Intertestamental Period Closes: The Messiah Arrives!

The light of prophecy dims out with Malachi, four hundred years of intertestamental darkness haunts the children of the covenant, and then, the Messiah appears and takes center stage. The world Jesus enters is radically different from the time of Malachi.

It has been asserted that Christianity had three historical presuppositions, an elect race (Israel), a sacred literature (Hebrew Scriptures), and a Messianic hope (Jesus Christ). But equally necessary to take into account, if we are to fully appreciate the work of Jesus, are the converse conditions that prevailed:

Israel – mistakenly thinking it had a monopoly on divine favor.
Hebrew Scripture - turned by the scribes into an idol.
Messianic hope - degraded and distorted.

When these opposite sets of conditions met, the hour for the Messiah's appearing had arrived.

Christ's conflict with Pharisaism, and of the important service which He rendered to the kingdom as a critic of counterfeit righteousness, is understood to most students of the Bible. Certainly, the function of moral criticism forms a regular part of the prophetic vocation. But Jesus performed the unwelcome though necessary task, under particularly urgent conditions.

Jesus came when He was most needed, when His task was extremely difficult, and when His work would have its maximum influence. In such circumstances, realization of the Kingdom of God inevitably involved conflict with its caricature. Righteousness of the heart had to be put in contrast to a righteousness of conformity to external rules. The Scriptures had to be rescued from the scribes by a free spiritual interpretation, an election for the benefit of a people had to be set aside to make way for the nobler election for the benefit of others as originally intended, and the true idea of Messiah had to be differentiated from all false conceptions.

All this Jesus accomplished in an effective manner, but at a great cost. The inevitable collision with Rabbinicism brought Him to the cross. It was not an unforeseen catastrophe. How could it be? One who had such perfect insight into the radical viciousness of the prevailing religion, must have had equal insight into the wicked hearts of those who practiced it, and knew what evil spirits of envy, malice, and hatred harbored there.

The predictions of the violent death ascribed to Jesus in the Gospels are perfectly credible. So also are the interpretations He is reported to have put upon it, that is, His suffering was for righteousness' sake, for the benefit of humanity, and endured in a spirit of self-sacrificing love. Jesus understood His impending crucifixion as being destined, and though meant for evil by the crucifers, would in fact, result in the good.

Christ's exposure of Rabbinicism, important in many ways as a feature of His public ministry, is especially significant as it throws light on His view of sin. Have you noticed that the severity of His tone in speaking of the Pharisees and their ways is startling when contrasted with His compassionate gentleness towards "the publicans and sinners." Why this apparent difference?

It is not to be explained by class prejudices or sentimental partiality. It must indicate a deliberate judgment as to the relative intensity of moral evil, as manifested in the two sections of society. That is to say, in the judgment of Jesus the vices of the Pharisaic character must have been in a higher degree opposed to or in conflict with the spirit of the kingdom of God than those which appeared in the conduct of the lower class. This seems supported by the words He is reported to have spoken to the priests and elders in the temple shortly before His passion: "The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you."

A caveat: There were plenty of rebellious Pharisees, but not all of them were ungodly. The core of the Pharisee credo was piety, and there were those who were sincere and faithful to the covenant despite Pharisaical doctrinal errors.

The Pharisees were so hardened and calloused in their minds and spirits that they were aliens to the higher order of the Kingdom of God that stood in their midst. Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their apostasy. The Pharisees had abandoned the Old Testament faith and therefore they rejected Jesus Himself. They modified God’s word by teaching untruths.

James tells us that those who teach others will be subject to a stricter judgment (3:1), so it is reasonable to infer that the Pharisees were being judged more harshly by Jesus for behaving and teaching unrighteously and even converting people to be "twice the son of hell" as they were (Matthew 23:15).

In passing, it is well to note God's compliment for those who teach well in the church stating they are worthy of "double honor" (1 Tim. 5:17). The writer of Hebrews even recognized that as Christians advance in the faith, they should arrive at a level in their maturity where they "ought to be teachers" (Hebrews 5:12).

But we must be sure we are teaching with all diligence and sincerity of spirit, with full reliance on God's power, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Peter warned us not only about false prophets, but false teachers. (2 Peter 2:1). Teachers must carefully teach from Scripture, and accurately interpret and apply the Word of God. Anything less is to put ourselves at moral risk of incurring the "stricter" judgment of God.

So we understand why Jesus appeared harsher with the Pharisees than the "regular" sinner. Furthermore, we remember that the Pharisees were long known to be invested with the WORD of GOD and were allegedly experts at understanding it. Jesus blatantly confronts them on this point, "You are Israel's teacher and do you not understand these things?" and in another "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?" Thus, Jesus' demeanor towards them is appropriate and understood.

It seems that Jesus knew the Pharisees sin had taken possession of the inner man, of the will, the heart, the conscience, the whole spiritual nature. Pride seeks greatness apart from God. This accounts for why Jesus appeared so much more hopeful of making acquisitions for the kingdom of God from the publicans and other sinners, than He did for those who were religious in the Pharisaic sense. The publicans and harlots and thieves had fewer illusions; they did not imagine or pretend their lives were right before God.They were "pure in heart."

But with the Pharisees, there was virtually no "inner man" to really appeal to, the man had been perverted into a kind of demon. All that belonged to God, and the kingdom of God and the spirit of the kingdom, such as love, had been taken possession of by an anti-god, a Satanic usurper, a spirit of selfishness disguising its hatefulness under the cloak of religious zeal.

Jesus concept of sin is profound and Jesus is quite definite that sin is nothing accidental - it is involved in a man's own nature, in his choice, it comes from the heart, and it speaks of a heart that is wrong. He also believed that sin is seen in it truest and purest malignity when it has its origin in the soul, and reveals an evil will, a selfish heart, and a perverted conscience.