The Last Days Of Israel In Their Rejection Of The Messiah

by E.H. Merchant | Category: Lessons From The Last Days | Sept 1962

The way in which the Jews treated the Christ has a significance far wider than the boundary of the small nation of Israel or the few years in which it occurred.

Israel was the most favoured nation in the world. They had been raised spiritually and morally far above the other nations, for they had the knowledge of the true God, they had the living oracles of God; the code of laws given them by God was (and is) unrivalled in its purity. Their national history was unique, for no other nation had had experiences of the Almighty God as they had. Hut Israel had failed miserably. Time and again God had sent His prophets to turn them from their evil ways, but to no avail. Now there was to be a final demonstration of the heart of man, under the most favourable conditions. The Father said, "I will send My beloved Son: it may be they will reverence Him," in consequence of repentance (Luke 20.18).

The day of testing thus dawns for the human race, as Christ the Son of God is born in Israel. What shall the answer be? "What shall I do with Jesus that is called Christ ?

From first to last the nation of Israel would have none of Him. For a time and in some places, He was popular. When He fed them well and freely the Galileans would have made Him King, but when they learnt that it would not be free bread for ever they soon deserted Him even in Galilee, while in Judea the Jews already sought to kill Him. It was always that way. The heartlessness of the inn-people at Bethlehem, who refused room to His mother " great with child," may not have been directed against Him personally, but the same cruel spirit was shown by the people of Jerusalem who would have hindered even the quenching of His thirst on the cross - " Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to save Him" (Mark 15.36).

Where was the high priest, the spiritual leader of Israel, when the Lord as a baby was brought to the temple? There was no profound utterance of divine truth from him, concerning the Lord's Christ, the glory of Israel. It was left to such inconspicuous people as " a man in Jerusalem," aged Simeon, and the very aged Anna, of an exiled tribe, to echo in Zion the message of the Bethlehem angel. Their message seems to have been lost on the Jewish leaders, but when the Magi came seeking the newborn King, all Jerusalem was troubled, as also was king Herod, who had murdered some of his own family to secure his position, and would take similar measures against any new rival. By the power of the Caesars such a man ruled with terror and intrigue, and yet, a generation later the cry in Jerusalem is, "We have no king but Caesar."

The Jews' rejection of Christ was deliberate, and progressive in its spiritual and moral wickedness. They had replaced the commandment of God with their own traditions, and they hated Him for exposing their hypocrisy. Matthew records the Lord saying to them on at least six occasions, "Did ye never read?" (or similar words-see Matthew 12.3 to 22. 31). They refused to believe the fulfilment of the Scriptures; they refused to believe the words of truth and grace which the Lord spoke; they refused even to believe His works; worse, they charged Him with being demon-possessed, and in league with the prince of demons. He came from God and spoke the words of God; He did among them the works which none other did. They both saw and hated both Him and His Father, without a cause. Spiritually this was final and irreparable ruin for the Jews, and in them for the whole race. Now they have no excuse for their sin, sin-" because they believe not on Me." There was wilful disobedience, totally inexcusable, men loving the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

On the moral plane, how low they sank despite their meticulous religious observances ! In the temple itself the high priest's family enriched themselves by fraudulent trade and money-changing. The leaders were full of pride and self-esteem, and despised the common people. They would kill Him, " a Man that told you the truth"; they would kill Him rather than lose their place and their nation. They would kill Lazarus, because he was a living witness to His power and goodness. Their moral bankruptcy is seen in their refusal to answer His question about the Baptist (Matthew 21), and their hypocrisy in the scrupulous way they dealt with the money Judas returned. In the high priest's house they listened to many false witnesses, and before Pilate they opened the case against Him with lies (Luke 23.2, 5), The whole of His trial, in both places, was a travesty of the most elementary principles of justice-but they must not defile themselves by entering the Praetorium!

Even physically, how degraded were the actions of the high priest, the Sanhedrin, the chief priests and the scribes! They buffeted Him, they blindfolded Him and rained blows upon Him, and "some began to spit on Him " -there, in such a company. Who can blame the vile and callous soldiery, to whom He was but another victim of Roman rule, when the refined, educated and religious leaders of His own people did such a foul thing to their King?

Thus the Jews despised their Messiah, and abandoning their own separated position in the world, they joined hands with the Gentiles to crucify the Son of God. The high priest was the master mind behind it all. He coerced the weak and evil Pilate into committing this judicial murder. Thus Luke records, "in this city against Thy holy Servant Jesus ... both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together " (Acts 4.27).

Before God and before men, these last days of Israel in their rejection of the Christ were shameful beyond words. The most favoured of all people, the Jews, demonstrated the complete spiritual and moral ruin of the whole human race. Yet God, in the riches of His mercy, and for His great love wherewith He loved us, used this very means to bring about salvation.

Truly, His ways are past tracing out!

E.H. Merchant | Sept 1962
Lessons From The Last Days