A Letter from a man visiting Jerusalem for the Passover to His sister in Bethany.
Dear Deborah,
My fingers write with much excitement as I begin to tell you the events of this past week. Oh, sister it was truly amazing. But I dont want to get ahead of myself. It began a week ago as I was entering the city, Jerusalem, for the Passover. It is required of every male Jew to come and as I told you before I left I wanted to see this holy day for myself.
Incase you are not aware of the background of this event. It began long ago when the Egyptians were plagued by God and the Israelites were set free from bondage. God had every family sacrifice a Lamb and put the blood on the door posts so the angel of death would not take their lives. Oh there is so much more to this, but I will tell you in person.
I was walking around the entrance to the city as large crowd began to appear. Almost everyone in the streets began to get excited about something, or someone. I did not see what they did so I quickly made my way up the front to get a closer look.
What I saw startled me. A man on a donkey. All this fuss about a man riding a donkey into the city. I couldnt believe my eyes dear sister. HA, Id seen nothing yet.
Then the started shouting the traditional greeting of a King of Israel. But I knew this man was not the king. King Herod would not have been pleased had he seen this, though I know he must have heard about it later. As they laid palm branches and coats out on the ground, I could see they were showing honor to this man. They sang, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel! The man seemed gentle and calm but I did not see a smile in his face. Sadness was peeking through his eyes. I heard later that he had said over the city.
If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peacebut now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an trench around you and crush you from every side. They will dash you and your children to the ground and not leave one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of Gods coming to you. I have no idea what this means. But they way he said it, I fell it is the truth.
A leader of the Temple shouted to the man. Teacher, tell your followers to be silent. But he looked at them and said, If they keep quiet, the stones themselves would cry out. Oh, how I wished the people would have kept still for a moment so I could hear that rejoicing.
I asked a couple by me who this man was and they told me it was Jesus of Nazareth in Galilee. I couldnt believe it. I head heard of this man raising my friend Lazarus in Bethany, our hometown. What miraculous thing that must have been to see. I thought to myself, I must follow this Jesus and watch what he does.
The morning after Jesus entered the city and crowds praised him I went to the Temple to have a look around and see if there was anything I would like to buy. The place was packed with tables and tables of people selling and trading. Dear sister I could feel something was wrong there. This building was supposed to be a place where the Jews would pray and worship God. But it looked more like a mad house then a Holy House.
Pondering these thoughts only lasted a moment for I heard a shout coming across the walls into my ears. I looked and this same Jesus was turning over tables and releasing animals that were to be sold. I could see a righteous anger against the apparent dishonest trade going on. He yelled in a loud voice, Is it not written. My house is to be a house of prayer for all nations? But you have turned it into a den of thieves. I couldnt believe the boldness of this man. He had a quality about Him that made me want to hold onto His every word.
A little later I watched as He touched the lame the blind that were in the temple. He healed them, sister. He reached out His hand, and healed almost every person that came to him. It is a mystery why He did not heal them all.
A joyous excited group of children began dancing around Jesus and singing just as the crowds did the day before. The chief priests of the Temple did not like what they were hearing and tried to keep the children quiet. You see, by their praises they were proclaiming Jesus as the Savior. The people have waited for many, many years for a man to rise up like Joshua, and King David, and conquer the enemies of Israel. They sought Jesus to be that man, the Messiah. Jesus did not stop the children from praising; rather He rebuked the leaders by quoting from a Psalm of David.
Jesus did and said many things that day, as I know He has been speaking for three years since. I was in the crowd later when Jesus began to talk strangely, at least to me at that time. It sounded unusual for man to speak like He did.
He looked at the people and His disciples and said, Now my heart is troubled. I cant ask the Father to save me from what is to come. Because it is for this time that I came. He then raised His head to the sky and said, Father bring glory to your name.
Something like thunder or a mighty angel spoke from nowhere in reply, I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.
I did not understand what was going on, and as if reading my thoughts Jesus spoke again to the crowd. This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for the judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all men to me.
Some in the crowd questioned what He was talking about. Jesus answered, You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of the light. At that Jesus began to walk away. I tried to push through the crowds but He disappeared.
The daylight was growing dim and I thought at the time this was what Jesus was talking about. I did not know He meant these things of Himself and was telling us what would happen to Him. I set in mind to return to the Temple the next morning so I would not miss the amazing teachings of this Jesus. Truly He was no ordinary man.
Every morning I joined the rest of the crowd at the Temple. Like clockwork Jesus would appear and begin teaching and telling us stories. I would listen to the people talk about Him during the break to eat. The ideas of His identity varied from different groups. The zealots thought He was waiting for the right time to overthrow Rome. The peoples either thought He was a prophet or a good teacher. The religious leaders were plotting against Him.
Dear sister I saw something that I must get off my chest even now. One of the nearest disciples of Jesus, I believe the treasurer, went into the meeting place of the Temple authorities. Judas, this man, walked into the room and came out a little later with a bag that looked like it held coins. In my gut I felt something was terribly wrong and I only wish I had done something when I had the chance or maybe I dont.
For every question the chief priests asked Jesus, He had an answer that would silence them. He never failed to come up with something new and clever to say. Everything He said felt like He had complete confidence in the truth of His words.
The last time I saw Jesus speaking publicly I could hear sadness in His voice. It was as if it was His last appeal for the people to listen. It would take time before even I heard the words that flowed that day. When a man believes in me, he also believes in the One who sent me. Jesus began speaking. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in the darkness. As for the person who hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not keep my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say. I couldnt get over the fact that this man was putting Himself on equal footing with God.
Deborah you know how for a long time I have struggled with understanding more about the God of Israel. I asked Him to show me His love in the best way He could. What I am about to write to you is how God did just that. You see the day of Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. Being not Jewish myself, I wanted to do that best I could to respect the Holy Day.
Since I entered the city I had been staying with a friend of mine who had guests rooms available and a special room set aside for the Passover. I did not know when I first entered that building that Jesus and His 12 disciples would be eating the supper in that very room. How I wish I was able to join them. But my friend stopped me and told me that it was a special time for them. However, he did give me the chance to serve the bread and wine to the disciples.
Dear Deborah,
My fingers write with much excitement as I begin to tell you the events of this past week. Oh, sister it was truly amazing. But I dont want to get ahead of myself. It began a week ago as I was entering the city, Jerusalem, for the Passover. It is required of every male Jew to come and as I told you before I left I wanted to see this holy day for myself.
Incase you are not aware of the background of this event. It began long ago when the Egyptians were plagued by God and the Israelites were set free from bondage. God had every family sacrifice a Lamb and put the blood on the door posts so the angel of death would not take their lives. Oh there is so much more to this, but I will tell you in person.
I was walking around the entrance to the city as large crowd began to appear. Almost everyone in the streets began to get excited about something, or someone. I did not see what they did so I quickly made my way up the front to get a closer look.
What I saw startled me. A man on a donkey. All this fuss about a man riding a donkey into the city. I couldnt believe my eyes dear sister. HA, Id seen nothing yet.
Then the started shouting the traditional greeting of a King of Israel. But I knew this man was not the king. King Herod would not have been pleased had he seen this, though I know he must have heard about it later. As they laid palm branches and coats out on the ground, I could see they were showing honor to this man. They sang, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel! The man seemed gentle and calm but I did not see a smile in his face. Sadness was peeking through his eyes. I heard later that he had said over the city.
If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peacebut now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an trench around you and crush you from every side. They will dash you and your children to the ground and not leave one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of Gods coming to you. I have no idea what this means. But they way he said it, I fell it is the truth.
A leader of the Temple shouted to the man. Teacher, tell your followers to be silent. But he looked at them and said, If they keep quiet, the stones themselves would cry out. Oh, how I wished the people would have kept still for a moment so I could hear that rejoicing.
I asked a couple by me who this man was and they told me it was Jesus of Nazareth in Galilee. I couldnt believe it. I head heard of this man raising my friend Lazarus in Bethany, our hometown. What miraculous thing that must have been to see. I thought to myself, I must follow this Jesus and watch what he does.
The morning after Jesus entered the city and crowds praised him I went to the Temple to have a look around and see if there was anything I would like to buy. The place was packed with tables and tables of people selling and trading. Dear sister I could feel something was wrong there. This building was supposed to be a place where the Jews would pray and worship God. But it looked more like a mad house then a Holy House.
Pondering these thoughts only lasted a moment for I heard a shout coming across the walls into my ears. I looked and this same Jesus was turning over tables and releasing animals that were to be sold. I could see a righteous anger against the apparent dishonest trade going on. He yelled in a loud voice, Is it not written. My house is to be a house of prayer for all nations? But you have turned it into a den of thieves. I couldnt believe the boldness of this man. He had a quality about Him that made me want to hold onto His every word.
A little later I watched as He touched the lame the blind that were in the temple. He healed them, sister. He reached out His hand, and healed almost every person that came to him. It is a mystery why He did not heal them all.
A joyous excited group of children began dancing around Jesus and singing just as the crowds did the day before. The chief priests of the Temple did not like what they were hearing and tried to keep the children quiet. You see, by their praises they were proclaiming Jesus as the Savior. The people have waited for many, many years for a man to rise up like Joshua, and King David, and conquer the enemies of Israel. They sought Jesus to be that man, the Messiah. Jesus did not stop the children from praising; rather He rebuked the leaders by quoting from a Psalm of David.
Jesus did and said many things that day, as I know He has been speaking for three years since. I was in the crowd later when Jesus began to talk strangely, at least to me at that time. It sounded unusual for man to speak like He did.
He looked at the people and His disciples and said, Now my heart is troubled. I cant ask the Father to save me from what is to come. Because it is for this time that I came. He then raised His head to the sky and said, Father bring glory to your name.
Something like thunder or a mighty angel spoke from nowhere in reply, I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.
I did not understand what was going on, and as if reading my thoughts Jesus spoke again to the crowd. This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for the judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But when I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all men to me.
Some in the crowd questioned what He was talking about. Jesus answered, You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of the light. At that Jesus began to walk away. I tried to push through the crowds but He disappeared.
The daylight was growing dim and I thought at the time this was what Jesus was talking about. I did not know He meant these things of Himself and was telling us what would happen to Him. I set in mind to return to the Temple the next morning so I would not miss the amazing teachings of this Jesus. Truly He was no ordinary man.
Every morning I joined the rest of the crowd at the Temple. Like clockwork Jesus would appear and begin teaching and telling us stories. I would listen to the people talk about Him during the break to eat. The ideas of His identity varied from different groups. The zealots thought He was waiting for the right time to overthrow Rome. The peoples either thought He was a prophet or a good teacher. The religious leaders were plotting against Him.
Dear sister I saw something that I must get off my chest even now. One of the nearest disciples of Jesus, I believe the treasurer, went into the meeting place of the Temple authorities. Judas, this man, walked into the room and came out a little later with a bag that looked like it held coins. In my gut I felt something was terribly wrong and I only wish I had done something when I had the chance or maybe I dont.
For every question the chief priests asked Jesus, He had an answer that would silence them. He never failed to come up with something new and clever to say. Everything He said felt like He had complete confidence in the truth of His words.
The last time I saw Jesus speaking publicly I could hear sadness in His voice. It was as if it was His last appeal for the people to listen. It would take time before even I heard the words that flowed that day. When a man believes in me, he also believes in the One who sent me. Jesus began speaking. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in the darkness. As for the person who hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not keep my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say. I couldnt get over the fact that this man was putting Himself on equal footing with God.
Deborah you know how for a long time I have struggled with understanding more about the God of Israel. I asked Him to show me His love in the best way He could. What I am about to write to you is how God did just that. You see the day of Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. Being not Jewish myself, I wanted to do that best I could to respect the Holy Day.
Since I entered the city I had been staying with a friend of mine who had guests rooms available and a special room set aside for the Passover. I did not know when I first entered that building that Jesus and His 12 disciples would be eating the supper in that very room. How I wish I was able to join them. But my friend stopped me and told me that it was a special time for them. However, he did give me the chance to serve the bread and wine to the disciples.
