In this final episode of Who Is This Jesus, Arnie and Fred begin by revisiting Jesus' interaction with His twelve apostles at the Last Supper. Specifically, we look at His lesson to them about serving others. We move on to Pontius Pilate and his extensive discussions while Jesus stood before him in judgment. We note Pilate's doubts concerning the Jews charge against Him. We then talk about John and Mark's record of several women who visited the sepulcher after Jesus was raised from the dead. We end this episode by talking about what Thomas had to say and why the doubts that he expressed are important to us. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcription of this Buzzsprout episode provided for your convenience.
In this final episode of Who Is This Jesus, Arnie and Fred begin by revisiting Jesus' interaction with His twelve apostles at the Last Supper. Specifically, we look at His lesson to them about serving others. We move on to Pontius Pilate and his extensive discussions while Jesus stood before him in judgment. We note Pilate's doubts concerning the Jews charge against Him. We then talk about John and Mark's record of several women who visited the sepulcher after Jesus was raised from the dead. We end this episode by talking about what Thomas had to say and why the doubts that he expressed are important to us. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcription of this Buzzsprout episode provided for your convenience.
This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thirty am on Sunday, and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net Or to Arnie Granke, at agranke40718@twc.com.
Arnie:Afternoon. This is what does the Bible say? I'm Arnie Granke and Fred Gosnell is sitting across the table from me and you probably didn't know that we had a table here. You thought we were speaking from our living room, but we weren't. And in anyway this is what does the Bible say and we are talking about, we have been talking about Jesus, in several of our conversations, and what various individuals, especially in the book of John, understood, what caused them to understand that Jesus was the Christ. And in the meantime, the setting was that the priests and the scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees and, and just in general, the the Jewish establishment, back in Jesus day hated him. They they saw him as a threat to their power. And they wanted to be rid of him. And that was what the whole thing was all about with, with Jesus crucifixion, from their point of, from their point of view. But common men and women who witnessed His miracles, who followed him, they observed His righteous behavior, they heard his teaching. They recognized him as having been sent by God, they even he even fed them on several occasions, in distant places. So they they recognized him as being divine, and and being the long awaited Messiah. And so we've been looking at what mostly what John has to say about some of the things that persuaded various ones that that was the case.
Fred Gosnell:Yeah. Well, and of course, the those that were probably the closest to him, would have been, would have been the 12 that had the most time with him. And we, we find them here at what is referred to as the Last Supper, before he's, he's taken. And in John 13, three through 17, John writes about that, beginning in verse three, Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God and went to God. He rises from supper and laid aside His garments and took a towel and girded himself. After that, he poured water into a bas, basin and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was he was girded. Then cometh He to Simon Peter. And Peter says, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now. But thou shalt know hereafter. Peter sayith to him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash them, thee not, thou hast no part with Me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith unto Him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him, therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me master, and Lord, you say, well, for so I am. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If you know these things happy are ye if you do them. Of course, he quoted them as saying, Well, you know, you say that. I'm Master and Lord, and you're right about that. But then he says, you know, If I wash your feet, of course, being your master, then you ought to wash one another's feet. You're the servants. So of course, the example that he gave them was one of serving other people. He wasn't giving them example to wash everybody's feet literally, even though that's what was done in that society. People had had would make long journeys, a lot of the traveling was by foot. They wore open toed sandals. And by the time they got to their destination, they would go into someone's house. And one of the first things that they did was they took off their shoes, and somebody washed their feet. And it was a form of service and wanted to make them more comfortable. And so Jesus says, Well, you ought to learn to serve other people. If I'm your master, that's what I've given you the example to do. And of course, that's what he did. And later on, they learned that lesson after that he was crucified, basically.
Arnie:You know, someone who fascinates me, is it now it hasn't always been this way. But having done a little bit of reading about Pontius Pilate, and and tried to study that to some degree, I was, I was kind of amazed at some of the things that I that I found about him. John, John chapter 18. And verse 33, tells about Jesus being brought before Pontius Pilate. Of course, the the Jews had stayed up all night, just about, I guess, the night that Jesus was arrested there. And so finally, now, now that it's dawn and, and court's open, I guess you'd say. Why they, they take him over to, to Pontius Pilate, and, and make charges against Him. And after Pilate has, has heard all of that, we'll pick up in John chapter, chapter 18, and verse 33, where he begins to interview Jesus, Then Pilate, and that's a surname, by the way, he's not the pilot of a plane or anything of that sort. His his first name really was Pontius and those were Roman names. Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus and said Him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation, and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me. What hast thou done? Interesting that he brings it right back to the issue, of course, that Jesus was confronting him. Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then would my, my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews, But now my kingdom is not from thence from hence, in other words, from here. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king, then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest rightly, that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness, I should testify, unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth, heareth my voice. Pilate saith, unto Him, and I can almost see him shaking his head, as he's as he's saying, this, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. Of course, when he responds, that was not the expected response, I think, that they had certainly hoped for. Did you start at a riot? And, you know, it was kind of the, the idea of give them an inch, they'll take a mile, and that's what they that's what they did. They they began a riot, and all of a sudden, Pilate's back into the situation of having to control the riot, rather than take care of the legal business.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And then, of course, later on, in John 19, four through 12. Pilate, evidently, had some more discussions with Jesus. And then we began in verse four, Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that you may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate sayith unto them, Behold the man. When the chief priests therefore and officer saw him, they cried out saying, Crucify Him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him and crucify him, for I find no fault in him. That's the third time that he said that. The Jews answered him, We have a law and by our law, He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the judgment hall and said to Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate to him, Speakest thou not unto me. Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. Therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth, Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend. Whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar. Of course, they, they were bound and determined to get Pilate to sentence Jesus to be crucified. Pilate didn't see anything wrong with him, he didn't see him being guilty of anything. And he kept saying that. And so, but then when he, when he heard about him, being making himself, the Son of God, sounds like Pilate started to think about things. This doesn't sound good to me. And then he went back to Jesus and spoke to him. And then again, Pilate said, Don't you know that I can crucify you. And Jesus reminded him that your authority to crucified comes from above from heaven. So Jesus recognized to him that he certainly had that authority. But then he still, Pilate sought to release him, and that the Jews, they were going to have him crucified one way or the other. And then they accused Pilate saying, Well, if you make if he makes himself a king, and then you agree with that, then you're speaking against Caesar. And I think that's probably the final straw that Pilate wouldn't go along with letting Jesus go, because he didn't want him. He knew he, if he was against Caesar, he was gone. As far as being having any authority.
Arnie:You know, I think we should understand that Pilate probably had a pretty good knowledge with regard to, to the activities that were going on in in the realm that he governed. And so while he had never met Jesus, that we know of, prior to that particular occasion, he no doubt heard about him. Because that was something that was that was, would have been, everybody in the country practically knew something about it. Either they agreed with Jesus or, or disagreed with him, but but he would have known Jesus was traveling all over and huge crowds were following him you know. He had to know that because he had the control things of of that sort. So we'll take it back a notch here. When, when, what Luke talks about beginning in Luke 23, and verse one, when Jesus comes before the Sanhedrin, the night before going to Pliate. And the whole multitude of them arose and led him unto Pilate and they began to accuse him saying, We found this fella perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ the King. And Pilate answered, asked him saying, Art thou, the King of the Jews? He answered him and said, Thou sayest it. Then said Pilate, to the chief priests and the people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people teaching throughout all Jewry beginning from Galilee to this place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who, himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. So he doesn't, doesn't actually himself, send the charges along, the Jews are going to have to take care of that. He doesn't charge Jesus with with anything or find any guilt there. And I think that he sees sending him to Herod as as his way of getting rid of this case. Of course, Herod sends Him back. So he doesn't really, totally get get rid of it. But here's the point. Again, Pilate is is saying, he says this over and over again. I find no fault in this man. And it's remarkable that that he sticks with with that as he's done.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And of course then Matthew tells us about this situation as well in Matthew 27, 15, through 25. And Matthew records, he says, Now at that feast, this is the Passover, I believe, The governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. This was something that they did every feast. And if they had a prisoner, that the people wanted to be released, then they would, they would release him and as a matter of good, good good relations with the people. And they had then a notable prisoner called Barabbas and Barabbas is, means Son of the Father. He may have been one that claimed to be the Messiah. But nevertheless, he was, he was in there. So therefore, when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, who will you that are release unto you, Barabbas, or Jesus, which is called Christ? And it's interesting that Pilate notes that Jesus was called Christ. Now Christ is the Greek translation of the word Messiah, in the Hebrew. So he referred to him as as the Christ.
Arnie:He's no dummy.
Fred Gosnell:So, so he knows some things. For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife said unto him saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man. Of course, now she says he's a just man. And for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said to them, Whether of the twain will you that I release unto you? They said, Barabass. Pilate saith to them, What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let Him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? Again, Pilate is not convinced that Jesus is guilty of anything. But they cried out the more saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person, see ye to it. Then answered all the people and said, His blood be on us and on our children. Quite a thing to say about that. So again, the people demanded that Jesus be crucified, demanded that the other individual that was there, Barabbas, was going to be crucified as well. So Pilate washed his hands of it. Course, you can't just wash your hands of the situation when you when you are about to con, sentence a man, an innocent man, a just man and actually, the Messiah, that He called him to crucifixion. But that's what happened. And then the people said, Okay, well just let his blood be on us and our children.
Arnie:He wants, he wants out of that, that case. You know, just thinking about that, that curse that they that they put upon their own people. We know that around AD70, of course, Jerusalem was was destroyed, the temple was demolished. A good bit of the city was destroyed. It was a massacre of, of 1000s of people that were that were slaughtered. And here we are now in the middle of a of another war, where Israel's enemies are after them. I just don't know, to what extent, how long a curse can can be associated with a a particular people. But it does cause one to think, you know, I wonder if these problems with Gaza and and Hamas and and all of these Hezbollah and the enemies that modern Israel ha, I wonder how much of that relates to this curse. His blood be on us and our children. Just a thought about that.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And of course, it continues. John 19, 19 through 22, Of course Pilate has has made the sentencing. So in verse 19, says, And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. This title then read many of the Jews for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city. And it was written in Hebrew and Greek and Latin. All the three major languages that were spoken, then. Then said, the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not The king of the Jews, but, That he said, I am the king of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. So he had put that on the, on the cross, identified Jesus, who he was, and specified him as being the King of the Jews. And so the deed is the deed is done, the sentence is given. And, of course, Jesus was taken up to be crucified.
Arnie:You know, I'm also fascinated with his wife and her dream. Pilot's wife and her dream, and recognize that the the Roman people were, were people that had a lot of, you know, they had, they had their own religions and their own things that, that moved them. And I'm wondering to what extent that persuaded Pilate with regard to Jesus' true identity as being the Son of God. Just a thought, in in that regard. Let's, let's go after the,move to the, to the, to the sepulchre, after Jesus had been crucified, after he's been buried, and the next morning or two mornings later, of course, on on the first day of, of the week, we encounter Mary Magdalene and some other women, going out to the the tomb with some spices and whatnot, possibly to apply those in the tomb. In John chapter 20. And, and beginning in verse one, verse one, The first day of the week, cometh Mary Magdalene. Literally, that's Mary of Magdala. Let me just mention a lot of times people call a Magdalene, a propht, a prostitute and think that she had been a prostitute.She, there's nothing in the Bible to indicate that that was the case. She did have seven demons cast out by Jesus. But a Magdalene was a woman from the city of Magdala. And that's what this is telling you. She's a she's not a Jerusalemite. She's a, she's from Magdala. Alright. So she cometh early when it was yet dark, into the sepu, unto the sepulchre and seeth the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, which by the way, was John, whom Jesus loveed, and saith unto him, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth and that other disciple and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together, and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre and stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying, yet went not in.Then cometh Simon Peter following him and went into the sepulchre and seeth the linen linen cloths lie, and the napkin that had been about his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also, that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw and believed, for as yet he knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood without the sepulchre weeping. And as she wept she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre and seeth two angels in white sitting, one on the head and the other at one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, because they've taken away my Lord, and I don't know where they have laid him. And when she had said, thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener saith unto him, Sir, if you have born him, hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will now take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself and saith to him, Rabonni, which is to say, Master. Jesus saith to her Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and to your Father, and to my God, and to your God. And I'll just pause here and say, he's not telling her to keep your hands completely off of me, don't, don't even touch me. It's don't claim to me. He's not here to, to stay. And because others did touch him, of course, and He invited them to do that, but that's another story. Mary, verse 18, Mary Magdalene came, and told the disciples that she'd seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her.
Fred Gosnell:Well, Mark has has his account of this time as well in Mark 16, verses one through 11. We begin in verse one, When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother, James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said, among themselves, who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment, and they were afrighted. And he said unto him, Be not afrighted. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified, He is risen. He is not here, behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter, Peter that goeth before you into Galilee. There shall you see him, as he said unto you, and they went out quickly fled from the sepulchre where they trembled, and were amazed, neither said they anything to any man for they were afraid. Now, when Jesus was risen, risen early, the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils, seven demons. And she went and told them that had been with him as they mourned and wept. And they when they had heard that he was alive and had been seen of her believed not. So. So Mark's account, has has them there on the first day of the week at the sepulchrde and identified this young man that told them he's not here, he's resurrected and go to Galilee and tell tell tell the people that's that's where he is. But then those that he they told, still didn't didn't believe what they had to say.
Arnie:Interesting, interestingly enough, these other women that were with Mary Magdalene, one is Mary, who is the wife of Alpheus. He's the mother of James the less and Matthew. Matthew is not mentioned but the James is mentioned and sometimes we confuse that as being John, the brother of James, the brother of John. But this, this is ta different James who's an apostle. And then Salome is there. She's the wife of Zebedee and she's the mother of James and John. So it's kind of fascinating to see who all is, is there at the tomb, together. Thomas, of course, is so famous as being the doubting Thomas. We even have coined as sort of an expression for somebody who doesn't believe that something has happened. We call him a doubting Thomas. He arrives with the disciples, eight days later, and in John chapter 20 And verse 26 as they're all assembled together and, and all of the other apostles have seen Jesus, Thomas had just said, I won't be able to, to believe that until I put my hand in the wounds in his in his hands and, and see the wounds in his feet and, and the the wound in his side and and all of that, then I'll believe. And in John chapter 20 And verse 26, the doors are shut and Jesus stands in the midst and he says, Peace be unto you. And he said to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me. Thou has to believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. None of us have seen him. Fred and I believe. We hope that you do as well and and that you become a partaker of eternal life. We hope you'll be with us again next Lord's Day. Have a good week.