Richard Craig, Author at GraceAndWorks - Page 35 of 59

Rodney Dangerfield was famous for his, “I can’t get no respect.” That has been a saying that has stayed around since he said it.

Let’s first define what respect actually means:

1. A relation to 0ur concern with something usually specified
2. An act of giving particular attention: Consideration
3. A high or special regard: Esteem
4. The quality or state of being esteemed: Honor
5. Particular. Detail

   I wanted to talk about this because I recently had a conversation where we talked about a lack of respect among people in general. Comments made about kids not respecting their parents. No respect for teachers and school. No respect for Police or Pubic officials. The lack of respect from those in charge to those who are being accused of wrong doing. The lack of respect from other nations for the United States. And it went on and on, however I think you can start to see the point.

   It’s been said that communication is the key to success and I believe that to be true. Look at marriages that fall apart because of not talking to one another. A failure in businesses because of no open communication between employees and management. Failure in Congregations of God’s people because someone got their feelings hurt and instead of talking about the problem, they let a molehill grow into a mountain. I believe much of this is a lack of respect for each other. Whether it is marriage, business, church, politics etc. The question is: How can we be successful at………, if their is no communication with others or respect for one another? Answer: WE CAN’T!!

   The Bible speaks about God not being a respecter of persons. That simply means He doesn’t hold any one better that anyone else. He respects every one equal and has created us to be able to think and make decisions for ourselves. If we truly are walking in God’s light, wouldn’t we be able to have a respect for ALL people?  Respect is a concern over something specified, from our definition. Having respect for someone or their ideas does not mean I have to be agreeable. It’s OK to disagree, just don’t get to the place you are disagreeable.

   It all comes down to this: I’ll respect you, your ideas and your opinions. In turn I want you to respect, me, my ideas and my opinions. We don’t have to agree with one another, just communicate, listen and respect. Oh, how calming this would be for what ever situation we found ourselves to be involved with.

We here cries in today’s society of, “I want justice”, “Give me/us justice” or “I/we can’t get any justice.” My question is–what is justice? Is it what YOU want or what the law says is right. If it’s not good for “Me”, then it can’t be justice. That seems to be the attitude today. What I want to take a look at here is the total injustice of Jesus’s trial before going to the cross to die for you and me.

Leviticus 19:15-19

A) You shall do no injustice in judgement

B) Jews had centuries to perfect their judicial system

This founded upon Deuteronomy 16:18-20

A) You shall appoint Judges and Officers in all your towns

B) Judge with righteous Judgement

C) Never pervert or distort justice

D) No practicing of partiality

E) Never accepting a bribe

F) Administer justice and only justice.

The application here is: Be fair in justice so you may live and inherit the land which the Lord your God gives you.

The Sanhedrin at all levels guaranteed:

Deuteronomy 19:15-21

A) A fair trial

B) The right of disputing charges

C) No conviction without evidence of 2 or more witnesses to the accusation

John 18:15-24

A) Jesus before Annas, son-in-law of Caiaphus, the High Priest–“Jewish Council”

B) Annas was looking to legitimize the charges to Roman Officials

C) He asked Jesus about his work and followers

D) Protocol demanded that 2 or more witnesses already exist

E) Jesus challenges Annas–“Call your witnesses”

F) Unsuccessful, Annas sent an unindicted  Jesus to Caiaphus

Now occurring during the trial and making the trial contrary to Biblical principals of Justice and Jewish Law.

A) No formal charges were made, no formal basis existed for Jesus’s arrest and there had to be at least two witnesses.

B) There was no investigation by the Court to determine the merits of any accusation–Deuteronomy 19:16-18

C) Arrest took place at night in order to hide the evil that was happening, Matthew 26:14-16,20,30,47-50

D) You shall not pervert justice–Deuteronomy 16:19

John 18:28

A) Trial was at night–Jewish law only permitted proceedings that took place during daylight hours.

B) Trial began before morning sacrifice at Temple–Illegal based on Jewish Law.

C) Trial held before one of God’s annual Feast Days.–Illegal based on on Jewish Law because it began on a day before a High Holy Day (First day of Unleavened Bread–John:18:28)

D) Trial was too short (Approximately 3 hours)–It minimized the chances of the of the Council to have advocated Him and witnesses couldn’t be notified in time. Trial is one day and if death sentence is pronounced, the trial couldn’t be concluded until the next day according to Jewish Law.

E) The trial was not held before impartial Judges. The Judges at the trial hated the accused and Jewish Law forbids a person from Judging a case if they are negatively biased.

F) False witnesses were allowed to testify

G) Condemnation charge was false–charged with blasphemy when He was telling the truth.

H) Death penalty was unanimously agreed–Illegal in Jewish Law to unanimously condemn a person to death if no one testified as a witness.

I) Sentence announced in an unlawful place. The final sentence was pronounced in the High Priest’s Palace (House/home). It was illegal to sentence someone to die in any location other than the Great Sanhedrin’s appointed place, which was a chamber in Jerusalem’s Temple known as the Chamber of Hewn Stones.

J) The Court changed the charge after the trial. After the trial, the Sanhedrin again changed the charges, this time from blasphemy to treason. They changed the charges to a Roman crime so they could improve their chances of having the Romans (And not them) do the dirty job of murdering Him.

K) The rest of the story is Pontius Pilate determined He was innocent, but still turned Him over to the soldiers for crucifixion to appease the crowd.

There was absolutely nothing right with what happened–a total INJUSTICE. Today we would liken this to a Kangaroo Court.