high priests

You Can’t Hide the Truth

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1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. – Luke 22:1-6 ESV

Having finished recording Jesus’ lengthy discourse concerning future events, Luke abruptly brings the reader back to the present. All along he has been tracking Jesus’ slow but deliberate journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. At this point in his narrative, Luke has been describing Jesus’ activities in and around the city of Jerusalem as the Messiah awaits the final phase of His Kingdom mission. Now, the timeline will begin to speed up as the day of Jesus’ death draws closer. The celebration of Passover is at hand. Luke refers to it as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was actually the week-long celebration that followed the day of Passover. But it was not uncommon for both names to be used when referring to the same annual event when the Israelites celebrated and commemorated their miraculous deliverance from Egypt by the hand of God.

Luke seems to purposefully juxtapose this sacred holy day with the evil intentions of the religious leaders. At the time when the people of Israel should be expressing their gratitude to God for His gracious and undeserved deliverance of their ancestors from slavery in Egypt, the chief priests and their cronies were plotting to kill God’s Son and their Savior.

…the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” – Mark 14:1-2 ESV

According to Matthew, these men had been planning and scheming how to eradicate Jesus, whom they saw as a threat to their power and control.

…the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together… – Matthew 26:3-4 ESV

But there is far more here than meets the eye. Their intentions to kill Jesus were motivated by something far more formidable and foreboding than their own overinflated egos. Earlier in His ministry, Jesus had bluntly assessed the true cause of their unbridled animosity toward Him.

“…you are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?  Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” – John 8:44-47 ESV

Jesus pulled no punches when revealing the true cause of their hatred for Him. They were the sons of Satan and not God. Their rejection of Him was based on their refusal to accept the truth of His words and the validity of His mission as the Messiah, the anointed one of Israel. Contrary to their warped opinion, it was not Him who was guilty and sin and worthy of death, but it was them. And they were turning their backs on “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV). It is painfully ironic that they were plotting to put to death the sinless Lamb of God just days before each of them would sacrifice an unblemished lamb as part of their celebration of Passover. But their eyes were blind to the truth and their hearts were hardened to the reality of Jesus’ identity. Yet what they failed to understand was that their Satan-inspired scheme to arrest Jesus and have Him put to death was all part of God’s redemptive plan. What they thought would bring about the end of Jesus would actually make possible the divine strategy for mankind’s redemption and creation’s eventual restoration.

The religious leaders secretly plotted Jesus’ demise, hiding their intentions for fear that His popularity among the people would cause an uproar. But Jesus was painfully transparent with His disciples, telling them exactly what was going to happen to Him in the days ahead.

“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” – Matthew 26:2 ESV

Jesus was fully aware of all that was about to transpire. He knew what the chief priests were planning and He was fully confident that it was all part of His Father’s plan. At no point in the story does Jesus view Himself as a helpless victim or do the gospel authors portray Him as an unwilling participant in some grand cosmic scheme over which He has no say or control. No, He was completely committed to the mission assigned to Him by His Heavenly Father. He had already clarified that point to His disciples.

“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” – John 10:17-18 NLT

But for Jesus’ death to take place, there was a range of individuals who would be required to play crucial roles in God’s sovereign plan of salvation. One of those would be Judas. And it’s interesting to note that, of all the gospel authors, only Luke and John indicate that Judas’ actions were motivated by Satan.

Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. – Luke 22:3 ESV

…the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him… – John 13:2 ESV

Under the influence of Satan, Judas concocted plan to betray Jesus to the religious authorities. We are not told the thinking behind his plot to turn Jesus over to the Sanhedrin, but it is clear that money played a role. Luke clearly indicates that Judas offered to betray Jesus in return for a payment.

He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. – Luke 22:4-5 ESV

Matthew points out that Judas didn’t have a sum in mind when he offered his deal to the high priest. He simply asked, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” (Matthew 26:15 ESV). And the Sanhedrin put the price on Jesus’ head at 30 pieces of silver, an insignificant sum that was the equivalent of a month’s wages. This exact amount was in keeping with the prophesy found in Zechariah 11:12 ESV.

Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver.

And Matthew would later record that this sum was in fulfillment of the words of Jeremiah the prophet.

Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel…” – Matthew 27:9 ESV

The price for his betrayal established, Judas “began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around” (Luke 22:6 NLT). The religious leaders were intent on keeping their plans hidden. The last they wanted was an ugly scene that might stir up the people and raise cause a riot in the streets. Anything that even remotely looked like rebellion would cause the Romans to react swiftly and harshly. The Roman authorities were already on edge because of the crowded conditions in Jerusalem. The city was filled with pilgrims and the nationalistic fervor of this particular holiday was a recipe for trouble. So, the chief priests and their peers were looking for a way to rid themselves of Jesus with as little fanfare as possible.

But despite their careful planning, this entire scenario was going to explode into a public display of epic proportions. Their efforts to keep the death of Jesus hidden from view would fail miserably. This brings to mind a teaching of Jesus recorded by Luke.

“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. 1For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.” – Luke 8:16-17 NLT

Just a few verses earlier, Luke had recorded Jesus’ declaration, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (Luke 8:12 NLT). And later on, in the same discussion, Jesus would clearly state, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he” (Luke 8:28 NLT). The apostle John would add the clarifying words that Jesus spoke concerning the public nature of His death.

“And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this to indicate how he was going to die. – John 12:32 NLT

God’s plan for the salvation of mankind could not be thwarted and it would not be kept a secret. The “true light, which gives light to everyone” (John 1:9 ESV) would not be hidden. It would be just as Jesus had told the Pharisee, Nicodemus.

“…as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.” – John 3:14 NLT

And then Jesus informed Nicodemus that the day was coming when the Light would be lifted up for all to see. He would be nailed to a cross and openly displayed as the unblemished sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

“God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” – John 3:19-21 NLT

The Messiah would be lifted up, not on a dais with scepter and royal robes, but on a cruel Roman cross. All so the divine plan for redemption can be clearly seen by all.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

It Is Marvelous In Our Eyes

/ kdmiller55 / 1 Comment

1 And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
11 this was the Lord’s doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away. – Mark 12:1-12 ESV

The chief priests, scribes, and elders of Israel had just confronted Jesus in the temple courtyard, demanding to know by what authority He had ransacked the place the day before. In an explosion of righteous indignation, Jesus had singlehandedly destroyed their little money-making venture of selling sacrificial animals and currency exchange. The greed and graft of these religious leaders and their total disregard for the holiness of His Father’s house had been more than Jesus could stand. And the fact that they had set up the entire operation in the Courtyard of the Gentiles had infuriated Jesus further.

The actions of Jesus had proved costly for these men – in more ways than one. The temporary shutdown of their sales operations had hit their bottom line. But it was their egos that had suffered the greater loss. Jesus had directly challenged their authority and, in doing so, He had diminished their standing among the people. That’s what prompted them to confront Jesus about His arrogant display the day before. But Jesus had refused to answer their question, choosing instead to remind them that they had refused to accept John the Baptist’s authority as well. These self-righteous and self-appointed leaders of Israel had a habit of rejecting anyone who spoke on behalf of God. In their minds, Jesus had no authority to do what He did. He was nothing more than a rural Rabbi from the backwater town of Nazareth. He had no education or credentials. He was not from a wealthy family and had no standing in their community.

But while Jesus refused to answer their question, He did take time to tell them a parable. In fact, according to Matthew’s gospel, Jesus told them a couple of different parables, each meant to address their question about authority. But more importantly, these two parables were designed to expose the religious leaders as rebels against God. Their refusal to accept Jesus was nothing less than a rejection of God Himself. It’s important to note that Jesus told this parable in the middle of the crowded temple courtyard, surrounded by foreign pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. But His primary audience was the religious leaders who had arrogantly questioned His authority.

Jesus begins His parable by describing a man who planted a vineyard, complete with winepress, protective fence, and watchtower. Once the vineyard was complete, the man rented it out to tenant farmers who were expected to cultivate and care for it. Since the landowner had incurred the cost of constructing the vineyard, he expected to receive a share of the production and profits. But when he sent his servant to collect his portion of the first year’s harvest, the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. So, the landowner sent a second servant, who was treated just a violently and shamefully. And the rebellious tenants, unwilling to turn over any of the fruit of their labor, murdered the third servant whom the landowner had sent. And Jesus indicates that this scene went on for some time.

“Others he sent were either beaten or killed, until there was only one left—his son whom he loved dearly.” – Mark 12:5 NLT

By this time, Jesus had the crowd hooked. They were totally enthralled with His story and anxious to know what the outcome would be. In their minds, they would have been debating what the landowner should do to the murderous tenants. And the thought of the man risking the life of his son would have been appalling to them. But, according to Jesus’ story, that’s exactly what the landowner did.

“The owner finally sent him, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’” – Mark 12:6 NLT

And it’s likely that the people in the crowd gasped at the father’s blatant display of naivete. After all these evil tenants had done to his servants, how could this man be so blind as to think they would show his son any respect? They knew exactly what was going to happen and probably wanted to scream at the landowner, “Don’t do it!” But as Jesus completes the story, their worst fears are realized.

“But the tenant farmers said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard.” – Mark 12:7-8 NLT

And knowing that His audience has been blown away by the dark ending to His story, Jesus asks them, “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?” (Mark 12:9 NLT). Their minds had already gone there. They had already been to think about what they would do if they were the landowner. And their thoughts included nothing about forgiveness or clemency. They were focused on revenge and retribution, hoping that these wicked tenants were going to get exactly what they deserved. And much to their relief, Jesus finishes the story with the ending they were hoping for.

“I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.” – Mark 12:9 NLT

The bad guys lost, and justice prevailed. The story, while sad, had a happy ending. Everything turned out okay. But what the crowd failed to realize was that the story had a far deeper meaning. And Jesus revealed the more spiritual dimension of its message by quoting Psalm 118:22-23.

The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord‘s doing;
    it is marvelous in our eyes.

This rather abrupt shift in topic was intentional. Jesus was quoting from the very same Psalm that the crowds had quoted from during His triumphal entry.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! – Psalm 118:26 ESV

That Psalm declares that the Messiah will come in the name of the Lord, but it also states that He will be rejected. Yet, it is all “the Lord’s doing.” It is all part of God’s plan. This rejected stone will become the cornerstone of a great house that will bring glory and honor to God. And not long after Jesus would be rejected and crucified, Peter and John would stand before the high priests, scribes, and elders of Israel, declaring:

“This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.” – Acts 4:11 ESV

The very same men who stood in front of Jesus in the Courtyard of the Gentiles would later hear a message from two of His disciples, telling them, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 ESV). And Peter would pick up this theme of the cornerstone in one of his later letters.

For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”

and

“A stone of stumbling,
    and a rock of offense.” – 1 Peter 2:6-8 ESV

Jesus would be rejected by the religious leaders of Israel. Just like the rebellious tenants in Jesus’ story, they would refuse to accept the Son sent by the Father. They would treat the Son with disrespect, rejecting His authority and claiming His inheritance as their own. In the parable, the vineyard was meant to represent Israel and the tenant farmers were the leaders to whom God had assigned the care of possession. Israel, as represented by the land, was always intended to be the inheritance of the Son. It did not belong to the leaders. They were merely its caretakers. But in their greed, they had treated Israel as their own, growing powerful and wealthy at the expense of God’s people. The servants in the story represent the prophets that God had sent throughout the centuries, calling His people to repentance. But the leaders of Israel had killed the prophets, refusing to relinquish their authority over the inheritance. And finally, God had sent His Son. But they would end up rejecting Him as well, putting Him to death in an effort to steal His rightful inheritance.

But their efforts would fail. They could kill the Son, but they would not end up taking what belonged to Him. The rejected stone would become the most valued cornerstone of a grand temple made up of those who placed their faith in Him. The apostle Paul reminds us that the rejection of Jesus has resulted in an incredible building made up of people from all walks of life and from every tribe, nation, and tongue.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. – Ephesians 2:19-22 ESV

The high priests, scribes, and elders could reject the authority of Jesus, but they could not put a stop to the redemptive plan of God.  As the psalmist stated, “This is the Lord‘s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson