バイブルクラスが行われました

Bible class on Saturday January 21th, 2017

今日のバイブルクラスは3人でおこなわれました。

ルカ23章はいよいよイエス　キリストの十字架の場面です。今回は23章前半の"ピラトの尋問"の箇所を学びました。

当時のユダヤの地をローマ帝国から派遣され統治していたポンテオ　ピラトという人物が、キリストの十字架にどのように関与していったかを良く知ることができました。

1. その時代（ローマの支配）における十字架刑は、皇帝シーザーの権威に反逆する者を公開のもと、苦痛と屈辱を長時間与え続ける処刑で、革命暴徒や奴隷、敵国の捕虜に対して行われていた。したがってイエスはローマ帝国、またピラトにとって反逆する革命家として扱われた。

2. しかし当初ピラトはイエスをローマや社会秩序に反逆する輩と観ていなかった。その上、ユダヤ人同士の宗教的な確執に巻き込まれたくなかった。しかし意に反し、宗教指導者と民衆の反イエスの熱情に屈して十字架刑を決断し執行してしまう。

3. ピラトもヘロデもユダヤの宗教指導者たちも、そして民衆もイエスが捕らえられるまではそれぞれに決して良い関係でなかったが、罪無きイエスを亡き者にするという闇の支配に互いに傾くことで一致してしまう。

今日学んだイエスの十字架を当時のユダヤ社会の利害関係者たちが決する場面では、十字架は罪と苦しみ、悪と闇、そしてこの世の恐怖権力の象徴でした。そして権力者の利害や意思決定に大きな影響力を及ぼすのが大衆（群衆）の声でした。

 

偶然にもこの日の早朝、アメリカ合衆国第45代大統領の就任式が行われていました。まさに今回のアメリカ新大統領も、「キリストを十字架につけよ！」と叫ぶかのような、中間層と云われる民衆の不満の声をテコにその地位を勝ち取ることになったのではないでしょうか。

次回（2/4土）のバイブルクラスでは、キリスト、イエスによって十字架が象徴する意味合いが、まったく違うものに変貌を遂げる場面です。皆さんの参加をお待ちいしています。

 

Luke 23The Message (MSG)

Pilate

23 ^1-2 Then they all
took Jesus to Pilate and began to bring up charges against him. They said, "We
found this man undermining our law and order, forbidding taxes to be paid to
Caesar, setting himself up as Messiah-King."

³ Pilate
asked him, "Is this true that you're 'King of the Jews'?"

"Those are your words, not mine," Jesus
replied.

⁴ Pilate
told the high priests and the accompanying crowd, "I find nothing wrong here.
He seems harmless enough to me."

⁵ But
they were vehement. "He's stirring up unrest among the people with his
teaching, disturbing the peace everywhere, starting in Galilee and now all
through Judea. He's a dangerous man, endangering the peace."

^6-7 When Pilate heard that, he asked, "So, he's a Galilean?" Realizing
that he properly came under Herod's jurisdiction, he passed the buck to Herod,
who just happened to be in Jerusalem for a few days.

^8-10 Herod was delighted when Jesus showed up. He had wanted for a long
time to see him, he'd heard so much about him. He hoped to see him do something
spectacular. He peppered him with questions. Jesus didn't answer--not one word.
But the high priests and religion scholars were right there, saying their
piece, strident and shrill in their accusations.

^11-12 Mightily offended, Herod turned on Jesus. His soldiers joined in,
taunting and jeering. Then they dressed him up in an elaborate king costume and
sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became thick as thieves.
Always before they had kept their distance.

^13-16 Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others and
said, "You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him
in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge. And neither
did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It's
clear that he's done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death. I'm
going to warn him to watch his step and let him go."

^18-20 At that, the crowd went wild: "Kill him! Give us Barabbas!"
(Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for
murder.) Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again.

²¹ But
they kept shouting back, "Crucify! Crucify him!"

²² He
tried a third time. "But for what crime? I've found nothing in him deserving
death. I'm going to warn him to watch his step and let him go."

^23-25 But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified.
And finally they shouted him down. Pilate caved in and gave them what they
wanted. He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave
them Jesus to do whatever they wanted.