{"id":1933,"date":"2011-03-24T02:05:12","date_gmt":"2011-03-24T06:05:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/?p=1933"},"modified":"2011-03-23T18:15:15","modified_gmt":"2011-03-23T22:15:15","slug":"why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html","title":{"rendered":"Why Did Jesus Have to Die? One Jewish Perspective, Part 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jewish Leaders Respond to Offenses Against the Temple<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my last post, I suggested that one of the major causes of Jesus\u2019 death was his \u201ccleansing\u201d of the temple. By interrupting the sacrificial system and by quoting Jeremiah\u2019s own condemnation of the temple, Jesus was threatening the very core of Judaism in his day. In the perspective of the Jewish leaders, this would have been blasphemy \u2013 speaking against God himself.<\/p>\n

For those whose experience and viewpoint is far removed from that of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, it may seem that their intended punishment simply doesn\u2019t fit the crime. But, if we look for historical parallels, we find two incidents in which other leaders acted much as did Caiaphas and his associates when dealing with Jesus.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Rembrandt van Rijn, "Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalam," 1630<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first example comes from the ministry of Jeremiah, some 600 years before Jesus. The Lord told Jeremiah to stand in the Jerusalem temple and speak the following:<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, and to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently \u2013 though you have not heeded \u2013 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth\u201d (Jeremiah 26:4-6).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What response did this prophecy spark in the Jewish leaders and others? Sorrow? Repentance? Hardly! In fact, here\u2019s what happened:<\/p>\n

And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, \u201cYou shall die!\u201d (Jeremiah 26:8)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There it is, the same pattern we see in the last days of Jesus: Speak judgment on the temple and the leaders will believe that you need to die. In the case of Jeremiah, however, he insisted that he was only passing on God\u2019s own message, so the people spared his life (Jer 26:12-16).<\/p>\n

Now jump forward in history more than six centuries, to an incident that occurred about thirty years after the death of Jesus. Curiously enough, this incident involved another man named Jesus, son of Ananus (Hananiah), who came to Jerusalem during a feast an began to cry out \u201cagainst Jerusalem and the holy house.\u201d According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Jesus\u2019 persistent proclamation of judgment on the temple and city offended \u201ccertain of the most eminent among the populace,\u201d which is to say, the leaders of Jerusalem. So, at first they beat Jesus severely. But when this didn\u2019t shut him up, they brought Jesus to the Roman procurator \u201cwhere he was whipped [flogged] till his bones were laid bare.\u201d When even this didn\u2019t silence Jesus, the procurator dismissed this Jesus as a madman and a nuisance. (The story of this Jesus can be found in Josephus\u2019s Jewish War<\/em>, 6.5.3.)<\/p>\n

In this case of Jesus ben Hananiah, the Jewish leaders seem not to have pressed for his crucifixion. Of course, this Jesus didn\u2019t pose the same threat as Jesus of Nazareth once did, nor did he do anything resembling the cleansing of the temple. Yet, merely by proclaiming God\u2019s judgment on the temple, Jesus son of Ananus earned several beatings, including what must have been an almost fatal Roman flogging. And, like Jesus of Nazareth, the Jewish leaders dealt with him, first on their own and then by handing him over to the Roman governor.<\/p>\n

The experiences of Jeremiah and Jesus ben Hananiah, though different in detail and time period, nevertheless illustrate how Jewish leaders were apt to deal with those who spoke against the temple. They were worthy of severe punishment, if not death. And when the Jewish leaders no longer had the authority to execute someone, they would turn him over to the Roman governor. Thus the actions of Caiaphas and his associates in response to the problem of Jesus of Nazareth reflect the same commitments and tendencies of similar leaders in similar positions. This greatly increases the likelihood that the historical scenario I have been proposing with respect to Jesus of Nazareth is, in fact, accurate.<\/p>\n

In my next post I\u2019ll sum up what we have learned about \u201cone\u201d Jewish perspective on the necessity of Jesus\u2019 death.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jewish Leaders Respond to Offenses Against the Temple In my last post, I suggested that one of the major causes of Jesus\u2019 death was his \u201ccleansing\u201d of the temple. By interrupting the sacrificial system and by quoting Jeremiah\u2019s own condemnation of the temple, Jesus was threatening the very core of Judaism in his day. In…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[207],"tags":[210,248,215,208],"class_list":["post-1933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-jesus-why-did-he-have-to-die","tag-crucifixion","tag-jesus","tag-jewish-leaders","tag-why-did-jesus-have-to-die"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Did Jesus Have to Die? One Jewish Perspective, Part 5 - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Did Jesus Have to Die? One Jewish Perspective, Part 5 - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Jewish Leaders Respond to Offenses Against the Temple In my last post, I suggested that one of the major causes of Jesus\u2019 death was his \u201ccleansing\u201d of the temple. By interrupting the sacrificial system and by quoting Jeremiah\u2019s own condemnation of the temple, Jesus was threatening the very core of Judaism in his day. In…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-03-24T06:05:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-03-23T22:15:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/files\/2011\/03\/jeremiah-lamenting-jerusalem-5.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Did Jesus Have to Die? One Jewish Perspective, Part 5 - Mark D. Roberts","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why Did Jesus Have to Die? One Jewish Perspective, Part 5 - Mark D. Roberts","og_description":"Jewish Leaders Respond to Offenses Against the Temple In my last post, I suggested that one of the major causes of Jesus\u2019 death was his \u201ccleansing\u201d of the temple. By interrupting the sacrificial system and by quoting Jeremiah\u2019s own condemnation of the temple, Jesus was threatening the very core of Judaism in his day. In…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html","og_site_name":"Mark D. Roberts","article_published_time":"2011-03-24T06:05:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2011-03-23T22:15:15+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/files\/2011\/03\/jeremiah-lamenting-jerusalem-5.jpg"}],"author":"Mark D. Roberts","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html","name":"Why Did Jesus Have to Die? One Jewish Perspective, Part 5 - Mark D. Roberts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/files\/2011\/03\/jeremiah-lamenting-jerusalem-5.jpg","datePublished":"2011-03-24T06:05:12+00:00","dateModified":"2011-03-23T22:15:15+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/files\/2011\/03\/jeremiah-lamenting-jerusalem-5.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/files\/2011\/03\/jeremiah-lamenting-jerusalem-5.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/03\/why-did-jesus-have-to-die-one-jewish-perspective-part-5.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why Did Jesus Have to Die? One Jewish Perspective, Part 5"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/","name":"Mark D. Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1933"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1937,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933\/revisions\/1937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}