Ephesians 6:11,12

11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.(NIV)

My last post left me pointing to the Armour of God after I had, in my depression ponderered the Mind of Christ.

Last Thursday was Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday.In our Lenten Study’s we have been reading through the Gospel of Luke. Last Wednesday evening we attempted to unravel the riddles of Gethsemane. THE one was the call to arms.

Just prior to entering the Garden we read the following

Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”

“Nothing,” they answered.

36“Now, however,” He told them, “the one with a purse should take it, and likewise a bag; and the one without a sword should sell his cloak and buy one. 37For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’b For what is written about Me is reaching its fulfillment.”

38So they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That is enough,” He answered. (Berean Bible Luke 22:35-38)

Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages. 2019. Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.biblehub.com/. [Accessed 23 April 2019].

Numbered among the Transgressors

We had disscussed the issue of the peaceful Christ and the ambiguity of telling his disciples to prepare, as if for a campaign. Earlier, Jesus spoke to them reminding them that when they went out on their preaching assignment, that they had wanted for nothing, well in peaceful Pastoring they had been supplied with all their needs. What is going on, we said. Was this Jesus finally becoming a turncoat, a zealot? Had he decided to reject the Cup, to disobey his father, was there going to be blood and fire, at last, Jerusalem would be taken, the Romans sent packing……

Here it is, all the time, it must be fulfilled in him that he was numbered among the Trangressors

In his extra mile, as we say :to go the extra.. Jesus was allowing himself to become a sinner by default of the company he kept. Jesus was Crucified as a seditionist who had insighted his disciples to violence. Which on the face of it appears correct, but at the heart of it, Jesus had begun to drink of the Cup.

Here are two sword, and that was enough.

Our final conclusion had been that these swords referred to Paul’s instructions to the Romans regarding those things represened by the Armour of God. A language they could understand.

So,Yes. those two swords, visible to all, the sharpness and pain of which were felt by the earless victim, through the doorway of the cross,became for us our spiritual armour.