Jesus Found Guilty for Telling the Truth

Mark 14:60-64  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?"  (61)  But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  (62)  And Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." (63)  And the high priest tore his garments and said, "What further witnesses do we need?  (64)  You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?" And they all condemned him as deserving death.

Angels had told Mary about her giving birth to Jesus even though she'd never been with a man. An angel also told Joseph in a dream about His birth. Then, when He was born more angels appeared to certain shepherds, who then went and saw the baby Jesus.

This Jesus grew to manhood and then for 3 and a half years demonstrated who He was by His words and miraculous deeds. This was God come in the flesh. He was therefore both the Son of God and the Son of Man. He was the long awaited Messiah. Some people believed in Him. Others did not. He didn't fit what many people expected the Messiah would be like, and rather than accept that they were wrong, they decided Jesus was an imposter.

Jesus was arrested and tried during the night. His prosecutors brought forward their hand picked witnesses, but their testimonies conflicted with one another. So the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

Jesus knew He who He was. He also knew that if he answered truthfully that He would be crucified to suffer not only physically by the hands of men, but also in a far more severe way that we can't even comprehend. Jesus knew that while on that cross His Father would consider Him guilty of all our sins that ever had or would be committed. For a time while on that cross Jesus would be forsaken by God. I don't know how that is possible. But it happened. Jesus endured that to provide redemption for us, not so we would go on doing what we like, but so that we could become true worshipers of God.

So Jesus answered the high priest, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." 

The high priest was enraged. He tore his garments, declared Jesus a blasphemer and demanded a verdict, which was immediately given as guilty and deserving of death. Because Jesus told the truth He was declared by men to be unworthy to live.

So Jesus was tortured and tormented and nailed to a cross. As He hung there, many stood by watching Him suffer, and some mocked Him. This was the One who had made everything that has been made (John 1:3) now nailed to a tree, barely able to breathe. 

 Then came mid afternoon, about the sixth hour. And something changed. Darkness covered the whole land. Apparently those who had been taunting Jesus became quiet. This wasn't part of their plan for dealing with Jesus. Later, when the priests and other Jews who were at the cross returned to the Temple they learned what the priests still at the Temple already knew. The curtain shielding the entrance to the Holy Place had miraculously been torn in half from top to bottom

Luk 23:44-48  It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,  (45)  while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  (46)  Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last.  (47)  Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent!"  (48)  And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. (ESV)

The centurion and those with him were awed. He knew this was no ordinary man that he had crucified. He praised God. He knew something extraordinary had taken place. They not only realized that He was innocent, but in Matthew 27:54 we read that they also said "Truly, this was the Son of God."

When that time of darkness covering the land ended, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit My spirit!"  Doing so was another miracle in and of itself, because a crucified man can barely breathe, yet one it was at that time Jesus cried out with a loud voice to commit His spirit to the Father, then breathed His last.

I am posting this on my blog on the day we call Good Friday, so it is suitable that we take time to think about what Jesus did that day. He chose to endure what He went through that day. It was worse than we can imagine. But unless He endured the wrath of God we all would have to endure it for all eternity. We're all sinners whether we admit it or not. We need to admit that, repent of it, thank God for the acceptable sacrifice that was made by Jesus, and acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and Lord every day forevermore.

Roles of Men and Women in Church Then and Now

Ever heard of a church that has done away with calling anybody an elder? I just heard of one that has done that. The church does have a pastor who is a man who does the preaching on most Sundays. That church also has a woman referred to as a minister who does a variety of things, including preach to the congregation on a Sunday about once every six weeks. This church used to have a board of deacons made up of men and women that functioned exactly like what other churches call their board of elders. (A very long time ago thier board of deacons consisted only of men.)  But now they no longer use the terms elder or deacon but instead has a group of men and women who help lead the church.

Convenient. If those in that group of church leaders helping to serve the church along with the pastor and minister aren't called elders then surely they can't be doing anything contrary to the Bible, can they? When Paul wrote those pastoral letters to Timothy and Titus it's quite clear that godly upright men were to be appointed as elders, but he didn't say anything about a group of church leaders that weren't called either elders or deacons, so such a group could be without any gender limitations, and that would be fine with God, wouldn't it?

After all, other churches actually include women not only as elders but also as pastors. Things change. This is a new time and culture, and women are so much more educated now so the church has to change, too, right?

Sometimes change is indeed not only appropriate but also necessary. After the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross for our sins there was no longer any need for the sacrifice of animals which only demonstrated the seriousness of sinning against God but could never atone for anyone's sins.

But do new times and different cultures dictate ignoring what is written about the roles men and women are to have in the Church?

In addition to the passages describing the kind of men who could become elders (1 Tim 3:1-11, Titus 1:5-9), Paul also wrote the following.

(1 Tim 2:11-14) Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. ESV

The first reason Paul gives for women not teaching or exercising authority over men was that Adam was formed first, then Eve. Did God have to do it that way? Was He unable to to have formed Eve first and then Adam? No, of course not. But it was God who chose to make man and then woman and to do so in that order. We need to acknowledge that God is God and has the right and authority to do whatever He does and to command us to do whatever He wants us to do.

The death of Jesus on the Cross pays the penalty for our sins, but it does not negate the relationship of God to us as our Lord Whom we are to obey.

The second point that Paul made in this passage was that Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Does this mean that men can't be deceived? Certainly not. Eve listened to, believed, and did what the deceiver convinced her to do. Adam then went along with it and joined her in what she was doing even though he knew it was against what God had told him. Today when women refrain from teaching or having authority over men hopefully both will be reminded of both how God made man and women and how they lost the relationship they had with God, one another, and the creation.

OK, but what about the wording in this passage where Paul writes "I do not permit a woman to..."  Could that mean that this was simply Paul's rule, not God's? Maybe he had a low regard for women. Or because of the times and cultures back then that it was right for then but not for now?

Well, let's take a look at another passage:

(1Co 14:33-38)  For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,  the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?  If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. ESV

Look at that again. Paul states that the things he is writing are a command of the Lord. Did you get that? A command of the Lord.

As the Creator of everything including us, and as our one and only Savior who suffered and died that our sins could righteously be forgiven, our Lord can not only teach us what He wants us to know but also command us to do obey what He tells us to do or not do.

Scripture does address the issue of the roles of men and women in marriage and in the church. Do you think you know better than God?  Want to that explain that to Him?