Did the chief priests & Pharisees know Jesus is Messiah?

[emptyd]

Did the chief priests & Pharisees know Jesus is Messiah?

Immediately after the resurrection of Lazarus, look at what transpired according to John:

But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. "If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish." (NASB used by permission)

Why did the Pharisees think that if “all men will believe in Him” that would necessitate “the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation”?

Some commentators suggest that a swell of messianic fervor behind Jesus would result in Rome stepping in to avoid, or perhaps put down, a messianic rebellion.

This seems unlikely since Jesus had already once alienated a good number of followers:

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" (NASB)

Why then would the Jewish leaders not bide their time to see if this happened again? We see evidence of this pattern in their history. The words Gamaliel, during a council held by the same leaders, recounts their actions in the case of former would be messiahs:

"For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered.” (NASB)

Why did they not take this same wait-and-see approach with Jesus? Why did they appear to believe a clock was running?

Additionally, we must consider the nature of their response:

So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. (NASB)

Theirs is a profoundly evil plan. While the chief priests and Pharisees were evil, to be sure, their sin more often took the form of self-righteousness covered by good appearances. What engendered an imminent fear of Roman action? What so compelled them toward conspiracy to commit murder? What moved them to publicly violate God’s law to protect “our place” and the “nation”?

A side note: the word place as in “…both our place and the nation…” is commonly understood to refer to the Temple. Thus “our place” would make sense in the context of the Pharisees and chief priests whose entire existence and position in society derived from the goings on of the Temple and religious practice.

Now, with the understanding that “our place” may well refer to the Temple also called the Sanctuary, consider this passage from Daniel:

"So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. (NASB)

Is it possible that they knew Daniel’s prophecy? Of course! Rabbis were required to memorize the whole of the OT before they were allowed to comment on it! They were awash in scripture!

Further, the Jews kept excellent genealogies, to wit those stated throughout the Bible. They also kept times and dates as part of those genealogies. They knew exactly how long it had been since the decree to rebuild Jerusalem! They knew the date on which Messiah was to be presented to the nation! We know this date as the triumphal entry. They also knew the progression of empires foretold in Daniel. They knew that the Medes & Persians had consumed Babylon, that the Greeks had consumed the Medes and Persians, and that most recently, Rome had consumed the Greeks. They knew that Rome was the “people…to come” - it was the forth kingdom in the progression per Daniels visions.

I submit for your critical analysis:
• The Pharisees were aware that the 69th week was nearly complete.
• The Pharisees were aware that Messiah was about to appear.
• The Pharisees were aware, according to Daniel, the next thing on the calendar was the destruction of “our place” a.k.a. the Temple a.k.a. the Sanctuary.
• The Pharisees were aware, according to Daniel, the next thing on the calendar was the destruction of “the nation”.

Now, read again the words of Caiaphas:
“…take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”

I submit that the Pharisees were not simply mistaken, nor ignorant, but instead, they willfully conspired against whom they knew to be God’s Messiah. They did this in fear, disbelief and rebellion on account of their own lives, their position, their self-righteous prominence and their power.

emptyd

[Rich Kelley]

" But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish." ]

I suspect that Caiaphas was right in what he said "You know nothing at all". The information was there but I don't really think they knew. Much like we have the NT, but how many people really know what they have in their hands to read, most file into a building to be told what is there and what it all means.

[RRiley]

The Jews were looking someone to save Israel from their enemies.

Luk 1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
Luk 1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
Luk 1:71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

The Jews were not looking someone to save them from their sins.

(1Co 2:8 KJV) Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

[David L]

23 When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?"

24 Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.

25"The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?" And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

26"But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet."

27And answering Jesus, they said, "We do not know." He also said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Parable of Two Sons

28"But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.' "And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. "The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go.

31"Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. "For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

Parable of the Landowner

33"Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.

"When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. "The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third.

"Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. "But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' "But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'

"They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

"Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?"

41 They said to Him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons."

42Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures,
'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone;
THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,
AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES'?

43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. "And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.

46 When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet. Matthew 21:33-46


Surely, they knew what they were doing, and who He was..

[ampersand]

...
Surely, they knew what they were doing, and who He was..
46 "When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet."
...

...and what did they do to their prophets?

Jesus (Matthew 23):
"...O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! "

So they did to Him what had been their custom to do to their prophets.


in Christ,
&

[David L]

..you left out the best part:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets. 'Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. Matthew 23:29-36

..and clearly they knew He spoke of them and understood this. The Pharisees understood the scriptures. They just used this knowledge to lord it over their fellow Jews. Instead of using the keys of knowledge to free them of their bondage they enslaved and put a heavier yoke on the people. Shutting them out of the kingdom and sealing themselves out at the same time.

[Ready1]

After the fact, Stephen pointed this our to them and got killed for his trouble...

Act 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Act 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Act 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
Act 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
Act 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
Act 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Act 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
Act 7:58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

[ampersand]

John 3:

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, "Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God : for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him."

&

[Pretzelogical]

You all have done an excellent and thorough job in this thread. The thought of this is terrifying to me when applied to Christian leaders of our day who are apostate.

In another thread here, someone wrote of the Babylonian system of using religion to have power over the people. It is helpful to me to have a name for this. We are seeing this Babylonian spirit today through the Noahide Laws, The Purpose Driven Life/Church/Government, and in what is called "science". To think that the Sanhedrin of that day knew Jesus was from God, and still chose to kill Him is profound when we now see the Sanhedrin joining with the Muslims in decalring God is Allah and he has no Son. Those of the Sanhedrin then, as today, want to rule from the temple. The Sanhedrin has already said that they should be the highest court of the nation of Israel.

So I am asking, is it even possible that the men of the Sanhedrin today know that Jesus is the Messiah? This is horrific, if so. It explains the depth of evilness we are seeing, but it is difficult for me to ponder it.

[CaryC]

Hey,

Just some food for thought or to add a twist:

Ciaphus was a Sadducee, who didn't believe in the resurrection.

[Pretzelogical]

"That is why he was sad, you see." (Saducee)

The "brood of vipers" - as Jesus called them - were not Israelites, but from a mixed people who followed pagan religions from Babylonia. Same is true for today. The thread where the Jewish leaders and the Muslims agree that Allah is the God of Abraham and He has no Son says it all. Just as there was faithful Simeon and Anna, along with others, who were devout, so it is today.

[daffodyllady]

Hey,

Just some food for thought or to add a twist:

Ciaphus was a Sadducee, who didn't believe in the resurrection.

Which was why he had little esteem for Pharisees. As in "You know nothing at all."