Matthew 26:57-68 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” “He is worthy of death,” they answered. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
Today, we see Jesus moving toward his death on the cross. The elite of society should have known better than to take Jesus to his death. They were the most knowledgeable of the Jews. They more than any man or woman in Israel knew they should not murder an innocent man. Such an act was against God’s law. But rather than be obedient to the law to which they claimed allegiance, the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. We find Jesus in this mysterious plan of God, not suffering and eventually dying for his friends or for the goodness in mankind, but He is in this precarious position of suffering and death for the enemies of God. He knew the nature of mankind that they had turned from their Creator to their own way. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6) Even though Jesus understood people, He would drink the full cup of God’s wrath which was preserved for mankind’s rebellious nature. Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. BUT JESUS DIDN’T TRUST THEM, BECAUSE HE KNEW ALL ABOUT PEOPLE. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he KNEW what was in each person’s heart. (John 2:23-25) We find Peter who claimed to be his most faithful and trusted disciple failed him when Jesus needed him the most. Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He would disavow Jesus under pressure. Jesus would go to his death alone in the hands of corrupt people who despised God. They were willing to hear the lies of people wanting0 to murder Jesus. However, God’s plan from the beginning was to have Jesus lifted up as the bronze snake in the wilderness was lifted up for the salvation of people. All people everywhere have been bitten by the viper of death. They need a way to be redeemed from eternal damnation. Now we see God’s mighty plan of redemption progressing in the house of Caiaphas the high priest. We see grace and mercy in that house in Jesus. Rebellion in people will be dealt with that night in Jesus’ persecution and death. Jesus had prayed that all people would be one with the Father, one with Him, and one in the Holy Spirit, all bathed in the fellowship of love toward each other. Adam and Eve had chosen a different direction than oneness. They sinned and hid from God. Cain completed this task of separation by killing his brother Abel. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9) From that time on throughout the scriptures, we see the blood of Abel crying out to God, emblematic of man’s separation from God and from others. On this night in the house of Caiaphas, Jesus implemented a way to God. After his death and resurrection, his followers would teach THE WAY back to God.
Jesus went to the cross as the Lamb of God, innocent, without blemish, without one fault. He was unjustly and brutally treated. They spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?” These were the goodmen of Israel, the Levites and the priests. Later they would send him to Pontius Pilate who would have him flogged and abused unmercifully by his soldiers, the cruelest people of that day who hated the Jews. But Jesus went as a Lamb to the cross. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7) As an innocent lamb, He died, for this was the Father’s will. The Father appointed him to drink the full cup of sorrow and death as an appeasement of his wrath on mankind’s sin. Throughout the Old Testament, God punished the Israelites harshly for their waywardness. The Jews were even worse than their neighboring countries, serving other gods, placing shrines under trees and by every crossroad. They sacrificed their own children to these gods. They were violent, lewd, heartless, unfaithful, and immoral. They made gods in their own image and served them rather than God their Creator. God reached out to them repeatedly. And the children of Israel would repent, then quickly turn back to the gods of the heathens. Even though taken out of slavery, made into a great country, they would not follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As the chosen they failed, but all people everywhere in all lands also failed to heed God’s mighty goodness. He sends the rain and the sun to all men and prospers the soil, causing mankind to exist. Even though man knows he was created, he failed to serve the Creator. Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: The Lord will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling and roar mightily against his land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, SHOUT against all who live on the earth. The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the Lord will bring charges against the nations; he will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 25:30-31) In the Old Testament we see the nature of mankind: rebellion towards God. We see his chosen suffer with this virus. In Jeremiah’s depiction of God’s wrath on sinful man, we see the treading of grapes, revealing God’s anger towards mankind’s rebellion, smashing the grapes to a pulp. We hear his shout of anger as He treads the grapes. Even though disciplined greatly by God, man will never move away from his unfaithful nature to God. He is intransigent, constantly sinful. But now we move to the New Testament and God’s plan from the beginning to change his people made in his image to be IN HIS IMAGE, displaying the fruit of the Spirit. Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not fight or SHOUT or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious. And his name will be the hope of all the world. (Matthew 12:18-21) The God of wrath against sin will hold his anger because of Jesus.
God’s holiness never tolerates sin. Sin has to be judged, eliminated from mankind’s inner being. We were made in God’s image with freedom to do what we desire. This is a dangerous likeness, but God intended it to be so, that we might become children of the living God forever. Discipline and harshness never changed man for very long, for his nature is one of independence. He has this nature of God, but sin entered the world by a self-willed decision, made in the Garden. We see in the Old Testament man soon fleeing to his own ways. The flood did away with the first group of people that fled from God’s authority. Noah’s flood expelled them from existence except for Noah’s family. But such destruction did not change the heart of mankind. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though EVERY INCLINATION of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21) After that we see God choosing a group of people and making them his chosen. They came out of an idol worshipping people. He chose Abraham, a man of faith who believed God’s words to be his own. But even this special people with special blessings could not follow God in complete allegiance to him. All of this was in God’s plan, for He was in the process of making people into his children. Discipline and harshness could not change them. Smashing them as one would grapes under your feet would not change them, but Jesus could change them. He will not fight or SHOUT or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will not force obedience from people. He will come alongside of people. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) We who are pressed by the cares, the burdens, and the sins of this world will find rest as we put our hope in his works and not ours. Jesus literally takes our place on the cross. He chooses to be smashed as grapes under God’s wrath. In communion, we drink the cup of wine remembering what Jesus did for us. Jesus, who does not shout or raise his voice in wrath, willingly places himself on the cross, paying our penalty of death. God’s plan of redemption is immense and complete. No other penalty must be paid to satisfy God’s wrath on sin. When Abraham was chosen out of a land of idol worshippers, God chose a man who would believe God’s words. He was a man of faith, believing the impossible: that God can make something out of nothing and resurrect the dead. That is exactly what God did with Abraham and Sarah’s old bodies; Issac came out of that union of deadness. We who are now alive in Christ, know that is what God has done to us, raising us from the deadness of our lives. Discipline and harshness would not change us. Threats of damnation would not cure our rebellion. Only the love of God displayed on the cross could change our hearts to be worthy of God’s intentions for us. WE LIVE BECAUSE HE LIVES! Jesus prophesied reality when He told his accusers, I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven. We who are found IN CHRIST will know that day of victory, for we will sit with him in heavenly places forever! Amen!
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