SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/21/2024 8:07 AM
My Worship Time
Focus: PT-1
“The Accusation of the Jews”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matt.
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,”
I mentioned that I supposed that Pilate was not to
happy with the Jewish leaders of wanting a meeting with him at such an early
hour, and on top of that they would not come to Him because they would then be
unclean and not able to celebrate the Passover.
Another reason for Pilate to be upset was because Jerusalem had so many
more people in it due to the Passover celebration. Now because they would not come to him, the
governor “therefore went out to them,” probably on a porch or balcony, “and
said ‘What accusations 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 insisted that a formal indictment be
presented” writes MacArthur.
MacArthur goes on “Doubtlessly
taking full advantage of the leverage they had over Pilate because of his fear
of political trouble, the Jewish leaders responded with arrogance and
sarcasm. They self-righteously asserted,
‘If this Man were not an evil-doer, we would not have delivered Him up to you’
(John 18:30). In effect, they rebuked
the governor for indirectly impugning their integrity. But it was not their intent for Pilate to
give Jesus a fair hearing but simply to approve and administer the death
sentence they had already decreed.”
We can be sure that Pilate already was
aware of who Jesus and the animosity that the Jewish leaders had for Him. No because their concerns were purely
religious, the governor did not have any desire to become involved and
therefore to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law”
(v. 31). Now in saying that, Pilate gave
tacit, if not explicit, permission for Jesus’ execution, because he knew that,
according to their laws, the most serious religious offenses were punishable by
death, as seen in the OT law.
MacArthur goes on “The Sanhedrin
made no effort to secure Roman permission for execution when they stoned
Stephen (Acts 6:12-15; 7:54-60) or when, some years later they plotted Paul’[s
death (23:12-15). Their telling Pilate, ‘We
are not permitted to put anyone to death’ (John 18:31b) was duplicitous. Their design
was not simply to have Jesus put to death but to avoid responsibility
for it, and possible reprisal from their own people, by having the Romans
execute Him for a supposed political offense.”
With that, because it is Sunday
morning, I will stop here and pick up in our next SD.
7/21/2024 8:29
AM
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