Jesus in the Spring

As we look out our windows in North Carolina we see that Spring has arrived. The winter chill is almost gone and flowers are beginning to come out of the ground. I love the daffodils and forsythia with their brilliant yellow color. I anticipate the tulips, azelia, fruit trees, redbud and dogwood trees. Portions of my garden are in and the entire world is coming alive around us.

Tulips in the spring garden at the Biltmore Estate

As I look out my window I think about Jesus and his disciples in the Spring. The month of March is generally near the end of the rainy season. Fields would be at their greenest and many flowers would be blooming. The barley harvest would be anticipated or occurring and farmers would be looking forward to wheat which comes in just after Passover.

Our Passover Haggadah which explains the entire Seder

The Spring festival, Passover is one of the most mentioned holidays in the BIble. Passover is mentioned multiple times in the Gospels and forms the background of many other Old Testament and New Testament passages. The Lord’s Supper was a Passover meal and the early church used these as a pattern for other meals. Jesus is considered the Passover Lamb whose blood was placed on the doorposts.

Sarah at a Doorway in ancient Katzrin, Israel

The only reference we have of Jesus during his childhood was during the Passover. Luke says, “Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.” (Luke 2:41-42) We know that Joseph sacrificed a lamb and Mary prepared a feast for the family. Other family members or friends probably celebrated Passover with Jesus. These Passovers turned into memorable events.

Our Spring book which shares Passover through the Bible

When Jesus’ parents left Jerusalem at the end of the Passover recorded in Luke 2, Jesus remained behind. Joseph and Mary traveled for a day before they realized Jesus was not with them (the reason can be found in Spring: Connecting WIth God), so they returned to Jerusalem and searched for three days to find their son. They found him “sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” This is like the wise son of the taught about in the Passover Haggadah.

A typical street in Jerusalem

John recorded another warm spring night fifteen years later when Jesus once again came to Jerusalem for Passover. John records on that night Nicodemus came to ask Jesus a question. Jesus, looking out into the spring night said, “You must be born again.”

Nicodemus asked, “How can someone be born when they are old?”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

The Sea of Galilee from Capernaum

The next year, Jesus’ second year of ministry, he celebrated Passover at the Sea of Galilee because it was too dangerous to go into Jerusalem. People gathered to hear the great teacher, and again there were questions. They asked, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” and “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?” and other questions. Jesus explained to them he was the bread which came down from heaven. On that Passover, in all four Gospels, it is recorded that Jesus fed 5,000 people.

The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem

The next year, in Jesus’ third year of ministry and on his final night he once again celebrated Passover. It was spring.

Spring is a great time to celebrate the festival of Passover. The book A Christian Passover in the Jewish Tradition can guide your family or Sunday School class in this celebration. If you would like someone to lead a Christian Passover for you, please contact me.

Who is Haman?

Every story needs a villain, and on a rare concurrence of days, we can talk about two stories and two villians.  For Maundy Thursday (the traditional time of Jesus’ Last Supper) and Purim both fall on the same day.

The first villain of the day is named Haman.  He was an advisor to the king, and loved to sit at the right hand (place of power) of the king.  He is called an Agagite, meaning a son of Agag, the king of Amalek.  Amalek was the grandson of Esau.  It is said Amalek bears a grudge against Israel because Jacob stole his birthright.  Moses said, “the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.“

The man named Judas Iscariot was the treasurer for Jesus and his disciples.  He loved to sit at the right hand of Jesus.  His last name indicates he is a resident of Kerioth-hezron, which is on the border of Edom (land of Esau).

When Mordecai discovered Haman’s plot to kill the Jews, Esther fasted for three days before holding a banquet where she revealed the identity of Haman the Agagite and his plot.  Through the banquet Esther saved the nation of Israel.

Jesus identified Judas Iscariot and his plot at his last supper.  When John asked Jesus for the identity of the betrayer, Jesus said it was the one with whom he dipped the bread.  Following the dinner Judas betrayed Jesus, who was hung on a cross to die the next day. Jesus died to save all who would believe and call on His name.  He was laid in the tomb for three days, and rose again.

Both Hamen and Judas wicked wicked men.  Haman was hung by the king on his own gallows.  According to Matthew 27 5, Judas Iscariot hung himself on his own gallows.

Oh once there was a wicked wicked man,

And Judas was his name, Sir.

He would have murdered Jesus Christ,

But he would not stay dead, Sir.

CHORUS:

Oh today we'll merry merry be

Oh today we'll merry merry be

Oh today we'll merry merry be

And nosh some Matzah now sir..

He told us on the Passover

This meal would be his last, sir

His life would end upon the cross,

Oh my how he did scare us.

CHORUS

And Jesus, as His life did end,

We knew he had some chutzpah

We laid Him in an empty tomb,

Cause that is what we do, sir."

CHORUS

He laid inside the grave all night

And through the whole next day, sir,

And then on through the next night too,

The corpse was in the grave, sir.

CHORUS

When Easter came on Sunday morn

Some wanted to anoint Him,

The stone would it be rolled away?

Oh yes, so we can go in.

CHORUS

When we walked on inside the tomb,

A big surprise we found sir,

The body we saw wasn’t there

The cloth was on the ground sir.

CHORUS

The Angels they did come and say

This man, He did arise sir,

The grave, just look, it’s empty see,

His body did arise sir.