The Fall of Christ, Chapter 2: Rejected

Listen.

From the beginning of brokenness, the Father and the Prince made a plan. The Prince would enter the world. He would rescue it by offering himself up. And part of that plan was telling people about what was coming. Through the centuries the Prince whispered that he would come. That he would crush the head of the serpent. That he would be crushed for our iniquities. Through prophets he spoke, so that the people would be ready. And some… some listened. They valued the message. They held on to it. They held it close. And they waited. They ached to see the Prince come and keep all his promises. But when he finally came… he was rejected.

The Fall of Christ.
Chapter Two: Rejected.

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The man named Caiaphas waited in the Sanhedrin chambers.

The Sanhedrin: The ruling council of the Jews, made up of seventy-one elders. And this was where they ruled. And they had a glorious goal: Preach the Law that God had given them. Wait for the one who was promised, wait for the one who would bring them freedom, and teach the Law.

The oil lamps had been lit, and their flickering light filled the open-air gathering place. Caiaphas prowled the chamber, waiting for the soldiers to return. They were supposed to go and arrest Jesus.

It was time to end this.

This Jesus was a threat. He had no respect for what God said! God himself had given the Law. And what did this Jesus do? He encouraged sin! He had forgiven people who needed to pay, to realize the depth of their sin. How dare he mock God? All Caiaphas wanted was to do things the right way. And Jesus had no interest in that, it seemed. He kept people from keeping the Law.

And so many people had followed him… He was a threat. Some of the people even whispered that he was Messiah, the one promised. How dare they? This Jesus was not the one Caiaphas waited for!

How could someone who didn’t live up to the traditions be Messiah? No. This was no Promised One. Caiaphas rejected him!

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God had given the Law. The perfect Law. And now Jesus would have to face God’s Law.

And then the voices came from outside. Angry voices. Caiaphas smiled. He heard the gate open and the crowd enter. The Sanhedrin couldn’t arrest anyone. That was the Law. They could only judge the accused after weighing the matter. Caiaphas had followed the Law, though. He saw to it that an outside group had arrested Jesus.

Now court was convened. Time to put this Jesus on trial. The seventy-one elders, those who judged, sat in a semi-circle around Jesus, ready to hear testimony. And the witnesses came forward. The Law said that for every crime, there had to be at least two witnesses in agreement to convict. If you didn’t have the two witnesses, there was no punishment as no crime could be proven. And, well, you had to follow the rules. If you didn’t, you weren’t good enough.

That was what God said: Be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. If you weren’t good enough, God rejected you. But there was a long line of witnesses ready to accuse Jesus. A very long line. Caiaphas sat back, listening to each accusation.

But each witness came forward with a different story. Every single one.

Finally two stepped forward claiming that Jesus planned to destroy the Temple, the center of worshiping God, but even then – they couldn’t keep their stories straight! Caiaphas growled under his breath. This Jesus was worthy of death! He knew it! But he couldn’t do anything if they couldn’t prove that he was guilty!

And you know the worst thing? Standing there in the flicking light, as seventy-one men waited to condemn him, listening to all the witnesses slandering him… this Jesus just stood there. He didn’t even defend himself. He showed no anger. He just stood there!

Caiaphas listened to accusation after accusation… and nothing stuck. But he knew, he knew this Jesus deserved to die. He just had to find the right charge.

Ah.

Caiaphas stood and moved forward. “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?”

Again, no answer. Well then.

Caiaphas put him under oath of the Living God. To not answer would be to show disrespect, to break the second commandment. Guilty.

And if Jesus chose to answer, no matter what he answered, he would accuse himself. Guilty.

“Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Notice how he didn’t say, “The Son of God?” Caiaphas knew the law. You couldn’t say the word “God.” You might be taking it in vain. So just use a different term. Then you couldn’t break the commandment. Caiaphas was most interested in keeping the commandments. He would not be rejected by God!

Or so he thought.

“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

I am. This was God’s name. Yahweh. I am that I am. Caiaphas worked so hard to not take God’s name in vain. And this Jesus… he claimed to be God. And he claimed that he would return in power.

Know this, you who listen. This was no trash talk. Jesus spoke with certainty. This wasn’t the threat of revenge. Jesus was full of grace and truth. He said this to reach out. I am coming back. Don’t fall into this sin. I want to forgive you. Don’t push me away. This is what the Law is about: Waking a person up to realize they need a Savior, that they’re not good enough.

But Caiaphas… he did not hear the call to repent. He did not hear that he needed a Savior. All he heard was Jesus claiming to be God himself.

How dare he? He knew that this Jesus thought too much of himself. He knew that this Jesus was a threat. But to claim that he is God himself? To claim that he would rise to power and sit at God’s right hand? No. God will reject this Jesus!

And Caiaphas wasn’t wrong, though he did not know why Jesus would be rejected, this one who was actually perfect, who had actually kept all the laws.

Caiaphas tore his clothes – a sign of great anger. How dare Jesus? He turned to those seated around him. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” Now there were seventy-one witnesses, not counting those arrayed in the courtyard around them. They had all heard Jesus’ claim.

And the Sanhedrin responded: “He is worthy of death!” Judgment was passed.

Jesus’s own people, the people that God had chosen two thousand years before, had rejected him. Those who should have embraced him, those who should have been watching, those who should have known they could not keep the Law, that you couldn’t behave your way into God’s grace… They reject the Light of the World.

And then the beatings began. They spat on him. Saliva ran down his face, into his eyes, his beard. They wrapped a blindfold around his face and slapped him. “You’re the Holy One, are you? Tell us who hit you, then!” And they dragged him out of the Sanhedrin chambers and began to beat him.

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The Prince has fallen. From a Throne of Glory in the City of Light to… to be rejected. And he is rejected… so you will be accepted.

The law is all about rejection. How often have you followed the rules instead of showing love? How often have you rejected someone because they didn’t live up to your standards? How have you rejected Jesus? Have you rejected something he told you about your life, about what’s important, about what is valuable? Is he not good enough for you?

God has higher standards. Jesus himself said, “Be prefect, as your Father is perfect.” We don’t live up to his standards. He should reject us.

But Jesus followed every rule. And he loved. The two were never separate for him. Jesus did both in a way we have failed so many times. And he stands trial in your place. He is rejected in your place. He is rejected so you will be accepted.

Jesus has taken away anything that would stand between you and the Father. The Law did its work on Jesus instead of you. And because of that, the Father opens wide his arms to accept you, not looking to follow rules, but looking to love.

And because Jesus was rejected… you will not be. Your Father looks at you, and he sees no reason to reject you. Jesus has not rejected you. Instead, he is rejected so you will be accepted by the Father.

And now… though Jesus stands rejected already, he has further to fall.

It has only begun.