Just A Thought For Your Consideration

"Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate."  (Mark 15:1)

The Gospel narrations of the Passion of Jesus reveal that Jesus first appeared before the religious community, then the government, the political power of the day.  There are just some things that governments can do which the Church cannot.  Perhaps, and according to Romans 13, Jesus intended it that way.  And perhaps this is a reason that the Book of Acts begins in Jerusalem and ends in Rome.

Apparently under the Roman law, the Jews could not put Jesus to death, "Then Pilate said to them, 'You take Him and judge Him according to your law.'  Therefore the Jews said to him, 'It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death'" (John 18).  Yes, they did kill Stephen and tried to kill Paul, but there is an explanation for the phrase in John's Gospel which time will not permit to discuss.  Suffice it to say, however, that the local government had the authority to do what the religious community could not.  North Korea, China, the former East Block Nations of Europe and all of human history have proven that the state can control what the Church does.  If the Church is going to see more than "revival," if the Church is going to see transformation of communities, it can only do so with the permission of the State (again, Romans 13).

Now lest you think this unspiritual, I challenge anyone to look at history and the contemporary world and conclude otherwise.  Yet the Passion Narratives reveal the sovereignty of God's work in redemption.  He used the Covenant People and the government to work His purpose of redemption, of saving humanity.  While this is indeed the central message of our text, there is also a lesson here that we should always keep in mind.  When people ignore the power of the government, their lives are shaped by that ignorance.  

The Church in America cannot pray the prayer of Jesus in the state schools, nor read the Words of God in those schools, because the US Government says it can't.  Perhaps if the Church would have been less "super spiritual" and more spiritual, America and other nations of the world would have a different history.  Jesus' "Great Command/Commission" tells us to disciple the nations, which tells me that nations and everything about those nations can be discipled.  

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for the Blood of the Cross, the Blood of Jesus, His Death, Resurrection, and Ascension and Soon Appearing.  Help me to so live, pray and work to disciple the nations that many will come to know You.  Amen. 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2