Ungodly Actions Justified

 June 6, 2024

Thursday

Human nature doesn't ever seem to change. Sin still resides in all of us. It lives within those outside the church and in those who are the leaders of the church. None of us are immune to its influence. 

So, when I tell you that even church leaders today will act like those who crucified Jesus, you shouldn't be too surprised. I realized that I, too, can follow this pattern and miss what God is doing. I, too, can be critical and condemn others. I need to see the pattern and check myself in it. There will be those church leaders who will fall into the ancient pattern. And there I go too except for the grace of God.

The people who had Jesus crucified had absolute reliance on what they had been taught. That doesn't mean that all of their teaching was wrong but they never challenged that teaching. What you are taught must be measured beside the Word of God. Of course, they were taught by the Word of God so they could not believe that these interpretations could be wrong. These interpretations were popular among those they associated with. The need for compliance will lead people down paths they would not have taken by themselves.

Therefore, they used God's Word to prove that Jesus was a blasphemer. They could not imagine that anyone was the Messiah if He didn't side with them. They had lost the true meaning of God's word in many places and could not connect the dots to see that Jesus was exactly who He said He was for if He was truly the Messiah, He could not have been a blasphemer.

They could not entertain the thought that they could be wrong. Their own prejudice against Jesus fueled their ability to see that what they believed was right. The evidence of Him being the Messiah was ignored or dismissed and their own absolute correctness saw why He couldn't be the Messiah. 

Self-righteousness follows those who can't be wrong. If they are righteous, then Jesus could not be. He, therefore, must be condemned for His claims.

A self-righteous people can be as mean as they want to be. After all, they are righteous and can act with what they consider a holy righteousness. Cruelty follows the self-righteous.

All actions become justified. It didn't matter that they broke their own laws. It didn't matter that they had the trial at night which they could not do. They needed to act quickly and breaking their own laws were insignificant for what they needed to do. Lying is not beyond the self-righteous. They needed Jesus executed. They could bribe the crowd and give false testimony with impunity for they had justified every action.

The question isn't whether or not I could fall into that trap. I know I can. I have to watch myself. The great warning sign must be when I consider myself self-righteous. The path beyond that step is slippery.

John 11:47–50 (NASB 2020) ⁴⁷ Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council meeting, and they were saying, “What are we doing in regard to the fact that this man is performing many signs? ⁴⁸ If we let Him go on like this, all the people will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take over both our place and our nation.” ⁴⁹ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, ⁵⁰ nor are you taking into account that it is in your best interest that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish instead.”