The Chief Priests, Scribes, and Elders- AKA The Temple Leaders
The Chief Priests, Scribes, and Elders- AKA The Temple Leaders
Jesus is in His final week. A week known as the passion week.
Sunday: Palm Sunday where Jesus rode the donkey’s colt into Jerusalem.
Monday: He curses the fig tree and turns over the tables of the money changers
Tuesday: Jesus and His disciples walk passed the cursed fig tree and see it has withered from the ground up.
Wednesday: Mark 14:1-11
Thursday: Mark 14:12-72
Friday: Mark 15:1-47
Saturday: Day of rest nothing happening on the surface
Sunday: Mark 16:1-13
So after Jesus and His disciples walk past the withered fig tree for the first time they walk into a trap by the rulers of the temple. And they ask Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority to do these things? ” In typical Jesus fashion, he turns the tables on them. He asks them, “By what Authority did John do everything he was doing?” So instead of Jesus being in a trap now the Temple Leaders are in a trap with no way out. If they were to say God then Jesus could come down hard on them for not believing John and the people may have been able to push them out of the temple and regain control, as God had wanted. Or if they said by men the people would have been in an uproar and taken them by force out of the temple. But they coped out and claimed they did not know who had given John the authority to do what he did. So then Jesus was able to go free, he was going free anyway.
I can’t help but wonder, if the temple leaders had gone with the right answer, then they would have broken the hold the devil had on them and the temple would have been spared and God could have once again control of His temple. And maybe the crucifixion of Jesus would have gone differently. I know Jesus had to die a torturous death at the hands of someone, but it would not have been at the hands of the Temple Leaders, but at the hands of the Romans. maybe? I believe this did cause a division among the Temple Leaders. Some would begin to side with John, Jesus, and God. While others would have continued to follow their father of lies. Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and Gamaliel are some of those who defected to God’s side.
”Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, came and boldly went in to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.“
”Nicodemus (who had previously come to Him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes. Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the aromatic spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews.“
John 19:39-40 HCSB
”A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while. And now, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” So they were persuaded by him.“
Acts 5:34, 38-39 HCSB
Saul AKA Paul was a disciple of Gamaliel and he went against his mentor’s wishes and became a hunter of the people who would follow Jesus.
”He continued, “I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel and educated according to the strict view of our patriarchal law. Being zealous for God, just as all of you are today,“
So what about us? Did you know that you are the ruler of your own temple?
”Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.“
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 HCSB
”Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are.“
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 HCSB
You and you alone are the one responsible for whom you give the authority to tell you what you do. You can follow the father of lies as the Temple Leaders did, or you can let the King of Kings direct you into all truth through His Spirit and His Word! You have no excuse to claim,” The devil made you do it!” The Devil does not have the power to make us do anything but we are carried along in our flesh to fulfill the desires of the flesh planted by the Devil because he knows our weaknesses. But rather we must use our freedom to worship God in all we do. For God cannot make us worship or obey Him either. It is our choice.
”Therefore, fear the Lord and worship Him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship Yahweh. But if it doesn’t please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh.”
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