A Fair Hearing

John 7:45-52

The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

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Nicodemus is a fascinating character in the New Testament. In chapter three of John's account, Nicodemus has a private evening conversation with Jesus, asking him questions and getting some surprising answers. Why did they meet at night? Probably because Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees, the group of religious leaders who were largely opposed to Jesus. During this late night conversation, Nicodemus is told that he must be "born again" in order to enter God's kingdom, which seemed to confuse him. The chapter ends without a clear picture of whether Nicodemus believed Jesus or not.

Now, in chapter seven, Nicodemus reemerges. Jesus does no miracle in this chapter. He is asked by his unbelieving brothers whether he will go to the Feast in Jerusalem. We are told that Jesus is already under threat of arrest and possibly death. He goes to the Feast privately, but is drawn into open debate about his authority. John records several responses from the crowd, some of whom deny this could be the Messiah, but some are becoming convinced by both the miracles and the teaching they hear. We also read that the Pharisees attempted to have Jesus arrested at this time, but the guards actually returned empty-handed simply because his teaching was so uniquely powerful!

In response to these guards, the Pharisees are dumbfounded. Who is this man? The religious leaders don't endorse this, so why is everyone so smitten with him? They curse the crowd for being so insubordinate.

And then Nicodemus speaks up.

Little Nicodemus who has met with Jesus in private, probably for fear of his colleagues finding out that he was interested in Jesus. He spoke up and asked his fellow leaders to give Jesus a chance to speak for himself. He called them to consider that their own law did not allow an accusation without first hearing testimony. But they were not interested in fairness. They didn't even answer his reference to the law. Instead, they just berated Jesus for being a Galilean. He was different, strange, not from around here. He therefore did not deserve to even be heard.

What gets in the way of us actually hearing Jesus speak for himself. Do we give him a fair hearing? Do we buy the stereotypes that others have told us? Do we associate Jesus with some foreign culture or strange zealous cult? Do we judge him by appearances? Have we really read and researched to understand the most accurate picture possible?

Are we like the Pharisees who judged him without a hearing? Are we like Nicodemus who wanted his friends and colleagues to give him a chance? Or, if we really heard Jesus, would we be more like the officers, unable to carry out our judgment because we have never heard anything like this before?

Who are you?

Jesus is Smart

Matthew 22:46

And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

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Whenever I read this chapter, I am reminded that Jesus was an amazing wit. He is often remembered for his healings and his even for his eloquence, but rarely is it mentioned that Jesus could hang with the smartest and most winsome debaters of his day. After completing a round of parables, Matthew 22 enters into a four-part battle of wits in which Jesus comes out on top.

(1) Taxes. How would you like it if a group of people "plotted how to entangle" you in your talk? Sounds a little foreboding, but Jesus took it in stride, answering the Pharisees' question about taxes with one of his most famous responses. Give to Caesar what is Caesar, and to God what is God's. This is probably not a comprehensive approach to church and state, but it wasn't meant to be. It was meant to make them marvel (verse 22).

(2) Resurrection. This was indeed the hot topic of the day for these religious leaders. When asked about the hypothetical case of the seven brothers and one widow, Jesus gives his typical mouth-stopping answer: You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. He then makes his case on the grounds of Scripture that God is not a God of the dead, but of the living.

(3) The Greatest Commandment. Yet again, the teachers look for a way to make Jesus stumble, but yet again, he fails to disappoint. I am amazed at how humble the Son of God became to have to calmly and graciously answer theological questions that were given from hardened hearts. Oh Lord, never let my doubts and questions about you come from an insincere heart of stone! I want to love You with all my heart, and my neighbor as myself.

(4) Messiah. Finally, the tables are turned, and Jesus poses a question to them. They should have known the answer, but for some reason it had never occurred to these religious scholars that the Messiah might be more than a human king. He might actually be divine.

And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Citizens of the Kingdom

Matthew 21:31

"Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you."

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We have traced the life of Jesus from his birth, through his healing and teaching ministry, up to the point of his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We have already seen that his vision of the kingdom of God was in stark contrast to the commonly held beliefs of the time. His teaching was new, in a sense, but it resonated in people's hearts because it was actually the fulfilling of God's laws and covenants of the past. But, the people who liked his teaching the least turned out to be the religious leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees. These men had traded God's commandments in favor of their own short list of human traditions, upon which they thought God would approve them. Because of Jesus' bold and blunt critique of them as wolves in sheep's clothing, they were already looking for an opportunity to have him arrested and put to death.

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Matthew 21 is a climax of sorts. It is the peak of Jesus' popularity in Judea, as well as the spark that would eventually lead to a blazing conclusion. The Parables of the Two Sons and the Tenants represent more of Jesus' radically different teaching, made in response to the questioning of the chief priests about His authority. In verses 25-27, we get a glimpse into what these religious leaders were thinking, and we learn that their supposedly God-given convictions were really motivated by popularity. So, Jesus tells these parables to make abundantly clear that those who enter God's kingdom are those who bear its fruit, rather than those who merely serve themselves.

What is this fruit that Jesus says is the final criteria for citizenship in the kingdom? The fig tree didn't have it, a foreshadowing figure for the following discourse (21:19). The second son didn't have it, even though he had said he would obey (21:30). The wicked tenants didn't have it, but instead killed the servants who asked for it, even the master's son (21:34-39). So, what is this fruit that is so vitally important?

Faith in Jesus.

While the chapter does not give this answer outright, there are many clues that point toward this conclusion. The main clue, I think, is the celebration of the triumphal entry. Those who had faith that Jesus was truly the "Son of David," that is, the long-expected messiah of God, were those whom Jesus acclaimed in contrast to the doubting Pharisees. When the disciples asked about the fig tree, Jesus commends faith, without doubt, as the answer to their question. When Jesus says that the tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom before the chief priests, it is not because of their righteous lifestyle. It is because of their faith in Him. This faith does bring about a changed life, but we must start with the faith that brings it about. This is the fruit that proves one is a child of the kingdom.

Connecting those who bear fruit to those who accept the rejected cornerstone, Jesus concludes:

"Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." (21:43-44)