A Context to Texting
You may find the photo headline of this post somewhat whimsical, but my incongruous placement of 21st century communications devices into first century Jewish hands comes with a purpose. Just imagine yourself in this scene of controversy.
The very irony of our recent look back at the seriousness of what Daniel had to say about the future coming of the Messiah of Israel adds to divisions of thought by first century Jews.
Any anachronistic imagery of the last days by Prophets like Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah and many more must have met with diverse interpretation.
Suppose the twelve Apostles and religious rulers of Jerusalem had communication tools such we do.
Would they have been texting ahead as the Messiah Jesus approached?
Of course these historical events did take place in the first century, but what if Jesus approached our city now?
What do you think would happen?
Consider the motivations of those in John’s Gospel as if they could communicate as quickly as we do in this 21st century A.D.
The Jerusalem Jesus approached
Jerusalem is a city under Roman imposed rules suppressing their world through might and mitigated right imposed by compromising captive national and local leaders. Their religious leaders convened as the Sanhedrin.
The Sanhedrin‘s beginning is to be placed at the period in which Asia was convulsed by Alexander the Great and his successors. The Hellenistic kings conceded a great amount of internal freedom to municipal communities, and Palestine was then practically under home rule, and was governed by an aristocratic council of Elders
John 12:
You may recall the context of these parting paths from Jesus – Traveling to and from Bethany.
The Twelve Apostles and many other Jews have just witnessed the Lord Jesus raise Lazarus from the grave!
After returning to Bethany from Ephraim in the hills far-removed from Jerusalem’s public eye, they return to the home of Lazarus.
Mary, sister to lazarus pours expensive oil on Jesus’ feet and one of the Twelve objects.
5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
We then followed the separate path of the Messiah and His Apostles away from the amazed public eyewitness of this great sign in Bethany.
Good News / Bad News?
Just image the Good News of the texts between those traveling with Jesus and the mourners of Bethany!
Who did they tell of this confirmation of Israel’s Messiah?
Last time we followed the storyline of the Good News (as Jesus retreated to the hills one last time). But now we will return to Bethany and follow the thread of bad news (no doubt texted ahead to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem). Now we turn to a divergent path headed in a different direction.
Path of the Betrayer
6 Now he [ Judas Iscariot ] said this, not because he cared about the poor [for he had never cared about them], but because he was a thief; and since he had the money box [serving as treasurer for the twelve disciples], he used to pilfer what was put into it.
7 So Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep [the rest of] it for the day of My burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”
The impulse of betrayal
What does a zealous follower of a powerful man do when spurned by his idolized leader who fails to take the path he had expected?
(Perhaps this is not so irrelevant to these times and leaders as well.)
Judas would have texted other zealots he knew in the capital, those in the palaces of power.
Roger Harned- talkofJesus.com
John 13:
Once more, jumping ahead to follow Judas after the Messiah’s triumphal entry to the gates of Judah’s capital:
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him…
To Peter the Lord said:
… You are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For he knew who would betray him. This is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
Judas’ Betrayal Predicted
You’ve entered the Holy gathering at the Table with the Lord.
HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR CELL PHONES?
You just can’t wait to tell your friends back home and waiting in the public square what has just happened. But just for a moment you allow Jesus to lead the events in the room.
“Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
After a murmuring among those present John tells us that after the urging of Peter he asks the unspoken question on everyone’s mind.
6 Jesus then answered,
“That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.”
So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
A devil revealed reacts
John has already witnessed in his Gospel that Judas is a devil of a disciple who will betray Jesus. He has also witnessed that Jesus called the leaders of Jerusalem by the same.
So what will these devils of conspiracy against all righteousness do?
What would they do in this day?
Communicate! — “TXT ME“
After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
John 13:27 NASB – Judas Iscariot and the command of Jesus
IF you were the betrayer, wouldn’t you immediately go for your communication device?
We have to post an ‘update‘ to our ‘friend‘ network in the world we love?
So did Judas!
30 So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.
Returning to Jerusalem
Judas has left the Lord Jesus on a different path. (I pray that you have not left the presence of the Lord as well, claimer of Christ your savior for this brief life.)
The Messiah Jesus called Judas a devil – διάβολος diábolos
- prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely
- metaph. applied to a man who, by opposing the cause of God, may be said to act the part of the devil or to side with him
Do you follow anyone like that?
(Better not text them or pay much attention to their media campaigns pointed at you and their ‘followers.’)
Do you believe that men and women like Judas claim authority as “followers of the Lord?“
You will always have the poor and you will always have those who do evil in the eyes of the Lord!
False leaders must ultimately promote a lie of their own false traditions and compromised purity. John uncovers the motives of these ‘leaders.’
Judas had hoped Jesus would overthrow Jerusalem’s autocratic, aristocratic religious leaders and their Roman allies violently, but the Messiah chose a sacrificial path.
Now we return to the capital of the land in an earlier visit.
John 8:
We have examined this defendant of the devil before in Before Abraham was, I AM! Jesus had called these same leaders with false interpretation of Scripture and devious leadership to their own cultural ends, ‘devils!’
37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God…
“You are of your father the devil, G1228 and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks [fn]a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of [fn]lies.
45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.
Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.”
The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon.
John 8:51-52a NASB
What do you think?
What BREAKING NEWS will you TXT ahead?
- Will you remain with the Messiah, essentially following obediently as commanded as did the eleven?
- Or will you betray your only Hope of cleansing of your sin (and text ahead to the world that the Messiah isn’t what you thought?)
Perhaps you’ve been listening to distorted news of the powers you seek from principalities you cannot touch. You need to identify with these ‘leaders’ of the world and in the world.
What is your reaction to the Messiah Jesus approaching in these last days?
To be continued...
