Facing Opposition Part 2

 

    When you face false accusations, rumors, or testimony that make your life feel unbearable, it is a good time to remember what Jesus endured for you.  It is not easy to be quiet and not defend yourself, but sometimes silence is the answer.  It is hard to accept that some people will believe lies being spread about you, but you have to endure.  It is the only way you can honor God and not make it all about you.

    Jesus faced illegal trials because the church political leaders were determined to get rid of him.  They no longer wanted him to just be quiet an disappear.  They wanted him dead.  

    Since Jerusalem was under the political power of Rome, that meant that only the Roman court was allowed to give someone the death penalty.  Pilot was the first person they had to go through to legally make sure Jesus did not make it out alive.  His headquarters were in Jerusalem, so they had a plan.  They just were waiting on Judas to give them the opportunity.

    The Jewish leaders used their political dominance to try to convince Rome that Jesus was not the innocent man that he was.  Not one charge stood against Jesus.  They were obvious lies, but it was complicated.  The political arena had a lot of powerful hands in it and that meant a lot of people had to be kept happy, including the Jewish leaders.  You upset one political aspect and it can cause a lot of problems for the whole system.

    Jesus is perfection.  He is fully man and God.  Nothing that he ever did on earth was wrong or a sin.  It all had a reason.  That included enduring the farse of a trial.  He was prophesied to be a king, so the Jews all assumed that meant a human king to domain in the human world.  The reality is he is king, but over all aspect of life in this world. His position is not a political game that had to be won.  It is divine.

    The Pharisees used the role of king as their pivotal argument for the Roman diplomats to be the reason to kill Jesus.  It took all the responsibility of Jesus being killed off their hands.  The Jewish death penalty was stoning.  Th Roman's death penalty depended, but mostly they used the cross to cause extreme suffering and prolonging of the death to the most vile villains.  It was not given out to everyone.  Jesus' execution was a historical moment for more than just Christians.

Mark 10:32-34,  John 18:33-40, 1 Corinthians 10:12-13, 2 Timothy 2:8-14, & 1 Peter 2:21-25