Jesus trusted his Father so completely that the flesh of Adam was much more subjugated in Him than in me. Still, I can think of two incidents where the flesh made an appearance and was recorded by the Gospel writers. Matthew and Mark had different opinions as to whether the first incident happened before or after Jesus cleansed the temple, but both associated it with that event.
Now early in the morning,1 Matthew recorded, as [Jesus] returned to the city, he was hungry. After noticing a fig tree by the road he went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “Never again will there be fruit from you!” And the fig tree withered at once.2 The tree appeared as if it should have fruit on it but did not have any. Mark wrote: Now the next day, as they went out from Bethany, [Jesus] was hungry. After noticing in3 the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not4 the5 season for figs. He6 said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.7
Mark added the following details: 1) The fig tree that withered at once was overnight, 2) Jesus saw and approached the tree from a distance; and 3) it was not the season for figs. This is what persuades me that I am witnessing the flesh of Adam in Jesus, a frustration that overcame his reason.
It’s not too hard to see that the actual frustration Jesus vented on the fig tree was the hypocrisy of his own people. He might have cursed those who were selling and buying in the temple courts8 with chilling effect. Instead, as a man like Adam He began to drive out those who were selling and buying9 in the temple courts. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. Then he began to teach them…10
The second incident occurred in the garden of Gethsemane the night he was betrayed. Jesus, born of the Spirit of God, knew that the death of the flesh of Adam was part of his Father’s purpose for his life and ministry. Now my soul is greatly distressed, He said. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me from this hour’? No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour.11 But Jesus, also born of the flesh of Adam, prayed, My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me!12
It is important to me to believe that Jesus’ willingness to suffer was of utmost concern to his Father. I believe Jesus could have said, Father, deliver me from this hour, with complete impunity. He still would have sat at his Father’s right hand, and his Father would have said something equivalent to, “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get’em next time, Tiger.” But Jesus did not pray Father, deliver me from this hour. He never put his Father in that position.
Jesus prayed, Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet not what I will (θέλω), but what you will.13 He was strengthened by the Holy Spirit, then prayed a second time, My Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will (θέλημα) must be done.”14 Luke wrote, Father, if you are willing (βούλει, a form of βούλομαι), take this cup away from me. Yet not my will (θέλημα) but yours be done.15 As subjugated as the flesh was in Jesus He did not rely on his desires (θέλω or θέλημα) to direct his path, but relied on the will of God.
While I am completely convinced by my own experience (for the Scripture doesn’t say it) that the living Holy Spirit of God interceded with Jesus in real time and space, and strengthened Him at that precise moment, I can’t escape how the same Holy Spirit interceded for Jesus in other ways as well. The flesh of Adam transmitted to Jesus came through his mother. When I see Jesus praying My Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will must be done, I can’t help but see Mary answering Gabriel, Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.16 This is the spirit of the woman who raised Jesus as a boy.
I am becoming more and more convinced that the idea of human sacrifice (including the death of the Lord Jesus) did not originate in the mind of God. They have also built places of worship in a place called Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they can sacrifice their sons and daughters by fire. That is something I never commanded them to do! Indeed, it never even entered my mind to command such a thing!17 They have built places here for worship of the god Baal so that they could sacrifice their children as burnt offerings to him in the fire. Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make! They are something I never told them to do! Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind!18 They built places of worship for the god Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom [that is, Gehenna] so that they could sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech. Such a disgusting practice was not something I commanded them to do! It never even entered my mind to command them to do such a thing!19
Though I don’t believe that Jesus’ sacrifice originated in the mind of God, I do believe it is evidence of how far God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—will go to communicate to the religious minds of those born of the flesh of Adam, who thought that such sacrifice should have some merit. So as I see Jesus praying, your will must be done, accepting the death that will put an end to sacrifice—I want (θέλω) mercy and not sacrifice20—and an end to oaths of righteousness—I say to you, do not take oaths at all21—and I see his mother praying, let this happen to me according to your word, I also see an unnamed girl who was commemorated for her words, My father, since you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised,22 after she returned from mourning her virginity and was sacrificed to God to fulfill Jephthah’s reckless oath. Here I find my understanding of one of Jesus’ more enigmatic sayings, enigmatic to those of us who must follow Him by faith rather than by sight.
If anyone wants to become my follower, Jesus said, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.23 Peter and Paul helped me see what it meant to deny myself, to believe that I have died to sin,24 to say, I do not know the man25 to the old man that was crucified with [Christ] so that the body of sin would no longer dominate26 me. To take up [my] cross is to join Jesus distrusting my own desires and saying to God, not my will but yours be done.27 And finally, to follow Jesus is to love and forgive others as He did, which is the fulfillment of the law.28 Freely you received, Jesus told his disciples, freely give.29
Addendum August 22, 2024:
Tables comparing Jeremiah 7:31 and 32:35 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Jeremiah 7:31 and 32:35 (39:35) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Matthew 21:18; Mark 11:13, 14; 11:15 and 11:17 in the KJV and NET follow.
| And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. | And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. | They have also built places of worship in a place called Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they can sacrifice their sons and daughters by fire. That is something I never commanded them to do! Indeed, it never even entered my mind to command such a thing! |
| καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν τὸν βωμὸν τοῦ Ταφεθ ὅς ἐστιν ἐν φάραγγι υἱοῦ Εννομ τοῦ κατακαίειν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτῶν ἐν πυρί ὃ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην αὐτοῖς καὶ οὐ διενοήθην ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου | καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν τὸν βωμὸν τοῦ Ταφέθ, ὅς ἐστιν ἐν φάραγγι υἱοῦ ᾿Εννόμ, τοῦ κατακαίειν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτῶν ἐν πυρί, ὃ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην αὐτοῖς καὶ οὐ διενοήθην ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου |
| And they built the altar of Tapheth, which is in the valley of Hennom’s son, to burn their sons and their daughters with fire—which I did not command them, and I did not intend it in my heart. | And they have built the altar of Tapheth, which is in the valley of the son of Ennom, to burn their sons and their daughters with fire; which I did not command them [to do], neither did I design it in my heart. |
| And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. | And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. | They built places of worship for the god Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they could sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech. Such a disgusting practice was not something I commanded them to do. It never even entered my mind to command them to do such a thing! So Judah is certainly liable for punishment.’ |
| καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν τοὺς βωμοὺς τῇ Βααλ τοὺς ἐν φάραγγι υἱοῦ Εννομ τοῦ ἀναφέρειν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτῶν τῷ Μολοχ βασιλεῖ ἃ οὐ συνέταξα αὐτοῖς καὶ οὐκ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ καρδίαν μου τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ βδέλυγμα τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ ἐφαμαρτεῖν τὸν Ιουδαν | καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν τοὺς βωμοὺς τῇ Βάαλ τοὺς ἐν φάραγγι υἱοῦ ᾿Εννὸμ τοῦ ἀναφέρειν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτῶν τῷ Μολὸχ βασιλεῖ, ἃ οὐ συνέταξα αὐτοῖς καὶ οὐκ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ καρδίαν μου, τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ βδέλυγμα τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ ἐφαμαρτεῖν τὸν ᾿Ιούδαν |
| And they built the altars to the goddess Baal, which are in the valley of Hennom’s son, to offer up their sons and their daughters to the king, things which I did not intend them to do, and it did not arise in my heart that they do this abomination so as to cause Iouda to sin. | And they built to Baal the altars that are in the valley of the son of Ennom, to offer their sons and their daughters to king Moloch; which things I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Juda to sin. |
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Matthew 21:18 (KJV) |
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| Now early in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. | Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. |
| Πρωὶ_ δὲ |ἐπανάγων| εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐπείνασεν | πρωιας δε επαναγων εις την πολιν επεινασεν | πρωιας δε επαναγων εις την πολιν επεινασεν |
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Mark 11:13, 14 (KJV) |
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| After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. | And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. |
| καὶ ἰδὼν συκῆν ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἔχουσαν φύλλα ἦλθεν, εἰ ἄρα τι εὑρήσει ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ ἐλθὼν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὴν οὐδὲν εὗρεν εἰ μὴ φύλλα· ὁ γὰρ καιρὸς οὐκ ἦν σύκων | και ιδων συκην μακροθεν εχουσαν φυλλα ηλθεν ει αρα ευρησει τι εν αυτη και ελθων επ αυτην ουδεν ευρεν ει μη φυλλα ου γαρ ην καιρος συκων | και ιδων συκην μακροθεν εχουσαν φυλλα ηλθεν ει αρα ευρησει τι εν αυτη και ελθων επ αυτην ουδεν ευρεν ει μη φυλλα ου γαρ ην καιρος συκων |
| He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. | And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. |
| καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτῇ· μηκέτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐκ σοῦ μηδεὶς καρπὸν φάγοι. καὶ ἤκουον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ | και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτη μηκετι εκ σου εις τον αιωνα μηδεις καρπον φαγοι και ηκουον οι μαθηται αυτου | και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτη μηκετι εκ σου εις τον αιωνα μηδεις καρπον φαγοι και ηκουον οι μαθηται αυτου |
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Mark 11:15 (KJV) |
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| Then they came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, | And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; |
| Καὶ ἔρχονται εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. Καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἤρξατο ἐκβάλλειν τοὺς πωλοῦντας καὶ τοὺς ἀγοράζοντας ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, καὶ τὰς τραπέζας τῶν κολλυβιστῶν καὶ τὰς καθέδρας τῶν πωλούντων τὰς περιστερὰς κατέστρεψεν | και ερχονται εις ιεροσολυμα και εισελθων ο ιησους εις το ιερον ηρξατο εκβαλλειν τους πωλουντας και αγοραζοντας εν τω ιερω και τας τραπεζας των κολλυβιστων και τας καθεδρας των πωλουντων τας περιστερας κατεστρεψεν | και ερχονται εις ιεροσολυμα και εισελθων ο ιησους εις το ιερον ηρξατο εκβαλλειν τους πωλουντας και αγοραζοντας εν τω ιερω και τας τραπεζας των κολλυβιστων και τας καθεδρας των πωλουντων τας περιστερας κατεστρεψεν |
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Mark 11:17 (KJV) |
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| Then he began to teach them and said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have turned it into a den of robbers!” | And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. |
| καὶ ἐδίδασκεν καὶ ἔλεγεν |αὐτοῖς|· οὐ γέγραπται ὅτι ὁ οἶκος μου οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν; ὑμεῖς δὲ πεποιήκατε αὐτὸν σπήλαιον λῃστῶν | και εδιδασκεν λεγων αυτοις ου γεγραπται οτι ο οικος μου οικος προσευχης κληθησεται πασιν τοις εθνεσιν υμεις δε εποιησατε αυτον σπηλαιον ληστων | και εδιδασκεν λεγων αυτοις ου γεγραπται οτι ο οικος μου οικος προσευχης κληθησεται πασιν τοις εθνεσιν υμεις δε εποιησατε αυτον σπηλαιον ληστων |
1 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had Πρωὶ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πρωιας (KJV: in the morning), a form of πρωΐα.
2 Matthew 21:18, 19 (NET)
3 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the preposition ἀπὸ here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.
4 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had οὐκ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ου.
5 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article ὁ here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.
6 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο ιησους (KJV: Jesus) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.
7 Mark 11:12-14 (NET)
9 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article τοὺς preceding buying. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.
10 Mark 11:15b-17a (NET)
11 John 12:27 (NET)
16 Luke 1:38 (NET)
17 Jeremiah 7:31 (NET)
19 Jeremiah 32:35 (NET)
20 Matthew 9:13 and 12:7 (NET) ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν a quotation of Hosea 6:6 [Table] from the Septuagint, ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν. Hosea 6:6 translated from contemporary Hebrew reads, For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice (NET). See also Hebrews 10:5-9 (NET).
21 Matthew 5:34 (NET)
23 Matthew 16:24 (NET)
26 Romans 6:6 (NET)