Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
Jeremy approaches Bible teaching with a passion for getting the basic doctrines explained so that the individual can understand them and then apply them to circumstances in their life. These basic and important lessons are nestled in a framework of history and progression of revelation from the Bible so the whole of Scripture can be applied to your physical and spiritual life.
Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas
NT Framework - Justice from God to Man
Because of man's rebellion and sin God instituted human government as the means of punishing evil and preventing its spread, and this delegation of authority is what enabled the crucifixion of the Messiah.
More information about Beyond the Walls, including additional resources can be found at www.beyondthewalls-ministry.com
This series included graphics to illustrate what is being taught, if you would like to watch the teachings you can do so on Rumble (https://rumble.com/user/SpokaneBibleChurch) or on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtV_KhFVZ_waBcnuywiRKIyEcDkiujRqP).
Jeremy Thomas is the pastor at Spokane Bible Church in Spokane, Washington and a professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. He has been teaching the Bible for over 20 years, always seeking to present its truths in a clear and understandable manner.
Welcome to Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas and our series on the New Testament framework. Today, a smaller, bite-sized piece from the larger lesson. We hope you enjoy it.
SPEAKER_02:Pilate came out again and said to them, Behold, I'm bringing him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in him. There's the second time. Did Pilate find any guilt under the Roman law code for Jesus that was worthy of crucifixion? No. Verse 5. Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, Behold the man. So when the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify, crucify. And Pilate said to them, You take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him. No guilt. Third time. Verse 7, the Jews answered him, We have a law. Right? We have a law. And by that law he ought to die because he made himself out to be the Son of God. Now, what law are they talking about? It's a law, evidently, that relates to him making himself out to be the Son of God. This was the law of blasphemy in Leviticus 24, 16. And this law, basically, what we call the law of blasphemy, someone could not misuse the name of God. They think that Jesus has misused the name of God. So hold your place here, just and glance back to John 5:18 to see what they're referring to. Now you'll notice in verse 17, not one of the typical verses to prove the deity of Christ, but the Jews thought that he was claiming to be God. Verse 17, he answered them, My Father is working until now, and I myself am working. In other words, if the Father is working, I'm working, I and the Father are one. Okay? For this reason, verse 18, therefore, the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him because why? He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God his own father, making himself equal with God. Sorry, Jehovah's Witnesses, but Jesus claimed to be God very, very clearly, and all the Jews seem to know it, right? They considered this a blasphemy, a breaking of Leviticus 24, 16. Well, let's look over also at John 10, 33, just so we see that very, very clearly that Jesus definitely claimed to be God.
SPEAKER_01:And the Jews very well understood that he was claiming to be God.
SPEAKER_02:They just didn't believe that God could have a multiple persons within himself. They believed that God was an absolute one. So John 10, 33, the Jews answered, well, let's look at verse uh 32. Jesus answered them, I showed you many good works from the Father, for which of them are you stoning me? So he's claiming to do the works of the Father, which puts him again on equal plane with the Father. Verse 32, the Jews answered him, For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself out to be God. Did they think that he was claiming to be God? Sure. I mean, unequivocally, that's very obvious. They considered this, though, to be a breaking of Leviticus 24, 16, using the name of God in a wrong way. Why did they consider this a wrong way of using the name of God? Because they believed that God was an absolute one. He did not have a diversity of persons within himself. Remember, we talked about this earlier when we were talking about the birth of the king. And I said that in the Hebrew you have two words for one, Yaqid and Akad. And I went through these words and described how the Hebrew words that are used of God very clearly open a window to understand that there's a diversity of persons within himself. But that the Jews don't like this, didn't like this, and they tried to cover it up by using the other word for one in their various traditions and rituals. When the Bible never uses them the way that they use them in their traditions and rituals. So by the time of Christ, they didn't have a view of the one true God that permitted diversity of persons. So they're viewing God as an absolute one. And as a result, when he made any kind of claim to be God or the equal of God, that was in their mind blasphemy.
SPEAKER_01:Violated Leviticus 24, 16. Now let's go back to John 19. Pilate three times already, having stated that I find no guilt in him.
SPEAKER_02:And they cry out in verse 6, crucify, crucify. Pilate said, Take him yourself and crucify him. Verse 7, the Jews answered, We have a law. We just went through the law. He made himself out to be the Son of God, which is the equivalent of God. And so verse 8, when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. And he entered into the praetorium again and he said to Jesus, Where are you from? Which is a very interesting question. But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate, why? Well, because Pilate, what is truth? I mean, at that point, Jesus is done. And so he says to him, You do not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you? I am Pilate. I have authority to crucify you or release you. And Jesus answered, You would have no authority over me unless it had been given you from above. For this reason, he who delivered me to you has the greater sin. Now look, what is this? You have no authority unless it had been given to you.
SPEAKER_01:Isn't that Genesis 9? The beginning of human government?
SPEAKER_02:What does Romans 13 say? There's no authority but that which has been given from God above. Why do we have human government? Because God gave it. God created it. It's a divine institution. Pilate is functioning under a divine institution of God, right? In an office established by God. And now he's using that authority to do what? To permit either the release or the crucifixion of the one who gave human government.
SPEAKER_01:This is why I say it's a very unique death that he died. Pilate finds nothing wrong. But the Jews keep insisting, don't they? So what's Pilate gonna do? Well, he's gonna give into their insistence. They would always on Passover release one to the Jews, whoever they insist on, he's gonna let that go through. He had the authority to stop it, didn't he? Because God had given him the authority.
SPEAKER_02:But now he's gonna take the God who gave the authority and he's gonna put him under this very outlaw.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for joining us on Beyond the Walls with Jeremy Thomas. If you would like to see the visuals that went along with today's sermon, you can find those on Rumble and on YouTube under Spokane Bible Church. That is where Jeremy is the pastor and teacher. We hope you found today's lesson productive and useful in growing closer to God and walking more obediently with Him. If you found this podcast to be useful and helpful, then please consider rating us in your favorite podcast app. And until next time, we hope you have a blessed and wonderful day.