John 18:28-40 Echoes In America Today

I can't help but compare the Jewish leaders at that time to what's going on right now in American politics.  But as you read this, understand that I am not comparing our president to Christ.  I am only comparing those attacking him to these Jewish leaders.

Those leaders saw Jesus as a political rival who would most likely unseat them from power, so they began surveillance to gather any shreds of evidence.  They looked for ways to somehow play all the good He was doing as somehow sinful, such as His healing on the Sabbath.  

The official charges they'd brought to the Romans were that "He had led the nation astray, He opposed paying tribute to Caesar, and He claimed to be the Jewish Messiah and king," my commentary said.  "He had not subverted the nation, either politically or religiously ... Jesus had blessed the nation and brought them new hope.  As for opposing paying tribute to Caesar, He taught just the opposite!  'Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.'  He did claim to be King but not in a political sense."

"The Jewish religious leaders were groping for any piece of evidence they could find on which they could build a case, and they were even willing to secure false witnesses."

Sounds like Washington, DC today.  My commentary was published 12 years ago, but the individual commentaries for each book go back prior to the 1990's!  How prescient that we read, "But when a mob is manipulated by crafty leaders, in an atmosphere of patriotic fervor, it loses itself and starts to think with its feelings instead of its brains.  Their condemning vote said nothing about the Son of God, but it said a great deal about them."

Father, only You know the whole truth about our country's problems today.  Please lead us to remove from power, through only the ballot box, anyone who cares more about their own jobs and power than they do about our nation.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford