Presently, in our study of N.T. Wright’s book, Simply Jesus, we’ve come to chapter 12, and need to recall our thoughts about the “perfect storm,” we described earlier in this study (chapter three in the book). The northern cold front, remember was a metaphor for the Roman oppressor, which includes its puppet Jewish authorities of Judea and Herod Antipas, their local client ruler in Galilee and Perea. The Roman cold front was situated to clash with the high-pressure system of Jewish aspirations of independence and freedom. To the two of these we add the hurricane coming in from the south, representing the divine force of the coming of Jesus with the Gospel of the returning God as King of the Jews.
The biggest problem that the Jews faced back in the first century AD, wasn’t Rome, necessarily, although their imperial presence did oppress the people. The problem that loomed large over Jewish aspiration of freedom from their gentile oppressor was themselves. They totally missed the Lord’s efforts to free them from bondage. Many religious Jews were looking for the return of their God, and the establishment of his Kingdom on earth (Mark 15:43; Luke 2:25; 23:51; 24:21). However, like a prayer prayed in earnest that would not be answered as expected, so the Jews misunderstood the purpose of the return of God in Jesus (John 1:1, 14), because they couldn’t disassociate their aspirations of freedom from wanting to be like their gentile oppressors (1Samuel 8:4-5; cp. John 1:1, 9-11).
When God was King and sent judges to lead his people (Moses to Saul), the presence of a gentile oppressor always indicated the people of God had been disobedient, always seeking to be like the nations that surrounded them (Judges 2:11-12; cp. 4:1; 6:1; 13:1), and rejecting God as their King (1Samuel 8:4-5, 7). The people wanted freedom and independence from their oppressors, without having to behave responsibly in their covenant with the Lord. They had promised to be loyal to God, but, in reality, they looked to men, not God, for fulfillment of their desires. They embraced an irresponsible patriotism, vis-à-vis they supposed, wrongly, that they had a right to freedom and independence, regardless of their behavior (righteous or unrighteous). Yet, the Lord demanded first that they be obedient to him, and he would destroy all their enemies. This is what the Mosaic Covenant was all about (Joshua 24:19-20).
With the coming of Jesus and the promise of the return of God (Mark 1:15; cp. Malachi 3:1; John 1:1, 14), he pointed to the need of the Jews to repent, if they wished to enjoy the return of their God. Blessings come with obedience, but judgment comes with disobedience. It was incumbent upon the Jews to repent and believe the Gospel, if the return of the God of Israel would bring a blessing. The rejection of Jesus would mean the Lord would return to his people in judgment (Matthew 12:33-37). The problem was not ‘would the God of Israel return to his people,’ because he was returning, ready or not. The problem was, what would he find at his return (Malachi 3:2-5)?
Although the Baptist was sent to prepare the Way of the Lord, (Malachi 4:1-6; Matthew 11:12-14), he also misunderstood Jesus’ ministry (Matthew 11:1-3), and had to be instructed to look at the fruits rather than what was naturally expected (Matthew 11:4-6). John expected Jesus to overthrow Herod Antipas and rescue him from Herod’s prison, but the Jesus Revolution wasn’t like the revolutions of the nations. He preached the coming of God without a violent overthrow of the present authorities. The Kingdom of God was entering the world through Jesus during the first century AD, and the then present Jewish authorities, who embraced violence as a method to preserve power, sought to destroy it (Matthew 11:12). Yet, they found they couldn’t destroy the Kingdom Jesus preached, because in crucifying him, they brought about his resurrection through the power of God (Acts 2:24).
So, in the terms of our present metaphor, the perfect storm, the movers and shakers of the world during the first century AD, vis-à-vis the Roman oppressor and their puppet local authorities (the northern cold front) contended with the Jewish aspirations of independence and freedom (the high-pressure system). However, the hurricane from the south, representing the coming of God, arose from a different and unexpected angle. The Jews simply wanted to cast out the Roman oppressor, but Jesus came casting out all that offended the righteousness of God (cp. Matthew 21:12-13). It wasn’t a simple patriotic event, hailing “my country right or wrong.” Instead, Jesus, God come in the flesh (John 1:1, 14), demanded sacred space, sacred time and sacred matter. The space for God was his Temple made without hands (Jesus), and the time for God, vis-à-vis all his Sabbaths, needed to be embraced and treasured; the Lord was returning and folks needed to present themselves before him.
Finally, the old creation had become corrupt, and men were cast out of the Presence of God (Genesis 2:22-24). A new creation had to be established (Jeremiah 31:31) to produce the sacred matter for men to dwell in (Luke 17:21; cp. 2Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15). These things were completely unexpected, and God’s people had to be led out of the bondage, vis-à-vis the new Exodus, from the mind control of the false doctrines/worldview of the then present Jewish authorities (Matthew 23:1-36; John 12:34; Mark 2:18; Luke 12:1).
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