God In the Court

Tonight will mark a converging of injustice upon the one totally pure human being ever born. The tide of aggression takes on the calculating nastiness of cold politics and the knowing subversion of the legal process. There are two chilling developments. The first is that the coalition of death has acquired new members. The chief priests and the teachers of the law are joined by the crowd from the Mount of Olives. Now the opposition is complete, and the other religious authorities add their weight to the scheme (53). Only a worthy and dynamic figure would have demanded such a considerable effort to be stopped: “The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused him of being a bore. On the contrary, they thought him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him ‘meek and mild’, and recommended him as a fitting household pet for pale clergy and pious old ladies” (Dorothy Sayers, The Greatest Drama Ever Staged).

The second area of scandal is that only people with a clear knowledge of legal processes could have subverted it so successfully. They took advantage of their position to subvert the very purpose for which law had been given: to support the victim, and champion the cause of justice and truth. Instead, they employed false witnesses and held the court in a private home, away from prying eyes. It was even less just than a show trial.

Jesus’ response is to declare, “I am” (62; Isa. 43:11-13), employing a phrase about himself with uncompromising boldness which left no room for doubt about his status as God incarnate.

Worship the “I am” and pray for those who are victims of injustice, especially Christians who may be falsely accused in the world today.