[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]
This week we conclude our discussion of chapter 22 of Luke’s Gospel. Please read verses 63-71 and Chapter 23:1-3 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
[/column]
[column parallax_bg=”disabled” parallax_bg_inertia=”-0.2″ extended=”” extended_padding=”1″ background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”” background_position=”” background_size=”auto” background_attachment=”” hide_bg_lowres=”” background_video=”” vertical_padding_top=”0″ vertical_padding_bottom=”0″ more_link=”” more_text=”” left_border=”transparent” class=”” id=”” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” width=”1/1″ last=”true”]
[/column]
[divider type=”1″]
[/divider]
[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”” title_type=”single” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]
Luke 22:66-71 (Williams New Testament)
‘As soon as day came, the elders of the people, the high priests, and the scribes assembled, and brought Him back before their council, and said, “Tell us, if you are the Christ.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I ask you a question, you will not answer me. But from today the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” Then they all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” And He answered, “Yes, I am.” Then they said, “What more evidence do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth!”’
I’m sure that you will have heard the idiom “I can’t do right for doing wrong.” There was a time when this was very appropriate for me. I had a boss who ‘inherited’ my team and was unhappy about it. She wanted to have her ‘own people’ around her and was desperately trying to get her old team moved to the new one. There were four of us working in the team and she disliked 3 of the 4 and did all she could to upset or discredit us with a view to moving us on. The phrase used in modern times is to ‘manage out’. This applies to the practice of introducing personal improvement plans that are impossible to achieve. When inevitable failure occurs, the manager terminates the employment because of the underperformance of the employee. Years ago, this could be argued to be ‘constructive dismissal’ but it really is common practice today.
During this time with my boss, we would have several meetings where she informed me of what was required for the job. I would do my best to meet the requirements but in the next meeting, she would argue that I’d only met ‘some’ of the requirements and would add several more or interpret the old ones slightly differently. It really didn’t matter what I said or did, nothing would have been good enough because she had an agenda that didn’t include me! I really couldn’t do right for doing wrong.
This is exactly what is happening in our verses today. Jesus had been teaching consistently the same message over and over. He hadn’t changed or deviated in any way. Throughout that time, the religious leaders had attempted to challenge or argue the position and Jesus would always respond with the damning conclusion that they were hypocrites and didn’t want to do God’s will but their own. They had their own pre-conceived idea of what/who the Messiah was and Jesus did not fit with what they wanted. All they were concerned with was to get Jesus to a point where a charge of blasphemy could be proven and then condemn Him accordingly. They desperately wanted Jesus to admit to being God. This is quite hard for us to understand in Western Civilisation but the term ‘Son of Man’ as mentioned in Daniel 7 was regarded as being the Son of God and equal in every way to God the Father.
Williams New Testament gives us absolute clarity when, in response to the question “Are you the Son of God?” it records that Jesus says “Yes, I am”. Some translations are very different in regard to Jesus’ answer to the final question. However, the Sanhedrin’s response proves that the answer was in fact unequivocal and unambiguous. At that point, they needed no more evidence. Jesus had plainly said that He was the Son of God and this meant that He was the Messiah and therefore equal to God the Father. There are now only 2 options open to them. The first is that He was blasphemous and deserved to die or the second, that He really is God and therefore they were in big trouble. All of us are posed with the same question – Who is Jesus? Praise God that He is the author of our Salvation and the One who has conquered death. He is worthy to be praised.
[/column]