In Jeremiah 11 the LORD brings up the history of Israel and Judah. It isn’t a pretty picture, as He reminds them they have been disobedient ever since the days He delivered them from slavery in Egypt. The history of God’s people is a history of broken promises, and going after other gods. The LORD reminded them it had lasted right up to the current day. Jeremiah interjects he is not going to intercede on their behalf, so we have a dark picture painted for the peoples’ future. They knew it was going to be like this, if they failed to keep the LORD’s covenant, and yet they pursued their own selfish ways anyway. The LORD also promises Jeremiah He will protect him from the men of Anathoth.
In Jeremiah 12 the conversation goes back and forth between Jeremiah and the LORD. Jeremiah complains to the LORD at first, because of his situation, but the LORD responds the situation will get worse, before it gets better. This is a reality not many of us want to hear. Jeremiah was being faithful to the LORD, yet the result of that faithfulness was an extremely difficult life. In theory, at least, if Jeremiah had run away from his calling, his life would have been easier. But as we shall see, when we come to the Book of the prophet, Jonah, running away from the LORD can have its own problems! In the end, all we can do is honor the LORD and trust that whatever comes, we will be rewarded at the appropriate time, because the LORD always rewards obedience.
In Jeremiah 13 the LORD tells Jeremiah to buy a linen loincloth, to wear it a few days, and then to take it to the Euphrates river and put it in the cleft of a rock. After some time, He tells Jeremiah to go back and get it. When he finds it, the loincloth is ruined, and good for nothing. The LORD tells Jeremiah this is what will happen to Judah, because of her failure to listen to Him. As the chapter continues, the LORD threatens to send the people into exile for their ongoing rejection of His lordship in their lives. The thing we must understand about the LORD’s threats: they are the same as promises, so when we don’t respond to them, what He promises will come true.
As we return to John 19, we read the record of Jesus’ being beaten by Pilate and then brought out to the crowd where Pilate intended to release Him. But the crowd would have none of that. They cried for His crucifixion, and the religious leaders told Pilate the Jewish law required Jesus’ death, because He had proclaimed Himself a king. This frightened Pilate even more. He went back to talk with Jesus one more time and after that conversation tried to release Jesus, but the people told him if he did that he was no friend of Caesar. That was all it took for Pilate to condemn Jesus. Pilate could not afford to be spoken of in any way but as a friend of Caesar. While Jesus was hanging on the cross, He made sure Mary would have a home with John. According to John, Jesus’ last words were, “It is finished.” The statement did not mean, “It is finally over. I won’t have to suffer any more.” It meant, “What I have come to do is accomplished or complete.” At that moment, noone but Jesus saw it that way. But on Sunday morning, when Jesus rose and the tomb was empty, it would be far easier for everyone to recognize what Jesus had offered as His final words were true!