1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king."
In our verses for today, we see that innocence is no guarantee against slander. Here we have the religious leaders charging Jesus with the crimes of opposing payment of taxes to Caesar - which He clearly had not – and stating His claim that He indeed was the Christ – which they clearly refuted. We find earlier in Luke:
20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" 23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 "Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?" 25 "Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Luke 20:20-25 (NIV)
Jesus’ claim to deity was blasphemous to these blind teachers and leaders yet in reality they were the ones who were blasphemous. Scripture tells us:
31 "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:31-36 (NIV)
“Jesus gives the perfect truth of God as He speaks the words of God, because He has the full endowment of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit without limit. The Old Testament prophets had the Spirit only for limited times and for limited purposes. The Apostle John referred to Jesus as the One whom God has sent. Thirty-nine times the Gospel of John refers to Jesus being sent from God (vv. 17, 34; 4:34; 5:23-24, 30, 36-38; 6:29, 38-39, 44, 57; 7:16, 28-29; 8:16, 18, 26, 29, 42; 9:4; 10:36; 11:42; 12:44-45, 49; 13:16, 20; 14:24; 15:21; 16:5; 17:3, 18, 21, 23, 25; 20:21). This affirms Jesus’ deity and heavenly origin, as well as God’s sovereignty and love in initiating the Son’s Incarnation (cf. Gal. 4:4; 1 John 4:9-10, 14).” Bible Knowledge Commentary
Man has been given two options by God – trust in His Son for the propitiation of our sins or reject His Son - falsely believing we can stand on our own merits. We must remember what Scripture tells us – that we are all guilty before a holy God:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23 (NIV)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV)
God’s remedy for man’s fallen condition was Jesus. John tells us:
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:18 (NIV)
“Behold, and wonder, that the great God should love such a worthless world; that the holy God should love such a wicked world.” Matthew Henry
“What more blessed and delightful meditations can I daily dwell upon than to think thus: God has loved me, even me, when I was his enemy; and so loved me, that he gave me his only Son? Bless me with faith in Christ; then Christ is mine, and all things are mine...He will never suffer a believing soul to perish; he has passed his word for it. It is he that says, I shall not perish, I shall not be condemned, but have everlasting life, if I believe. This will I build and depend upon to my last moments, as upon an immovable rock.” K. H. Von Bogatzky
Without exception, whoever believes in Jesus will be saved – the salvation offered is complete – they shall not perish and they shall have eternal life. On the other hand, God’s rightful wrath remains upon the unbeliever – this wrath is future but it also exists now.