Jewish leaders

Day 135 – Matthew 27:15-27; Mark 15:6-15

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Crucify Him!

Matthew 27:15-27; Mark 15:6-15

Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!”  – Matthew 27:22 NLT

Envy is a powerful force. It can cause normally rational and reasonable people to do things they would never dream of doing. It can drive the heart to enter previously unknown territory. And it’s fascinating that both Matthew and Mark make it quite clear that the motivation behind the blind rage of the Jewish religious leaders against Jesus was envy – pure and simple. Matthew records, “He [Pilate] knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy” (Matthew 27:18 NLT). Mark confirms it with very similar words. “For he [Pilate] realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy” (Mark 15:10 NLT). Even Pilate, the Roman governor, saw through the charade of a trial to which they were subjecting Jesus. He would later attempt to absolve himself of any responsibility for Jesus’ death, because he found no reason for which to execute Him. “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!” (Matthew 27:24 NLT).

Envy sounds like such an innocent and harmless term. We think of envying our neighbor’s new car or our coworker’s promotion. We know it’s probably wrong to envy, but we justify that it isn’t really doing anybody any real harm. But envy is a heart disease. It is a symptom of a much greater malady taking place within us. These pious, religious-looking men in their flowing robes, who stood before Pilate that day, gave off the appearance of righteousness and super-spirituality, but they were filled with a cancer that, while unseen to the eye, revealed itself through a variety of hideous symptoms. It reminds me of Paul’s description of those who had rejected God, only to be turned over to their own sinful passions. “Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents” (Romans 1:28-30 NLT). In this passage, Paul is actually describing those who have become so depraved that they have twisted God’s original intent for human sexual relationships “and the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other” (Romans 1:27 NLT). But notice that right in the middle of Paul’s long list of outward signs of these peoples’ inward sickness, he lists envy. These people were marked by a variety of serious issues, envy being just one of them. And the same was true of the men who stood before Pilate accusing Jesus of fabricated crimes just so they could eliminate Him as a rival. They were jealous of Jesus. They were envious of His popularity. But these men were more than just envious. They too were wicked, deceptive, malicious, backstabbers, proud, boastful, and ultimately, haters of God. The very fact that they were willing to kill the Son of God showed just how much they truly hated God. They were rejecting the very one whom God had sent to save them from the very sins that drove their actions.

Their envy of Jesus caused them to whip the crowd into a frenzy and turn them against Jesus. Remember, these were many of the very same people who had shouted, “Hosanna!” when Jesus rode into Jerusalem the previous Sunday. The leading priests and elders worked their way through the crowd, spreading their cancer of hate and causing the people demand the death of Jesus. When Pilate, shocked by their demand that he crucify Jesus, asked for an explanation, the “mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:23 NLT). Their envy had spread, infecting the crowd and causing them to turn against Jesus, condemning an innocent man to death. Not only were they willing to demand Jesus’ death, they were willing to take full responsibility. “And the people yelled back, ‘We will take responsibility for his death – we and our children’” (Matthew 27:25 NLT). The envy of the religious leaders had blinded the people to the reality of what they were doing. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, Peter would preach to the crowds at Pentecost, saying, “With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him” (Acts 2:23 NLT). He went on to tell them, “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” (Acts 2:36 NLT). Luke tells us that the words of Peter “pierced their hearts” and they demanded to know what they should do. There was still hope for them. And more than 3,000 people came to know Christ that day. Their actions were forgivable. Their part in the crucifixion of Jesus was not unpardonable. But the religious leaders would continue to reject Jesus as the Messiah, because their envy was really a symptom of a much greater problem. Even with the evidence of His resurrection and the power revealed through the transformed disciples, these men continued to reject the plan of God. Their pride, arrogance, self-righteousness and self-centeredness would prevent them from seeing the one who could heal them of the disease of sin from which they suffered and for which they would eventually die. Envy was just a symptom of a much-greater need for which Jesus was the solution.

Father, there are so many symptoms that show up in our lives that appear so innocent and harmless, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. There is something far beneath the surface that is driving our behavior and motivating our actions. Give us spiritual eyes to see what is truly taking place within us. Use Your Word like an X-ray machine to look deep inside us and reveal the true nature of our problem. Don’t allow us to justify our actions and diminish our problem. Ultimately, all sin is against You, and Your Son is the only solution. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 134 – Luke 23:6-12

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Curious, But Uncommitted.

Luke 23:6-12

Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. – Luke 23:8 NLT

Pilate, having found nothing about Jesus worthy of putting him to death, decided to buy himself time by sending Jesus to Herod, who was the Roman-appointed ruler over over Galilee. Herod happened to be in Jerusalem that week and was excited to have the opportunity to meet Jesus face to face. He had heard much about Him, and Luke comments that he was anxious to see Jesus perform one of the miracles He was so famous for. But Herod was an evil man with a wicked reputation. It was he who had had John the Baptist beheaded, because John had spoken boldly and bluntly about Herod’s immoral relationship with his wife, who he had stolen from his own brother. Herod was a power-hungry individual who had inherited title and power from his father, Herod the Great, the one who attempted to eliminate Jesus after his birth by ordering the murder of all male infants two and under. Herod Antipas was on friendly terms with the Romans because they held the key to his power and influence.

But his only interest in Jesus was superficial. He was curious. He had heard much about Jesus and would have loved to have seen Him perform some kind of miracle or sign, kind of a parlor trick, right in front of him. But Jesus remained silent the entire time He was before Herod. He refused to answer his questions or enter into a dialogue with him. Jesus knew who he was and what he had done to John the Baptist. Herod was unrepentant and unchanged. Herod bombarded Jesus with question after question, while the religious leaders shouted accusations against Him. In time, Herod ran out of patience and his questions because taunts and ridicule. He and his soldiers began to mock Jesus. Then they put a royal robe on Him and sent Him back to Pilate. Even that simple act of scorn was a subtle reminder that Jesus was exactly who He said He was. He was the King of the Jews. He was the Messiah. This Roman-appointed ruler had placed a royal robe on Jesus, unknowingly validating Jesus’ claims.

But Herod’s curiosity did little to change his view of Jesus, and it did nothing to change his own spiritual condition. He had greeted Jesus with interest and the hopes of witnessing a miracle, but when his desires went unmet, he treated Jesus with scorn and rejected Him. And so it is with many today. There are those who are curious about Jesus and who would love to see if He could do for them what He has done for others. They come to Him driven by curiosity and interested to see if He can make their life better, remove some pain they are experiencing, or simply alleviate the boredom they are experiencing from life. But when Jesus doesn’t perform as requested or answer all their questions, they simply reject Him. They do not want from Jesus what He came to offer, but prefer to demand from Jesus what they think they need. When He fails to deliver, they simply cast Him aside as unneeded and unnecessary. I am sure that Herod had no need of Jesus. He was rich, powerful, influential and used to getting his way. He was immune to ridicule and capable of eliminating any and all opposition. Jesus was a blip on the radar screen of his life, who held little or no interest for him, other than as an object of curiosity. His only reaction to the Son of God standing in his presence had been ridicule and scorn. He had missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Father, how many continue to reject Your Son today. They come curious about all that they’ve heard, but they are unwilling to listen to what Jesus has to say about their lives. They only want from Jesus what they get to decide. But Jesus isn’t a personal Genie in a bottle. He isn’t a personal life coach intent on assisting us with our self-imposed, self-improvement plans. He came to deliver us from our sin and release us from God’s righteous condemnation of death. May my life be witness to those around me, that what Jesus came to provide is so much better than any miracle they may want to see Jesus perform. He came to transform us, not entertain us. He came to restore our relationship with God, not fulfill our curiosity. Let my life be an ongoing witness to that fact. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Day 133 – Matthew 27:2-14; Mark 15:1-5; Luke 23:1-7; John 18:28-38

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The Truth On Trial.

Matthew 27:2-14; Mark 15:1-5; Luke 23:1-7; John 18:28-38

Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” – John 18:37 NIV

Jesus had been brought before Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Now the Jewish religious leaders would have to convince Pilate that Jesus was a threat to his government and worthy of death. I find it fascinating that these men were more than willing to use the Roman governor to carry out their plan to put Jesus to death, but refused to set foot in his house because of fear that it would defile them. What a clear contrast between their religion and what Jesus came to offer. He had spent His time with tax collectors and sinners. He had ministered to Roman centurions and Samaritans. He would have had no problem walking into Pilate’s home, because Pilate was just the sort of person Jesus came to save. But on this occasion, the high council of the Jews stood outside Pilate’s headquarters shouting accusations against Jesus. The charge of blasphemy, while more than enough cause for death as far as the Jews were concerned, would have meant nothing to Pilate. So they accused Jesus of a litany of trumped up charges, including telling the people not to pay their taxes to Rome. But Jesus would not respond to any of these false accusations. The only time He spoke was in reference to the truth regarding Him being the King of the Jews. Jesus explained, “My kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36 NLT). The truth was, Jesus was a King. He was the King of kings and the Lord of lords. But His kingdom was of a completely different class and kind than that to which Pilate was familiar. Jesus had a throne, but it awaited Him in heaven. His kingdom was much greater and grander than anything the Romans or Caesar himself could ever imagine. For the time being, Satan would remain king of the world. He would maintain his authority and rule over the lives of men for a little while longer, but even that was going to change.

Jesus was not just a king, He was THE King. And it was for that reason He was born and why He came into the world. He was born to be King and He would die because He was King. But few, including Pilate, would recognize the truth of His claim. In fact, Pilate asked Jesus the age-old question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38 NLT). Which is ironic, because the one who referred to Himself as the way, the truth and the life was standing right in front of him. But Pilate didn’t acknowledge the truth of who Jesus was, even though he referred to Jesus as, “this King of the Jews” when asking the Jews what they wanted him to do with Him. He found Jesus guilty of nothing more than claiming to be the King of the Jews, and it would be for this reason that Jesus would ultimately die. No other charge was ever proven against Him except that one. He acknowledged no other accusation against Himself, except that one. The truth was that Jesus was the King of the Jews. The truth was that Jesus was going to sacrifice His life for that of His own people. He was the King who would give up His life for the citizens of His own Kingdom.

Father, the more I study the last days of Your Son’s life on this planet, the more I am blown away by the sheer magnitude of what He did for me. All of the events surrounding His final days are packed with meaning and overflowing with significance. Here was the King of kings standing before a lowly Roman governor, placing Himself at the mercy of a mere man and allowing him to decide His fate. Here was the King of the Jews allowing the so-called religious leaders of the Jewish people to falsely accuse Him and demand His execution. Here was the creator of the world allowing His own creation to treat Him like a common criminal. All so that the truth could be made known. His death was part of the truth. His selfless sacrifice was part of the truth. His substitionary death was part of the truth. His resurrection would be part of the truth. And His eventual return will fulfill all truth. He was exactly who He claimed to be. Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org