Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.
I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.
SEEING JESUS IN
Daniel
A Troubled Condemner
Daniel 6:14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.
Daniel 6:16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions.
Luke 23:15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him.
Luke 23:20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus,
Luke 23:24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.
Both Daniel and Jesus were condemned to death by a troubled official. Both men were reluctant, knowing they were condemning an innocent man, forced by the cunning of evil men.
For Darius, he was pulled into the trap by the evil men plying his ego, stroking his self importance, only to be duped and to suffer the regret of condemning his confidant.
We also get “sucked into” traps by those who wish us harm by an appeal to our ego. How wise it was of Paul to counsel us in this regard.
Romans 12:3 … I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment…
It is our pride that allows us to be drawn into the same trap Darius found himself in, that brought Daniel to a point reflecting the Lord Jesus, in being condemned by a troubled man.
For the Master’s situation, Pilate had his own pressures, and the Roman government was not pleased with the constant uprising and rebellion of the Jews. Too often this little sliver of land on the east Mediterranean was like a splinter in the eye of Caesar, and Pilate was responsible to keep the peace. Having a bunch of zealot Jews begin a mob riot over a Carpenter Preacher, along with his wife counselling him to avoid “this Man”, must have weighed heavily on Pilate, but he condemned the Son of God, even as he looked into the very eyes of truth.
Both men were troubled in condemning those before them, yet condemn them they did. Their troubled minds could not stop the unjust condemnation of these two righteous men.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.
Come join us at Considering the Bible
