Herodian coin from Judea with palm branch (right) and wreath (left), 34 AD.
And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” – Luke 23:3
They had remembered hearing the indictment of this gentile governor
while hiding their faces from his Roman judgment seat. Although complicit in Jesus’ prosecution, an illegitimate half-jew Herodian sat powerless while Roman troops ruled the streets of Jerusalem.
While Jesus was not the kind of Messiah King they had expected, He did acknowledge the title bestowed by Jews accusing Jesus of treason against Judah and Rome.
Most amazingly, Jesus has now appeared to these disciples after His resurrection! He continues to appear to hundreds of disciples; here and there, even in the locked rooms of Jerusalem.
Herod’s rule as tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea, holds no authority over Judea, ruled by Marcus Pontius Pilatus, Roman prefect (governor) under the emperor Tiberius.
Captive Israel, now named Judea, Samaria, Galilee and Perea had no king, only legions of Rome. Most people lamented for the days of their strong kings, David and Solomon. Occasionally some rebelled against Rome, led by misguided ambitious young lions in hope of glory.
Judge or King?
From the day Israel crossed the Jordan its people encountered many kings of surrounding kingdoms. The Hebrew people had followed the Lord, but judges would become unable to rule this stiff-necked and proud people.
15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.
“… Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
More than a thousand years before Pilate judged Judea, here marks the beginning of kings of the Jews. Samuel was no more inclined to accept a king of the Jews than the Roman governor Pilate.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel,
“Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
A King to rule over Israel
A risen Christ Jesus must have reminded disciples of the Lord’s anointing of their kings. Its truth had not been as their traditions recalled, but rather a concession to the desires of their forefathers.
… “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” …
5 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.”
A Humble King and Triumphant Return
What was it worshipers near Jerusalem had sung while laying palm branches before Jesus?
“As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
I will tell of the decree:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
It had been a week of anointing for the King of the Jews.
The Cross had not been the anticipated breaking of Israel’s oppressors, but the Lord’s embracing forgiveness for mankind.
And now with a resurrection begins the ascent to His Kingdom of righteousness and everlasting reign. Jesus certainly must have repeated stories of the kings and predictions of the Prophets. For the Gospels retell those very scriptures.
His disciples hear their beloved friend, the risen Messiah, tell why He had to be crucified on a cross and sacrificed for our sins.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
That you may have Certainty in these Uncertain Times
Recall the guiding theme of our post-resurrection series is witness from the introduction of Luke-Acts and Jesus’ assurances to followers. We continue with the uncertain entry into Canaan after the death of Joshua. Our further focus looks at the consequences of those who had not obeyed the instruction of the Lord.
We know well Moses’ struggle with those who refused to obey the Law, but once again obedience comes into question. The lasting consequence from those those who had not obeyed the Lord became generational struggles for Israel. Obedience to the Law and Commandments became the foundation of righteousness for this people of God, but did not bring complete certainty.
The Hebrew people who complained as slaves saved from Egypt, who challenged Moses and then Joshua now enter another uncertain time of transition.
10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger.
23 A long time afterward, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years,2 Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years.3 And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the Lord your God who has fought for you.
Like Moses and other fathers of the faith Joshua calls the congregation of the people together and witnesses faith. “… you have seen all that the Lord your God has done…” Once again, a call to future generations for ongoing faithfulness. Yet will certainty in the Lord prevail over doubts of mankind?
Promises unfold, along with covenant to be obeyed.
5 The Lord your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the Lord your God promised you.
6 Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, 7 that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, 8 but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day. 9 For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day…
Sounds good to us. Therefore we will just let the Lord take care of everything for us.
11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the Lord your God.
Why of course we love the Lord when He is doing everything for us. In their place we probably would have thought, ‘no need to listen further.’
For If You Turn Back
12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you…
Clear choices. Serve the Lord and He will lead them to victory. Or turn back to doing whatever you like and you will be on your own.
Here we recognize something we see easy enough in others, that they obeyed only their own hearts. But let’s observe how it happened, so that we might not turn back in the same way.
“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor;
and they served other gods.
3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many…
Why did the Lord lead Abraham away from the lands where men worshiped idols? Do we see the caution here?
6 “‘Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 And when they cried to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time…
More reminders follow of the faithfulness of the Lord, who blessed Israel through Joshua.
13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’
Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve
It’s a choice we have every day, isn’t it? Choose the Lord or choose sin.
… Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord…
Joshua challenges the congregation:
15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua even takes authority to speak for his descendants, who will soon succeed him. Think of it as Joshua’s will and testament.
An inspired congregation will all agree.
… “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods…”
If only Israel had obeyed the Lord. But they did not obey. We continue to suffer the consequences to this very day.
Joshua’s Warning
19 But Joshua said to the people,
“You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.”
Is Joshua a Prophet; for he accurately foresees what Israel will do next? Moses had issued such warnings as well, in the Lord. Though the people pledge their loyalty to God, Israel will once again turn back in their hearts.
Judges 1:
17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction… 18 Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, … but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain… 21 But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem…
Failure to Complete the Conquest
27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.28 When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.
29 And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.
31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob,32 so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.
33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.
34 The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain.35 The Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor.
You get the idea. Israel did not live in the promised land by themselves as they do not today. The twelve tribes turned to other gods, as we easily do today.
Israel had neither heeded Joshua’s warning nor obeyed the Lord.
Yet have you obeyed the Lord completely? Do you consider the consequences of your transgressions and for your sins?
Following Joshua; following Jesus
יְהוֹשׁוּעַ from: יְהֹוָה Yĕhovah and יָשַׁע yasha`
This is the meaning of Joshua: The Existing One IS our Savior.
A mortal man cannot save, only the Lord.
Centuries later, even after several defeats of Israel, Jesus walks up to amazed disciples. He appears and teaches His followers for forty days after His Resurrection from the Cross!
We began this series with the priest of the second Temple Ezra, Looking Back at times preceding the fall of Jerusalem and the first Temple. Continuing with contrasts of Looking Back in real time from our 21st century, we examined a recent history of the Sadducees, whose auspicious beginnings were relatively new in the time of Jesus.
The question of the preceding centuries before Christ addressed who is in charge in a captive Israel, rather than that those in charge must first serve God.
We learned that the Sadducees had only been around since only about 175 years at the time of Christ’s teachings. In fact, the Essenes, like John the Baptist, and also the Pharisees could only trace their roots back to this same time.
Again, think of it in terms of today as looking back to the time of the American Civil War between the divided 33 states of the U.S. Yet the larger question to all generations is: should we look to our leaders for morality?
Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” – Matthew 16:6
Sadducees had it wrong, because they did not believe the evidence of the resurrection. They filtered scriptural knowledge of others by their own strict literal Hebrew translation, which may or may not have been accurate. The other two parties of Jewish belief were the Pharisees and the Essenes.
Pharisees and the Essenes
John the Baptist had withdrawn from the towns ruled by Romans and the religious controversies of power. He believed as the Essenes in a continuing spiritual life after death if we forsake our worldly ways in this mortal life.
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” …
5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
Even though the Pharisees believed in the resurrection, they also believed more in intellectual wisdom than in following the foolishness of the Lord. The Essenes on the other hand were seeking the Messiah of Scripture, the promised Teacher of All Righteousness. This is why John sent his disciples to Jesus and asked, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” – Matthew 11:3b – NKJV
Pharisees would have seen Jesus agreeing with them on the resurrection as a victory. Yet Jesus cautioned the crowds against their hypocrisy even more than opposing practices of Sadducees, Scribes or other political leaders.
Pharisees had likely been complicite in the elimination of their popular Essene rival, the prophet John, who Herod beheaded. Now the most popular opposition in Israel (which was, of course, a nation no more) was Jesus of Nazareth. Perhaps this charismatic itinerant rabbi is no more knowledgeable of Scripture than a common carpenter’s son. He cannot have done the miracles to which the multitudes give witness. They should easily be able to convince the crowds against this Jesus.
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying,
“Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?”
Not real complementary of these religious leaders of Jerusalem. Jesus did not speak against Herod with the prior intensity of John the Baptist or against their Roman governors. Now the Lord shows the Pharisees a Roman coin and tells them to pay their taxes and ‘give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” – v.21a
Jesus also reminds us: ‘and (give) to God the things that are God’s.” – v.21b
Matthew, the gospel writer, Disciple and former tax collector records the reaction of the Pharisees to Jesus’ answer to the question Pharisees had carefully crafted to trip Him up.
When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. –Matthew 22:22
Thriving on Controversy
Pharisees were common people just like you and me, but ambitious to many faults.
In many ways Pharisees are no different than the politicians and self-absorbed religious leaders of today.They argued amongst themselves endlessly about subtleties of religion and culture they thought most applied in these changed times. They legislated their own interpretations of the Law of Moses to educate their disciples to obey as equal to written Scripture and the Torah.
Pharisees interpreted Law written for Priests and worship into laws forced upon all Jews by additional strict rules of interpretation. These oral laws given to fill in the gaps of what the Law does not prescribe required their own scholarly interpretation, as well as obedient application in everyday life by followers of the Pharisees. A few centuries later these new oral traditions would evolve into various versions of modern judaism.
Jesus challenged the elevation of Pharisees and other religious participants into authority and glory reserved for Almighty God. The Pharisees sought to dethrone Jesus the Nazarene by catching the Lord off guard in His exclusive claims to powers reserved for God. Even the Scribes agreed of His blasphemy. For no man, after all, can forgive sins; but many have witnessed that Jesus spoke these words to those He healed:
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests
10 minutes
__utmb
Used to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
30 minutes after last activity
__utmc
Used only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.
End of session (browser)
__utmz
Contains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server
6 months after last activity
__utmv
Contains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.
2 years after last activity
__utmx
Used to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.
18 months
_ga
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gali
Used by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked
30 seconds
_ga_
ID used to identify users
2 years
_gid
ID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity
24 hours
_gat
Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager
1 minute
_gac_
Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.
90 days
__utma
ID used to identify users and sessions
2 years after last activity
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Herod’s rule as tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea, holds no authority over Judea, ruled by Marcus Pontius Pilatus, Roman prefect (governor) under the emperor Tiberius.
Centuries later, even after several defeats of Israel, Jesus walks up to amazed disciples. He appears and teaches His followers for forty days after His Resurrection from the Cross! 
