Corona Chronicles - Crown of Thorns

Welcome back to another Corona Chronicles. We're still asking this question, who is Jesus? And every time we ask it, we see another amazing angle of who he is. Who he actually is, not who people think he is, or definitely not who the Faracies thought he was. So I'm gonna be reading from chapter 3 now verse 1.

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue and a man with a shrivelled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. So they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the sabbath. Jesus said to the man with a shrivelled hand, stand up in front of everyone, Then Jesus asked them, which is lawful on the Sabbath? To do good or to do evil?

To save life or to kill? But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts said to the man stretched out your hand. He stretched it out and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharaces went out and began to plot with the herodians how they might kill Jesus.

There is again. There is again. That last verse, you know, that's another mean right there. You know, when we read that earlier, I just had pictures of this time it's Will Feral. Or or wrong Burgundy as he's known in in that film, the anchor man.

Mhmm. And and it's that that escalated quickly, you know? Yeah. It did. I mean, it's just it's incredible, isn't it?

That last what on earth has Jesus done -- Yeah. -- to deserve the pharisees going out with their archenemies, the herodians. I mean, they hated them. Right. And they, you know, what's that saying your the enemy of my enemy is my friend sort of thing?

Right. Is that saying what it is now? But You know, it's it it they they're gonna kill Jesus -- Yeah. -- for what -- Yeah. -- for what?

Yeah. You know, Jesus goes to church here. Yeah. Right? He's in the synagogue and and and he he he knows that they're watching him closely.

And And, yeah, what would would he would he break the rules? Would he, you know, again, they've got their lists out. Yeah. And, yep, naughty Jesus. Yeah.

You know? Yep. He's he's he's only gone and healed someone. Yeah. You know, like, what what's you know.

I wonder whether they planted this man in here, you know, because they they're looking for a reason to it says in verse 2. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. Yeah. You know, either this is a fortuitous event, they're licking their lips going, oh, there's a there's a sick man here. Yeah.

Maybe Jesus will heal. Oh, they've gone, you sick man. Well, either way, you know -- Yeah. -- they're they're they're delighted that there's a reason for Jesus to break the sabbath and rise again. Yeah.

And Jesus is like, I'm not gonna so I'm not gonna hide who I I'm not you know, I've come to do business here. Yeah. And I'm not who you think I am, you know, like, you know, and so he says stand up in front of everyone. Mhmm. And then, you know, I just think Jesus knows exactly what's gonna happen next.

Yes. He knows they've already they're already looking at him. Yeah. And the next thing the next step they're gonna do is they're gonna gonna start plotting to kill him. Yeah.

And so he asks this bombshell of a question which is lawful in the sabbath to do good or to do evil to save life or to kill. Yeah. But they they remain silent. And in by this silence, you know, they they they sort of prove their guilt really. Yeah.

You know, but but it, you know, and look at look at his response. He looked around at them in anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts and said to the man, stretch out your hand. And and and it's completely restored when he when he stretches out. I mean, you think, you know, the the the pharisees might say, you put your hand out and smack it, you know? Yeah.

That's what embarrassing hand. Yeah. That's what look at how sinful you are and your hand is shriveled. Well, you know, especially because, like, they would be they would be saying, well, what Why did you have a strong hand? Yeah.

What? What have you done? Have you been doing bad things of your hands? Yeah. You know, like you you filthy, sinner.

Like, And and Jesus, he and he's come to he's he's come, you know, that's what they say to the blind man later on. They say you were steeped in silicone. That's right. Yeah. You know, that's why you were blind.

But Jesus came for sinners. Yes. We've already seen that. Exactly. You know, with the you're missing the point.

You're you've you've you because you just you just made your little laws. Into, you know, like, your your little medals, your badges of honor, you're you you'd love to polish them because you think -- Yeah. -- that's what makes you right we've got. Yeah. You know, but but Jesus is here to say, no, look.

All you need is a shriveled is to is to, you know, be willing to stretch out your shriveled hand. Yeah. Your shriveled little heart. You know, like That's what he's trying to do by asking them, in verse 4, which is lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil to save Michael to kill. As you you pointed out earlier, he's he's he's totally exposing them there.

Yeah. Because we go on to see in verse 6, as you said, but they they go out and begin to plot how they might kill Jesus. Yeah. So actually Jesus Jesus is speaking to them. He says, what's better?

Yeah. What I'm doing, I'm bringing life, I'm bringing healing, I'm bringing what you're doing -- Which is what the sabbath is all about. Yeah. Yeah. Again, risk restoration, reconnection with God.

But they remain silent and -- Yeah. -- that. I mean, That that that that is a distressing thing, isn't it? When when you when you point people out their sin and you you try and show them and you even hold up the mirror and you say, look what they're being like, and they remain stubborn. Yes.

That's just No. We know it. We know it ourselves, don't we? You know, like, we we know when we're quiet. Yeah.

You know, Yeah. Yeah. You know, like sometimes we can, you know, we it can be because we're guilty, you know. But, you know, I think just this is an excellent little passage to to think about where you are, you know. What what do you think you need to do to to become a follower of Jesus.

And and who what are you gonna do with him? What are you gonna do with Jesus? So you're you're gonna be you're gonna see yourself in the the man with the shriveled hand -- Mhmm. -- and and listen to Jesus and -- Yep. -- and stretch out for help.

Yes. Or are you gonna are you gonna double down, keep quiet -- Yeah. -- and and, you know, end up killing him in your heart? Yeah. Because it's only your injection.

There's 2 responses to Jesus. Right? I mean, there are 2 2 men here, well, 2 groups of people. 1 with the shrivelled hand and they know they have a shrivelled hand and they are obedient to Jesus -- Yeah. -- when he says, stretch out your hand and do it, they believe him, or the people with their shriveled hearts -- Yeah.

-- who who who just wanna kill him. Yeah. So which 1 are you? Yeah. I guess.

See you next time. Yep.