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August 27, 2017 |
| Jesus Reveals Himself | ||
Jesus' ministry began with the wedding in Cana of Galilee. For roughly 3.5 years he traveled through Israel and taught. Part of what he taught was about who he was, the Messiah and the son of God, but he almost always spoke in parables or used terms that could have multiple meanings. Especially to the Judeans he never clearly said who he was.
It was necessary for Jesus to keep his identity unclear. It would be heresy for a man to claim to be God and heresy was punishable by death.
Jesus' cleverly hidden references about himself might have kept him from being dragged into court, but the people understood what he was saying, and that included the Chief Priests.
At the right time, it would be necessary for Jesus to make his identity clear. He would need to reveal himself to the Chief Priests, God's representatives to Israel, for them to decide to accept him as Messiah or not. If they rejected him it was also necessary that it be the Chief Priests who would find him as an acceptable sacrifice for Israel.
It would also be necessary for Jesus not to defend himself. As prophecy says he needs to be "like a lamb led to the slaughter." He cannot engage in argument or provide any evidence of who he is. In fact, the 3.5 years of his ministry have provided that.
In this lesson we will look at the moment Jesus reveals himself to them. There are some cultural and Biblical references involved that require understanding.
These passages from Matthew, Mark and Luke all describe this event but in slightly different ways. Luke doesn't give it as much coverage but we'll put them all together to get the most complete understanding. This is a technique that everyone can use when they are having trouble understanding some verses in the Bible. Generally there are other places in the Bible that cover the same event or topic that can add additional light.
One thing needs to be understood. The writers of the Bible were writing God's words. They were not walking video-cameras. Also writing was slow so descriptions were kept short. Therefore entire conversations are not recorded, only the parts that were most relevant for the intended audience. Therefore writers can describe the conversation differently because each is pulling out just a few sentences.
But the Chief Priests and the Elders and all the assembly were seeking witnesses against Yeshua, so that they might put him to death. (Matthew 26:59)
But the Chief Priests and all their assembly were seeking testimony against Yeshua, that they might put him to death, and they were not able. (Mark 14:55)
And when day had dawned, the Elders and the Chief Priests and the Scribes were gathered together and they brought him to the place of their assembly. 67 And they were saying to him, "If you are The Messiah, tell us." He said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe me. 68 And if I will ask you, you will not give me an answer, neither will you release me. (Luke 22:66-68)
Notice the purpose of this court session - find a reason to put him to death. There is no desire to determine if he really is the Messiah. In their hearts they've already made that decision.
Jesus' comment "If I tell you ..." reflects the hopelessness of this situation. It's only going to go one way.
Their hearts have been hardened by God. That means God has presented them with information and choices so that the evil in their hearts might grow. God hasn't made them evil or taken away their ability to chose between right and wrong.
This hardening of the heart is seen in many places in the Bible. The poster child for it is the Pharaoh of Egypt. God wanted to show Israel that he was greater than Pharaoh, Egypt, and all the gods of Egypt. So he presented Pharaoh with choices, knowing that Pharaoh would choose evil over good, so God could strike at them.
During the time of Jesus' ministry, the Chief Priests have seen:
So they have come to hate him and decided he must be killed … as a favor to Israel and to God.
And they did not find any [valid witnesses against Jesus], though many false witnesses had come, but finally two came forth, 61 and they were saying: "This one said, 'I can destroy The Temple of God and in three days I shall build it.'" (Matthew 26:60-61)
For many were testifying against him, but their testimony was not worthy. 57 But people rose up against him and they were testifying lies, and they said: 58 "We have heard him say, 'I shall destroy this temple that is made with hands and in three days I shall build another that is not made with hands.'" 59 But likewise, neither was their testimony worthy. (Mark 14:56-59)
Because of the way Jesus has been teaching, they are having trouble finding witnesses to any crime by him that would bring the death penalty. Remember, that's their goal here.
Probably some witnesses can't get their story straight. For others the charge they are laying does not require death. One charge they lay against him is presented in the text. Mark calls it a lie, but it does sound like something Jesus said. This is what Jesus actually said. The difference is important.
Yeshua answered and said to them: "Tear down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews were saying to him: "For forty six years this temple has been being built, and will you raise it in three days?" 21 But he said this concerning the temple of his body. (John 2:19)
When Jesus made this statement, he was standing in the temple area. These witnesses he faces now would have been there at that time to hear him say those words but they did not understand. These were the kind of double meaning references that Jesus generally made when teaching.
Also, Jesus does not say that he will tear down the temple. He means they will tear down the temple - the temple of his body. Tearing down that temple is why Jesus has been dragged into this court and is exactly what they plan to do.
In any case the charge is that Jesus threatened to destroy the temple. It's a silly charge. One man could never do that. The high priest seems to know about what Jesus said and understands the deeper meaning of it. So he pursues it further.
And the High Priest stood and said to him, "Do you not return an answer? What are these testifying against you?" 63 But Yeshua was silent, and the High Priest answered and said to him, "I adjure (bind) you by the living God that you tell us if you are the Messiah, the son of God." (Matthew 26:62-63)
The High Priest stood up in the center and asked Yeshua, and he said, "Do you not answer? Why are these testifying against you?" 61 But he was silent, and he did not answer him anything. And again, The High Priest asked him and said, "Are you the Messiah, the son of the blessed one?" (Mark 14:60-61)
The high priest wants Jesus to explain what he meant when he spoke about the temple. It's a trap. What Jesus said had two possible meanings and that was intentional. If he now chooses one of the two possible meanings as the correct meaning he would be denying or confirming that he is the Messiah. If he says both meanings are correct and explains how then he is still saying he is the Messiah.
We need to understand what the high priest means by saying by "the son of God." The Jews did not believe that the Messiah would be God, and they still don't. They were expecting the Messiah to be a man, and not just any man but a great warrior who would free them from the Romans.
We also need to understand the Jews called themselves sons of God in much the same way as they called themselves sons of Abraham or sons of Jacob or Israel. So the question to Jesus is not "are you the Messiah who is God?" but instead "are you the Messiah we are expecting?"
Jesus could not answer yes to their question. If he did, they would proclaim him king and start sharpening their swords. He wanted them to know him as God and Messiah, the Messiah who is God. That explains the rest of his answer, which comes next.
Yeshua said to him, "You have said; but I say to you that from this hour, you will see the son of man who sits at the right hand of power and comes on the clouds of Heaven." (Matthew 26:64)
But Yeshua said to him, "I Am (the living God), and you shall behold the son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of Heaven." (Mark 14:62)
"Henceforth The Son of Man will be sitting at the right hand of the power of God." 70 But all of them were saying, "You are therefore the Son of God?" Yeshua said to them, "You are saying that I Am (the living God)." (Luke 22:69-71)
When Jesus says "you have said" or "you are saying" he is using an idiom. It means "Those are your words, not mine. I didn't say them" but it also hints that the words might be true.
In Mark and Luke, Jesus uses the version of the phrase "I Am" that was reserved for God and high royalty.
Now is the right time for Jesus to reveal himself. They have asked the question "are [you] the Messiah, the son of God?" Notice his answer; he doesn't say he is the Messiah. He says he is God. He does it by using that "I am" and by saying that he is the fulfillment of the following prophecies. The high priests knew the Old Testament very well and would have immediately seen the connections.
The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." (Psalm 110:1)
Behold, the LORD is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; The idols of Egypt will tremble at His presence, And the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them. (Isaiah 19:1)
I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. (Daniel 7:13)
So Jesus is claiming that he will be second in command to God, be in Heaven with God and travel in the clouds as God does, and therefore he is God. With that he is also claiming to be the Messiah. He also says that he will be the one who returns on the clouds as king of the universe.
The Jews understood the Psalm 110 quote to be a reference to the Messiah. During his ministry Jesus had used that very verse to give them a hint that the Messiah would be God.
And Yeshua answered and said as he taught in the temple, "How are the Scribes saying that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 For David himself said in the Spirit of Holiness: 'The Lord Yahweh said to my Lord, "Sit at my right until I shall constitute your enemies as a footstool under your feet."' 37 David therefore called him, 'My Lord', and how is he his son?" And the whole crowd was listening to him with pleasure. (Mark 12:35-37)
The Jews understood Psalm 110:1 as a Messianic prophecy, and it was. Jesus' question is how can David refer to the Messiah as David's Lord when other prophecies said the Messiah would be the son of David? The Pharisees and others didn't know, but the answer Jesus wanted them to find was this, the Messiah will be both God and man.
Because of their hate for him no one thought to ask him how he could be God or how he could be the fulfillment of everything else the Bible said about the Messiah. They hated him and were determined to kill him and in this trial he just had given them the evidence they needed.
Then the High Priest ripped his garment, and said, "Behold, he has blasphemed. Why now do we need witnesses? Behold now, you have heard his blasphemy. 66 What do you think?" They answered, and they said, "He deserves death." (Matthew 26:65-66)
But the High Priest ripped his tunic and he said, "Why now do we need witnesses? 64 Behold, you have heard the blasphemy from his own mouth. How does it appear to you?" But they all judged that he deserved death. (Mark 14:63-64)
And they were saying, "Why do we need witnesses again, for we hear from his own mouth?" (Luke 22:71)
They quickly came to a guilty verdict.
And they spat in his face, and they were beating his head. But others were striking him 68 and were saying, "Prophesy to us, Messiah; who is it that hits you?" (Matthew 26:67-68)
And the people began spitting in his face and covering his face and hitting him, and they were saying, "Prophesy", and the guards were hitting him on his jaw. (Mark 14:65)
The trial is over. From there they start the process of getting approval to execute Jesus.
Throughout his few years of ministry, Jesus had revealed who he was but in parables and words with double meanings. In this trial he reveals himself directly, but he is rejected.
Even though it had only been a little over 500 years since the Babylonian exile, the elite of the church had become irretrievably corrupt. They had drifted so far from God that Jesus' message seemed crazy to them. They were so certain of their understanding of the truth that they were unwilling to consider they might be wrong. They had become so political, so busy serving themselves, that Jesus was seen as a threat to their positions and life style.
They had also misunderstood or not understood some of the prophecies about the Messiah. The result was that they injected their own desires into the prophecies and so there expectations were wrong.
Because of all of these they hated him and that hatred blinded them. They knew nothing of justice and mercy but they were practiced in hatred and they killed the Messiah they had been waiting for.
There are applications to both our spiritual and physical lives. We shouldn't be so sure of ourselves that we aren't ready to reconsider what we believe to be true.
This is especially true when interpreting prophecy
We should never hate. It will only destroy everything that is precious to us.