Spiritual Censorship

     Yesterday I wrote of modern day mode of censorship. The Greatest Story Ever Told was also the greatest censorship ever conceived.
     The allegation made by Jesus was that he is God:

If ye believe not that I AM he, ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:24)

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. (John 8:58)

I and my Father ARE one. (John 10:30)

     When Jesus said "I AM" or "I ARE", that is who God IS (Exod 3:14). Jesus's own claim was that He is God. I write "is" because past tense does not apply to the Living God. The Jews did not like the idea that Jesus claimed to be God. In their blindness, they "saw" that as heresy. Hundreds of times, although the Jews never abandoned God, they took other gods in His face which was against the First Commandment.  I believe that the Jews had learned their lesson, and ceased to have other gods with the exception of themselves who they failed to recognize as such.
     Jesus's claim to be God seemed to be a violation of that Commandment! Thus, the Jews rejected Jesus's claim for the sake of God. Jesus said, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
     Jewish patriarchs always before had known what they did. Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and all the prophets knew exactly the identity of God. They knew that God would come in the flesh. The typical Jew never seemed to have that insight. They never knew what they were doing. Only by the claims of the patriarchs were they ever safe.
     The Jews, in apostolic times, didn't want to know what they were doing, nor want anyone else to believe Jesus's "deception". They actually did not believe in Jesus and remained ignorant of God's coming. They were quite comfortable believing the lie that Jesus was not God! Deception is the fantasy in which most people are most comfortable. The thought that Jesus is God made them quite uncomfortable, especially the chief priest who had the greatest sin (John 19:11). Why was Caiaphas's sin greater? Because he censored God.
     Most people perceived that Caiaphas wanted Jesus dead because of his "heresy". Caiaphas had seen and heard of Jesus's miracles. There was evidence that Jesus's claim was true. Caiaphas just would not believe the truth. Why can that be supposed? As chief priest Caiaphas had great power in both Herod's eyes and Pilates', not to mention the Jewish people. He was spiritual king of the Jews.
    Why would he not want his congregation to believe in Jesus? Perhaps to protect his own spiritual throne. I believe that his sin was greater because in truth, Caiaphas worshiped himself! That is not far-fetched because even Adam was informed that he would be "as god" (Gen 3:5).
     It seems that Caiaphas wanted to protect his position of authority. We know that Herod the Great tried to kill God to protect his own throne, hearing that a King had been born. Like Caiaphas, Herod had tried to censor Jesus by beheading his enunciator- John the Baptist. I contend that they were trying to silence Jesus because his existence would change the order of things. In other words, the world, since we are as guilty of killing Jesus as Caiaphas and Pilate, is trying to censor the gospel.
     What is the Gospel? "The message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Jesus was killed to censor his message. Because, just like Pharaoh's magicians, they could not duplicate Jesus's miracles, he had to die. They may have even harbored guilt for killing the Messenger, but it was the message they were trying to silence.
     Look at the sign above Jesus's head on the cross - "King of the Jews". That was as intimidating to the Jews as President Trump is to liberals! (Sorry about the politics but it is a good comparison.) Do liberals truly want Trump's dead? No. They desire to silence his ideas and end his policies. To silence Jesus, though, he had to be killed:

And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. (Luke 19:39-40)

     The Pharisees (leaders in both civil and spiritual matters) wanted the message of Jesus silenced. They asked Jesus to silence his disciples (followers). They wanted the gospel censored!  Jesus said if that was to happen, the stones would cry out. There was no stopping the gospel truths.
     Let's examine censorship in a later time: the Roman Catholic Church used Latin in their services and their Bibles were in the Latin. The reformers saw that as censorship so the priests could conceal the truth, and do what men always do: collect indulgences, for instance, for the love of money. As long as the Word was censored, the Roman Catholic heresies could remain spiritual law. Even in his death, the world is still trying to censor Jesus. Why would they even want to do that? Because the world, and the people in it, want to do what is right in their own eyes, "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Jud 17:6).
    If Jesus lived, then the people would be required to do his will, not their own. They, as Adam did, bucked God's authority. That's is why to be born again, converts must diminish themselves and elevate God. Mankind's problem is self-elevation (esteem), and the solution is Christ-esteem!
     The crucifiers would have been content if Jesus renounced his identity. They challenged him to do that. One last try was to get the apostles to renounce Jesus. Only Peter did that outright!

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1:32-33)

     Those passages are called "The Annunciation".  Look at the proclamation: (1) Jesus shall be great, (2) he will be called the Son of God, (3) he will rule on the throne of King David, (4) he will reign over the Israelites, (5) and his Kingdom will be forever! What was it that the Jews and the Herods wanted renounced? All those things. The renunciation would be: (1) I am just a carpenter pretending to be God, (2) I'm neither the Son of God nor God, (3) the throne belongs to the Hasmoneans,  (4) Herod's court and the Chief Priest will continue to rule, and (5) I have no kingdom.
    If Jesus or his followers had made a renunciation of Jesus, Jesus would not have died, and neither would you ever have the hope of salvation. The leaders were envious of Jesus because he was followed. Since they couldn't contain the message - the gospel - they desired to kill the Messenger.
    Throughout Scripture, Jesus is called THE Angel of God - a specific one. Jesus was a specific messenger: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 2:5).
     Jesus had always been the Mediator to God because as John chapter one indicates - Jesus is God in the Flesh! Angel means "messenger". Jesus was always the Messenger, and the chief priest had only been his Voice. With God in the Flesh, the chief priest was losing his voice and authority. Jesus had to die because he could not be censored. Censorship killed God, and modern people still endeavor to censor Jesus. That can't be done... even the rocks would cry out!
     Persecution is always to censor anyone. It is intimidating people into silence. Jesus couldn't be intimidated, and Christians' "reasonable service" is to enunciate Jesus or be his Voice. Look at the Great Commission:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. (Mat 28:19-20)

     What did Jesus say to do? Annunciate him always. They were commanded to not renunciate but to annunciate. Look at the command and compare to the Great Annunciation (Luke 1:32-33). Christians are never to be silenced. They are to keep the word alive because THE Word still lives! Jesus wrapped up the Great Commission by making the same claim as God did in the Great Annunciation.
     Hopefully, you now see that Jesus's crucifixion served one purpose to those who failed to believe:  to censor the Gospel message so that others will not know that he is King and Redeemer!
     Ironically, if Jesus had not been crucified, his message would have not spread. By killing Jesus, meaning to censor him, the rocks cried out from Calvary!

s answered them, “I and My Father are one.”