1) Making himself equal with God, John 5:18
The scriptures are clear that Yeshua (Jesus) was sinless, being the perfect servant. Yet those in leadership in Israel had him killed precisely because they saw his growing leadership. They counted the number of followers and saw his remarkable doctrine, so superior to their human based doctrine, as a threat to their power. They developed some curious theology to justify their position. On a few occasions they tried to twist his simple statements of fact so they could accuse him of blasphemy.
John 5:18 contains the record of one occasion where the Judean leadership sought to develop their own justification for killing Yeshua. John records they wanted to kill him because he said “God was his own father making himself equal with God.” But there are two reasons they had incorrect thinking.
The Evidence of the Perfect Servant
There was a witness at the time of Yeshua's birth of his role. The birth of Isaac was a miracle, yet there is no doubt that somehow the best (in effect a God-chosen combination) from Sarah was given to her son (by implication in modern language a genetically modified child). To this was added the male half in the special creation of Yeshua. He was born in a miracle, and heralded as a king of a then ancient throne, of which great things were said (I Chronicles 17). There was great temptation to take this power.
Yet he did not, and it was said that he chose to be a servant.
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not to be grasped to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Phillipians 2:6-8)
Adam and Eve, as special creations, were also in the 'form of God' (Gen 1), but Eve sought to be like God, listening to the serpent who said,
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as Elohim Mighty Ones, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:5)
The word and prefix ' kē 'lohîm' in Genesis is translated 'as God' in Psa 77:13 and Zech 12:8.
Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as God? (Psa 77:13)
In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. (Zech 12:8)
Eve (and Adam with her) sought to be 'as God', or to make themselves 'equal' with God. But their created descendant Jesus chose not to make himself equal, and always emphasised that he was 'the son of man' and a servant.
At the beginning of his ministry Yeshua stated
“it is written, Thou shall worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall thou serve. (Luke 4:8)
He also said
And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister (or serve), and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:27-28)
Therefore, the accusation of the Judean leadership that Yeshua had 'made himself equal' in any way was clearly wrong. They made this accusation to be a justification for killing him.
The Real Issue
But the real issue for some of the Judean leadership was that Yeshua healed and showed such powers. The Judean leadership and the ruling faction of the Pharisees particularly disliked his healing on the one day they traditionally had an audience, the Sabbath.
They therefore defined healing as 'work'. This is a curious definition, for if so, it was the only type of work other than study which could be done in a synagogue on the Sabbath. Study of the scriptures was not considered work. The back breaking labour of hauling lines for fishing was work, so was carrying wares for sale, so was carrying beams to build a house, or plowing a field, harvesting, grinding grain by hand. All these activities were to earn a living, by the sweat of the brow (Gen 3:19). It is to be noted that there is no record that the healing done by Yeshua in the synagogues caused him to raise a sweat! In addition he was not paid for it.
But having to their satisfaction defined this sweat-less miraculous healing as 'work', they then accused Yeshua of working on the Sabbath. Yeshua answers this question not once but many times. Luke records events on one Sabbath,
Certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days? And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him; How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. (Luke 6: 2)
And it came to pass also on another sabbath,
that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. (Luke 6:3-11)
And again,
And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? (Luke 14:3-5)
And again, and again so much so that John records they persecuted him on this issue.
And therefore did the Judeans persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. (John 5:16)
The Evidence they Ignored
They persecuted Yeshua without justification. Yeshua told them why he healed, if they had listened.
But Jesus answered them, “My Father works hitherto, and I work.” (John 5:16-17)
What were they willingly missing? A blind man told them,
Now we know that God hears not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and does his will, him he hears. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. (John 9:31-33)
It is to be noted that some of the Pharisees did get the point
Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keeps not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. (John 9:16)
The point is that Yeshua had to be approved by God, as the works could be done only in the power of God. Jesus point was that God did the works on the Sabbath.
If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. (John 10:37)
Some of the Pharisees could not accept this point, and sought to twist his words, as a distraction from dealing with the fact of the deeds, to argue that Yeshua was elevating himself and therefore, by implication, blaspheming. This, to their minds, being a 'sin' worthy of the death they already wished on him.
Ironically, Yeshua was given the power from God, as nobody could otherwise explain such miracles. Typically throughout the ages all those who showed such powers were called servants,
My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.(Numbers 12:7)
As Yeshua had demonstrated he had God's power, and, as John the Baptist proclaimed he was the prophesied Messiah and the son of God, therefore, he was obeying his Father as a humble servant.
We are told Yeshua (Jesus) never grasped at equality. We ought never ascribe equality to him, or say he sought it, lest we be like the word twisting Pharisees, who deliberately and wilfully refused to understand Yeshua.
Paul tells us that, right to the end of the age that was planned by God for the earth, Yeshua is, and will be, the perfect servant of the Holy One,
And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that Theos may be all in all. (1Corinthians 15:28)
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
This may be one of the most misunderstood passages of the Bible. Paul is notorious for long sentences of connected thoughts, and this is part of a complex wide ranging thought which lasts 2 chapters, and includes what seems opposite advice:
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. (1 Cor. 5:11-13)
As I was thinking to write this article, having just read Psalm 46 as I do each year on that day, on January 25th a Bible was found untouched after a tornado hit Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
We have been given many time periods to prophetic events in the Bible. Many people think it too hard, and do not make an effort to understand them. However, if they were not to be understood, why were they given? And the Bible says the wise shall understand (Daniel 12:10).
In the light of the findings of science, how literally do we take what the scriptures say about the power of the God of the Bible, Yahweh Elohim (literally He who will become Mighty Ones)? Science at its best is a measurement of observable and repeatable phenomenon wrapped up in explanations which abound in analogy. There is no doubt in the benefit of investigating phenomena of the natural world. The surprising thing is that the more we investigate natural phenomena, the more it fits the explanations recorded over 2000 years ago.
The God of Israel is approachable and reasonable. He often speaks directly to his people. The following will seek to understand a passage where he speaks via the prophet Amos which has a few variant translations.
