The purpose of this lesson: To focus on the fact that God achieved His initial intent of bringing a blessing to all families through the horrors of Jesus’ torture and death.

God has a way of troubling people.  He troubled Abraham.  (Leave the security of my family and the familiarity of my homeland?  Kill the son You promised me?)  He troubled the Israelites who left Egypt.  (Spend forty years in the harshness of the wilderness?  Conquer the land You said You would give us?)  He troubled the Israelites in Canaan under judges.  (Can’t You see Your judge system is not working?  Why did we come here to spend so much time as a captive people?)  He troubled the Israelites in the period of the kings.  (Can You not compromise on this One God business?  What is so horrible about covetousness, greed, and ambition if it all results in a better lifestyle and standard of living for those who are successful?)

Stress that God has never promised a life of ease if people follow Him in this existence.  That is an American concept.  God has not failed when godly people suffer.  Evil will always oppose godliness in this present physical existence.

Jesus really troubled the religious establishment, the people who were certain they knew how to do the right things in the proper way.  He challenged theological conclusions that were established and accepted for centuries.  He associated with and taught the wrong kind of people—sinners (those who did not live by Jewish standards and traditions), tax collectors (Jews who collected Roman taxes from Jewish people), and women (the woman at the well near Sychar—John 4:1-26; Mary Magdalene—Luke 8:2; Matthew 27:56, 61; 28:1; Mark 15:40, 41; the women followers near the cross—Luke 23:49; Mary and Martha—Luke 10:38-42; the questionable woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried his feet with her hair—Luke 7:36-50). He ate too much and drank too much (Matthew 11:18, 19; Luke 7:33, 34).  He was not educated according to Jewish standards to be a religious leader/teacher.  He came from the wrong area.  He selected disciples from the wrong area.

Emphasize that Jesus was popular with the poor and stressed segment of society (the bulk of Jewish first-century society), not with the religious/political leadership.  He spent time with “the wrong kind” of people—sinners, tax collectors, and women (who had a background role in Jewish society).  He did not have the credentials that would make most of the elite take what he said seriously.  His perspectives and values were extreme and different.

While we look back and laud Jesus for his unselfishness, the religious “who is who” in Jewish society looked at Jesus as an embarrassment.  He was not at all like the king they expected.  In no way did he fit the image of the Messiah they expected.  He irritated them rather than inspired them!  They were certain he was not the kind of person God would send to represent Him on earth in Israelite society.

Stress two things: (a) Jesus was different; (b) Jesus did not meet expectations they had of God’s king and God’s Messiah.

Things reached the point of political and religious impasse when Jesus resurrected Lazarus (read John 10:40-11:57 for a contextual account of the situation).  Jesus was in seclusion until he resurrected Lazarus. The twelve were quite fatalistic about Jesus’ return to the Jerusalem area (John 11:16).  The result of Jesus’ resurrection of Lazarus was widespread belief.  The Jewish leadership was deeply concerned about Jesus’ popularity, and they plotted Jesus’ death for the good (continuation) of the Jewish nation.  The problem facing the leadership: Jesus was immensely popular.

Jesus, over a long period of time, grew increasingly unpopular and threatening to those who were in control.  As Jesus’ popularity with the people grew, the concern of those in control grew. The point of “something must be done to end this” was reached when Jesus resurrected Lazarus, and Jesus’ popularity increased (as a result).

During the last week of Jesus’ life, he seemed to be untouchable.  Jesus had gone from a man in seclusion to a highly public figure adored by the Jewish people.  The week began with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as the people welcomed him as a king. It continued with temple appearances and confrontations (which he won) with Jewish leaders.  While the twelve were ecstatic and expectant, Jesus knew his physical end had come (see Matthew 26:37 and John 12:27; 13:1).

Visible happenings indicated to the disciples that Jesus could not be stopped by Jewish leadership.  The dramatic transition from being a man in seclusion to being a high-profile figure in Jerusalem fueled the twelve’s confidence.  Yet, Jesus understood that his high-profile public appearances and victorious confrontations did not eliminate his enemies’ power.  He knew his death was close.

It is shocking to see how many Christians have sanitized the happenings of his preparation for and endurance of physical death.  First, Jesus was deserted by those who loved him and lived with him.  Second, he was betrayed by one of the twelve.  Third, he was arrested by the Jewish leadership as though he were a dangerous criminal.  Fourth, the Jewish leadership condemned Jesus to death in nighttime trials using the accusation of blasphemy (a Jewish charge).  Fifth, he—though Pilate knew he was innocent—was condemned for treason (a Roman offense).  Sixth, he was tortured.  Seventh, he was executed in a hideous manner, in a way that showed contempt and rejection.

Christians often do not grasp the cruelty and horror that were a part of Jesus’ loneliness, torture, and execution.  He was disgraced and subjected to injustice in every available way.  Ridicule, pain, and disgrace are difficult for anyone to endure.

Most of us would have had difficulty witnessing the injustices of his trial.  His abandonment would have torn at our hearts.  His loneliness after he had shown so much compassion would have been too much to witness.  The cruelty would have been too painful to watch. The execution would have revolted us.  Nothing that happened surrounding his death would have attracted us.  Everyone, including the twelve, thought Jesus had lost and evil had won!  From human perspective, there was NO way God could produce a King, a Messiah, or a Savior from this horror.

Stress that there was nothing attractive about Jesus’ ordeal before and during death.  It is easy for us to be so impressed with the blessing of his death that we forget the horror of his death.  We would not have wished to witness the events!

Only a unique God could produce such a wonderful blessing from such horror!  Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 and 1 Peter 2:18-25 again.

That Jesus’ terrible experience could be a blessing to us is a testimony to God’s uniqueness.

For Thought and Discussion

1. Illustrate the fact that God has a way of troubling people.

Use Abraham, Israel’s wilderness experience, Israel conquering Canaan, and Israel under judges and kings as an example.

2. Discuss the fact that Jesus troubled the first-century religious establishment in Jewish society.

The discussion should include Jesus’ interaction with sinners, Jewish tax collectors, and women.  Righteous Jews were to have no social contact with sinners and tax collectors.  Public social contact between males and females was absolutely forbidden.

3. How did the “who is who” in first-century Jewish society see Jesus?

They saw Jesus as an embarrassment that resulted in awkwardness and trouble.

4. When did things reach the point of religious and political impasse?

This was reached when Jesus resurrected Lazarus.

5. What problem faced the Jewish leadership?

Jesus was popular.

6. What did Jesus seem to be the last week of his physical life?

He seemed to be untouchable.

7. Even though the twelve were expectant, what did Jesus know?

Jesus knew his death was close; his physical end had come.

8. Discuss the horrors of the event leading to and including Jesus’ execution.

The discussion should include loneliness, injustice, torture, and execution.

9. What would you have the most difficulty witnessing?  Why?

The answer to these will depend on the individuality of the students.

10. Only a unique God could do what?

Produce a wonderful blessing from such horror!

Postscript: Jesus’ dying produced forgiveness of sins.  Jesus’ resurrection produced hope in an existence where evil and injustice clash with righteousness and godliness.

Link to Student Guide Lesson 12

Copyright © 2009
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ

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