| "How did men treat Christ when He came? . . . He
came unto his own, and his own received him not (John 1:11). Thus it is today. This
history is being repeated, and will be repeated again and again before the Lord shall come
in the clouds of heaven." TMK 54.
"The remnant church is called to go through an experience similar to that of the Jews." Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, Book 1, page 387. Let us profile that experience.
"With eager steps they press onward, confidently expecting the Messiahs birth to be the joyful burden of every tongue. But their inquiries are in vain. Entering the holy city, they repair to the temple. To their amazement they find none who seem to have a knowledge of the newborn king. Their questions call forth no expressions of joy, but rather of surprise and fear, not unmingled with contempt. "The priests are rehearsing traditions. They extol their religion and their own piety, while they denounce the Greeks and Romans as heathen, and sinners above others. The wise men are not idolaters, and in the sight of God they stand far higher than do these, His professed worshipers; yet they are looked upon by the Jews as heathen. Even among the appointed guardians of the Holy Oracles their eager questionings touch no chord of sympathy. "The arrival of the magi was quickly noised throughout Jerusalem. Their strange errand created an excitement among the people, which penetrated to the palace of King Herod. The wily Edomite was aroused at the intimation of a possible rival. Countless murders had stained his pathway to the throne. Being of alien blood, he was hated by the people over whom he ruled. His only security was the favor of Rome. But this new Prince had a higher claim. He was born to the kingdom. "Herod suspected the priests of plotting with the strangers to excite a popular tumult and unseat him from the throne. He concealed his mistrust, however, determined to thwart their schemes by superior cunning. Summoning the chief priests and the scribes, he questioned them as to the teaching of their sacred books in regard to the place of the Messiahs birth. "This inquiry from the usurper of the throne, and made at the request of strangers, stung the pride of the Jewish teachers. The indifference with which they turned to the rolls of prophecy enraged the jealous tyrant. He thought them trying to conceal their knowledge of the matter. With an authority they dared not disregard, he commanded them to make close search, and to declare the birthplace of their expected King. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
"Herod now invited the magi to a private interview. A tempest of wrath and fear was raging in his heart, but he preserved a calm exterior, and received the strangers courteously. He inquired at what time the star had appeared, and professed to hail with joy the intimation of the birth of Christ. He bade his visitors, Search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also. So saying, he dismissed them to go on their way to Bethlehem." The Desire of Ages, 60-62.
"The priests and elders of Jerusalem were not as ignorant concerning the birth of Christ as they pretended. The report of the angels visit to the shepherds had been brought to Jerusalem, but the rabbis had treated it as unworthy of their notice. They themselves might have found Jesus, and might have been ready to lead the magi to His birthplace; but instead of this, the wise men came to call their attention to the birth of the Messiah. Where is He that is born King of the Jews? they said; for we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship Him. "Now pride and envy closed the door against the light. If the reports brought by the shepherds and the wise men were credited, they would place the priests and rabbis in a most unenviable position, disproving their claim to be the exponents of the truth of God. These learned teachers would not stoop to be instructed by those whom they termed heathen. It could not be, they said, that God had passed them by, to communicate with ignorant shepherds or uncircumcised Gentiles. They determined to show their contempt for the reports that were exciting King Herod and all Jerusalem. They would not even go to Bethlehem to see whether these things were so. And they led the people to regard the interest in Jesus as a fanatical excitement. Here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and rabbis. From this point their pride and stubbornness grew into a settled hatred of the Saviour. While God was opening the door to the Gentiles, the Jewish leaders were closing the door to themselves." DA 62-63.
Why Was It Wrong For Christ To Confront And Challenge Cherished Delusions? "And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit; and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
"And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon Him. And He began to say to them, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, Is this not Josephs son? And He said to them, No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, Physician, heal yourself; whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your home town as well. And He said, Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his home town. But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. "And all in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they rose up and cast Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, He went His way." Luke 4:14-30. NASB.
"Christ was a living representation of the law. There was no violation of its holy precepts in his life. Looking around upon a nation of witnesses, who were eagerly seeking for something to question, searching for some mistake or error, in order that they might have something whereby to condemn him, he could ask, Which of you convinceth me of sin? They made high professions of godliness, and claimed to be advanced in knowledge, and because Jesus did not praise and glorify them as a nation superior to others, they were offended, and were determined to counteract his influence and make of no effect his teaching." ST, April 25, 1895.
"The Pharisees were dissatisfied with the teachings of Christ. The practical godliness which he enjoined condemned them. They desired him to dwell upon the external observances of the ceremonial law, and the customs and traditions of the fathers. But Jesus taught the spiritual nature of the law and made clear its far-reaching claims. Love to God and to men must live in the heart and control the life, as the spring of every thought and every action." ST, Sept. 4, 1884.
"As Christ spoke, the scribes and Pharisees listened to words such as they had never heard before. But instead of receiving the speaker as the long-expected Messiah, they angrily rejected His claims. He questioned their doctrine, and this was regarded by them as a sin never to be forgiven." RH, March 26, 1901.
"His days were passed in ministry to the crowds that pressed upon Him, and in unveiling the treacherous sophistry of the rabbis." MB 102.
"Then one of their number, Nicodemus (the man who had once visited Jesus), intervened. Does our law, he asked them, permit us to pass judgement on a man unless we have first given him a hearing and learned the facts? " John 7:50-51. N.E.B. "The question asked by him was wise, and would have commended itself to those presiding at the council had they not been deceived by the enemy. But they were so filled with prejudice that no argument in favor of Jesus of Nazareth, however convincing, had any weight with them. The answer that Nicodemus received, was, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. "The priests and rulers had been deceived, as Satan meant them to be, into believing that Christ came out of Galilee. Some who knew that he was born in Bethlehem, kept silent, that the falsehood might not be robbed of its power." 5BC 1136.
"Nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in him; but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." John 12:42, 43. RSV.
Today There Are Seventh-Day Adventists Who Are Fully Given In To Following Their Own Passionate Inclinations, Who Want Nothing Less Than The Full Equivalent Of The Death Of Jesus! "Satan has great power over those who yield to his control. It was the chief priests and eldersthe religious teachers of the peoplethat urged on the murderous throng from the judgment hall to Calvary. There are hearts today among the professed followers of Christ inspired by the same spirit that clamored for the crucifixion of our Saviour. Let the workers of evil remember that to all their acts there is one witness, a holy, sin-hating God. He will bring all their works into judgment, with every secret thing." 5T 245.
"Many Will Stand In Our Pulpits With The Torch Of False Prophecy In Their Hands, Kindled From The Hellish Torch Of Satan." TM 409-410. As Before "The religious leaders, the guides and instructors of the people, the men who ought to have pointed the people to Jesus, saying, as did John, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, followed the lead of the enemy of all good. They persuaded the poor ignorant people, who knew not the Scriptures, which testify of Christ, to reject the Son of God, and led them to choose a robber and murderer. The chief priests and elders persuaded the people that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. Why did they do this? Because of envy and jealousy. Prejudice is ever blind, unreasonable, vindictive, and cruel. Under its maddening power people are rendered insane. Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? " RH, Jan. 23, 1900.
1888, p. 1520-1535: "Being in connection with the Lords work, and in high positions of trust, of course they have been believed, and thus have been able to exert a strong influence." (p. 1522).
This History Has Been Repeated
"Lets forget all about this and get on with the job of running the church. No action will be taken against those who crucify the Son of God afresh and put Him to open shame. But if anyone dares to reveal that the church is persecuting the righteous, then the church must take swift and decisive action against those who refuse to submit to the proper church authorities. For it is better for one member to perish than for the whole body to be thrown into confusion. Mt 5:29,30." cf. John 11:50.
"For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered up, and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses." Acts 3:13-15. As Peter and the Apostles were speaking to the people and imputing to them the sins of their leaders (also calling for decisive repentance and faith in a disruptive theology) (Acts 3:12-26), church authorities were forced to intervene in the only way consistent with their beliefs: "And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in jail." Acts 4:1-3.
"But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy; and they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in a public jail." Acts 5:17. " We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this mans blood upon us. But Peter and the apostles answered and said, we must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death... " Acts 5:28-30.
Recall That Inspiration Equates The Character Of The Jews With The Character Of Seventh-Day Adventists
The law of God, if observed with heart obedience, would have produced altogether a different influence; but vainglory, selfishness, and oppression marked the character of the Jews. They were proudly displaying their ceremonies before the very face of Christ, who was the foundation and center of the whole Jewish economy, while they rejected the Antitype of all their types, the Substance of all their shadows. They were so blinded by Satan that they knew not the time of their visitation. And God declared, "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself." ST 02-15-99.
Adventists have a choice to make other than what the Jews decided in the first century. The Jews continued in the decision to make no special effort to reform the church. When, do you think, will current church leaders make a conscious effort and decide differently?
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