Truth About The Crucifixion — Page 123
from the Gospels so as to furnish my audience with some idea of the situation which confronted Jesus at the time. The hostility of the Jews towards him was at its height in those days and they were seeking means of putting an end to his life as they did not consider him a true prophet. They were also incensed against him as he was constantly preaching against and rebuking them on account of the absurd practices and ceremonials to which they had become accustomed and castigated them for their hypocrisy which had become their second nature. Thus they were on the lookout for means which might bring about his ruin. For instance: As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard, and to provoke him to speak of many things, lying in wait for him, to catch at something he might say. (Luke 11:53, 54) At the time when Jesus taught in the temple at Jerusalem, Jewish leadership was striving in diverse ways to destroy him. For instance, on one occasion they contrived that some agents of the Roman Administration should be in attendance, posing as sympathisers of Jesus, when the Jews questioned him: They asked him: Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not? But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them: Show me a coin. Whose likeness and inscription has it? They said: Caesar's. He said to them: Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him by what he said, but marvelling at his 115