Speaking truth to power is dangerous. You may lose your job, be publicly humiliated, and have your family disgraced. You may even lose your life. That’s the way of the world, and, sadly, it is sometimes also the way of God’s people. Jesus suffered humiliation and death at the hands of religious leaders who had closed their minds to the truth of God.
The problem was that Jesus had agreed with them. Jesus had said, “’The Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.” And they asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” And he said, “You say that I am.”
These self-righteous authorities had wanted Jesus himself to say: “Yes, I am the Son of God.” But Jesus used his enemies’ words against them. In effect, he had them declare in the highest religious court that he was the Son of God. They’d fallen into the pit they had tried to dig for Jesus. But they still had political power and could try to spin things their own way. So the officials twisted Jesus’ words to fit their purposes, and they condemned him to death.
But a word once spoken cannot be recovered. The truth was out. Jesus’ opponents are forever remembered as declaring that he had the authority he claimed. And with that authority he proceeded to the cross—to pay for sin once for all.
On this Good Friday, Lord, thank you that not even the most powerful authorities could stamp out the truth of the gospel: that you are Lord. Thank you for dying for me. Amen.
About the author — Arie C. Leder
Dr. Arie C. Leder is the Martin J. Wyngaarden Senior Professor of Old Testament Studies at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He previously served as pastor at Ebenezer Christian Reformed Church, Trenton, Ontario, and with Christian Reformed World Missions in Latin America. He teaches courses on the Pentateuch and on historical books of the Old Testament.
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