But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more" (Jeremiah 11:19).  This is the Old Testament reading for Holy Tuesday. The Gospel reading is the Passion Account in Mark 14-15. To best understand the Passion of Jesus, it is vital that we read it in the context of this quote from Jeremiah. The Chief Priests and the religious leaders of Israel knew that they could not deal with the followers of Jesus alone, but had to eliminate the source, Jesus Himself. They had to kill the tree to stop the fruit.

Jesus was the gentle lamb, led to the slaughter, that the leaders of Israel thought would be killed and bring an end to His work. Jesus did not come to do His work like a temporal hero who mightily conquers and vanquishes his foes. No. Jesus came to conquer by being defeated. He came to bear fruit by dying. He came to be The Champion by being the ultimate victim on the cross. The chief priests and leaders thought they had Jesus, but what was really happening was the salvation of all mankind. Jesus is the gentle Lamb, the tree that dies so that it may bear fruit to all eternity. Because Jesus died and is risen, His Name is remembered throughout all time as the Name that alone saves, the Name that alone forgives, the Name that alone grants life and peace to all who hear and receive unto saving faith.

Let us then rejoice that the will of the Father was done through the hands of the chief priests and leaders in that they put Jesus to death in order that He may grant us life. Let us rejoice that on the tree of death, the cross, Jesus now bears fruit that cannot be counted, abundant fruit that has no end in sight. You are Jesus' fruit, the fruit of the cross, His priceless treasure that He will have and hold for all eternity in paradise.

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world be hushed, and the Old Adam be drowned anew so that you hear only the voice of your Savior Jesus who says, "Father forgive them," Amen.

Jesus' Sheepdog,

Pastor Hull