Jesus Makes His Accusers a Sign

Going by Jesus' own words, He is not alone early in the crucifixion.

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Transcript

TITLE: Jesus Makes His Accusers Their Own Sign.

SUBTITLE: Jesus is not alone early in the crucifixion.

MARKETING: Jesus disagrees with His accusers.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2076577/episodes/16628954

#GospelAccordingToTheRock

Jesus Makes His Accusers Their Own Sign

by Eric Engelmann

All content © 2025 Static Force, LLC

When are we?

We're looking at Jesus' ministry over the period of about three years, about AD 27 to AD 30.

WHERE ARE WE? 

Jesus' primary focus is the ancient land of Israel, but He travels to outside regions also. Much of what we'll look at the Sea of Galilee north of Jerusalem, or Jerusalem and its neighboring towns.

WHY ARE WE HERE NOW? 

We're going to look at the early part of the crucifixion by taking details from two Gospels: Matthew and John. John was probably written after Matthew was to give some details not contained in other Gospels. We'll start by getting some background from the Gospel of John.

EARLY IN JESUS' MINISTRY, JESUS IS MISUNDERSTOOD

In John 2

Verse 18 'The Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”'

NOTE: Using our modern definition, John himself is a "Jew". When John says "The Jews", he's talking about Jewish religious leaders of His time, many of which fervently disagreed with Jesus.

The "these things" Jesus just showed them included cleaning out the money changers from the temple -- possibly from the court of the Gentiles where other nations should be able to worhsip.

Verse 19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”

21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

NOTE that Jesus didn't say Jesus would destroy the temple. The sign He is giving is that other people will destroy the temple, and that temple is His own body.

Throughout the Gospel of John, before the crucifixion, JESUS says I AM NOT ALONE and I DO WHAT PLEASES HIM.

In John 6, Verse 38: 

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

-- John 6:38

In John 8...

Verse 28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

-- John 8:28-29

Getting closer to the crucifixion In John 16...

Verse 32: Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. 

And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

But as the crucifixion unfolds, accusers say that Jesus is alone.

The Gospel of John doesn't cover some of the details of the crucifixion, but I want to point out what the crowd around the cross said was happening. We've looked at the background from the Gospel of John; now we're moving to Matthew 27:

Verse 39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

NOTE: Here the crowd is saying Jesus should stop doing the very sign Jesus gave in John 2 simply to save himself. But Jesis is not there to prove that salvation works for Himself. He's already done that. He IS giving a sign that He promised, and the people are laughing at it. They are unwittingly becoming part of the sign He is showing.

Verse 41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

NOTE: Jesus is not alone. The crowd thinks He is alone. The crowd thinks Jesus once trusted in God but Jesus still does. The crowd thinks God does not have Jesus, but His heavenly Father does.

Later in the crucifixion, Jesus will quote some lines from Psalm 22 on the cross. The most famous is probably, "My God, my god, why have you forsaken me?"

Further in the future,

Many people will continue to unwittingly become examples not to follow. May the Most High grant us each glimpses of ourselves and turn from the crowds we follow in our minds.

All content © 2025 Static Force, LLC