Saturday, July 20, 2024

PT-1 "The Accusation of the Jews" (Matt. 27:11-12a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/20/2024 9:05 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  PT-1 “The Accusation of the Jews”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                             Reference:  Matthew 27:11-12a

 

            Message of the verses:  11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And Jesus said to him, "It is as you say." 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders,”

 

            The first element that we begin looking at today demonstrates Jesus’ perfection and His innocence is the negative accusation of the Jewish religious leaders.  When the chief priests and the elders first brought Jesus to Pilate as seen in Matthew 27:1-2, it was still very early on Friday morning, perhaps around five o’clock. Let’s look at how John reported this from John 18:28 “Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.”  I have already expressed my feelings on the highlighted portion of this verse, stating that it discussed me as these men wanted to have someone else do their dirty work but did not want to be defiled so they could celebrate the Passover, and were participating in the killing of the Passover Lamb. 

 

            “The Praetorium was the governor’s residence in Jerusalem and was probably located in the Fortress of Antonia, which was just north of the Temple.  The Praetorium also served as a judgment hall, where the governor adjudicated matters brought before him” writes John MacArthur.

 

            Now I have talked about this earlier but barest repeating that the northern Jews, which included those from Galilee such as Jesus and His disciples, had already celebrated the Passover on the previous day, however the southern Jews, which included the vast majority of the religious leaders, they celebrated it a day later, which in that year was on a Friday.  So that means that the members of the Sanhedrin had not yet offered their sacrifices or eaten the Passover meal, and it was because of rabbinical tradition taught that entering a Gentile home or building was ceremonially defiling, they refused to enter the Praetorium.

 

            MacArthur writes “The extreme of their wicked hypocrisy, is seen in their knowledge making false accusations against Jesus while in the very process of transgressing both scriptural law and their own standards regarding judicial process.  They were meticulous about observing man-made restrictions regarding supposed ceremonial contamination but were totally insensitive to the demands of simple justice.  They maintained fastidious commitment to a foolish, arrogant superstition while resolutely seeking the execution of the Son of the living God (cf. Matt. 23:23).

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.’”

 

            One thing that I think is for sure and that is that Pilate was more than a little perturbed at being awakened at such and early time in that morning, however he was even more concerned about raising the ire of the Jewish leaders, especially in the midst of their great religious festival, when Jerusalem was swelled to bursting with pilgrims.  Now we have learned that these Jewish leaders would not come to Him, so the governor “Therefore Pilate went out to them and *said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?’” (John 18:29)

 

            That question was perhaps the first and only legal act in the trial of Jesus.  Before the governor would hear the case he would incest that a formal indictment be presented.

 

7/20/2024 9:32 AM

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