The questions are seasonal reruns played from broken promises of the past — whether from October A.D. 2020 or during the first century trial of Jesus Christ.
We learned that doctrine can be religious or political. Recently many ‘christians’ have confused these.
FALSE politics is treason, but FALSE religion is heresy.
What is true of false political promises is also true of false teaching about God and Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter and others sound the trumpet of warning against false teaching and heresy.
Why is God about to suffer by the hands of His enemies?
To fully understand what is about to take place, we examine the motivations of those in charge:
The religious enemies of Jesus and
The political enemies of Jesus
Mocking your Enemy in Public
By now we have seen the betrayal of Jesus by one of His own. And because of Jesus’ popularity with the populace of Jerusalem, powerful religious leaders had seized Jesus under the cover of darkness and tried Him in pre-choreographed trials away from the crowds.
You may find it helpful to understand the background of Rome’s mocking its enemies in public, which you can read more about in the commentary.
Much of the following insight quotes BlueletterBible.org commentary of Chuck Smith,secure link of full text & audio versions::C2000 Series on John 18-19
- Graphics & secure internal links below open separate tabs to previous posts from this series from the Gospel of John.
Eternal Life
Jesus, the Christ of GOD
Logos: Greek describing Jesus Christ. “In the beginning was the word… John 1:1
You’ll notice that the word he is in italics, which means that is was added by the translators.Jesus just said, “I am.” That divine name of the eternal God. When Jesus said, “I am,” there went forth, no doubt, a blast of power, divine power.
And as he said unto them, I am he, they fell backward to the ground.
(Jhn 18:6)
Now, at that point, Jesus could have just walked off and left them lying there. It is interesting that Jesus is in control of the whole situation. He is the Master. And though they have come to arrest Him, He is the one that is giving the orders.
Now we examine the motives of Jesus’ enemies:
Religious Rule over the Jews
I AM the Bread of Life
Jerusalem’s previous administration had lost power over the Empire’s right to tax their captive kingdom (Herod’s, in name only). When the Jews violently took to the streets in protest a couple of years previously, Pilate executed many Jews and revoked the authority of their leaders to execute anyone.
And they led him away to Annas first; for he was the father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year (Jhn 18:13).
Annas had been the high priest from the year five to the year sixteen. Annas was probably one of the most influential, powerful, wealthy men in the city of Jerusalem. At this particular time, the high priesthood was a political kind of an appointment by the Roman government. And it was secured by a bidding kind of a process. They paid and bribed for the privilege of being the high priest. It was extremely corrupted at this point. Annas was the high priest, and being the patriarch of that family, was recognized still as the power behind the office of the high priest.
More about Monday's incident of Jesus overturning the tables of the moneychangers at the Temple in the commentary link.
.. And so, He was first brought to this man, an extortioner, a wealthy man, a Sadducee.
Caiaphas
So that’s why there were two high priests, Annas the patriarch, the old man, recognized by the people; but the Roman government had appointed politically Caiaphas as the high priest. [My emphasis. – RH]
Now, this Caiaphas was the one who said, “Look, it’s necessary that one be killed for the whole nation.”
And Simon Peter followed Jesus (Jhn 18:15),
And John does not tell us about His trial before Caiaphas, but the other gospels, Matthew and Mark tell us about the trial before Caiaphas.
Physical Abuse of Jesus by the Jews!
Note further from Smith’s commentary the beginnings of the sufferings of their Messiah Jesus by the hands of the Jewish leaders clinging to their tenuous power in Jerusalem.
Now, Jesus had already experienced a tremendous buffeting in the house of Caiaphas. There, they put a covering over His head. And with this bag over His head, they began to hit Him. Now, that’s vicious. We are fearfully and wonderfully designed, and we are designed to have automatic reflex actions. And when we see a blow coming, we automatically reflex to protect ourselves from that blow by fainting and going with the blow, thus cushioning it. And as long as you see the blow coming, it’s amazing what you can absorb. As long as your body can see it coming and you can then compensate and cushion and relax and flow with it.
.. So by covering Jesus’ eyes, by covering His head, and then buffeting Him, no chance to faint or to respond, and you take the full force of the blow, you don’t know it’s coming, Wham! That hurts! He’d already taken that kind of abuse.
His face already bruised, swollen, bloodied by the blows from Caiaphas, they continued the abuse by smiting Him, putting on the crown of thorns, mocking Him. There is a horrible mob psychology, where people lose all of their natural inhibitions and restraints and act as a mob and like an animal. And it’s always shocking the things that people can do in the anonymity of a mob. The true vicious nature of man, sinful nature of man is revealed.
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Continued on Page 3.. (question for comment follows on Page 2)
ALL took place in 1st century Jerusalem in the brief span of one week!
Continuing Jesus’ trials..
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there…
Jesus has already been found guilty and tried by the Jewish leaders Annas and Caiaphas during the wakening hours of this day. Then they brought the Messiah to the governor Pilate, who has just questioned their prisoner in his own judge’s quarters (which the Jews would not enter).
In effect, the Roman Governor of all the province of Judea acting as High Court Judge of Jerusalem tells them, ‘Case dismissed.’
Now, after private questioning of Jesus about their accusation, Pilate once again finds Jesus, Not Guilty!
But now begins the politics of playing the crowds.
Justice by Public Opinion – a Poll of the people
Once again, some time passes as the Jerusalem crowds gather for the preparation for the Passover feast. The buzz of the multitudes outside must have reminded Pilate of the great accolades for Jesus as He had approached Jerusalem just five days before.
As Governor of Judea, Pilate also had to placate officials of the Sanhedrin who Jesus offended in the Temple courts on Monday.
What’s a politically correct way to please the crowds who followed Jesus AND the Jewish leaders who help Pilate maintain the peace of Jerusalem?
The Judge of Judea will show mercy to this innocent man.
So the Prefect likely sent guards to the prison to bring a second previously condemned man to the governor near to Pilate’s position above the crowds. Now the Jews will see the truth of an innocent Man compared to an insurrectionist murderer like this prisoner Barabbas.
“I find no grounds for charging him. 39 You have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?”
IF you didn’t already know the ending of this Good Friday, you might jump up and applaud Pilate’s political correctness.
Everybody wins when the governor shows mercy. This powerful Roman governor of Judea seems to judge truth with great fairness.
BUT, as you know, crowds may be easily swayed from doing what is right.
40 They shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!”
Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.
CSB
John 19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.
To be continued...
Page TWO - Please click Page 2 below for the questions.
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