Marginal Christianity

Jesus Taken to Pilate (Mt.27:1-2) Jewish leadership at this time could not enforce capital punishment, so they took Jesus and handed him off to Pilate for execution. This deed itself was testimony against them and their intentions. The Qumran Temple Scroll says, “If there were to be a spy against his people who betrays his people to a foreign nation or causes evil against his people, you shall hang him from a tree and he will die.” [1] Their judgment is coming. Judas’ Death (Mt.27:3-10) Judas has watched events unfold and Jesus’ fate sealed. Suddenly the enormity of what he has done clobbers him. He changed his mind (v.3; NRSV has “repented” but this is not the verb Jesus uses to call people into his kingdom), returned the blood money (v.4) he negotiated with the Jewish leaders. And hanged himself (v.5). I quoted N. T. Wright in the last chapter on the difference between Peter’s and Judas’ response to their betrayals. Here a bit more: “But the first (Judas) goes do...

“You will all become Deserters” (Mt.26:31-35) However thrilling, if mind-boggling, it might have been for the disciples to hear and see Jesus proclaim and enact their ancient hopes and display his own joy in the face of the grim prospects ahead of him, as they trudged on the way with him those questions they have had about Jesus all along came back in spades. -How can Jesus’ death fulfill their hopes and longings? -How can a suffering and dying figure ever be considered Messiah? Unlike the unnamed woman who lavishly anointed Jesus for his burial they cannot come to terms with his death. Here at the end, as has apparently been clear to Jesus all along, it is necessary for him to make them face the truth of who they are as those who want to follow him. Truth is the condition of healing and freedom, and Jesus gives the disciples a face full of it! “You will all become deserters because of me this night,” adding Zech.13:7 as a fulfilment text. Even this mass des...

A trumped-up trial matches the over-the-top squad sent to arrest Jesus and testifies to the overall questionability of the whole action against him. False testimony against Jesus was given and received, false testimony that was inconsistent at that. Finally the high priest imperiously demands some answer from Jesus for all this (inconsistent) witness against him. Jesus still refuses to answer. The high priest persists: “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” (v.61). -“are you the Messiah?” is the very same statement Peter makes in his confession or faith in ch.8 (“you are the Messiah”) cast as a question. We know Peter’s witness is true there. Thus we know that Jesus will answer the high priest’s question in the affirmative. -the high priest’s unwitting testimony to the truth of Jesus’ identity is matched by Peter now languishing in the courtyard waiting to deny Jesus! - “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” “When he adds ‘The son of the B...