The Messiah and His Miracles

The Conflict with the Sanhedrists

What was the response of Jesus to the decision to reject His Messianic claim?

It was a prophecy of judgement - sometimes spoken of as a 'rejection of Israel'. It is true that Israel rejected Him and His offer of the Messianic kingdom, and it is true that He withdrew the offer of the 'at hand' kingdom, but His words and actions had clear bounderies.

The rejection of Israel. 

Replacement theologians hold that God, in Christ, rejected the nation of Israel and permanently replaced them in His purposes with the Church.  I contend that the rejection of Israel by Jesus the Messiah was not a permanent rejection.   The Messiah, who always chose His words with great care, spoke of one generation of the nation, ‘this generation’.  It is ‘this generation’ of Israel that was rejected, because it was with ‘this generation’ of Israel that He contended. He said, “He (the Son of Man) must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”[1]  And His recorded words of Matthew 21.43, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it,” were spoken to the leaders of that generation.[2]

It will be that single generation that will stand at the bar of God and be accused of unlawfully rejecting their Messiah: “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here”.[3]

Previous generations had rejected the servants of YHWH, but that one generation alone rejected the Son of God. Their own words will condemn them.[4]  Jesus says as much in His parable of the vinedressers.  Their response to the claims of the Lord of the vineyard, presented by the Son and Heir, was: “This is the heir, come let us kill him”.[5]

The phrase ‘this generation’ is used in Matt.11.16; 12.41,42,45; 23.36; 24.34; Mk.8.12,38; 13.30; Luke 7.31; 11.29-32; 11.50,51; 17.25; 21.32.  Qualifying adjectives of ‘this generation’ include ‘wicked’, ‘evil’ and ‘adulterous’.  The rejection of this generation by the Son of God was justified!

The supercessionist view that God permanently rejected Israel is incorrect. While it is true that a rejection took place, it was the rejection of a generation. While it would have major implications for future generations, it cannot be used to teach that the Messiah withdrew God’s covenantal promises from the nation.  As with the wilderness generation at the time of the exodus from Egypt, and as with the generation that went into captivity in Babylon, there is an ‘until’ with this judgement. For the wilderness generation, the ‘until’ lasted 40 years. For the Babylonian captives, the ‘until’ lasted 70 years.  Here the ‘until’ is not given a time qualification but a moral dimension. Jesus, referring to His rejection and Israel’s subsequent rejection, gives the condition for their restoration: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more until you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”[6]  Here, He is anticipating call from a future repentant Israel. Another saying of the Messiah in Matthew supports this.  When He spoke to the apostles He anticipated a future restoration of Israel: “assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”[7]

Paul, the great expositor, also believed in the future restoration of Israel when he looked into the future and said: “all Israel shall be saved”;[8] and this is the context for that mighty statement: “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”.[9] Luke, describing the teaching ministry of the resurrected Messiah in Acts, categorises it as kingdom truth: “to whom He also presented Himself alive … being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”[10] Just prior to His ascension they asked, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”[11] Jesus did not deny the restoration of Israel only informed them that God the Father had not yet published the timetable of it. “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”[12]  Paul asked the question, “I say then, has God cast away His people?” and himself answered, “Certainly not!”[13]

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[1] Luke 17.25

[2] Matt.21.23

[3] Matt.12.41,42

[4] Matt.23.31-36

[5] Matt.21.38

[6] Matt.23.39; Luke 13.35

[7] Matt.19.28

[8] Rom.11.26

[9] Rom.11.29

[10] Acts 1.3

[11] Acts 1.6

[12] Acts 1.7

[13] Rom.11.1