The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 18:28,
"Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover."
Following Jesus' arrest and questioning first by Annas, the father-in-law to the high priest, Caiaphas, and then by Caiaphas himself, Jesus was taken to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. As the Jewish leaders took him to Pilate, they did not enter his palace. Pilate's palace was considered to be an "unclean" place by the Jews. For the Jewish leaders to go into the palace, it would have caused them to become ceremonially unclean and preclude their participation in the Passover due to the timing.
Passover is one of the three "pilgrimage festivals" and is an observance of when the death angel passed over the homes of the Israelites on the night of the most severe plague God brought on Egypt for not letting his people go at the time of the Exodus. All of Egypt's firstborn males were put to death by the destroying angel. God commanded the Israelites to commemorate the occasion by observing the Passover each year, "When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ceremony in this month..." Exodus 13:5.
"Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover."
Following Jesus' arrest and questioning first by Annas, the father-in-law to the high priest, Caiaphas, and then by Caiaphas himself, Jesus was taken to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. As the Jewish leaders took him to Pilate, they did not enter his palace. Pilate's palace was considered to be an "unclean" place by the Jews. For the Jewish leaders to go into the palace, it would have caused them to become ceremonially unclean and preclude their participation in the Passover due to the timing.
Passover is one of the three "pilgrimage festivals" and is an observance of when the death angel passed over the homes of the Israelites on the night of the most severe plague God brought on Egypt for not letting his people go at the time of the Exodus. All of Egypt's firstborn males were put to death by the destroying angel. God commanded the Israelites to commemorate the occasion by observing the Passover each year, "When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ceremony in this month..." Exodus 13:5.
While I'm sure there were social and community considerations by the Jewish leaders, what they were doing had its roots in attempting to live out the Mosaic law. So, what we have in John 18:28 is the specter of very religious Jewish leaders who made every attempt to carefully adhere to the religious calendar of the nation in order to keep God happy while not realizing they were setting about to kill his Son.
I wonder how many things people have done over the years, thinking they were doing God a favor and not realizing what was really before them?
Of course, it turns out what the Jewish leaders did ultimately fulfilled what God wanted, but look at just how deluded they were, how distant from actually being and doing what they assumed they were.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment