The Words of Christ

 Luke 23:1-5

“1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” 3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” 5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

Anyone who has studied the gospels knows that Jesus never opposed paying Roman taxes.  In fact he said, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are God’s (Matthew 22:21).  

We also know that Jesus never claimed to be an earthly king.  The only charge that was true was the charge that his teachings were having an impact on the people all over Judea.

The religious authorities said that his teachings were “stirring” people up.  The Greek word used for the English word “stirs” can mean excites, shakes up, rouses people to the point that they take action.

Jesus’ teachings were, in fact, shaking up the old way of thinking, causing people to live and act in a different way.  The religious authorities were threatened by the power and the effect of Jesus’ words and they had to put a stop to them.  

The crucifixion was their answer. But the crucifixion served only to make His words more powerful, and more effective.

And for over 2,000 years, millions of hearts have been warmed and stirred by His glorious words.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)