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Hoehn's The Killing of Jesus by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013, all rights reserved. Newborn babies don’t usually have enemies. An exception was Moses, who was born at a time when the ruler of the land, Pharaoh, had decreed that all newborn Israelite males must be killed. That’s how Moses came to be raised by his step-mother, Pharaoh’s daughter, who pulled his basket out of the river. (Exodus chapter 2) Another exception is Jesus, who had a powerful enemy, King Herod. But how did Herod know about the newborn Jesus? In Matthew chapter 2, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem asking, “Where is he that has been born King of the Jews, for we have seen his star in the east…” This was not good news for Herod. If there was a new king, where did that leave Herod? He didn’t like the idea of giving up the throne. Of course, if Herod had waited a while, one of the teachings of Jesus was, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” Thus Jesus was not a threat to Herod. Instead, Herod tried to find Jesus to kill him. So, Jesus’ step-father, Joseph, and mother, Mary, took Jesus to Egypt. After the death of Herod, they returned to Israel, which was under the occupation of and ruled by the Romans. As a child and youth, Jesus was not a target of assassination. But when Jesus began his earthly ministry at about age thirty, he began to acquire some enemies, as the prophet said in the Old Testament, “Strong bulls of Bashan have surrounded me.” (Psa 22:12) And why didn’t they like Jesus? Because Jesus was becoming a powerful force in Israel. The Pharisees and Sadducees and Jewish High Priest resented Jesus’ importance, who had not joined their club, nor climbed their same ladder of success. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites, and they didn’t like being called that. Jesus was brought before the Jewish High Priest, who asked Jesus if he were the Son of God. Jesus answered, “I am.” The High Priest didn’t like Jesus saying that, even though Jesus was, in fact, the virgin-born Son of God, and the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah, or Savior. For saying to the High Priest that yes, he was the Son of God, the High Priest accused Jesus of blasphemy. (Mark chap 14) No one should be claiming to be the Son of God if they are not. But it was not blasphemy for Jesus to answer the High Priest's question correctly. The error there was on the part of the High Priest, not on the part of Jesus. One time, officers were sent to arrest Jesus, but they came back without him. They were asked, “Why haven’t you brought him?” They answered, “No man ever talked like this man.” They were right, no one ever talked like Jesus. No man on earth had ever had as much authority as Jesus had in his position as the only begotten Son of God. Jesus preached the gospel, taught the people, healed the sick, raised the dead. So, the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him. In fact, the Jewish High Priest prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation of Israel. That prophecy got fulfilled, although the High Priest who prophesied no doubt went to hell, together with his co-conspirators who got the innocent man, Jesus, executed. They were assisted by Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ disciples, who betrayed Jesus to the Jewish leaders. Later, Judas Iscariot committed suicide, and no doubt went to hell. Jesus said about Judas that it would have been better for that man if he'd never been born. The Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, who was also the Judge, said about Jesus, “I find no fault in this man.” But the Jewish leaders insisted that Jesus be crucified. Pilate sentenced Jesus to death not because Jesus deserved to die, but to please the Jewish leaders. One time, the Jews wanted to take Jesus by force and make him a king. But Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” After Jesus died on the cross, his body was put in a tomb. On the third day, God raised Jesus from the dead. After rising from the dead, Jesus was seen by more than five hundred Christians. Jesus went back up to heaven where he had come down from, and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. The Jewish leaders thought that if they got Jesus executed, that would help shut down this new sect of “Christianity.” But that plan didn’t work. People kept right on preaching Jesus, and making converts to Christianity. Peter preached Jesus to Cornelius, a Gentile. (Acts chapt 10) And Cornelius converted to Christianity. Paul became the Apostle to the Gentiles and wrote more than half the number of books in the New Testament. There was just no stopping Jesus and his Kingdom. Scriptures quoted are from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version, copyright 2011. (Amazon)
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