Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
July 11, 2001 Randall Caselman
Prelude To Glory
It was the last week in March, Passover was only six days off. The hour is come. All of heaven has waited for The Hour and now heaven's pride, Jesus Christ, faces a human problem; mixed emotions... I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me. "Now My heart is troubled, and what shall I say? `Father, save Me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name!"
The concept of dying to live is not easy to handle, is it? Oh, yes, we know we will not die; cease to exist, but only change, because the soul never dies. Jesus knew that. He knew who He was and why He came; still the humanity in him said, "I don't want to." Jesus was about to literally become the human Paschal Lamb. Death from here on would pass over all those under His blood. He came to conquer sin. He had accomplished that, thirty-three years and not one single transgression. Now the last enemy to conquer was death. Could He do it? This was Jesus' agony.
As He approached the city from Bethany, Jerusalem was buzzing with people. The name of Jesus was on the lips of traveling pilgrims... "Have you seen him? Will he come? Did you hear about Lazarus? Could it be? Is he Messiah?"
On the road above the town, from the Mount of Olives, Jesus appeared riding a colt. The people cried, "Hosanna" "Hosanna" (save us now). Near the city, probably as they crossed the Kedron, Jesus began to weep... "Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, if you had only known... This day would have brought you peace."
It was late as they entered Jerusalem. Reading Mark's account, we find Jesus ending that Sunday standing alone in the temple. Mark says he just stands there looking around. It's late, it's quiet, Jesus was just thinking. Wonder what was going through the mind of God in the flesh in those moments of quiet time in the temple?
Perhaps He was thinking back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That early time when "all was but a dream of dim conception." When this plan existed only in the mind of God, how the Son would come through Abraham for the salvation of all mankind. Now, He is here, the hour is come, all of HIS-story was made for this week. The Cross, the Hinge of History is only hours away.
Perhaps Jesus was thinking de'ja vu, I have been here before. It was on this very mountain that we watched Abraham demonstrate his faith, ready to offer Isaac. It was here that Our Glory descended that exciting day Solomon dedicated the temple. Then there was the joy that was Ours when Zerubbabel returned to rebuild. And I was here at age 12, "don't you know I must be about My Father's business". It all seemed like only yesterday.
Or perhaps, He was thinking, In forty years, there won't be anything left. Not one stone upon another. But it won't really matter. Because in a few weeks the Father and I won't dwell in temples made with hands, but we will live in the hearts of those who obey us. Then believers will be able to sing...
My God and I go in the field together,
We walk and talk as good friends should and do;
We clasp our hands, our voices ring with laughter,
My God and I walk through the meadow's hue...
He tells me of the years that went before me,
When heavenly plans were made for me to be,
When all was but a dream of dim conception,
To come to life, earth's verdant glory see...
My God and I will go for aye together,
We'll walk and talk as good friends should and do;
This earth will pass, and with it common trifles,
But God and I will go unendingly.
Randall Caselman
