Jesus Conquered the Powers, "and That Ain't No Bull"

Lenten Journey 2024 | Good Friday | Resurrection Sunday | Jesus Christ | Christianity

Mar 30, 2024

Featured image credit: Matt Arnold, “Bulls of Bashan”

The series:

Good Friday

Readings

This Sunday’s readings, according to one liturgical Church Calendar, are the following verses for the First Reading, a Psalm, an Epistle, and the Gospel. Here are the links for you to read as you have time this week:
[URLs to go Biblegateway.com - version is the ESV]

For this post, we’ll examine a few verses from Psalm 22.

Who Were the Bulls of Bashan?

Psalm 22:12-13 (ESV)
¹²Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
¹³they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.

Oh boy, the “weird” verses in the Bible. As a self-confessed “Bible Nerd”, lately I’ve been drawn to research what biblical scholars have published on the Bible verses that pastors and teachers often gloss over. For this Good Friday post, I’ll share what I’ve found on verses 12 and 13, and how the research relates to Jesus’ powerful spiritual work on the cross.

I try and keep these posts brief, so if you’d like to know more, pull out your Bible Study Tools and start digging (you can also find research on the topic on YouTube). I’m presenting just an overview in this post.

Bashan

This region in the Holy Land was a fruitful, fertile one and well known for its cattle. The region lay east of the Jordan River. The giant Og was king of the Bashan region when the Israelites defeated him [read details on GotQuestions.org]. Mount Hermon is Bashan’s northern-most boundary, and is significant to many ancient Near-Eastern cultures and their gods/deities. It’s also where the Romans worshiped their god Pan (with much debauchery). Many biblical scholars believe Jesus’ glorious Transfiguration took place on Mount Hermon because of its proximity to Caesarea-Philippi. You can read the account in these three Gospels:

While in Caesarea-Philippi, at the foot of Mount Hermon, Peter declared Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the Living God” [see Matthew 16]. In response to Peter’s confession, Jesus said the well-know words “upon this rock” and that the Gates of Hades (Hell) would not prevail against the church. The Gates of Hades were known by the ancient Near-Eastern people to be where their gods/deities came up from the underworld. The Gates of Hades are located, where? On Mount Hermon.

Jesus then took Peter, James, and John on Mount Hermon where Moses and Elijah appeared, and where Jesus was transformed before them into His glory. His face shone bright like the sun, with a dazzling, brilliant light. Then, Father God spoke:

Matthew 17:5-6 (HCSB)
⁵While he [Peter] was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said:
This is My beloved Son.
I take delight in Him.
Listen to Him!
⁶When the disciples heard it, they fell facedown and were terrified.

Hint: Other beings/entities were probably terrified as well.

Jesus chose a location where many civilizations had worshiped their gods, the rebellious and evil bene elohim, to reveal Himself to them as well, in all of His glory.

The Bulls of Bashan

Some scholars say verse 12 of Psalm 22 refers to the human powers that sent Jesus to the cross: The Roman government and the religious leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem. Others have written that the psalmist refers to evil, demonic and unseen entities who mocked and tormented Jesus while He hung on the cross.

Either way, human or spiritual enemies, or both, Jesus was tormented and mocked not only in the physical realm but probably also in the spiritual realm which was just as real to Him as the physical world.

Why Is this Important?

Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

On the cross, yes, Jesus became sin for us sinners. His death became our death. For those who repent of their sins, who see their need for a Savior and confess and believe in Jesus as the only unique Son of God (believing loyalty), then His righteousness covers them. Their sins are no more, and God rescues them from the realm (kingdom) of darkness and death, transforming them into new creations.

But, as wonderful as God’s redemption story for humanity is, as amazing as His loving grace is, there’s so much more. Jesus’ death on the cross (and resurrection) crushed, absolutely defeated the rebellious and evil powers and rulers of this world in the unseen or spiritual realm.

But, I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I need to save some things for Resurrection Sunday.

As you meditate on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, imagine Jesus enduring not only the mockery from the humans below the cross, imagine the “bulls of Bashan”, the unseen rebellious spirits, surrounding Him and tormenting Him like roaring, raging lions.

Imagine their indescribable hatred, and maybe even their perverse glee, as they watched Yahweh’s unique and only Son slowly die on that Roman cross. Maybe they celebrated the end of His earthly ministry and no more casting demons out of humans. What a noise they must have made in the spiritual realm. Jesus experienced it all.

Psalm 22 expresses His human suffering, which He endured—for you.

You matter so much to our LORD God.

Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.

Soli Deo Gloria!

If you’re a not-yet follower of Jesus Christ, please come along on this journey with us. You are welcome here.

And, I invite you to read my series on the book “What Does God Want?”.

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James Mangano

Mar 31Edited

Never disappointed!

"They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed." Psalm 22:5 BSB

A simple prayer. "Set free."

Father in Heaven above, we cry out to You because only You can help. Only You can rescue us from our sins and a wicked and perverse world as each one of us moves closer to our last breath. We will not be disappointed if we trust in You, LORD, because only You can save us. Only you are able now. Thank You, LORD!

Night Owl Christian