Monday, March 19, 2018

Death row

Luke 9:30,31

And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Death row is a special section of a prison where prisoners who were convicted of capital offences are housed while awaiting execution. Of course, the way that the judicial system works, you could be on death row for years while appeals are heard, and other legal procedures are taking place. So, inmates on death row wake up every morning, go through every day, then go to bed each night knowing that death at the hand of the executioner awaits them.

In modern and progressive societies there are movements away from the death penalty, with some countries having already abolished it all together. In many countries, the death penalty remains but research and development has focused on less and less cruel methods of execution.

In ancient and primitive times, the death penalty flourished, and there was no thought given to public opinion or methods to reduce cruelty. In fact, the opposite might be true, that more and more cruel methods were sought.

Today, many who are against the death penalty argue that just being on death row is a form of mental cruelty. The long-term isolation and uncertainty over one’s fate, they believe, is likely to cause mental illness. Some research suggests that some death row inmates are already mentally ill, and many attempt suicide.

Most of us don’t know what it’s like to be living under a death sentence, certainly not in the judicial sense. A small few of us, on account of medical conditions, might have a sense of what it’s like living knowing that death is imminent. In these cases, we try our best to work on diet and exercise and meds to hold off the inevitable as long as possible.

An even smaller few persons born in the world are born under a death sentence. Medical science now allows us to determine the medical condition of a newborn, and that science could determine life expectancy. As a matter of fact, that science can determine the viability of a foetus in the womb and the chance of a good life for the child that would be born.

Jesus was born before all this science and before any thought was given to progressive approaches to the death penalty, but he was born to death row, condemned to die at birth. Well, to be technically and theologically correct, he was condemned to die before he was born.

The first time we were made aware of this was all the way back in Genesis. We could argue about whether it was clearly understood at the time. “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15.

But let’s skip all the way to the New Testament where the action is at an obvious high point. Once we get into the birth narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, we get the sense that someone is after Jesus’ life.

Herod attempted to execute the death sentence and entered into negotiations with the three wise men in the hope of getting his hand on the child. “Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” Matthew 2:7,8. That failed because, “being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.” Matthew 2:12.

When that plot failed and Joseph took his family away from the executioner’s sword to safety in Egypt, countless young boys were collateral damage. “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.” Matthew 2:16

Fast forward again, the Jews made several attempts to stone Jesus to death every time they took offence at something He said. The enemy sought, through them, to execute the death sentence. “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.” John 10:31.

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Luke 4:28,29.

Imagine, how central this is. When the amazing transfiguration took place, and Moses and Elijah showed up to talk with Jesus, the only topic of conversation was His death sentence. “And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Luke 9:30,31

The Sanhedrin, particularly under Caiaphas, sought to execute the death sentence, Jesus dodged and outwitted them spending time in the hills.  “Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.” John 11:53.54.

The Romans, instigated by the Sanhedrin, eventually executed Him when He “surrendered” on his own terms.

We too were born on death row, think about it, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23, and Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.”

Think on these things:

1. Is there anything in your life like a death sentence?
2. Do you know anyone who has lived with a death sentence from sickness, how did they handle it?
3. Do you think that the idea of our spiritual death sentence is really different from a physical death sentence?

Prayer focus:

Let us pray today that we would appreciate being taken off death row and work to help others find their way off.

In His Grace
Pastor Alex