into a powerful teacher and evangelist despite his shocking denials in the courtyard of Caiaphas.
You too can know the forgiveness of God. You can find strength following a setback. How? By turning to the unbreakable Rock, our Chief Cornerstone, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Further Reading: Matthew 26:57-58, 69-75; Mark 14:53-54, 66-72; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:12-18, 24-27
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Garden of Gethsemane
Jan 13th
The Betrayal of Jesus
John 18:11, “Then Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?’”
A few key events in Scripture have taken place in gardens, including the manipulation of Adam and Eve by Satan in the Garden of Eden; the betrayal of Jesus by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane; and the redemption of mankind by Jesus who defeated sin and death with his resurrection from a garden tomb. God once enjoyed fellowship with Adam, walking through the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8), and Jesus enjoyed fellowship with his disciples, often resting, conversing and praying together in the olive orchard of Gethsemane just east of Jerusalem before making that final leg-burning climb up the steep western face of the Mount of Olives at the end of each day on his return trip to Bethany where he and the disciples regularly lodged with friends.
During the day farmers in Gethsemane stayed busy pressing out the olives, but at night the garden remained quiet—a perfect place of peace to unwind and find refreshment. The prophet Jeremiah likened joyful hearts to “a well-watered garden” (Jeremiah 31:12), but with only a few hours separating Jesus from the cross, even lush Gethsemane seemed to press his very soul to pulp. On a hill called Calvary Jesus would experience the suffocation of crucifixion, gasping for every breath and feeling the eternal weight of the sins of all men. The physical and spiritual pain in combination would pound his body and soul more than words could possibly describe, but after praying on his knees in the garden he determined that he must trust his Father—he must “drink the cup” of suffering from his heavenly Father’s hand (John 18:11).
Judas Iscariot would soon enter the garden, for he knew the place well. He would betray his master with a kiss for thirty silver pieces. He would come with a detachment of troops as if Jesus was a dangerous thug or an enemy of the state. Luke records Jesus’ response to their massive show of force, “When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour and the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53). The power of darkness would achieve an apparent victory. The gates of hell would cheer in short-lived triumph, not understanding the role of Jesus’ suffering in God’s perfect plan—not understanding the futility of self-will. Even Peter would show his short-sightedness by drawing out his personal dagger to repel the armed puppets of the prince of darkness. But calmly Jesus instructed Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?” (John 18:11). But why? It made no sense in the moonlight of Gethsemane. Only the morning light of resurrection some three days from then would bring meaning to it all.
Today in Jerusalem a garden still flourishes inside the gates of the classically styled Church of All Nations which sits at the western foot of the Mount of Olives. Three of the olive trees in the garden have been scientifically dated at over two thousand years old, making them silent witnesses to the suffering of our Savior so long ago.
Sometimes our heavenly Father too asks us to drink a cup of suffering—trials or betrayals that make no sense in the moonlight. But trust him nevertheless and you will come to know the power that defeats darkness and the power that will give you perfect peace.
Further Reading: Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:1-12
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Bethany
Jan 12th
Anointing of Jesus
Mark 14:8, “She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.”
A Tuesday night westerly breeze gently cooled the fig, olive, almond and carob trees that dotted the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives after another long day under a relentless spring sun. The typically quiet village of Bethany just east of Jerusalem spilled over with excitement as locals and pilgrims alike enjoyed the festivities of Passover Week. Dinner at Simon’s house that night celebrated the recent arrival of Jesus with his disciples, and every guest bore testimony to the amazing ministry of Jesus.
First, there is Simon, the host, who Mark refers to in his gospel as “Simon the leper” (Mark 14:3). His white patchy skin, runny sores and mangled fingers had no doubt been transformed by the touch of Jesus. Where once he lived each day under the death sentence of leprosy, quarantined to a leper’s camp far from the city walls, now, thanks to the healing hand of his honored guest, Simon experienced again the joy of hugs and shared meals with friends.
Then there is Lazarus. Only days before he had been lying in the family tomb, wrapped in burial garments from head to toe, mourned by his family and friends. But thanks to the life-giving command of Jesus, Lazarus now sits at Simon’s table, treasuring every new breath, deeply grateful, fearing nothing.
Moving up behind Jesus is Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Scurrying between the kitchen and the table, Martha served the guests, relishing their compliments and filling the room with her southern charm. But beneath the festive banter, Mary’s soul sensed the heavy heart of Jesus, and she longed to balm his hurt. He had spoken often of his impending death and something in her spirit knew that the time was near. He had taught her from the Scriptures while praising her priorities and restoring her faith in a time of grief. She must honor him tonight. Tomorrow may be too late. But what could she do? Taking her alabaster vial of perfume from around her neck, she emptied it on Jesus’ head and feet. The party chatter halted abruptly as the room filled with the fragrant spice. There, she had done it. The vial, likely containing her wedding dowry, represented all that she had in this life and all that she could possibly hope to give any future suitor. She had poured out all her hopes and dreams in one moment of time without regret. Mark records Jesus’ reply to the shocked guests who rebuked Mary for her reckless action, “She has done a good work for Me…. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial” (Mark 14:6, 8).
Three days later Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to a wooden cross. By his death and resurrection Jesus would do all he could for you and me. May we never overlook an opportunity to do all we can for him.
Further Reading: Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Pool of Siloam
Jan 11th
Healing a Man Born Blind
John 9:25, “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
God promised his chosen people that one day he would send them a Servant, the Messiah, their Deliverer. How would they know when the Servant had arrived? According to prophecy, he would “open blind eyes” (Isaiah 42:1, 7). So, when the apostle John pens his account of the life of Jesus some eight hundred years later and includes in it the story of Jesus healing a blind man and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam (John 9:1-41), John clearly understood the implications of that event. Without question he intended to convince his readers that “Jesus is the [Messiah], the Son of God” (20:31). John hoped they would believe in Jesus. In his gospel John records the story of the healing of the blind man—the sixth of seven key events in the life of Jesus, all meant to convince his readers of the divinity of Jesus.
Cornered by a group of religious critics who demanded a play-by-play recounting of the miracle, the man in John 9 responded to them with these words, “[Jesus] put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see. . . . Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind” (9:15, 32). Isaiah prophesied that God would send a Giver of Sight, and the man who received his vision at the Pool of Siloam had encountered him, exclaiming unabashedly in subsequent worship, “Lord, I believe [you are the Son of God]” (9:35, 38).
A Drudge Report headline of August 9, 2005 announced with understated brevity, “Biblical Pool of Siloam is Uncovered in Jerusalem.” City workers, scurrying to repair a sewage pipe near the south end of the Kidron Valley before the onset of winter, unexpectedly uncovered the remains of what archaeologists immediately knew to be the biblical Pool of Siloam. This spring-fed reservoir served as a popular gathering place for Jewish worshippers in Jesus’ day who made their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, and it served as a backdrop for the story of Jesus’ healing of the man born blind. The trapezoidal-shaped pool, only partially unearthed at the present time in an ongoing excavation, measures 225 feet wide on one side, much larger than most had imagined, with three tiers of five steps each, providing easy access into the water. Coins found at the site, some buried in the plaster of the pool and discovered only with the aid of metal detectors, confirm a New Testament date for the ancient stone structure. Following the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70, the pool fell into disuse, and layers of mud slowly overwhelmed the site until the pool’s location faded from memory, awaiting its surprise discovery last year.
The critics, who once argued that Moses could not have written the book of Genesis because writing had not been invented until many years after his death, have now been proven wrong by the evidence of advanced writing techniques in Moses’ day. Other critics, who until recently had argued that the Pool of Siloam did not exist, have likewise been proven wrong by this accidental but remarkable find. The recent unearthing of Siloam’s stones has deepened my confidence in the accuracy of God’s Word, and it serves as a memorial and personal reminder to me of the divinity of Jesus—the prophesied Servant, the Messiah, my Deliverer.
Further Reading: John 9:1-41
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.
Faith Lessons: Bethphage
Jan 10th
Cursing the Fig Tree
Mark 11:22, “Have faith in God.”
A soft April sun peeked over the mountains of Transjordan to spot a cluster of men climbing northwest up the backside of the Mount of Olives. It would be only a short uphill walk from Bethany where they stayed as guests in the home of Lazarus and his sisters to Bethphage at the crest of the hill where they would link up with the main road filled with Tuesday morning worshippers headed into Jerusalem for the Passover festivities. Olive and almond trees lined the hardened footpath beneath their rested legs, and the smell of young figs stirred the desire of hungry travelers.
Just ahead Jesus spotted a fig tree with leafy limbs, an outward sign of the presence of fruit, but upon closer examination, Jesus found none. Our Savior’s every step, every action and every word served a heavenly purpose. So when next we read that Jesus cursed that fig tree, predicting that it would never again bear fruit (Mark 11:14), we would be wrong to conclude that his disappointment at not getting to assuage his hunger led to a selfish tirade against that tree. The story as recorded in Matthew 21 and Mark 11 served to teach Jesus’ disciples about faith—not so much about figs or the lack of them. It teaches us too about faith.
If you’ve lived long enough, then you’ve known or heard about a preacher who delivered persuasive sermons on Sunday morning, but lived a secret life of sin from Monday through Saturday. As a preacher myself it’s a sad admission for me to make, but it happens. Or possibly you’ve heard about the pastor’s wife who murdered her husband to the surprise of all who knew her. Or about the award-winning middle school teacher charged with unspeakable crimes against those in his care. To any outside observer their lives looked exemplary, but external signs of health may belie a barrenness or rottenness within. Leaves should indicate figs ready for picking. Attending church, saying prayers and preaching sermons should indicate righteousness. But not always.
After cursing the fig tree, which promptly withered (11:21), Jesus and his disciples passed through the small village of Bethphage, whose name ironically means “house of the unripe figs,” descended down the western slope of the Mount of Olives and entered the “orchard” of Jerusalem. There they found the religious leaders publicly teaching the people and performing Passover rituals, while privately plotting Jesus’ death. Leafy lives of fruitlessness.
Adam and Eve once fashioned fig leaves into coverings in a desperate attempt to hide their nakedness, but in faith they traded their leaves for the skins of an animal whose blood had been shed by God to provide their covering (Genesis 3:7, 21).
You and I bear fruit as we seek each day to “have faith in God” (11:22). May we not be found barren at the coming of our Lord. May we instead bring him great joy and satisfaction when he finds our trees filled with fruit. Next time you see a fig tree, whether on the crest of the Mount of Olives in modern Bethphage or in your own backyard, let it stir you to live both a public and a private life of faith.
Further Reading: Matt. 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-26
Dr. Daniel McCabe is the pastor of Faith Bible Church in Spring, Texas. He is a contributing editor for The Jerusalem Connection Report. He can be reached via email at danielmccabe@juno.com.