Jesus Contested

What Did Jesus Do?

Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.
Mark 14.49

The Pirate's Bill Mazeroski, not any one of the many all-time greats on the Yankees, is the hero of the 1960 World Series. Michael Jordan drains a buzzer-beater in game seven to win another championship. Lord Stanley's Cup returns to Broadway after a fifty-year absence. You can't beat “Best of” series for drama. Super Bowls can be exciting, but championships determined over several days or a week in a best of five or best of seven series, well they become the stuff of legend. Actually the real “world championship” is not a legend at all, but an historical fact. It involved a confrontation over the course of an unforgettable week in Jerusalem a long time ago. The home team had a stacked roster of heavyweight Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and rulers; the opponent was a bush leaguer from the little Galilean village of Nazareth, who had attracted such a vocal following that the entire city was stirred up when He arrived. (Matthew 21.10) And, during that week that changed the world forever, Jesus contested.

In truth, Jesus wasn't exactly an unknown. In fact it wasn't His first appearance with the religious “All-stars” in David's City; when He was only twelve Jesus had amazed the “scouts” with the quality of His hardball questions, before returning to Nazareth where He grew up well approved before God and man. (Luke 2.41-52) Even at a young age, Jesus contested.

Some twenty years later, when Jesus came to Jerusalem for the final showdown, He did not start off cautiously, but boldly threw everyone off balance by cleaning up the “playing field” of the Temple, running out the vendors and overturning the tables of the money-changers. Though they had been the undisputed champions for centuries, and were the heavy favorites, the chief priests and scribes were, honestly, afraid, for the crowds were all turning to the Galilean challenger. Jesus contested.

The next day, and the next, Jesus returned to the temple, and He took on them all—Pharisees, scribes, chief priests, Sadducees—it didn't matter who tired to best Him, trap Him, trick Him, Jesus was at the top of His game. Desperately the champs tried to hold on. Fearlessly, Jesus contested.

When they realized there was no way they could best Jesus, the chief priests and scribes decided, “If you can't beat Him, kill him.” (Luke 22.2) As it turned out, a confused and disillusioned member of the Lord's own entourage had recently been turned by Satan, so it took no more than some silver coins to arrange to remove Jesus from the arena once and for all. (Luke 22.3-6) Knowing that the critical time in the series was approaching, Jesus paused to have one final, epically meaningful, meal with His disciples. (Luke 22.7-20) Then the Lord arose and made His way out to a garden to prepare for the climactic end. Jesus prayerfully readied himself, and then He contested one last time.

Without going into the details, which are there for you to read in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, I will simply say that the religious champions literally lifted Jesus off His feet and laid Him low with a right cross, a right big cross. And so the challenger was down and out, dead and buried in a borrowed tomb and, at least the Pharisees hoped, soon to be forgotten. Well, down He may have been, but Jesus was definitely not out. In fact, He took the fight to hell itself, and there wrestled free from Satan captives who had long awaited the Savior. (Ephesians 4.8-10) Jesus contested, and was crucified, dead, and buried, and descended into hell. Then, on the third day, He triumphantly arose. Jesus contested, and He bested, everyone and everything challenging His Lordship, sin and death being the final foes to fall before Him.

I tell you, there has never been, nor will there ever be, a “best of series” like that one in Jerusalem all those years ago. For the One who contested was the Son, himself the “best of” the Father. And when the Father sent his best it really was no contest. That's what Jesus did.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4