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It is written:
John 11:47-48-Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. 48 If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”
Many believe that the mission of Jesus simply involves preaching about “moral” issues, and leaving “political” issues alone. Furthermore, it is argued that we should never speak out against a politician, since they are ordained by the authority of God. So, while Christians should speak to moral issues, we should leave political issues and political leaders alone.
Folks, that just is not the case.
Throughout the Word of God, the Prophets and people of God were called upon to preach the Word of God. This included preaching against wicked leaders. More to the point, the moral issues were often interwove with political issues!
Consider some examples.
The Prophet Moses was called on to stand up against Pharaoh, the wicked king of Egypt who had enslaved and tormented the Jewish people (Exodus 1-15).
Isaiah the Prophet was called on to preach the Word of God even to kings and leaders who were living immoral lives and leading the people into depravity. Their political decisions were not separated from their moral decisions, because their moral worldview affected their political ambitions. Isaiah was called on to preach the Word to the wicked king Manasseh, and it cost him dearly. One history book outside the Bible (and which the Bible references in Hebrews 11:37) tells us:
“Ascension Of Isaiah 1:1-9-“AND it came to pass in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of Hezekiah king of Judah that he called Manasseh his son. Now he was his only one. 2. And he called him into the presence of Isaiah the son of Amoz the prophet, and into the presence of Josab the son of Isaiah, in order to deliver unto him the words of righteousness which the king himself had seen: 3. And of the eternal judgments and torments of Gehenna, and of the prince of this world, and of his angels, and his authorities and his powers. 4. And the words of the faith of the Beloved which he himself had seen in the fifteenth year of his reign during his illness. 5. And he delivered unto him the written words which Samnas the scribe had written, and also those which Isaiah, the son of Amoz, had given to him, and also to the prophets, that they might write and store up with him what he himself had seen in the king’s house regarding the judgment of the angels, and the destruction of this world, and regarding the garments of the saints and their going forth, and regarding their transformation and the persecution and ascension of the Beloved. 6. In the twentieth year of the reign of Hezekiah, Isaiah had seen the words of this prophecy and had delivered them to Josab his son. And whilst he (Hezekiah) gave commands, Josab the son of Isaiah standing by. 7. Isaiah said to Hezekiah the king, but not in the presence of Manasseh only did he say unto him: ‘As the Lord liveth, whose name has not been sent into this world, and as the Beloved of my lord liveth, and the Spirit which speaketh in me liveth, all these commands and these words will be made of none effect by Manasseh thy son, and through the agency of his hands I shall depart mid the torture of my body. 8. And Sammael Malchira will serve Manasseh, and execute all his desire, and he will become a follower of Beliar rather than of me: 9. And many in Jerusalem and in Judea he will cause to abandon the true faith, and Beliar will dwell in Manasseh, and by his hands I shall be sawn asunder.’” (Dr. John H. Shepherd Sr. (Pastor), The Ascension of Isaiah: I am a man of unclean lips… Isaiah 6:5-7, 12-13 (Kindle Edition): Maitland, FL: Xulon Press)
Preaching against a wicked king cost Isaiah the Prophet his life, and yet he was called to make his stand on the Word of God. We are also told specifically that the king Manasseh was under the influence of “Beliar,” or Belial, which is another name for Satan.
“The leader of the forces of darkness went by other names in Second Temple literature. More common than Mastema and Satan is Belial (Heb. bĕliyyaʿal), a term that in Hebrew means “wickedness.” While Belial does not appear as a proper name for Satan in the Old Testament, it is used frequently in pseudepigraphic literature and the Dead Sea Scrolls. 46 It appears only once in the New Testament as a name for the devil (2 Cor 6: 15). Some Old Testament references to bĕliyyaʿal, while not a proper name for personified evil, still have mythological overtones from close associations with Sheol and death, especially in passages like Psalm 18: 4–5 and Psalm 41: 8.47 Belial (or Beliar) is the most common name or title for the prince of darkness in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Pseudepigrapha. His characterization as king of demonic hordes is unambiguous: Belial is called the angel of wickedness, the ruler of this world (Mart. Is. 2: 4; 4: 2). He is the head of the demonic powers (Mart. Is. 1: 8). In dualistic fashion, his law and will are described as being set over against the law and will of the Lord (T. Naph. 2: 6, 3: 1). His way is one of darkness as opposed to light (T. Levi 19: 1; cf. T. Jos. 20: 2). Belial’s angels are set over against the angels of the Lord (T. Ash. 6: 4). He is master of the spirits of error (T. Jud. 25: 3; T. Zeb. 9: 8; T. Levi 3: 3; cf. the spirit of truth and the spirit of error in T. Jud. 20: 1).… He is called the angel of enmity (CD 16: 5; 1QM 13: 11) who is the prince of the kingdom of wickedness (1QM 17: 5–6). He heads the forces of darkness, often called “the army/ troops or lot of Belial,” against the Sons of Light or “the lot of God” (1QM 1: 1, 13; 11: 8; 15: 3; 1QS 2: 2, 5). “All the spirits of his lot, the angels of destruction, walk according to the precepts of darkness, and towards them is their desire all together” (1QM 13: 12).… The reign or dominion of Belial (mmšlt blyʿl) occurs frequently in the Qumran material (e.g., 1QM 14: 9; 18: 1; 1QS 1: 18, 24; 2: 19; 3: 21–22; CD 12: 2). It was believed that the present age was under his control (cf. 1QS 2: 19 “year by year as long as the dominion of Belial endures”). 48 Nitzan’s work on Belial in the Dead Sea Scrolls reveals the connection of Belial with Mastema. 49 In the War Scroll, Belial is found in parallel with Mastema: You created Belial for the pit, the angel Mastemah (= the angel of enmity); his [dom] ain is darkness, his counsel is for evil and wickedness. All the spirits of his lot angels of destruction walk in the laws of darkness, towards them goes his only desire. (1QM XIII, 10–12) A few lines earlier, the same text reads, “Accursed be Belial in his malicious [maśṭēmâ] plan” (1QM XIII, 4). Belial is also known as Melchi-reshaʿ (“ king of wickedness”) in a few Dead Sea Scrolls (4QAmram [= 4Q544] 2.3; 4Q280 2.2). Nitzan observes that the name is connected to the curses of Belial and his lot (i.e., his followers). The name is thought by scholars to be a deliberate counterpart to Melchizedek, who appears in Qumran texts as the leader of the forces of good. 50 As Hamilton notes, “Ultimately [Beliar] will be chained by God’s Holy Spirit (T. Levi 18: 12), and cast into a consuming fire (T. Jud. 25: 3).” 51”. (Michael S. Heiser, Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness, 100-101 (Kindle Edition): Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press)
Jeremiah the Prophet was to preach the Word of God against wicked kings such as Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. He was severely tormented for his commission to preach the Word of God. Indeed, he is often known as “the weeping Prophet” because of the extreme agonies (physical, emotional, and spiritual) that he endured.
Of course, there is Jesus. We are constantly told in the New Testament about His encounters with the politicians of His day, whom we know as the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
“According to Josephus the Pharisees rejected Hyrcanus’s right to be both king and priest, so he gave his allegiance to the Sadducees. The Pharisees appear in Josephus as a political party who sought to impose their interpretation of the law upon the nation…. When Aristobulus turned once again to the priestly hierarchy, the Phari-sees began to lose some of their authority. With the coming of Roman rule and the establishment of the Herodian dynasty, the Pharisees’ political power was limited and they concentrated on their own fellowships and on influencing the life of the nation on the local level…. The Pharisees were likely both a table fellowship interested in purity and a political group at all periods, with one characteristic more prominent than the other depending of the circumstances…. When Aristobulus turned once again to the priestly hierarchy, the Phari-sees began to lose some of their authority. With the coming of Roman rule and the establishment of the Herodian dynasty, the Pharisees’ political power was limited and they concentrated on their own fellowships and on influencing the life of the nation on the local level…After 70 the Pharisees did take the lead in giving the Jewish people a new center of religious life apart from the temple. 763 The Pharisaic scholars at Jamnia and at Usha after the Bar Kokhba revolt were recognized by Rome as the governing body for the internal life of the Jewish people, so the Pharisees again became a party with political power as well as religious influence. The Judaism that survived was primarily Pharisaic Judaism…The Sadducees were the party of the wealthy priests (some priests were Sadducees but not all) and their friends in the aristocracy (Acts 5:17). They combined conservative religious attitudes with power politics. They rejected the Pharisees’ innovations, and their interpretations were stricter than those of the Pharisees. Although Josephus claims the Sadducees had to follow the legal rulings of the Pharisees, this seems unlikely, for the Sadducees controlled the temple ritual. Their political position and practical sense of survival perhaps led them to an openness toward certain Hellenistic cultural influences, but we lack the sources to conclude that they were heavily Hellenized. They may be characterized as both conservative and compliant. After the coming of Rome, they encouraged collaboration with the ruling power and were interested in maintaining the status quo, which preserved the peace and their power and influence. Their center of strength was the temple.” (Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 9879-9988 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Williams B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)
In John 11:47-48, we are specifically told that one of the main factors leading to Jesus’ execution was His courage in speaking out against the politicians of His time!
“THE Jewish authorities are very vividly sketched before us. The wonderful happening at Bethany had forced their hand; it was impossible to allow Jesus to continue unchecked, otherwise the people would follow him in growing numbers. So the Sanhedrin was called to deal with the situation. In the Sanhedrin there were both Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees were not a political party at all; their sole interest was in living according to every detail of the law; and they did not care who governed them as long as they were allowed to continue in meticulous obedience to the law. On the other hand, the Sadducees were intensely political. They were the wealthy and aristocratic party. They were also the collaborationist party. As long as they were allowed to retain their wealth, comfort and position of authority, they were well content to collaborate with Rome. All the priests were Sadducees. And it is clear that it was the priests who dominated this meeting of the Sanhedrin. That is to say, it was the Sadducees who did all the talking. With a few masterly strokes, John delineates their characteristics. First, they were notoriously discourteous. Josephus said of them (The Jewish Wars 2: 8, 14) that: ‘The behaviour of the Sadducees to one another is rather rude, and their intercourse with their equals is rough, as with strangers.’ ‘You know nothing at all,’ said Caiaphas (verse 49). ‘You are witless, brainless creatures.’ Here we see the innate, domineering arrogance of the Sadducees in action; this was exactly in character. Their contemptuous arrogance is an implicit contrast to the accents of love of Jesus. Second, the one thing at which the Sadducees always aimed was the retention of their political and social power and prestige. What they feared was that Jesus might gain a following and raise a disturbance against the government. Now, Rome was essentially tolerant, but, with such a vast empire to govern, it could never afford civil disorder, and always quelled it with a firm and merciless hand. If Jesus was the cause of civil disorder, Rome would descend in all her power, and beyond a doubt the Sadducees would be dismissed from their positions of authority. It never even occurred to them to ask whether Jesus was right or wrong. Their only question was: ‘What effect will this have on our ease and comfort and authority?’ They judged things, not in the light of principle but in the light of their own careers. And it is still possible for people to set their own careers before the will of God. Then comes the first tremendous example of dramatic irony. Sometimes in a play, a character says something whose full significance he does not realize; that is dramatic irony. So the Sadducees insisted that Jesus must be eliminated or the Romans would come and take their authority away. In AD 70, that is exactly what happened. The Romans, weary of Jewish stubbornness, besieged Jerusalem, and left it a heap of ruins with a plough drawn across the Temple area. How different things might have been if the Jews had accepted Jesus! The very steps they took to save their nation destroyed it. This destruction happened in AD 70; John’s gospel was written about AD 100; and all who read it would see the dramatic irony in the words of the Sadducees.” (William Barclay, The Gospel of John, Volume Two (The New Daily Study Bible), 120-122 (Kindle Edition); Edinburgh, England; Saint Andrew Press)
As Christians, it is not our duty to flee from discussion of politics. On the contrary, God calls us to speak truth to power even if it costs us. Especially when it costs us!
This is not merely to correct politicians who are opposing God’s Word, but to speak for those who are oppressed and mistreated. We are called on to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. This includes people like:
The thousands of veterans in our country who do not have access to basic physical and mental health services. I still remember a gentleman that we ministered to in our homeless ministry who bravely served our country in Dessert Storm. When we met him, he was living in a staircase in a parking structure in Eastern Kentucky, having been forgotten by our government. This should not be!
The millions of aborted babies in our country who have been exterminated, often as a form of birth control due to their being an inconvenience to their parents’ lifestyles. What a tragic situation when a country has women marching in the streets and the halls of justice for the “right” to murder their own babies!
Victims of racial injustice like George Floyd. This man was viciously murdered by a police officer who applied pressure to his neck and mercilessly and illegally killed him. This happened while other police officers stood by and refused to intervene.
Jocelyn Rojo Carranza. Her classmates bullied her and told her that they were going to call ICE on her parents and have them deported, leaving her all alone. In her distress, she took her own life. She was eleven years old.
The plight of “immigrants,” many who have fled to our country because of persecution and to save the lives of their families and themselves from violent regimes and cartels. Not only are these “illegal” immigrants being deported, but many legal immigrants are also being deported. Perhaps we should also mention the fact that not only are many thousands of immigrants being deported, but thousands more are being detained for an indefinite amount of time at places like Guantanamo Bay? No, these are not all violent offenders (as our President has told us in yet another lie): many have no criminal record at all! (Yes, this includes children!).
The January 6 police officers who were assaulted by a lawless mob in an attempt to overthrow our government. The more than fifteen hundred insurrectionists were tried and convicted in courts of American law, only to be given a blanket pardon by a President who said that these criminals were actually heroes and hostages. If we truly “back the blue,” let us hold our leaders accountable for this shameless act!
The many innocent children in our public school system who have been taught the lies of transgenderism, which is in reality a serious mental health condition. These children are often being encouraged to do irreparable harm to themselves, going through with surgeries and procedures that will alter their bodies and impact them for their entire life. Children are not able to make decisions of this magnitude, yet they are being encouraged and empowered to do so en masse!
On and on we could go!
Friends, this is not about Republican Versus Democrat!
This is not about “the Left” versus “the Right.”
This is about RIGHT VERSUS WRONG.
Are we willing to speak up for what is right?
Are we willing to speak out against what is wrong?
Will we be the voice for the oppressed, or will we bow down and serve the oppressors?
I have decided for myself: I will not be silent.
Let’s stand with Jesus and His Word, against every type of evil that we face in this world.
Not because of politics….
But because it is the right thing to do.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.