Final Confrontation

by D. Brian Shafer

  As He spoke these words, several men stood to leave. Some left apologetically; others left defiantly; still others simply walked away. Many of His newer followers turned back and no longer followed Him. Jesus looked at the twelve who remained.

  “Are you going to leave Me as well?” He asked the twelve.

  The men were silent—ashamed at their thoughts. Then Peter spoke up and said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe that You are the Holy One of God.”

  Jesus looked at the men.

  “I chose all twelve of you,” He said. “And all of you have remained with Me and did not depart with the others.” Not looking at any one in particular He added, “And yet one of you is a devil!”

  From a distance, Berenius had been listening. He turned to his aide. “An interesting choice of words,” he said. “Quite revealing.” He thought about it for a moment.

  “One of the twelve is a devil. Send word to Lucifer. I will soon name the betrayer!”

  “Who do men say that I am?” asked Jesus.

  The question seemed to come out of nowhere as the disciples were following along on the road in Caesarea-Philippi. It hardly seemed to make a difference who other people thought Jesus was. And yet, this was the first time He had asked the disciples such a pointed question concerning Himself.

  “My Lord?” asked Peter.

  “I asked who people say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

  The disciples looked at each other, not really knowing how to answer. Some people obviously scorned Jesus and thought He was a devil. Others were not sure. But this was not the answer for which Jesus searched. He was looking for something deeper—something inside the hearts and minds of the disciples.

  “Well, some say You are perhaps John the Baptist, back from the dead,” said one disciple.

  “Others claim You are Elijah, the prophet,” said another.

  Jesus smiled lovingly at them—men with whom He had shared meals and ministry over the past two years.

  “But what about all of you?” He pressed. “Who do you say I am?”

  Nobody wanted to answer the question. It brought on a measure of discomfort—almost as if by answering the question truthfully one might expose one’s weakness in faith. Then a voice came from the group.

  “Why, you are the Christ. You are the Son of the Living God!”

  It was Peter.

  Jesus smiled at Peter proudly. He took him aside and held him up as an example to the others.

  “Hear Me now! Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, Peter. You did not figure this out on your own. This was given to you by the Father. But hear Me—I say no longer shall this man be called Simon by you, the unsteady one. Instead he shall be called Peter—the rock. Just as I called him the first day I met him! For upon this declaration—this rock—I shall build My church—and the very gates of hell itself shall not prevail against it!”

  “And I tell you this, Peter,” Jesus continued, “I am giving you the keys to the Kingdom so that whatever you bind on this planet shall be bound in Heaven; and whatever you turn loose on this planet shall also be turned loose in heaven.”

  Peter could hardly believe what he was hearing. All of his life he had lived with a reputation for being blunt, impetuous, headstrong, and simple. He was always the stumbler—the reckless one. And now he was declared by the Son of God Himself to be a rock—Peter!

  It was something for which he had longed all his life but never realized it until now, listening to Jesus. His brothers understood this—particularly Andrew, who was now smiling at Peter and giving him a “well done” look.

  “Where to, Lord?” asked Peter. “Where are we headed?” “To glory, Peter,” said Jesus, throwing an arm around him. “To glory.”

  Chronicles of the Host

  Kingdom Progress

  With two years of ministry now passed, Jesus’ teaching continued taking on a more melancholy tone. The disciples continued following and ministering; healing continued and demons were cast out—but there seemed to be a new seriousness about their mission which had not existed in the early days.

  It was about this time that Jesus began teaching something particularly hard for His followers to take—that He must die at the hands of men. To most of the disciples it was unthinkable and must not be. Was it possible for God to die? To one, however, the declaration destroyed the last bit of hope he held that Jesus’ Kingdom might offer any true comfort. From that point on He would seek His comfort elsewhere…

  CHAPTER 12

  “Get behind me, Satan!”

  “Well, Crispin,” said Lucifer. “How very nice to see you again.”

  Kara laughed at the appearance of Crispin, who along with Alamar had accompanied Michael and several other angels to travel with Jesus. This was to be their last journey with Jesus before the next Passover, and they were all very alert that something dramatic was shifting in the life and ministry of their Lord. They had also come in response to the growing number of Lucifer’s angels who had begun clamoring around Jesus and his disciples.

  “Dear Crispin, when will you ever learn that Jesus does not need your most capable assistance?” Kara mocked.

  “Dear Kara, when will you ever learn He does not fear any of your nonsense?” Crispin retorted.

  “It seems your Man is destined not for greatness but for death,” said Lucifer. “What does one do with a dead Lord?”

  Michael looked over the group of angels, both holy and unholy, who now were with Jesus and His disciples on the road to Mount Tabor. As they walked, Jesus began speaking to them about what must shortly happen to Him

  “Our Lord will not die,” said Michael sternly. “He is speaking to them in parables again. It is you who has a grim destiny, Lucifer.”

  “Perhaps,” said Lucifer. “But the way the Most High seems to operate, He always allows us room to contest Him. I’m sure He won’t disappoint Him this time either.”

  Michael was about to answer when a commotion among the disciples broke out. Peter stormed away from the group. His brother Andrew followed along, trying to reason with him. But Peter would have none of it. After a moment or two he walked back over to the men.

  “This should prove interesting,” said Lucifer, who moved down among the group. Michael saw alarm beginning to grow among his angels but he held them back. He knew that Lucifer would never try something with the Most High outright.

  “What is your dark master doing?” asked Crispin. “Fooling himself?”

  “I rather suspect he is fooling Peter,” said Kara.

  “The ‘rock’,” added Berenius with contempt.

  The men stepped aside and allowed Peter back in their midst. He moved up close to Jesus, shaking his head in disbelief over what he had just heard.

  “It’s true Peter,” said Jesus. “You must understand this. All of you must.”

  The angels had moved in by now, wanting to make certain they too had correctly understood what Jesus had said. Lucifer remained behind Peter.

  “We must begin a slow but certain trek to Jerusalem where the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of the chief priest and the elders. I shall die there.”

  The holy angels shuddered at the statement. Crispin was perplexed. Even Michael was unnerved by such a declaration. As for Lucifer, he quickly hushed his howling angels so he could understand more of this mystery.

  “But,” continued Jesus, “on the third day the Son of Man shall be raised again.”

  He looked deeply into Peter’s eyes. “Do you understand, Peter?”

  Lucifer sized up the situation as a critical point in Jesus’ ministry. If he could cast doubt on Him now—during this supreme declaration—then perhaps the whole rotten plan would come crashing down. He moved behind Peter and began to speak into his mind:

  “Let these others watch him die. But you must not permit it. Perhaps the Man is over wrought…”

  “Lord, this cannot be!” declared Peter. “How can You die when You
have brought us so far? How can this possibly be part of the plan?”

  Jesus looked through Peter directly into the face of Lucifer. The authority the angel felt being exerted over him was not unlike that which he had experienced when he was in Heaven serving at the Most High’s throne. Only this time it was directed at him more pointedly.

  “Get behind me Satan!” Jesus said.

  Lucifer fell to the ground, cowering in a mass of light. Kara and Berenius buckled and fell where they stood, as well. The other devils scattered and disappeared. Only the holy angels remained standing at their posts.

  “Satan, you are an offense to me! You are not mindful of the things of God, but would see My Father’s plan undone by men.”

  Peter fell to the ground and asked Jesus forgiveness for having become an obstacle to Him. Lucifer managed to stand and, with a scowl at Michael, quickly vanished. Kara and Berenius followed him.

  Jesus continued talking to all of them.

  “Hear me now! If any of you would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it.”

  He picked up some loose dirt and let it sift through His fingers.

  “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? I tell you I am not jealous for My own life. If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, then I will be ashamed of him when I come in My glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

  He looked the men over and felt a great sense of compassion. The twelve were silent as He said to them encouragingly, “I’m telling you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God.”

  “And so Lucifer is bested once more,” said Alamar. “I have learned a great deal about the Lord’s authority in this world.”

  Crispin, still shocked by what Jesus had said to His disciples, could only mutter to himself something about the Lord having to die. Michael walked over to him. The other angels closed ranks as well. The disciples had fallen silent.

  “Why must He die?” asked Michael. “How can that possibly serve the interests of the Lord? Why must He die for the Lord?”

  Crispin looked up at the angelic faces. He thought for a minute of everything leading up to this moment. He recounted to them how God had created A’dam and Eve to live in Eden; how they both fell and allowed the image of God inside them to become marred; how God sought through Abraham to create a new covenant that would one day see the world blessed; how God led this great nation through Egypt and into the land of promise; how Israel established itself and built the great temple to house God’s very Presence; how the nation corrupted itself and God sent the prophets to warn of impending judgment; how the prophets spoke of One to come who would one day set them all free and establish a Kingdom which would last forever; how Jesus was born to a virgin as the prophet had said; and now how this same Jesus, the Son of the Living God, must die and be raised again. He finally summed it all up in answer to Michael.

  “Michael, I would say in answer to your question that Jesus is not dying for the Lord as much as He is dying for men.”

  Mount Tabor jutted out of the Plain of Esdraelon, giving a marvelous view of Mount Carmel in the west and Mount Hermon to its north. The men who camped at its base were happy not to be doing any climbing, however. The disciples were weary of ministry and still alarmed at all the talk of death that had taken over their Master recently.

  As they sat near a fire, some of them were chatting about the discussion. Thomas leaned in and whispered to Thaddeus and Bartholomew.

  “I wonder if perhaps He has been traveling too hard,” he said. “Judas thinks that maybe He is ill.”

  “Nonsense,” said Thaddeus. “But I don’t pretend to understand any of this.”

  “Here comes Peter,” said Bartholomew. “Hush for now.”

  Peter moved over to the fire and warmed his hands. He looked at the men with whom he had shared his life for the last couple of years. He loved them all. As he contemplated what had befallen him since he and his brother had met Jesus, he watched Judas move in from the darkness and sit near the fire. Judas rarely spoke these days. He always seemed to be brooding about something.

  “Peter.”

  Peter turned to see Jesus standing with James and John. He motioned for him to follow along with them. The others stayed in the camp and watched as Jesus and these three disappeared onto the mountain.

  “There they go,” said Judas. “Jesus and His favorites.”

  Andrew heard the comment and rebuked Judas.

  “How dare you shame our Master like that!”.

  Judas merely shrugged and curled up in his blanket.

  Jesus led them to a spot where they were to pray. Peter and the others soon found themselves very sleepy. But Jesus continued steadfastly in prayer. Then, while He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning, casting the whole mountainside in a silvery-white splendor.

  Two figures, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor as well, talking with Jesus. They spoke with Him about His coming death, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.

  Peter and his companions were still very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.

  “Look at that,” said Peter, slowly making his way toward them.

  John fell to the ground in worship. James called Peter to come back. Just as Moses and Elijah were leaving Jesus, Peter, not really knowing what he should say, called out to Him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

  While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped the men, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Peter looked about but could make out nobody in the fog. He called out to the others but he could hear nothing. Then, a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.”

  When the voice had spoken, they found Jesus alone and no longer covered in the glorious white light. They could not believe what they had witnessed: Moses, Elijah and the Son of God—all in discussion! The Law, the Prophets and the King came together in advance of Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem. They agreed they should tell no one about their experience until it was proper to do so.

  Another trio had watched the incident from a safe distance as well. These three demons—dispatched by Kara to maintain a vigil on Jesus and his movements—were shocked by what they had seen. They looked at each other in both disbelief and fear. But they made no such agreement to keep quiet about it. In fact, they hurried to their master to report on what had happened.

  At Masada, the fortress-palace complex built by Herod the Great that overlooked the vast wilderness to the south of Judea, Lucifer met with his three supreme angels. It was fitting they meet in a place Herod had built in case of an insurrection, for as Lucifer put it, the strain of recent events was beginning to have a “closing in” feeling.

  Masada was built atop an isolated rock cliff at the western end of the Judean desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Dominating the low-lying landscape around it, the fortress was never used by Herod. Now it stood sentry over the southern Judean desert, waiting for a future time when it might be of some use to the Jews.

  “How fitting that we meet in a fortress,” said Lucifer, looking across the flat land below. “For we are indeed besieged.”

  Rugio watched silently as his master paced the wall that overlooked the sheer drop looking toward the Dead Sea. He had never known Lucifer to seem so pessimistic. The report that they had brought concerning Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah at Mount Tabor had upset him unlike any other disappointment in the long struggle that had begun in Eden.

  Kara, ever trying to gain Lucifer’s confidence, had offered the possibility that the specters they had seen were merely tricks of the Most
High and held no real significance. Lucifer had brushed off Kara’s remarks as his usual nonsense. Only Pellecus seemed to grasp the reality of the situation.

  “It seems, my prince, that in conferring with the prophets He wanted to send a definite message,” Pellecus said. “Why else should He bring them along?”

  “Obviously Peter didn’t get the point,” sniffed Kara. “The Lord Himself had to tell him to be quiet.”

  Pellecus ignored Kara and continued.

  “The question lies in the reason for the meeting,” he said. “The answer must lie in who these persons were on earth and what they did while they were here.”

  Precisely,” said Lucifer, turning from the desert panorama and looking back at the three angels. “When He rebuked me as I stood behind Peter, I could sense the intensity of His mission. No! Each of these represent a portion of the Most High’s anointing on Israel. Moses of the Law; Elijah of the prophets; and Jesus the King.”

  “Prophets, priests, and kings,” sneered Kara. “They were always Israel’s downfall in the past. Perhaps they shall be again.”

  “Except for the fact the Most High is among them now,” said Pellecus. “Try as we might to undo this situation, it looks as if they were in agreement to demonstrate a culmination of the Most High’s plans. These three offices seem to validate whatever it is Jesus is doing.”

  Lucifer nodded his head in dismal agreement.

  “And what are we to do about it?” asked Kara. “We cannot simply allow the Most High to do as He pleases in this.”

  “It is a bit difficult to keep Him from it, isn’t it?” asked Rugio.

  “I think we are doing all we can at present,” said Lucifer. “Until an opportunity presents itself to discredit or destroy Jesus we will be in peril. Remember that whatever else happens, he has prophesied his own death.”