If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why?
So many people would state this, but many things need to be considered! An astonishing Man. Yes! The ‘talks’ would have brought down the house! But for a second, let’s consider modern day ‘stars’.
Growing up, if someone had suggested that I would meet Michael Jackson…. Nowadays, performers/artists could fathom such emotions. However, who changes life literally for always?! Not the here and now, but for always! Life here on Earth has a limit. Existence for us began when we were born. There exists an attempt to explain what occurs after death…
And as it is appointed unto Men once to die, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:27
The existence of life here on Earth is limited! Time is created by God, Who does not experience ‘Time’. From Augustine through Aquinas, the major thinkers argued that God was not in time at all. They thought of God as eternal, in the sense that he is timeless or atemporal. Now, the dominant view among philosophers is that God is temporal. His eternal nature is thought of as being everlasting rather than timeless.
To ensure that we stick strictly to the topic at hand, we reiterate: If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why? I will not be mindless, yes! Crowds cane out with palm branches to welcome Jesus: Matthew 21:1-11 Jesus rode the donkey to Jerusalem. A big crowd welcomed Him. People waved palm branches and put them on the road in front of Jesus. The crowds in Jerusalem praised Jesus as he passed by on a donkey.
Yet! At Jesus’ trial, the crowd was moved to yell “crucify Him!”:
The night of Jesus’ arrest, He was brought before Annas, Caiaphas, and an assembly of religious leaders called the Sanhedrin (John 18:19-24; Matthew 26:57). After this He was taken before Pilate, the Roman Governor (John 18:28), sent off to Herod (Luke 23:7), and returned to Pilate (Luke 23:11-12), who finally sentenced Him to death.
There were six parts to Jesus’ trial: three stages in a religious court and three stages before a Roman court. Jesus was tried before Annas, the former high priest; Caiaphas, the current high priest; and the Sanhedrin. He was charged in these “ecclesiastical” trials with blasphemy, claiming to be the Son of God, the Messiah.
The trials before Jewish authorities, the religious trials, showed the degree to which the Jewish leaders hated Him because they carelessly disregarded many of their own laws. There were several illegalities involved in these trials from the perspective of Jewish law: (1) No trial was to be held during feast time. (2) Each member of the court was to vote individually to convict or acquit, but Jesus was convicted by acclamation. (3) If the death penalty was given, a night must pass before the sentence was carried out; however, only a few hours passed before Jesus was placed on the Cross. (4) The Jews had no authority to execute anyone. (5) No trial was to be held at night, but this trial was held before dawn. (6) The accused was to be given counsel or representation, but Jesus had none. (7) The accused was not to be asked self-incriminating questions, but Jesus was asked if He was the Christ.
The trials before the Roman authorities started with Pilate (John 18:23) after Jesus was beaten. The charges brought against Him were very different from the charges in His religious trials. He was charged with inciting people to riot, forbidding the people to pay their taxes, and claiming to be King. Pilate found no reason to kill Jesus so he sent Him to Herod (Luke 23:7). Herod had Jesus ridiculed but, wanting to avoid the political liability, sent Jesus back to Pilate (Luke 23:11–12). This was the last trial as Pilate tried to appease the animosity of the Jews by having Jesus scourged. The Roman scourge was a terrible whipping designed to remove the flesh from the back of the one being punished. In a final effort to have Jesus released, Pilate offered the prisoner Barabbas to be crucified and Jesus released, but to no avail. The crowds called for Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be crucified. Pilate granted their demand and surrendered Jesus to their will (Luke 23:25). The trials of Jesus represent the ultimate mockery of justice. Jesus, the most innocent man in the history of the world, was found guilty of crimes and sentenced to death by crucifixion.
Yes, Jesus knew what He was sent for – the sinless to die for me – a sinner! There was no hope for me! Yet, though Jesus could have summoned angels in thevJesus didn’t need Peter’s little sword that night. Had He chosen to do so, Jesus could have summoned 72,000 magnificent, mighty, dazzling, glorious, overwhelmingly powerful angels to the Garden to obliterate the Roman soldiers and the temple police who had come to arrest Him.