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(Written by John Nkenchor – 08057714385)
They were cynical at first, even scornful, then came admiration for the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. His candour and the mystery surrounding his personality overwhelmed them. Still uncertain about this figure before them, they decided to listen and watch out for loopholes whereby they could trap him. When he told them he could not perform any miracle because of their unbelief, they drew fire. They concluded instantly that what he said was worthy of the death penalty.
Before he could make any move, they surrounded him with the evil intention of pushing him off the cliff. This could have been premeditated. They probably vowed to kill him whenever he stepped into the synagogue. We did not hear the presiding governor or elders sue for peace when the worship turned riotous. They took him to the cliff edge to cast him down. Being filled with the Spirit of God, he walked through their midst, leaving them hollow and even more confused about his personality. He left them at the cliff edge wondering, ‘What manner of man is this?’ Meanwhile, his fame spread not only in Israel and the Palestinian regions, but also to the Gentile nations. The Jews panicked.
The ordinary people rejoiced that the Messiah had finally come. The Pharisees perceived Jesus as an upstart, a troubleshooter whose hidden intention was to upset the apple cart and discredit the Jewish government, which was the Sanhedrin. The Sadducees and the Pharisees, whose primary duties were to oversee the nation and report any evil developments to the Romans, were also suspicious of the Nazarene. The Essenes held a different religious view that was not wholly acceptable to others. The Zealots’ campaign and attitude manifested a great deal more violence than spirituality.
They wanted to break the yoke of Imperial Rome by all means. This talk of waiting for the Messiah to come was frustrating and tiring. Applying force seemed to be the right thing for them. Then the Messiah arrived, and they did not recognise him. Herod, a stooge of the Romans, governed a part of Palestine, while Pontius Pilate ruled the whole region. Both were inundated with reports of the activities of Christ. Jesus of Nazareth, the itinerant preacher, had set the world on fire with the Word of God.
Both sent secret spies to unravel the nature of this prophet from Nazareth. Already, what they had heard was frightening and intimidating. They were told that this man was different from the Pharisees or any other prophet. His modus operandi sharply differed from the known norms. He did not emerge from the priesthood, the Pharisees or any other sect. He towered above every other being who had preached the Word of God or walked on this earth since the wake of creation. The two rulers lost their composure. The gentleness of the Nazarene notwithstanding, they felt threatened and overwhelmed by the power he displayed while moving from place to place.
The incredible thing about this man was that nobody could explicitly proffer proven ideas about who this being was. The Sanhedrin, piqued by his audacity to preach vehemently with authority, with signs and wonders following, complicated issues by taking an entrenched position before studying him. Filled with a spirit of jealousy and contempt, they proceeded to bring him down. They might have sounded out the opinion of the Roman governor several times on how to arrest this new, challenging development. It was obvious that the prefect did not have an inkling of what the matter was or how to handle it. But all the same, he felt elated that the Jews had brought this troubling matter to him. This meant that they were sensitive and submissive to Imperial Rome.
This was exactly what he needed to gauge their agitative, restless spirit. Reporting issues that could cause insurrection was welcome. Even if the matter was in its embryonic stage, it was better to nip it in the bud before it hatched and escalated. He thanked them for always coming to report and discuss new developments concerning this peaceful, sometimes erratic prophet. Though he was frightened by the information the Jews had gathered about this new prophet, unknown to him, the Jews did not have an inkling of how to handle Jesus. They were as confused as he was. Meanwhile, the crowd swelled around Jesus, being fed anew with the Word of God, hitherto unheard of or explained in a deeper, simplified, connecting, involving and Spirit-filled manner that left the crowd dazed, stunned and satisfied. Yet, they still yearned for more.
They said he taught with authority, not in the way and manner of the scribes and the Pharisees. Even the guards sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest him were confounded and astounded. They stumbled into the realm of the Spirit that oozed out of the Saviour, Jesus, as he taught the people. They were completely saturated, probably wishing to remain forever in Jesus’ presence as they partook of his holy presence. It was like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear his sermon. Overwhelmed and emboldened, they damned the consequences of flagrantly disobeying the terrible chief priests and Pharisees and made up their minds to confront them. The officers they sent were the temple guards. They arrived where they were assembled without Jesus. Imagine their shock.
Let us see what happened there. In the Book of John 7:45, the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said unto them, ‘Why have ye not brought him?’ The officers answered, ‘Never man spake like this man.’
They were shocked to learn that the officers were unable to bring him in chains, and even more shocked that they had the audacity to come and confess their helplessness and inability to arrest Jesus before the highest governing body. This alone attracted a stiff penalty, but still, they were not able to do anything. Every power is with Jesus.
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