Participants: Glenn Russell & Ranko Stefanovic (Host)
Series Code: MTBOTB
Program Code: MTBOTB000024A
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00:20 Welcome to the Books of the Books series here on 3ABN.
00:23 I'm Glenn Russell professor of religion 00:25 Andrews University here with friend and scholar, 00:29 colleague, Dr. Ranko Stefanovich. 00:31 Ranko you teach at the theological seminary. 00:34 I'm an under grad teacher 00:35 but we had some good years of teaching 00:37 together in the religion department. 00:39 Ranko, we're exploring this Book of Mathew. 00:42 We've come to these powerful chapters 00:46 and I just have to say for both of us 00:48 as we're exploring this you just kind of feel 00:51 human language isn't adequate. 00:53 It filled us with awe and also trembling 00:57 because we are dealing something I'm afraid 01:01 we are not able to understand completely. 01:04 These are sacred passages. All of scripture 01:06 is and these just bring us to the very heart of God 01:09 as we see Jesus. 01:11 In the book of Desire of Ages, 01:12 actually we read that this is a subject 01:15 we'll try to understand through all eternity. 01:17 -Yes. -So who are we now that-- 01:19 Well, let's try to understand little bit more of it today 01:23 and let's enter into prayer 01:24 that God can help us in that process. 01:27 Lord, we--we recognize our short comings, 01:31 our inability to grasp the infinite love 01:35 of Your Son Jesus Christ. 01:37 But we pray that the person the Holy Spirit will be with us. 01:40 May we be drawn to you through the study of Your word. 01:44 We know that you've given us scriptures, 01:46 so that we cannot just argue about it or debate, 01:49 but actually be drawn to you to commit our lives 01:52 to you as our Savior, to be faithful to you. 01:55 May that be our experience in Jesus name we pray, amen. 02:00 Now we have seen the journey of Jesus to the cross, 02:05 He's come through the Lord's supper experience. 02:09 We've seen Him in the garden and that that momentous struggle 02:14 with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance 02:18 and Jesus surrenders His life, His will to the cross. 02:23 Coming out of that experience 02:26 we find the attack of the mob with Judas. 02:30 I'm marvel--you know, it's just a small point here, 02:33 but when Judas comes and kisses him 02:35 and Jesus says to him, "friend." 02:38 I mean, what forgiving, you know, Judas has gone too far. 02:41 The devil has come in to him as the scripture said, 02:43 but Jesus still doesn't brush him aside. 02:46 Now we come down to the arrest and trials of Jesus. 02:50 May I pick up Mathew Chapter 26 02:53 starting with verse 57. -Please. 02:56 "Then those who had seized Jesus 02:57 led him to Caiaphas the high priest, 03:00 where the scribes and the elders had gathered." 03:02 And may be should pause right here, Ranko. 03:06 People might get confused, 'cause it 03:07 mentions a couple of priests, Who were they? Caiaphas, 03:10 Annas, and so forth. 03:13 Among the Jewish people, there was always a high priest. 03:17 But in the first century as Palestine the Jews 03:22 were under the Roman occupation, 03:25 the priest was not only a religious figure. 03:29 Do you remember we talk about the Sadducees? 03:31 Sadducees also claim political power, 03:35 so the high priest was also the president 03:40 of the Jewish parliament of that time 03:43 known as the Sanhedrin. 03:45 You noticed in the text it says that they took him 03:49 to the house of Caiaphas were the scribes 03:52 and the elders were gathered together. 03:55 Sanhedrin comes from Greek, it means 70. 03:59 So Caiaphas is the high priest. His father in law is Annas. 04:04 Is Annas--actually he retired. -Yes. 04:07 So he was not official the high priest, 04:09 but you know, when you have a person 04:11 who is the high priest and political Jewish leader 04:15 I mean, for a long time he had a great impact 04:20 and influence on people. 04:22 You see, we are not talking about modern times 04:24 where person is the president, 04:25 after that, he does not have the any authoritative power. 04:29 Those ancient times you had authoritative power 04:33 as long as you live. 04:36 -The influence is still there. -Yes. 04:37 Let's pick it up now with verse 58. 04:39 "But Peter followed him at a distance 04:41 as far as the courtyard of the high priest, 04:43 and going inside he set with the guards to see the end. 04:47 Now the chief priests, and the whole council 04:48 sought false testimony against Jesus, 04:51 that they might put him to death." 04:52 What are we seeing so far? 04:54 The trial is getting set up, 04:56 but they're not seeking truth, aren't they? 04:57 No, Sanhedrin would take place in the temple-- 05:04 And again remind us the Sanhedrin 05:06 is kind of the combination of the church headquarters and-- 05:12 -And political power. -The Supreme Court. 05:18 But very often we have Jewish sources indicate 05:22 that very often Sanhedrin could have a meeting 05:26 in the house of the high priest. 05:29 If we go to Israel today, 05:32 there is a traditional house of high priest 05:36 and we have a many, many evidences 05:39 that really this could be that real house of the high priest 05:43 and this is true then you go, 05:44 Glenn, I don't know if you visit at their place, 05:46 you go there to the basement. 05:48 By the way there is still original stairways 05:50 leading to Caiaphas house that are from the first century. 05:54 Glenn, when you are there, then you understand 05:55 if this is really Caiaphas house this were the stairways 05:58 by which Jesus climbed as He was taken to Caiaphas house 06:03 and that basement was the place were Jesus was held. 06:07 You know, they took Him probably about midnight 06:10 or maybe 2 in the morning 06:13 Sanhedrin met early in the morning, 06:16 so Jesus for few hours was locked there 06:19 in the basement of Caiaphas house, 06:22 but just to mention one more detail is 06:25 Sanhedrin had the meeting. 06:26 Why did they have that meeting during the night? 06:29 Because they did an illegal act. 06:32 Sanhedrin, we said, it was the Supreme Court, 06:37 but really they did not have any judicial power and authority. 06:43 They couldn't examine the person, 06:46 present the accusations, 06:48 but it's the Roman authority, the procurator 06:50 at that time was Pilate, 06:52 he could really accept or reject those accusations 06:56 and only the Roman authority, 06:59 the procurator could sentence somebody to death, 07:02 so they were aware of that. 07:04 But they wanted to do something more, 07:06 that's why they decided to make 07:07 an illegal trial during the night. 07:11 And we'll see that they're dependent on the Romans 07:13 as you said for the death penalty 07:15 and they've got to find some charges 07:16 that the Romans will accept. -But what charges? 07:19 They've got religious issues here, 07:21 but it'll change and they'll become 07:22 more political in their refinement. 07:25 Now we understand why they tempted Jesus with the taxes. 07:28 Can you imagine if Jesus failed with that--boy, it's enough 07:31 just to go to Pilate and say, you see this is the person 07:34 we selected the people or refused to pay taxes, 07:37 that was enough to be crucified. 07:40 But they did not have anything. 07:43 Now these steps that you mentioned, Peter followed them 07:46 also a bit behind Jesus. What happens in his story? 07:53 So you have two part of the play. 07:58 They're in the courtyard. 08:01 They're bringing all those false witnesses 08:03 as we are reading in the text, all accusations. 08:06 They could not really find any charges against Jesus. 08:09 They could say, you know, He was teaching, 08:12 He is selecting people against our traditions et cetera. 08:16 But the Romans authorities would not by, 08:18 they say this is your private matter. 08:20 Let's read what the text says 08:22 here in verse 59 just on that point. 08:24 "Now the chief priest and the whole council 08:26 sought false witnesses against Jesus, 08:28 that they might put him to death, 08:30 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward." 08:33 So people were coming making up things, 08:35 but they had to find someone who had just the right point. 08:37 They could not. 08:38 Actually Jesus provided the point to them 08:42 after everything, you know, then the high priest says, 08:45 boy, you are not responding. 08:47 Why would Jesus respond? There was nothing true. 08:50 And then Jesus made that statement in verse 64, 08:52 Glenn, can you read it? -All right. 08:54 "And Jesus said to him, 'You have said so,'" 08:57 because the question came, "'Are you the Messiah?' 08:59 'You have said so, but I tell you, 09:01 hereafter, you will see the son of man 09:03 seated at the right hand of power 09:05 and coming in the clouds of heaven.'" 09:06 -What did high priest do? -Oh, boy. 09:09 "Then the high priest tore his robes and said, 09:12 'He has uttered blasphemy. 09:13 Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy.'" 09:16 So two things they now found. 09:17 You see, we as a nation chosen by God, 09:23 we have now clear evidence that He's doing blasphemy, 09:27 because he is claiming that he would come 09:32 at the right hand of the power. 09:33 What did they refer to, to Daniel Chapter 7, 09:35 we know that in Jewish writings, Daniel Chapter 7, 09:38 when you have one like a son of man 09:41 coming before God there and to him 09:44 was given all the power and the authority. 09:47 So they said, you see, Jesus claimed to be 09:50 that son of man of Daniel Chapter 3 09:54 which was actually the messianic figure with that. 09:57 But second thing is when you claim to sit 10:00 at the right hand of the power, 10:03 it means you claim to be that Messiah 10:05 who would sit on the throne of David 10:08 and they had the arguments to accuse Jesus that actually 10:11 He was that usurper who wanted to claim that power for himself 10:15 to establish that kingdom, 10:17 in other words to rebel against Romans. 10:20 So we have here two clear points what they try to do with Jesus. 10:25 And of course, they turn against Him and the high priest 10:29 in a mocking sense of purity tears his robes. 10:33 And they spit and they slap him 10:35 and say, "Prophesy against you" and so forth. 10:37 But that was not hard for Jesus. 10:39 He counted on that. 10:41 He made decision in Garden Gethsemane. 10:42 But actually, there was a significant hate that came, 10:50 not from those people. 10:52 It's from Jesus beloved disciple by name of Peter. 10:55 Glenn, can you just reflect that? 10:57 "Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard 10:59 and maid came to him and said, 11:00 'You also were with Jesus, the Galileans.'" 11:02 Now Galileans were known for their language. 11:05 The Galileans were not the most sophisticated 11:08 and she's picked up some accent and she senses 11:11 who he is and she perhaps recognizes him. 11:14 Like people recognize me, as soon as I'm talking to people 11:17 they recognize me where I am from, yeah. 11:19 This man was with Jesus of Nazareth. 11:21 And he denies that and now there's with an oath, 11:23 and he says no and after a little while more, came up 11:27 and said the same and then it says in verse 74, 11:31 "Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, 11:34 'I do not know the man.' And immediately the cock crowed. 11:38 and Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, 11:40 before the cock crews, you will deny me three times 11:42 and he went out, and wept bitterly." 11:44 Glenn, I would like to read another text, 11:47 very close to that. 11:49 If you can read verse 11:53 three to six of the next chapter 27. 12:01 "When Judas, his betrayer, saw that He was condemned, 12:04 he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver 12:08 to the chief priest and the elders. 12:10 Saying, 'I have sinned and betraying innocent blood.' 12:12 And they said, 'What is that to us? 12:14 See to it yourself.' 12:16 And throwing down the pieces of sliver 12:17 in the temple he departed, 12:19 and he went and hanged himself. 12:20 But the chief priest taking the pieces of sliver said, 12:23 'It is not lawful to put them into the treasure, 12:25 for they are blood money.'" 12:27 And then they go out and buy the potter's field. 12:29 So who of these two had committed more terrible sin? 12:35 There is a lot of similarities between Peter and Judas 12:37 both were disciples, both had every opportunity 12:40 to hear Jesus preach, 12:41 both had been sent out as missionaries. 12:44 Both had seen the miracles of Jesus, 12:46 but their experience is different. 12:47 But can you imagine Peter three times swearing, 12:52 using oath, I do not know Him. 12:55 When we are talking about the greatness of sin, 13:00 I don't see the difference, but that there is a difference. 13:05 What Peter did was because of the fear, 13:09 of the weakness of his flesh. 13:11 You know, Peter was always fast to talk 13:13 and after that he will start thinking about 13:15 what he was talking, so it was his-- 13:19 with Peter there was not impulse weakness at a moment. 13:24 Actually, it was something that, that not Peter sorry Judas, 13:29 the Judas was something building, 13:31 building his character from the very beginning 13:33 when he joined to Jesus. 13:35 So there's a calculated resistance 13:37 rather than a weakness of the flesh. 13:39 And you see that, but still there was 13:41 an opportunity for Judas to repent. 13:43 Do you remember Jesus called him "friend"? 13:46 -Friend. -What is the difference? 13:48 The difference is that Peter repented genuinely 13:55 and we know that he was forgiven. 13:58 Judas, he repented but that was never, 14:01 never genuine, genuine repentance. 14:04 And we see that Jesus looked at Peter 14:06 and loved him and he must have felt such disappointment 14:11 and yet He looks in love at Peter. 14:13 And this is what drove Peter out into the darkness 14:15 to weep and to cry, but let's remember 14:17 that Peter has that repentance experience 14:20 and Jesus had prophesied. He said "when you fall, 14:24 when you come back, I'll restore you to brethren." 14:27 Jesus had already said that He'll be with Peter. 14:30 So remember you may have stumbled 14:31 and fallen a little bit like Peter, 14:33 but your Savior will still be with you. 14:34 We're gonna explore this a little bit more 14:36 right after our break, we'll be right back. |
Revised 2023-12-26