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Wednesday, March 18, 2020
The Road Less Traveled...March 2020
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Unity
Unity is
God’s desires for his people. Unity involves being in agreement, being
unanimous in what is valued, believed and how it is lived out. It also involves being united in purpose,
working together to achieve a common goal. Unity brings the blessing of God to
the church Ps 133. It is critical for the survival of the church, it is a non
negotiable.
The trinity
of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the perfect examples of complete unity
in their relationships to one another and carrying out the plan they created
for the salvation of mankind. There was
never any confusion, conflict or misunderstandings in the role each one
has. They work in perfect harmony with
each other.
We have
some examples in the Old Testament of people being united working in unity for
a common goal or purpose. When there is
unity there is the potential to accomplish great things.
Unity in
the Old Testament
Tower of
Babel
Genesis
11:6
(Gen
11:6) And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all
one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing
that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.
Making
David King
1Ch_12:38
All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with a whole
heart to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were
of a single mind to make David king.
Example of
Nehemiah rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.
Neh_4:6
So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height,
for the people had a mind to work.
In Jesus’
prayer in John 17, he expressed his desire that the disciples would be one just
as he and his father were one.
Joh
17:11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I
am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me,
that they may be one, even as we are one. . Joh 17:22 The glory that you have given
me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
Joh
17:23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so
that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved
me.
Just as
Jesus was one with his father so too are we one with Jesus through the work of
redemption.
Our unity
with Jesus also enables us to share his glory.
We also
share his love
We share
his mission
We share
the knowledge he has given us.
The unity
of the believers was critical to the world’s acceptance of Jesus being sent by
the father. If there is disunity among
believers, it will cause problems for nonbelievers to accept the unity that
Jesus had with his father and the purpose for which he was sent.
After the
death of Jesus he instructed them to wait for the Holy Spirit to be sent. They obeyed Jesus’ instructions and gathered
in a room to pray and study the Scriptures that Jesus had revealed to them
about himself. This time of being
together helped to form them into a unified team.
Act
1:14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer,
together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Devoting:
persevere devotedly, intense times of prayer
As the disciples
gathered together, it was with one
accord. This expression, occurring eleven times in Acts, is one of the keys
that unlocks the secret of blessing. Where brethren dwell together in unity,
God commands the blessing—life for evermore (Ps. 133)
One Accord: one
mind, unanimous
Act_2:1
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in
one place.
Women were
included, Jesus was one of the greatest liberators for women. The role of women
among the Jews was very limited and limiting.
But Jesus set a new standard and the early church gave women a new
status and opportunities to be involved in ministry. The upper room prayer meeting was a great
start to including women in ministry.
As the
church grew in numbers they maintained unity.
They also made demonstrated their unity by sharing meals among
themselves and maintaining singleness of heart.
Act_2:46
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread
from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Their unity
was also expressed in their prayers and declarations when Peter and John were
released
Act_4:24
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord,
and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea,
and all that in them is:
In spite of
opposition they remained united of one accord in continuing their ministry in
the temple area.
Act_5:12
And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the
people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
Unity in
the temple signs and wonders were manifested.
Act
15:25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men
and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
Church
leaders had to solve and issue regarding the Law of Moses, how it should be
honored among the Gentile believers.
They were united in how to resolve it and who to send out from among
them to communicate the message.
These were
all great examples of unity in the church but unfortunately there were recorded
times of disunity and problems that were the result of disagreements.
Disunity
was experienced by the early church.
There was a
problem with taking care of the widows in the church.
Act
6:1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a
complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were
being neglected in the daily distribution.
Disunity
was caused by discrimination against the Hellenist widows. The problem was quickly resolved and the
church was united.
Paul and
Barnabas had a disagreement regarding taking John Mark on the missionary
journey. They could not come to
agreement and had to separate into two teams rather than one team that was not
in harmony with each other.
Act
15:37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark.
Act
15:38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn
from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
Act
15:39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from
each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,
Act
15:40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the
brothers to the grace of the Lord.
Act
15:41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the
churches.
Paul also
had to confront Peter and Barnabas about wrong doctrine and wrong behavior
which resulted from it.
Gal
2:11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because
he stood condemned.
Gal
2:12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the
Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision
party.
Gal
2:13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so
that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
Gal
2:14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of
the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like
a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like
Jews?”
The
Corinthian church was experiencing disunity because they were associated
themselves with either Paul or Apollos rather than Christ. Elevating personalities and following after
people is always dangerous and can be very unhealthy.
1Co
1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you
be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
1Co
1:11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is
quarreling among you, my brothers.
1Co
1:12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I
follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
1Co
1:13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized
in the name of Paul?
Paul had to
address two believers who were at odds with each other.
Php
4:2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.
Paul in his
epistle to the church at Colossae
stressed that in Christ there is no discrimination. Christ is our
unifying factor. Discrimination breeds disunity and it has no part in the body
of Christ.
Col
3:11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Greek The Greek word used here, hellēn, is an ethnic term denoting the people of Greece. Paul
sometimes uses this term as a synonym for “Gentiles” (non-Jews). Their cultural heritage dominated the
Roman world.
circumcision
nor uncircumcision Another way of
referring to Jews (those who are circumcised according to the law) and Gentiles
(those who are not).
barbarian A person considered uncultured according to
Graeco-Roman standards—i.e., those who did not speak Greek or Latin and who
practiced foreign customs or traditions and lacked social standing.
Scythian Like barbarians, Scythians were typically regarded as
uncivilized people. They were crude, cruel people from the north
Slaves, menial
workers at the bottom of the society.
Unity in
the body of Christ is not uniformity. In
the body of Christ there is great diversity yet we are united in Christ in that
he is our Lord and Savior and his teachings along with the entire Scriptures
provide the basis of our fellowship along with the Holy Spirit indwelling in
each believer.
It is
important that we endeavor to maintain unity in the body as it is one of the
strongest witnesses to the world of the truth Jesus has revealed to us through
his life, death and resurrection. Paul
encouraged the church at Ephesus to maintain unity of the Spirit.
Eph
4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner
worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Eph
4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one
another in love,
Eph
4:3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Unity will
help bring people to Christ while disunity will drive them away. Who wants to be a part of anything that is
riddled with division?
Unity or
being or one accord has to do mainly with our beliefs, that we are unified or
in unanimous agreement to what we hold to be true. Apart from this level of agreement we do not
have true unity. We may belong to the
same group of people but we do not share the same values and beliefs or
behaviors that would identify us as part of the group.
Hindrances
to Unity (Joy Dawson)
1. Lack of communication of needs. Pride
keeps us from communicating needs. Love can flow out to others after a need is
expressed. We don’t want to express
needs as it may indicate a weakness. If
we do not express our needs we can become a hindrance to unity. We are not invincible.
James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the
church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord.
2. Sin, confess your faults one to
another that you may be healed.
Jas 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for
one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great
power as it is working.
If we have consciously hurt
someone we need to confess to them. If
they are not aware of it then it is the exception to go to the person. Restitution
should never hurt the other person. Coldness of heart toward someone is to be
forgiven.
Mat 5:23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there
remember that your brother has something against you,
Mat 5:24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be
reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Mt. 6.14, 5.23,24. Mrk 11.25,
26 forgiveness is required for
forgiveness. Expressed forgiveness
unites.
3. Expressing love to one another,
gratitude, encouragement, comfort and understanding. Don’t be reserved in
expressing these things. God expressed
his love openly.
1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another.
Pray to be sensitive to the needs of others and be willing to meet the needs.
Put love into action.
4. Not communicating what we are doing
and why we are doing it. Leaders think that others should just accept it and not
question it
Mat 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his
fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your
brother.
Mat 18:16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along
with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three
witnesses.
The enemy uses it to lead us to
misjudge others and drive a wedge between us.
5. Not having a servant heart.
Jesus set his disciples straight when they were debating who would be
the greatest in the kingdom.
Luk 22:24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them
was to be regarded as the greatest.
Luk 22:25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles
exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called
benefactors.
Luk 22:26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you
become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.
They were not looking at serving each other but being served by
others. This is the wrong attitude that
will create disunity just as it did among the disciples who heard this
conversation. We promote unity through
our service to each other. Being humble will keep us from being humiliated
because of a wrong attitude and expectation.
Unity is corporate humility
Unity must be pursued, it is not optional for believers and it must be put
into practice if we desire to receive the blessing of God. It must be protected and any threats against
unity confronted immediately. Division
and disunity damage the body of Christ and diminishes the witness to the world.
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
The man who would be King
David was chosen to be the king that followed Saul. He
was a very young man when the prophet Samuel came to anoint him as the future
king of Israel. ( 1 Sam 16:13) It was a surprise to his father and his brothers
that he was the one chosen to be Saul’s successor. David may have been only 17 years old when he
was given the news regarding his future.
I am not sure what went through his head after receiving the news but it
was a message that I am sure he and his family never forgot. God had big plans for David’s life but it
would take years before he would see the fulfillment of the prophecy. His call was clear and came from a respected
man of God. The man who would be king
had to keep a humble profile and wait for God’s timing for him to assume the
title and all the responsibilities that came with it.
David would go through a time of training to prepare
him for his future kingship. He did not
boast of his calling but continued doing what his father asked him to do, care
for the flock of sheep. David did not
try to put himself in a position to be close to the king but humbly served his
father. He did not think of himself as
too important for this task, pride of his calling was not part of his
conduct. God was ordering his steps and
providing the training to develop his character to be able to handle his
calling.
David was a skillful musician and had developed a good
reputation among the people.
who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of
war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with
him.” 1 Sam. 16:18
David was a young man with great potential and he
faithfully served King Saul by playing his lyre when the evil spirit attacked
Saul.
David was not afraid to take on challenges. Rescuing a sheep from a lion and bear was
preparation for rescuing Israel from the Philistine army. Goliath did not
intimidate him even though the entire army stood in fear and was paralyzed by
the thought of fighting this giant.
David took on the challenge because he understood that God would not
allow his name to be defiled by the Philistines. (1 Sam. 17:26) He knew his God would give him the victory.
Perhaps he remembered the calling of God on his life, that one day he would be
king and if this prophecy was true, he did not have to fear for his life and
could boldly come against Goliath. God was not going to allow him to be
defeated or killed because his purposes for David had not been fulfilled. David’s passion for God and his glory was
evident to all.
After this victory David did not return to his family
but was taking into the household of Saul and appointed to serve in Saul’s
army. (1 Sam. 18:2) God have him success
in the battles and the people praised him. Again we see the humility of David
and his desire to serve Saul. All the
praise could have gone to his head and the temptation to announce that he would
one day be king. The praise did not seem
to affect David but it devastated Saul and the relationship he had with David
changed from support to suspicion and jealousy.
Saul feared that he would lose the kingship to David and from this point
sought to kill him. (1 Sam 18:9,10) Saul’s two attempts to murder David were not
successful, David’s life was in the control of God and the prophetic word would
preserve his life so that God’s purposes would be established. God was with David but no longer with Saul.
David continued to serve Saul and God continued to
bless his life. David submitted himself
to Saul and carried out his responsibilities as commander of 1,000 men and God
continued to give him success.
When David was told he would be given Merab, Saul’s
eldest daughter as his wife, he responded in humility. (1 Sam. 18:15)
“Who am I, and who are my relatives, my father's clan
in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?” 1
Sam 18.18
This promise was not fulfilled yet David did not
demand that Saul fulfill his promise. A
second wife was later promised to David, Saul’s daughter Micah. The price David needed to pay would put his
life in jeopardy at least that is what Saul intended with the hope that the
Philistines would kill David. (1 Sam. 18:21) Again David responds in humility.
“Does it seem to you a little thing to become the
king's son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?”
It seems that David was unaware of who he was in the
eyes of Saul and of the people. He
claimed he was a man of no reputation, not worthy to be the king’s son-in-law.
Saul’s third attempt to kill David was a failure. The result was that Saul became even more
fearful of David taking over his rule.
Saul’s fourth attempt to kill David was not carried
out because of the intervention of Jonathon, Saul’s son and heir to the throne.
(1 Sam. 19:2) Jonathon informed David of his father’s plan to kill him and
David lived with this knowledge yet continued to submit to Saul and serve
him. David demonstrated his loyalty to
Saul in spite of the 4 plans to kill him.
Saul’s fifth attempt to kill David came when David was
ministering to him by playing music to sooth his soul. 1 Sam. 19:10) I don’t know how you would react to the
previous attempts to kill you by a man who was obviously intent on carrying out
his plan to murder you. David remained
loyal and did what he was called to do in his service to Saul. Once again Saul in his rage tries to pin
David to the wall with a spear. David
fled for his life to his house.
Saul’s sixth attempt to kill David came when Saul sent
men to watch when David left the house and then kill him. David’s wife, Michal learned of the plan and
helped David escape in the night. David sought refuge with Samuel the prophet
in the city of Naioth. (1 Sam. 19:11-18)
Once again Saul planned his 7th attempt on
David’s life by sending messengers with him to take David. (1 Sam 19:20-24)This time God defended David
by causing Saul to fall under the power of the Spirit. Causing him to prophesy
all the way from Ramah to Naioth. When
he came to Samuel he continued to prophesy all day without his clothes on! God was stripping him of his robes of king
and confirming his protection of David.
In spite of this attempt David wanted to be at the
King’s table to celebrate the new moon. (1 Sam. 20:5) He was uncertain if he
should go and formed a plan with Jonathon to be away for 3 days and find out if
Saul was still on the rampage to kill him. On the second day of the festival of
the new moon Saul became concerned that David was not at the table with
him. When Jonathon was questioned he
gave an alibi for David’s absence which Saul knew was not true. His reaction now was to attempt to kill his
own son by throwing a spear at him. Saul
obviously had lost it and was willing to kill his own son because he was
protecting David’s life.
David fled for refuge with the Philistines and
convinced them that he was a madman whom they did not need to fear. (1
Sam.21:14) David continued to move around and was joined by 600 men who did not
want to serve Saul. David was on the run
constantly as Saul continued his pursuit to find him and kill him. None of
Saul’s attempts were successful yet David made no attempt to attack Saul and
his army. God’s protection was evident
in his life and there was no need for David to try to defend himself by
engaging in a battle.
When David and his men were hiding in the caves of
Engedi, he had a perfect opportunity to kill Saul when Saul came into the cave
to relieve himself. (1 Sam 24) David’s
men encouraged him take Saul out but David could not do it. In spite of all the evil Saul had done and
his crazy desire to kill David, he could not kill the man God had appointed
king. David felt guilty of cutting off the edge of Saul’s garment while his men
wished he had cut off his head. When
Saul left the cave David showed honor to Saul.
“My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him,
David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage.
David made Saul aware of the
fact that he had spared his life and that he had no intention of killing
him. David referred to Saul as “God’s
anointed”24:10 and called him “father” 24:11.
I could think of many other things I would have called Saul yet David
showed honor and respect to him.
David’s humility is confirmed
again by his own view of himself.
1Sa 24:14 After whom has
the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After
a flea!
David could have said, “Don’t
you know who I am? I am going to be the
next king of Israel so stop trying to kill me!”
David’s humility and
demonstration of respect and honor broke the heart of Saul causing him to weep
and confirm that David would be the next king.
David honored Saul’s request
that he would not destroy his name out of his father’s house. This was a common practice at this time to
ensure that no one from the household of the previous king could become king.
Saul did not change his plans
to stop pursing David. When Saul and his army were camped in Hachilah David
sent out spies and found the place they were sleeping. (1 Sam 26) It was the
perfect set up to kill Saul yet David once again refused. 1Sa 26:9 But
David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand
against the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?”
1Sa 26:10 And David
said, “As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to
die, or he will go down into battle and perish.
1Sa 26:11 The LORD
forbid that I should put out my hand against the LORD's anointed. But take now
the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.”
David continued to show
respect and honor to Saul who by all standards did not deserve to be treated
this way. David trusted in God to
continue to deliver him and in God’s timing he would elevate him to become
king.
David’s comment to Saul are
remarkable.
1Sa 26:24 Behold, as
your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the
sight of the LORD, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.”
In spite of all the attempts
on David’s life, he regarded Saul’s life as precious.
David fled from Saul and went
to be with the Philistines. Saul finally gave up trying to kill David.
Eventually both Saul and
Jonathon were killed in battle with the Philistines. (1 Sam.31) When the news
reached David his reaction was not one of great joy that finally Saul was no
longer going to be chasing him, he could live in peace and return home after
years of fleeing for his life. David’s
response was that he was appalled that the messenger had killed Saul and had no
respect for God’s anointed one. The
messenger was killed because of what he had done.
David and his men wept and
fasted instead of celebrate. They showed
honor to Saul and Jonathon.
David’s lamentation gave honor
to Saul and Jonathon.
2Sa 1:19 “Your glory, O
Israel
2Sa 1:21
“You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of
offerings! For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul,
2Sa
1:23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
2Sa
1:25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!
David praised the men of
Jabesh-Gilead for recovering the bodies of Saul and Jonathon and burying them
in Israel.
2Sa
2:5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them,
“May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your
lord and buried him.
David is an
extraordinary example of one who was loyal to Saul, showed
respect and honor in spite of all the evil things Saul had done and all the
attempted assassinations of him. David
had tremendous respect for the position God had given Saul as King of
Israel. He submitted himself to Saul
until it was obvious that he needed to flee for his life. David’s humility was demonstrated throughout
this time in his life. He saw himself as
one who was like a flea and not a future king.
He waited upon God to bring about the fulfillment of the prophecy when
he could have taken things into his own hands and made himself king by killing
Saul. David confronted Saul with
respectful and truthful words. He did
not degrade Saul by calling him names or speaking evil of him.
The lessons we can all take
from the life of David are what God expects from all of us in relation to those
God has place in authority in our lives.
Saul was obviously a fallen imperfect man who in the eyes of the world
did not deserve any kind of respect and should have been removed from
office. Yet David refused to speak
against him or do anything to him.
Worldly Standards
·
We witness behavior that is contrary to God’s
standard.
·
Politician’s
tweets
·
Denigrating statements on Facebook
·
Fake News
·
Gossip
·
Disrespect for business owners and their property
God’s Higher Standard
Jesus told his disciples
Mat_5:44
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Paul admonished the church in
Rome
Rom
12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Rom. 13:7 Pay…respect to whom
respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Peter instructed the church
•
(1Pe 2:18) Servants, be subject
to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to
the unjust.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
The Injustices Jesus Suffered during his final days
God is a God of justice.
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will
rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all
who wait for him! (Is. 30:18)
There are many verses that validate this
aspect of his character. His justice is
always perfect because he knows everything about every situation including the
thoughts and motivations of the heart of the person or persons committing the
injustice. Injustice is usually
associated with someone exerting power over another person to force them to do
what they want. Jesus experience this at
the hands of the Jewish leaders and the Roman government during the last days
of his life. When Jesus was treated unjustly, the depth of the injustice was
greater than what we as human beings could experience because he knew
everything that was involved in the situation.
Jesus understands what it is like to be treated unjustly and as we go
through the incidents that he experienced during his final days it will become
more clear to us what he endured.
The timeline of the events that took place
that led to the crucifixion of Jesus is important and will help us understand
what happened in such a short time.
1.
Arrest in the garden (Mt.
26:45-55; Lk. 22:47-53; Jn 18:1-12)
2.
Trial 1 Jesus before Annas (Jn
18:13-24)
3.
Trial 2 Jesus before Caiaphas
((Jn 18:13-24)
4.
Trial 3 Jesus before the
Sanhedrin (Lk. 22:66-71;
5.
Trial 4 Jesus before Pilate
(Mt. 27:1-14; Mk. 15:1-5; Lk 23:1-6; Jn 18:28-38)
6.
Trial 5 Jesus before Herod
Antipas (Lk. 23: 6-12)
7.
Trial 6 Jesus before Pilate
(Lk. 23:13-25)
8.
executed by crucifixion (Mt.
27:32-44; Mk. 15:21-32; Lk. 23:26-34; Jn. 19:16-24)
It is important that we first understand a
little about the relationship between the Jews and Roman government.
The Jews were under the control of the Roman
government. They were given some
self-government but they did not have the right to put anyone to death. 40
years before the destruction of the Temple, judgment in matters of life and
death were taken away from them, only Caesar had that right. Legally the Jews had no right to put anyone
to death.
According to Jewish law in Leviticus 24:16
any one who blasphemes the Lord was to be put to death by stoning. The hands of the witnesses were to be the
first ones to throw the stones (DT. 17:7).
It was obvious that the Jewish leaders
wanted Jesus put to death but they were unable to do it as noted by the Roman
law. They had to contrive a plan to
convince the Roman authorities that Jesus had committed a crime punishable by
death. The Jews from start to finish were seeking to use Pilate for their
purposes. They could not kill Jesus themselves, so they were determined that
the Romans would kill him for them.
In order for the Jews to put Jesus on trial
they had to arrest him in a private area away from the crowds who had come to
Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. It
was estimated that there were 3,000,000 people in Jerusalem at the celebration.
The arrest of Jesus had to take place a
night. If it were to take place during
the day there would be a possibility of a riot by the people who admired Jesus
and thought of him as the promised Messiah.
In order to make this happen Judas became the key player to set up the
arrest scene. He sold his soul for a
mere 30 pieces of silver and led the Jewish leaders and the band of 200+
soldiers to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The number of soldiers sent to arrest Jesus
indicated that they thought there may be trouble at his arrest and they wanted
to make sure everything was under control.
John’s recounting of the arrest noted that
Jesus was first brought to Annas. He was an ex high priest who held this
position from AD 6-15. He remained a
powerful figure even though he was not the current High Priest. The position of High Priest formerly was an office
held for the life time of the Priest but when the Roman government took control
everything changed. The office became a
matter of contention and intrigue and bribery and corruption. The highest bidder who was willing to comply
with the Roman government, was given the office. Each of Annas’ 4 sons were
appointed High Priests and the current High Priest, Caiaphas, at the time of
the arrest of Jesus was the son-in-law of Annas.
The family of Annas was very corrupt and
gained much of their wealth by extortion.
“Even the way in which Annas made his money
was most probably disgraceful. In the Court of the Gentiles there were the
sellers of victims for the sacrifices, those sellers whom Jesus had driven out.
They were not traders; they were extortioners. Every victim offered in the
Temple had to be without spot and blemish. There were inspectors to see that it
was so. If a victim was bought outside the Temple it was certain that a flaw
would be found. The worshipper was then directed to buy at the Temple booths
where the victims had already been examined and where there was no risk of
rejection. That would have been convenient and helpful but for one thing.
Outside the Temple a pair of doves could cost as little as 4 pence; inside they
could cost as much as 75 pence. The whole business was sheer exploitation; and
the shops where the Temple victims were sold were called The Bazaars of Annas.
They were the property of the family of Annas; it was by the exploitation of
the worshippers, by trading on the sacred sacrifices that Annas had amassed a
fortune. The Jews themselves hated the household of Annas.
Now we can see why Annas arranged that
Jesus should be brought first to him. Jesus was the man who had attacked Annas'
vested interest; he had cleared the Temple of the sellers of victims and had
hit Annas where it hurt--in his pocket. Annas wanted to be the first to gloat
over the capture of this disturbing Galilaean.”
Wm Barclay
The examination of Annas was a mockery of
justice. Jewish law declared that a
prisoner must not be asked any questions that would incriminate him. The penalty of death could not be given based
on the confession of the person being tried.
Annas violated the Jewish law by asking Jesus questions. Jesus called him on this and told him to ask
questions of people who had heard him. After Jesus held him accountable for his
action, he was slapped by one of the officers.
Jesus was then taken to Caiaphas the High
Priest were the Jewish leaders made false accusations and mocked Jesus. They had to fill in time before daylight when
they could officially put Jesus on trial.
The Jewish Sanhedrin was the group
responsible for bringing the charges against Jesus.
The Sanhedrin was the supreme court of the
Jews. In particular it had complete jurisdiction over all religious and
theological matters. It was composed of seventy members. Scribes, Rabbis and
Pharisees, priests and Sadducees, and elders were all represented on it. It
could not meet during the hours of darkness. That is why they held Jesus until
the morning before they brought him before it. It could meet only in the Hall
of Hewn Stone in the Temple court. The High Priest was its president. The
manner in which the trial of Jesus was conducted was unjust and violated the
procedures the Sanhedrin had established.
“We possess the rules of procedure of the
Sanhedrin. Perhaps they are only the ideal which was never fully carried out;
but at least they allow us to see what the Jews, at their best, conceived that
the Sanhedrin should be and how far their actions fell short of their own
ideals in the trial of Jesus. The court sat in a semi-circle, in which every
member could see every other member. Facing the court stood the prisoner
dressed in mourning dress. Behind him sat the rows of the students and disciples
of the Rabbis. They might speak in defense of the prisoner but not against him.
Vacancies in the court were probably filled by co-option from these students.
All charges must be supported by the evidence of two witnesses independently
examined. A member of the court might speak against the prisoner, and then
change his mind and speak for him, but not vice-versa. When a verdict was due,
each member had to give his individual judgment, beginning at the youngest and
going on to the most senior. For acquittal a majority of one was all that was
necessary; for condemnation there must be a majority of at least two. Sentence
of death could never be carried out on the day on which it was given; a night
must elapse so that the court might sleep on it, so that, perchance, their
condemnation might turn to mercy. The whole procedure was designed for mercy;
and, even from Luke's summary account, it is clear that the Sanhedrin, when it
tried Jesus, was far from keeping its own rules and regulations.
Jesus was then brought to Pilate. Pilate
was a very troubled man and he did not know how to handle the situation
presented to him. The history of his
life helps us understand a little bit why he consented to the crucifixion of
Jesus." Wm. Barclay
Palestine was not an easy province to
govern. It was under the control of the Emperor
who sent his military there to keep the people under control. A procurator was given the assignment of
keeping law and order and this was the position Pilate was given in AD 26. Pilate was a failure in his position of
procurator or governor. There were three
incidences that marked his career.
“The first occurred on his first visit to
Jerusalem. Jerusalem was not the capital of the province; its headquarters were
at Caesarea. But the procurator paid many visits to Jerusalem, and, when he
did, he stayed in the old palace of the Herods in the west part of the city.
When he came to Jerusalem, he always came with a detachment of soldiers. The
soldiers had their standards; and on the top of the standard there was a little
bust in metal of the reigning Emperor. The Emperor was regarded as a god, and
to the Jew that little bust on the standards was a graven image.
All previous Roman governors, in deference
to the religious scruples of the Jews, had removed that image before they
entered the city. Pilate refused to do so. The Jews besought him to do so.
Pilate was adamant; he would not pander to the superstitions of the Jews. He
went back to Caesarea. The Jews followed him. They dogged his footsteps for
five days. They were humble, but determined in their requests. Finally he told
them to meet him in the amphitheatre. He surrounded them with armed soldiers,
and informed them that if they did not stop their requests they would be killed
there and then. The Jews bared their necks and bade the soldiers strike. Not
even Pilate could massacre defenseless men like that. He was beaten and
compelled to agree that the images should thereafter be removed from the
standards. That was how Pilate began, and it was a bad beginning.
The second incident was this. The Jerusalem
water supply was inadequate. Pilate determined to build a new aqueduct. Where
was the money to come from? He raided the Temple treasury which contained
millions. It is very unlikely that Pilate took money that was deposited for the
sacrifices and the Temple service. Much more likely, he took money which was
entitled Korban, and which came from sources which made it impossible to use
for sacred purposes. His aqueduct was much needed; it was a worthy and a great undertaking;
the water supply would even be of great benefit to the Temple which needed much
cleansing with its continual sacrifices. But the people resented it; they
rioted and surged through the streets. Pilate mingled his soldiers with them in
plain clothes, with concealed weapons. At a given signal they attacked the mob
and many a Jew was clubbed or stabbed to death. Once again Pilate was
unpopular--and he was rendered liable to be reported to the Emperor.
The third incident turned out even worse
for Pilate. As we have seen, when he was in Jerusalem, he stayed in the ancient
palace of the Herods. He had certain shields made; and on them he had inscribed
the name of Tiberius the Emperor. These shields were what is known as votive
shields; they were devoted to the honour and the memory of the Emperor. Now the
Emperor was regarded as a god; so here was the name of a strange god inscribed
and displayed for reverence in the holy city. The people were enraged; the
greatest men, even his closest supporters, besought Pilate to remove them. He
refused. The Jews reported the matter to Tiberius the Emperor, and he ordered
Pilate to remove them.” Wm. Barclay
Pilate’s history of failures did not need
one more item added to it that could cause him to lose his position. The Jewish leaders knew this and used it to
their advantage.
"It is to be very carefully noted that the
charge the Sanhedrin finally produced against Jesus was one of blasphemy. To
claim to be the Son of God was an insult to God's majesty and therefore
blasphemy, and punishable by death.
Before Pilate that charge was never even
mentioned. They knew well that it would have carried no weight with him, and
that he would never have proceeded on a charge which would have seemed to him a
matter of Jewish religion and superstition. The charge they levelled against
Jesus was entirely political, and it has all the marks of the minds and
ingenuity of the Sadducees. It was really the aristocratic, collaborationist
Sadducees who achieved the crucifixion of Jesus, in their terror lest he should
prove a disturbing element and produce a situation in which they would lose
their wealth, their comfort and their power.
Their charge before Pilate was really
threefold. They charged Jesus (a) with seditious agitation; (b) with
encouraging men not to pay tribute to Caesar; (c) with assuming the title king.
Every single item of the charge was a lie, and they knew it. They resorted to
the most calculated and malicious lies in their well-nigh insane desire to
eliminate Jesus.” Wm. Barclay
Pilate after the first trial send Jesus to
Herod Antipas. He was the son of Herod
the Great who murdered children after the visit of the 3 wisemen who came
seeking King Jesus. He wanted Jesus to
put on a show for him and do a miracle.
He questioned Jesus for a long time but Jesus did not answer him. Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.
Pilate could find no fault in Jesus as he
had not committed any crime punishable by death.
Pilate tried to placate the Jews but they
would have nothing of it. They wanted
Jesus dead.
"Throughout the trial his conduct is
well-nigh incomprehensible. It is abundantly clear, it could not be clearer,
that Pilate knew that the charges of the Jews were a series of lies that he
knew that Jesus was completely innocent, that he was deeply impressed with him,
and that he did not wish to condemn him to death--and yet he did. First, he
tried to refuse to deal with the case; then he tried to release Jesus on the
grounds that at the Passover a criminal was always released; then he tried to
compromise by scourging Jesus; then he made a last appeal. But he refused all
through to put his foot down and tell the Jews that he would have nothing to do
with their evil machinations.
It is clear why Pilate acted as he did. The
Jews blackmailed him into crucifying Jesus. They said: "If you let this
man go, you are not Caesar's friend." This was, in effect: "Your
record is not too good; you were reported once before; if you do not give us
our way, we will report you again to the Emperor, and you will be dismissed."
On that day in Jerusalem, Pilate's past rose up and haunted him. He was
blackmailed into assenting to the death of Christ, because his previous
mistakes had made it impossible for him both to defy the Jews and to keep his
post. Somehow one cannot help being sorry for Pilate. He wanted to do the right
thing; but he had not the courage to defy the Jews and do it. He crucified
Jesus in order to keep his job.
Pilate gave in to the demands of the Jews
and allowed the crucifixion to take place.
The routine of crucifixion was always the
same. When the case had been heard and the criminal condemned, the judge
uttered the fateful sentence: "Ibis ad crucem," "You will go to
the cross." The verdict was carried out there and then. The condemned man
was placed in the centre of a quaternion, a company of four Roman soldiers. His
own cross was placed upon his shoulders. Scourging always preceded crucifixion
and it is to be remembered how terrible scourging was. Often the criminal had
to be lashed and goaded along the road, to keep him on his feet, as he
staggered to the place of crucifixion. Before him walked an officer with a
placard on which was written the crime for which he was to die and he was led
through as many streets as possible on the way to execution. There was a double
reason for that. There was the grim reason that as many as possible should see
and take warning from his fate. But there was a merciful reason. The placard
was carried before the condemned man and the long route was chosen, so that if
anyone could still bear witness in his favour, he might come forward and do so.
In such a case, the procession was halted and the case retried.
Throughout this
entire ordeal Jesus remained silent. He
allowed all the injustices to take place without saying anything in his
defense. He knew his identity, purpose
and his destiny and that if he was lifted up all men would be drawn to him. The cross was the way God lifted him up and
we are the benefactors of what Jesus endured for us. The one who knew no sin was made to be sin
for us. His unjust death met the just
demands of God for a perfect sacrifice to be offered for the forgiveness of all
the sins of mankind, past, present and future." Wm Barclay
I pray that each of you has a
greater understanding of the injustices Jesus suffered for our sake and that we
each have a greater appreciation for what he endured for our salvation.
As followers of Christ we too may suffer
injustices for our beliefs. The same
hatred Jesus experienced is also being experienced by believers in countries
that oppose Christianity. We like Jesus must know how to respond when
situations of injustice happen in our lives or the lives of people we
meet. God is a God of justice and he
wants us to bring justice to the oppressed.
Jesus came to set the captives free and we have a responsibility to do
the same.
Peter witnessed the injustice and suffering
Jesus experienced and gave this counsel.
Now who will harm you if you are eager to
do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are
blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts
sanctify Christ as Lord. (1 Pt. 3:13-15)
I listened to a missionary who recounted
the story of a believer who was imprisoned for his faith. He was treated inhumanly by the prison guards
as well as the 1,500 inmates who were the most violent criminals. They threw food at him and even human
waste. He was beaten often and was daily
subject to horrible abuse. The goal was
to get him to renounce his faith and sign a paper to admit he was part of an
insurrection to overthrow the government.
Throughout his imprisonment he refused to deny Christ and the prison
officials were exasperated in their attempts to change him. But one day they sent people to his home,
1,000 miles away and took some clothing from his wife. Then they made another woman wear the clothes
and brought her to the prison to drag her in front of his cell. Her face was not toward him but he recognized
the clothing as his wife had only 2 sets of clothes to wear. She was then taken to a cell close to him and
for 72 hours she was raped. He heard everything that was happening and it ripped at his heart. Finally her cries ceased, she was dead. This was more than he could bear and he told
God it was over. He was going to sign
the paper and deny his faith so he could leave the prison and look for his
family. But that night the Holy Spirit
spoke to him and allowed him to hear the voice of his wife and children. He knew they were alive and that the woman
they dressed to be his wife was not his wife.
When the prison officials came to have him sign the papers, he told them
he had heard the voice of his wife and that she was alive. He refused to sign the papers and told them
to leave his cell. The prison officials decided he had to die and he was led
out to the area where he would be hung.
As he left his cell and walked past the other 1,500 inmates, they all
stood at attention to honor him and they began to sing the songs they heard him
sing in his cell for the past 18 years.
The prison officials could not carry out his execution and released him.
We may never experience this level of
injustice and suffering but we must not forget that there are many today who
are and they need our prayers as well as any efforts we can do to help them be released.
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