seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 7:45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.
47 “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”
50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”
52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”
53 Then they all went home,
So... an argument..... I think I'm might have to do the first part of chapter 8 this morning just to appease myself. See.... [pardon the pun]... I'm having eye surgery again today.... in the other eye... the one that can see.... and I may not be capable of seeing the screen to post a Bible Study tomorrow morning..... and I don't want to sign off with the Pharisees arguing over where Jesus was born. So.... now that I got that off my chest.... on to those "holier than thou" Pharisees.
I found this statement at the end of the chapter in my NIV online.
[The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53—8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]
OK.... let me see if I can explain this argument.... apparently John, the close personal human friend of Jesus the Messiah, thinks it's important for me to know about this argument.... so here goes. They were in Jerusalem.... it was around the time of the Festival of Booths [Purim]. The descendants of Jacob [Israel] were celebrating living in tents and following God around the desert for forty years before they moved into the Promised Land. It was one of the three big deals.... people were in town for a week and a day.... living in tents.
The crowd would have been massive.... the Roman Soldiers would be in their best attire.... all shined up and willing to take the town back if necessary.... and the Pharisees and Sadducees were at their "show time" best. All eyes and minds were on following the rules and regulations, policies and procedures they had come up with..... And then Jesus showed up and stole their thunder.
To them... Jesus was a mutt..... He was from Nazareth in the area around Galilee... so he was a nobody.... nobody of any importance ever came from Nazareth. They wouldn't admit it... but Jesus knew the scripture better than they did.... how dare He come to their town and "show off" He had the nerve to mess with the venders and the money changers.... those venders and money changers were there at the invitation of the Pharisees and Sadducees.... how dare He come to their town and "show off". He attracted crowds... the Roman Soldiers didn't like crowds.... He was complicating their plans.
The Pharisees and the Sadducees had the power to run people out of the Temple. The Temple was an essential part of life to the descendants of Jacob [Israel] and being banned from the Temple was horrific. So the Pharisees and the Sadducees controlled the descendants of Jacob [Israel]. While the rest of the world had to "rest" on the Sabbath.... they were in charge of pointing out sinners. They were "on duty" on the Sabbath at the pools at Bethesda when Jesus healed a paraplegic and told him to "pick up" his mat and walk. The man had been laying around for 38 years... this would be his first walk in 38 years... and they were going to have him stoned to death for picking up his mat.... causing the man to squeal on Jesus and put a target on the back of the Messiah.
Jesus knew their laws but He did not respect their rules, regulations, policies and procedures. He wasn't one to base His interpretation of the laws on a human interpretation or adaptation.... He was one to go back to the 10 Commandments and use them to live with respect and civility with all those around them.
AND.... the Pharisees were sure that if God was going to send His Messiah on their watch.... He would have sent an engraved announcement.... not just aligning the planets so they light up the night sky like noon time.... not just a legion of angels singing His praise.... not a census that required people to move to the home town of their ancestors so they could be counted... putting Joseph in Bethlehem with his pregnant wife.... or the mass murder of all Jewish babies aged birth to 3 years... ordered by Herod when three wise [scientist.... astronomer] men told Herod they were tracking the stars showing the birth of the Messiah. They were so busy disproving the surface facts... they didn't realize that the reason Jesus was the right age from the right area.... they missed the fact that Jesus was hiding in Egypt when the mass murder took place.
Nicodemus was right... they should have taken their time and listened to Jesus. They would have learned who He was. But no... they were smarter than everyone and their side of the story was the only true story. Jesus was a thorn in their side... and Jesus "worked" on the Sabbath... so He had to die. Period.
The Pharisees told the Temple Guard [yep just like the Capital in DC.... the Temple had its own security team]. to arrest Jesus.... and when the Temple Guard came back without Him... they just lost it.
The Temple Guard didn't really have a dog in that fight. It didn't matter to them who was preaching in the Temple... they were there to keep the Temple clear of strife. They probably didn't even work in the area where the free men worshipped... they were probably more prominent in the area reserved for Gentiles, women, children, and slaves. They were crowd control... and they did their job with pride....they did their job in fear of being stoned to death for not obeying the Pharisees and Sadducees. In spite of the threat to their own lives..... they didn't obey the order to arrest Jesus.
The Pharisees told them to arrest Jesus.... and they told the Pharisees.... Jesus didn't do anything to be arrested for...
He was just a Teacher.... He didn't pose a threat.
Those men of the Temple Guard will be fired or executed for not arresting Jesus.... but they couldn't.
Poor guys.... they were ordered to do something God wasn't going to let them do.... it wasn't time... Jesus still had work to do.... so God changed their minds.
God changed their minds.....
