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A Newsletter for those Victorious in Christ
Volume 8.1 Ook beskikbaar in Afrikaans February 2006
The Kerugma Bulletin is available in pdf format on our web page at http://www.kerugma.org.za and at the bottom of the list of bulletins on the site; you will find an option to download Acrobat Reader free of charge. Once you have downloaded this programme, you will always be able to read the bulletin. Feel free to do so. (The Kerugma Bulletin is also available through the mail.)
“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father... He poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet...” (John 13:1-5)
7 DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
- Naas le Roux
Before the seven day long Passover, Jesus already knew that He would be the Passover lamb at this festival. From Scripture it appears however that His disciples did not understand it this way. For them this Passover was the same as all the other festivals.
Everyone in Israel had to go to the Temple in Jerusalem three times a year for a week to attend one of the three great festivals. The first of these was the Passover (Lev. 23).
When we look at all the information in the four gospels concerning this last Passover when Jesus was crucified, we get a full description of what Jesus did and taught during this festival. The events are more fully set out in John 12 – 22; whilst the other gospels also cast substantial light on the doings of Jesus during these seven days; altogether forming a beautifully united narrative.
In many churches these important Passover events are celebrated annually, not just as a single service, but as a week in which the events from Scripture are followed each and every day. Some churches commemorate a second annual feast, namely Pentecost, by annually holding services for a week. Others commemorate the third annual festival, namely the Feast of Tabernacles during September. In some churches that celebrate the seven days of Easter, it is referred to as “The Passion Week”. At the end of last year we announced in the Kérugma Bulletin that we had released a series of four DVDs/Videos with the theme THE PASSION WEEK.
Unfortunately there was much confusion amongst people who associated this theme with the Roman Catholic director Mel Gibson’s film "THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST". It was then decided, for the sake of those who were so affected by the theme of “PASSION”, to change the theme of the series to 7 DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD. We would prefer that everyone sees these DVDs/Videos rather than missing the true message due to their associating it with something else.
We must mention that our series was filmed long before Gibson's "THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST" became known. We trust however that the changing of the theme of the series will be acceptable to everyone. The theme 7 DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD is taken from Randall Smith’s introduction to the series where he explains that we are looking at the most important week in the history of the world. These seven days dramatically changed the course of history. It is the week that begins with Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and ends with his crucifixion and his eventual rising from the dead.
The series shows what Jesus did, day by day, during
the festival. Many incidents which we have come to know as loose-standing
events in the gospels, suddenly receive a completely new meaning. Jesus did, or
taught this just before His crucifixion, as He knew it was His last
opportunity. Before the end of the festival He would be crucified.
It was indeed His last opportunity to teach His disciples to prepare them for their work after His departure. He was busy with the last part of His earthly ministry. In future He would continue His ministry from heaven, but He would do this through His followers; they would be the people whom He would empower and lead through The Holy Spirit. Therefore He needed to prepare them, thus He taught them concerning the Holy Spirit whom He would send. Through His indwelling Holy Spirit He would live in them and would lead them in the will of the Father. For this reason He shared with them what was on His heart, but He also intercedes for them. In John 17 we read what He prayed for them, but also for us.
Through all the events that Randall Smith accompanies us in this series, we become acquainted, amongst others, with places such as Bethany, the Mount of Olives, the Kidron Valley, Jerusalem, the Temple, the upper room, the Garden of Gethsemane, etc. We also learn how everyone who wished to enter the Temple had to be purified each time; how it happened that the Romans totally destroyed the temple and why the soldiers who arrested Jesus fell backwards when He said to them that He was indeed the One whom they sought. When you read the Bible in future, after seeing this series, it will help you to understand the Scriptures.
Whilst filming these things in Israel, I started wondering whether or not it would be advisable for Bible-college & seminary students to spend at least one year of their training in Israel. There are probably several practical and financial reasons preventing this, but they would be able to expound and proclaim the Scriptures so much better after having spent some time in the Bible lands. However, I believe and trust that these DVDs and videos by Randall Smith will make a substantial contribution to making the Word clearer and more understandable for those who cannot personally travel to the Bible lands.
I remember very well the first time when my friend, Alf Hutchison, and I stood with Randall Smith at the bottom of the Kidron Valley and Alf mentioned how he had always imagined it to be so different than it actually was. When he read that Jesus had descended with His disciples through the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives, he had imagined it to be an enormous valley that must have taken days to cross. In the same way climbing up the Mount of Olives seemed to be a huge undertaking.
In the series we show the route that Jesus had to travel daily when He walked from Bethany to the Temple. Possibly it will give you a different perspective as to that which you imagined when you read the Bible. There are many other things in the series that are very different to what you may have imagined them to be, coming from your own experience. Possibly it is a good idea that you should not merely obtain the series and watch it over and over, but that you should tell others about it or even give them a set.
Are you familiar with the background against which the Biblical narratives took place? I believe there is much to discover and that you will receive as much a blessing from watching the series as I did. One of the things that one can observe, is the Temple with its surrounding buildings as it was in Jesus’ time. It is continually referred to as “the second temple”. The “first temple” is the one that Solomon built.
The Israelites were only permitted to bring their sacrifices to the tabernacle and later to the Temple. Solomon’s temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and Israel was carried away into captivity for seventy years. Therefore during this time they could not bring any sacrifice.
After their return from exile the temple was rebuilt and they could again bring their sacrifices. It was then called the “second temple”. This temple was later rebuilt by King Herod and was substantially enlarged.
Although this was actually a third temple, it is still called the “second temple” because the sacrifices continued uninterrupted during the building process of forty-six years (John 2:20). This “second temple”, the temple of Herod, was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. Since then and even to this day, there is a passionate desire in Israel to build the “third temple”. One of the most remarkable places in Israel to visit is the Temple Institute in the old city of Jerusalem. There you will see a collection of items being made by the Institute with the intention of building the “third temple”, items necessary for the smooth running of a fully functional Jewish temple.
In the series we show a painting of the “first temple”. In this we see the City of David as well as the Palace of Solomon and the temple. As shown in the DVD/video The Significance of the Temple Mount by Michael Utterback, the second temple was built on exactly the same place as the first. Randall then illustrates in the series that the Dome of the Rock is today built on the same place.
The second temple and the city of Jerusalem as they were in the time of Jesus appear very realistic in the series. It is taken from video material of a model of the temple and the city that is kept at the premises of the Holy Land Hotel in Jerusalem. The model is built with the same material as the original building and gives us a very good idea what it must have looked like.
Many of the things shown in the series, such as this model, may not easily be filmed. The model was filmed with the kind permission of the Holy Land Hotel. Many times we experienced how the Lord undertook for us so that we were allowed to film places that one is generally not allowed to film.
The good news is that Part 3 of this series is also available now. Part 4 will be available DV in March 2006. Please let us know what you think of the series.
