·
The religious leaders were jealous
of Jesus because “he taught as one who had authority and not as the teachers
of the law!” (Matthew 7:29).
·
The Pharisees were angry
because Jesus refused to honor their rules of clean and unclean. “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and
sinners?” (Matthew 9:11)
·
Unable
to deny his miracles, the religious leaders claimed Jesus wielded Satan’s power!
“It is by the prince of demons that he
drives out demons.” (Matthew 9:32)
·
Jesus
valued people over rituals to the point of making the Pharisees plot to kill
him. But the Pharisees went out and
plotted how they might kill Jesus. (Matthew 12:14)
·
The
religious leaders understood that many of Jesus’ parables were attacks against
their abuse of authority! When the
chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking
about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of
the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. (Matthew 21:45-46)
·
The
religious leaders decided to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people. Then the chief priests and the elders of the people
assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,
and they schemed to arrest
Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a
riot among the people.” (Matthew
26:3-5)
Most of us have a tendency to dismiss people
who make us uncomfortable, push us to painful growth, or threaten our perceived
best interest. Jesus was a serious threat to those who thought they had it all
figured out!
Since Jesus did not submit to their
authority or give in to their bullying, the religious leaders dismissed Jesus
with the charge of blasphemy. It is ironic that they ignored the words and the
signs of Jesus which were clearly powered by God, choosing instead to reject Jesus
in the name of defending God! There was some blasphemy happening at the trial
of Jesus, it was just the opposite of their legal verdict!
Pilate knew the religious leaders handed
Jesus over to him out of their own self-interest. He decided to dismiss Jesus
and crucify him, despite pronouncing him not guilty, despite knowing the
jealousy of the Jewish leaders, simply because it was the easiest way to solve
his problem that Friday morning. Truth is often a victim of expediency.
Jesus warned his disciples that it was a
constant tension to be more interested in the things of men rather than the things
of God. Charging your opponents with blasphemy does not change the truth. Washing
your hands and claiming your innocence is never enough to destroy the truth! The
problem with truth is, while you can easily and efficiently dismiss it, it does
not cease to be true because of your refusal to believe it.
Truth is made for acceptance and obedience. Jesus
as the way, the truth and the life, is calling us all to follow him! Are you walking?
- Kenny Payne
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