Jesus brothers said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For even His brothers DID NOT BELIEVE IN HIM.” (John 7:3-5) I’m not so sure if we really understand just how much Jesus loved us. “After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because THE JEWS SOUGHT TO KILL HIM.” (John 7:1) “…the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them. So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might SEIZE (take hold of suddenly and forcibly). ON HIS WORDS, in order to DELIVER HIM to the power and the authority of the governor.” (Luke 20:19-20)
Here are three reasons why the religious authorities hated Jesus so much:
- The first: they were jealous of Him. Why would they be jealous of the Son of God? Everywhere Jesus went, He attracted huge throngs, multitudes, crowds pressing around to listen to His every word, watching His every move. He was profoundly popular among the people, whereas the rulers of the Jews laid heavy burdens on their people.
- The second: was because He exposed them. Before Jesus came, it was the Pharisees particularly, as well as the Sadducees and scribes, who set the moral standard for the community. They sat in the highest places in the synagogue. They were the ones who were most honored and celebrated for their virtue, but their virtue, as Jesus taught repeatedly, was a pretense. It was external. He said: “You’re like dead men’s tombs“, whitewashed sepulchers that are painted without blemish on the surface but inside are filled with dead men’s bones.
- The third: they hated Him because they were afraid—not so much of what He would do to them in His wrath but of the consequences of welcoming Him into their midst. Why were they afraid? Look at the history of Israel. In almost every generation going back to Abraham, the Israelites lived under the domination and oppression of a foreign nation. Almost always, the people were a conquered people, a people who lived under the oppression and the tyranny of their enemies. In the case of the first-century Jews, the oppressor was Rome.
Jesus, nailed to the cross said, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But FOR THIS PURPOSE I CAME to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and WILL GLORIFY IT AGAIN.” Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, WILL DRAW ALL PEOPLE TO MYSELF.” (John 12:27-32)
-Bill Stockham