Encounter the Truth

Jonathan Griffiths: What is your response to Jesus Christ today? Perhaps you have just been feeling this irrational aversion to him. You see that it's illogical and unfounded. And maybe today you recognize that you need to begin to engage with his word, consider his claims, look at his life, and grapple with who he truly is.

Steve Hiller: Welcome to Encounter the Truth with Jonathan Griffiths. I’m Steve Hiller, glad you’ve joined us today. And Jonathan, I think from time to time, we go through seasons where we do kind of grapple and wrestle with who Jesus is. Even Christians can doubt; unbelievers certainly are going to have to wrestle with that question.

But for the person who says, "Okay, I'm willing to go there, but I don't even know how to begin to look for answers, to find truth," Jonathan, what do I do if I'm willing to try and wrestle with the person of Jesus?

Jonathan Griffiths: I think that's a great question, Steve. And for the listener who's asking that question right now and thinking through these things, first of all, I'd want to say it's great that you're listening. Thank you for taking the time to listen to Encounter the Truth because that's why we're here and that's why we're doing what we're doing. We want to give opportunity for you to engage with the truth of God's word, and that's what our teaching is all about. It's from the Bible. We're wanting to open up what the Bible says about Jesus.

But all the time, I want to encourage listeners to actually get hold of a Bible and engage with the words of scripture directly. The Christian claim and the Christian belief is that God has made himself known through his book, through the Bible, and he speaks to us through his word.

And so if you're wanting to get to know who Jesus is and what he says about himself, let me encourage you: get hold of a Bible and read it for yourself. Especially read one of the gospels. I'd particularly commend that to you. We're in a study in Luke's gospel just now. Why not read Luke's gospel and encounter Jesus Christ for yourself in the pages of his word? That's the very best thing to do.

Steve Hiller: Well, as you said, we hope you'll do that and continue to listen as we head to the book of Luke, chapter 22. The opening verses of 23 is where we're going to be today. So grab that Bible and meet us there. Here is Jonathan.

Jonathan Griffiths: I gather that one of the most successful TV series of all time has been CBS's wildly popular series *Undercover Boss*. Now, I haven't followed this series myself, but the concept I gather is simple enough. The CEO of a large company takes off his or her Wall Street power suit and dons the garments of an ordinary worker and joins the ranks on the warehouse floor or wherever and mixes among the workers incognito.

And of course, the CEO then gets this kind of firsthand experience of what the workers think about the company and about the management and all the rest. And the potential for embarrassment and amusement is, of course, immense as the workers fail to recognize that their boss is among them in their very midst.

Now, there's no humor here in Luke's narrative, but there is something of the same irony. In fact, it's dripping in irony. No one in this narrative, in these events before us, actually recognizes Jesus for who he is. No one recognizes that the Lord and judge of all is before them. It is failure to recognize after failure to recognize. The guards who are mocking Jesus and beating Jesus, they have no idea that the very son of God is being abused and that they are the culprits.

In verse 65, Luke tells us that they said many other insulting things to him. And literally in the original it says this: it says they blasphemed him. That's what they were doing. They were committing blasphemy against the Lord himself and they didn't even realize.

When the Council meet and ask Jesus if he is the Christ, his answer tells them more than they can understand, more than they can accept, more than they can believe. Verse 67, Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."

One of the things we're starting to see here in this section of Luke is that Jesus is really taking trouble to tell all those around him and to tell us as well that he is fulfilling some very important promises and expectations from the Old Testament.

There's tons of it going on here in the passage. We can't even begin to scratch the surface. As he approaches his death on the cross, he is bringing to culmination a massive plan of God to save his people. And it is in fulfillment of countless promises of God through the centuries.

And so throughout this whole section of Luke, Jesus points to a range of very significant Old Testament promises and Old Testament images. Last week, as I already mentioned, we spent some time looking at the Servant Song from Isaiah 53.

We could spend our whole morning here today looking at a whole host of other passages. We won't try and do that. But here in verse 67, Jesus points us to a particularly important passage, one of the most famous passages in all the Old Testament, and it's Daniel chapter 7.

I'd be grateful, actually, if you could turn there with me just for a moment. Daniel chapter 7. Now, many will be very familiar with the story of Daniel. It's a famous story and a very wonderful story. You'll remember that Daniel is one of the Israelites carted off to exile in Babylon during the sixth century BC, when the Babylonian superpower annexed Judea and took many of Jerusalem's elite off to Babylon to live there and to be sort of indoctrinated and so on.

Daniel lives there in a pagan empire and he endures real times of trial in Babylon. He's there to witness the rulers of Babylon rise and fall and rise again. And he's there to experience godless leaders making life difficult for the exiled people of God.

It's a hard time. It's a time when many of the people of God might have been tempted to question whether the Lord had just lost control of the situation. When they might have been tempted to think, "Look, these pagan leaders, Nebuchadnezzar and all the rest, they are in the seat of ultimate authority, not the Lord."

But in the midst of this very challenging time, the Lord graciously gives Daniel a vision for the future. A vision of a coming ruler who will establish God's order and God's kingdom. Despite all the chaos of the situation on the ground—and we think of chaotic times not only in Babylon in the time of the exile, but we think now of the trial of Jesus as well—chaotic times, dark times, ugly times. Despite all the chaos of the situation, God has a glorious plan. God is in control.

Daniel 7 and verse 13. Follow with me. "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man. One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power. All peoples, nations, and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion," not like the Babylonian Empire that rises and falls or the Roman Empire that rises and falls. "His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."

Now, what's the point of the vision? What is being said? Despite all the chaos of the times, despite the painful experience of living under a godless and unjust state and some pretty corrupt, some pretty chaotic leadership, here's the import of the vision: God has a plan. God has a plan and an intention to put his ruler, one like a son of man, on the throne of the universe.

And the chaotic events of Daniel's day have not derailed God's plan in the least. That's what's going on in Daniel's day. That's the vision he's given.

Now back to Luke 22. The Council, the rulers, they ask Jesus if he is the Christ, the promised King of Israel. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," says Jesus. "But here's what I'm going to tell you. Here's what I will say." Verse 69: "From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of God."

What's he saying? What's he claiming? He's saying that he is the promised ruler, the one of supreme authority shown to Daniel in that great vision. He will ascend on high. He will be seated at the right hand of God. He will be placed in the position of supreme authority.

After the cross will come the resurrection and the ascension on high. Jesus will take his rightful place at the Father's right hand. And a glorious day will come when his kingdom will be revealed, when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

And with that statement, although they don't realize it, those who would accuse Jesus—and with that statement, the tables turn. This farce of a trial, it becomes all the more laughable. Now we see that these corrupt and these hopeless judges are actually presuming to judge the judge of all, the one who has been set apart from of old as the supreme ruler of all things.

And so when in verse 11 of chapter 23, they mockingly place a kingly robe on Jesus, little do they know how appropriate that is. When both Pilate and Herod and then Pilate again show weakness and indecision and the sheer inability to provide leadership that they should provide, well, the irony, it is painful because these failed and these weak leaders have the Lord of the universe standing before them and they're unable even to see it. At the heart of this trial, two great failures: a failure of justice and a failure of recognition.

Now, that's what we're observing. That's what we see. But we cannot remain here this morning merely as observers to these events. The trial of Jesus Christ, of the eternal Son of God, the Son of Man—the trial of Jesus, it forces upon each one of us a great question, an urgent question. And the question is simply this: what will we make of Jesus Christ? How will we respond to him?

Steve Hiller: Jonathan Griffiths here on Encounter the Truth and part of our message, "A Journey of Injustice." It's part of our series, "An Invitation to Paradise." Now, we're going to pause right here, but we'll get back to the message in just a moment. And if you've missed any part of this message or this series, come and listen online. Our website is encounterthetruth.org. You can also listen if you have the Encounter the Truth app. That's a great way to listen on the go, whenever it fits your schedule.

But whether you listen to the app, the radio, or online through the website, it is all made possible through your generosity. So thank you for giving to and supporting this ministry. And as you give a gift of any amount this month, we want to say thank you by sending you a book Jonathan has picked out called *The Case for Easter*.

You know, as we think about this Easter season, one of the questions that some may be asking is, "Is it really possible that Jesus rose from the dead?" I mean, a dead man coming back to life? And of all the religions in the world, there's only one that claims its founder did just that, and that is Christianity.

Well, former investigative journalist Lee Strobel takes a look at that question. Did Jesus really rise from the dead? And author Lee Strobel presents the evidence for that in his book called *The Case for Easter*. We'd love to send you a copy of this book as our way of saying thank you for your financial support. Find out more or give online at encounterthetruth.org or call us at 1-833-99-TRUTH. That's encounterthetruth.org or 1-833-998-7884. Well, let's get back to our message, "A Journey of Injustice." Again, here is Jonathan.

Jonathan Griffiths: As observers of Jesus's trials through Luke's account, we rightly feel as we watch and as we listen that Jesus hasn't been treated well. We feel that his accusers and his enemies were unreasonable and unkind, even outrageously so. But the truth is that the reactions to Jesus that we see here in this passage, those reactions are echoed often enough in our world today. And it may be actually this morning as you examine your own heart, you see that your inclination is to react in some parallel ways to Jesus.

As you reflect upon it, you see that the responses to Jesus found here in the passage actually mirror something, at least something, of your own response to him. Consider again the key players in the drama. The religious leaders, for their part, they seem to have an almost unaccountable dislike for Jesus. It's strange, isn't it? They are deeply set against him in their heart. He defies their expectations of what a Messiah should be, of what he should say, of what he should do. Jesus clearly unsettles them and disturbs them.

He challenges their preconceptions. He probably garners more popular attention than they would like, maybe steals some of their thunder. In any case, they have this deep-seated hostility to him—irrational, unfair, but there it is. Ultimately, the religious leaders, as we can see, they were joined by the mob who cry out for Jesus to be crucified. It is a harrowing cry that we hear in verse 21: "Crucify him! Crucify him!" And we read it and we hear it and we think that makes no sense. It stems not from any kind of rationality, but from a deep, gut-level hatred. An aversion to Jesus that probably none of them could actually explain.

And you know, for all the talk of religious tolerance that we hear in our society today, I think there is plenty of that kind of reaction to Jesus to be found all around us. Plenty of folk who perhaps haven't really examined the claims of Jesus, haven't really looked at the life of Jesus, but have decided that he is dangerous and far worse than that.

And it may just be that you join us here today, and if you're honest, that is something of the instinctive reaction even of your own heart. That's been your own inclination now that you think about it. A kind of dislike for Jesus Christ. An aversion to him, a natural aversion to him that you can't even quite explain.

And maybe here as we examine this narrative, maybe it is the first occasion when you've had occasion, when you've been prompted to look into your heart and to consider that. To look at that inclination and to ask why it's there.

And it may be that your simple challenge this morning, your simple takeaway from our gathering here, is simply to go away and really consider whether it is rational and whether it is fair. Consider whether you've properly engaged with the person and the work of Jesus Christ in an even-handed, in a rational way.

Well, that's the religious leaders and the crowd. Next, of course, there's Herod. He doesn't have any particular prejudice against Jesus, but when Jesus comes before him, he actually just wants to see a magic trick. That's it. Verse 8 of chapter 23. He's heard that Jesus can perform miracles, and so he simply wants to see a good show. That's the bottom line.

Now, again in Herod, I actually think that we see a mirror to many hearts. So many folk are interested in Jesus Christ today not really to hear what he says or to respond to his claims on their life, but really just to see his power at work. To benefit from a miracle or to receive a blessing.

Endless preachers on TV and online promise healing or wealth in the name of Jesus. They promise miracles to order. And hundreds of thousands, millions of people the world over are captivated by that offer. But as we see in Herod's case so vividly, those who simply want a performance, well, they don't know Jesus. They don't understand who he truly is.

Perhaps most tragic and most culpable of all is the case of Pilate. I say that Pilate is a tragic and a culpable figure, and I think he is. He's tragic and he's guilty because he of all the enemies of Jesus, he understands clearly the innocence of Jesus, the rightness of Jesus.

You see, he affirms it twice, doesn't he? Verse 14: "I have examined him in your presence. I've found no basis for your charges against him." Verse 22: "What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty."

Pilate can see full well that Jesus is innocent. That he is not the criminal he is made out to be. He realizes that the characterization and the charges are false. And yet, and yet, verse 24, Pilate decided to grant their demand. Knowing something of the truth of Jesus, that he is innocent and not guilty, Pilate nonetheless condemns him.

Now, Pilate was in a unique historical position, of course. But in the character of Pilate, we do hear a sober warning and we do see a sober warning. A warning that echoes down through the centuries even to today.

And the warning of Pilate is simply this: it is possible to see something of the truth of Jesus, the authority of his person, the reality of his goodness, the authenticity of his word, and yet fail to make the rational response to him. Today, it's possible to hear the message of Jesus and to see the life of Jesus in the pages of scripture, but simply then to walk away and to ignore the implications of all that.

To do nothing with him. Just to write him off or to stop your ears to him. And perhaps that is the worst tragedy of all.

I wonder, what is your response to Jesus Christ today? Perhaps you have just been feeling this irrational aversion to him. You see that it's illogical and unfounded. And maybe today you recognize that you need to begin to engage with his word, consider his claims, look at his life, and grapple with who he truly is.

Perhaps you're interested in Jesus, but it's only ever been on the level of what Jesus might do for you. What miracle he might perform, what gift he might give. You're interested in those things, but you aren't truly interested in him and his claims.

And if that's so, the challenge for you today is actually to humble yourself before Jesus and to recognize him not simply as a worker of mighty deeds, but as Savior and as Lord. Perhaps finally you're someone who senses the truth of Jesus in his word, but you have been, perhaps for some time, ignoring the implications of all that he is and all that he says he is.

You're ignoring this need to respond personally to him. And maybe now is actually the time that you need to make your own response to Jesus Christ.

The response of quietly and in your own heart turning from rebellion, from that attitude of rebellion. Of accepting the gift of forgiveness that he gives through his death in your place and acknowledging him as Lord. There's nothing complicated about that. It's something that you can do in the quietness of your own heart. But it is something that you need to do personally and for yourself. At the heart of this trial, two great failures and one great question. What will you make of Jesus Christ?

Steve Hiller: Jonathan Griffiths with our message, "A Journey of Injustice." Really a look at the end of Luke chapter 22 and part of Luke 23 today. If you missed any part of our broadcast, you can come and listen online. Our website is encounterthetruth.org. There you can stream the program or download an MP3 for free.

You can also listen if you have the Encounter the Truth app. That's free and you're going to find that at your app store. It's a great way to listen whenever it fits your schedule. Again, come and listen online at encounterthetruth.org.

Encounter the Truth depends on your generosity to keep Jonathan's teaching on this station. We truly are listener-supported. And as you give a gift of any amount this month, we want to send you a book that Jonathan has picked out called *The Case for Easter*. It is written by Lee Strobel. And Jonathan, what are some of the reasons that Lee Strobel lays out here as to why we can really believe that Easter happened?

Jonathan Griffiths: Well, in a very methodical way and a way that's easy to follow, Lee Strobel goes through a few different categories of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. He looks at the medical evidence. Was Jesus's death a sham and his resurrection a hoax or did these things really happen from a medical perspective?

He looks at the evidence of the missing body. Was the body of Jesus really missing from the tomb and what would that mean if it was? And then the evidence of the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection. Was he really seen alive and how do we know? You know, these are vitally important questions because as Christian believers, we place our hope on the fact that Jesus really rose from the grave. Well, let's have a look at the evidence. Let's have a reasoned faith, a thoughtful faith. I'd commend this resource to you. I think it'll be a tremendous help.

Steve Hiller: It is called *The Case for Easter*. Again, it's our thank you gift to you as you give a financial gift in support of Encounter the Truth this month. You can find out more or give online at encounterthetruth.org or call 1-833-99-TRUTH. That's encounterthetruth.org or 1-833-998-7884.

You can also write us at Encounter the Truth, 2176 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2E 0A1. Or in the US at Encounter the Truth, 215 North Arlington Heights Road, number 102, Arlington Heights, Illinois, 60004. For Jonathan Griffiths, I'm Steve Hiller. Thanks for listening and I hope you'll join us next time.