Who Is Jesus? part 13: Good Friday, The Rejection of the Messiah

 

Luke 22:66- 23:49

Jesus before the Sanhedrin (22:66- 71)

The Sanhedrin (a council of elders made up of chief priests and teachers of the Jewish Law) is called together for the purpose of accusing Jesus of breaking the Torah so He can be put to death. They have to tread lightly because Rome refused to give them the authority to carry out a death sentence. According to Luke, the Sanhedrin was trying to get Jesus to admit He was the Messiah. Note that three different terms are used to refer to the Messiah: Christ (often translated "Messiah") is the Greek word for the Messiah, the Anointed One. The Son of Man was a term long used by Jewish scholars to refer to the Messiah. The Son of God was also a term used for the Messiah. It had not taken on the usage of meaning the Second Person of the Trinity like we use it today. All three terms simply, in this context, are referring to the Messiah that the Jews were expecting to come.

Jesus refuses to tell the Sanhedrin that He is the Messiah. He does say that the Messiah would now rule with God in Heaven. Jesus had provided plenty of evidence that He was the One who was to come, but they refused to believe it. He wasn't the Messiah they were expecting. Jesus was The Messiah, but He wasn't their Messiah; they were accusing Him of being a fraud. Even though Jesus does not claim to be the Messiah before them, they twist His words and say He has just admitted it. 

Jesus before Pilate and Herod (23:1-25)

Jesus wasn't the Messiah they were expecting. Ironically, if He were, if the intention was to take over the authority from them by force, they would have cause to condemn Him. That's why phase two of their plan actually doesn't work. 

The Sanhedrin not only accused Jesus of claiming to be the Messiah (a king), but they add another claim they knew to be false: that Jesus opposed paying taxes to Caesar. They couldn't trap Him on the tax issue earlier in the week, but they falsely accuse Him of that anyway. They charge Him with crimes He would have been guilty of if He was actually the Messiah they had expected. 

When Pilate asks Jesus if He is the King of the Jews, Jesus gives basically the same reply He gave The Sanhedrin when they asked if He was the Messiah: "That's what you said." In other words, "that's the accusation." Pilate at least has the integrity to admit Jesus is not making a confession. Jesus knows He isn't about leading an insurrection; He's not wanting to take over Judea by force, so He does not admit to what they're actually asking. 

Herod [Antipas] wants to have some fun with all this. He is called in when Pilate discovers Jesus was from Galilee. Herod has been wanting to see Jesus for some time now, not because He wanted to hear His teachings, but to see His miracles. The Sanhedrin keep making accusations, but none of them stick. Still, Herod and the soldiers dress Him like a king and mock Him, sending Him back to Pilate. Pilate apparently likes the joke, because he and Herod become friends after being long-time enemies. 

Pilate declares that he and Herod have not found anything to justify Jesus being killed, but he says he will punish Him and release Him. But the crowd demands that Jesus be crucified. And Pilate bows to them. The people want the real insurrectionist to be released, not the One who tried to teach them another way. This is a scene which has been reproduced over and over throughout history. The people choose the violent warmongers over the loving peacemakers, to their own detriment. A few decades later, Jerusalem will be sacked and destroyed. The people will reap what they have sown. 

Jesus before the people (23:26- 49)  

As Jesus makes His way down the streets to the crucifixion, He talks about the destruction to come. Women were weeping and mourning, but Jesus tells them someday things will be much worse. This is actually a time of a "green tree." Compared to what is coming later, these are actually good times. If people do things like what they are seeing in the good times, how horrific it will be when the times of the "dry tree" come. "Don't weep for Me. Weep for yourselves and your children." A warning we should always heed when we reject the way of peace and love for the way of violence and hate. 

But there is hope, even during this horrific scene. For those who are killing Jesus using one of the most barbaric and cruel methods of torture devised, He offers forgiveness. Most of the crowd is standing around laughing and jeering, but those who knew Him stood at a distance watching. In the end, He is not completely abandoned by His disciples. One of the criminals crucified with Him insults Him, but the other realizes Jesus had done nothing wrong. In an amazing display of faith, this criminal asks Jesus to remember Him when He come into His kingdom. Here is someone who from all appearances is defeated and has lost the day, but this man understands He will be victorious. Don't discount those who we see as being justly punished. Some of them can surprise us with faith beyond what we ever thought possible. His faith is rewarded. 

Then there is that enemy Roman soldier, the centurion. Even our worst enemies are not beyond hope. He comes to the realization that although this Man was dead, He not defeated. What he had witnessed convinced him. He had probably seen uprisings in his day led by would-be Messiahs. This One was different. He spoke words of forgiveness to those abusing and torturing Him. Some might call that crazy. Some might call that weak. This hardened soldier knew and truth, and called him righteous.