Jesus - Family - Opposition

Just how did opposition to Jesus emerge, when, and why? It is self-evident that a Temple-observant and synagogue attending tradesman from the back roads would be known by few. Surely Jesus lived and worked in Nazareth as a young man, well-regarded by folk (so, Luke 2). When Jesus was about 30, came the call of John the Baptist and Jesus’ acceptance of John’s baptism of repentance.   

Then something changed.

It is clear that Jesus was presenting himself (his message) as “out of step” with those highly regarded and respected in the day (the Pharisees) - see posts referring to "Law". This conflict would develop as Jesus became known. Eventually others joined the opposition..

I can not determine a definitive timeline of Jesus which is simply required by the evidence. We can but imagine, keeping faithful to what is accurately known. So it was, from a certain point deadly opposition grew in reaction to Jesus; religious opposition which he called out.

The Jewish Passover was near, and so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and he also found the money changers sitting there. After making a whip out of cords, he drove everyone out of the temple with their sheep and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”[d]And his disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house will consume me.[e]
So the Jews replied to him, “What sign will you show us for doing these things?”
Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple,[f] and I will raise it up in three days.”
Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build,[g] and will you raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his body. So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made.
While he was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. Jesus, however, would not entrust himself to them, since he knew them all and because he did not need anyone to testify about man; for he himself knew what was in man.
There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him” (John 2:13-35; 3:1-2, CSB). This was in Judea, in fact in Jerusalem. Jesus has been doing things known about in the capital; views were being formed, sides taken. How close in time to Jesus' baptism was the resistance? John's Gospel perhaps appears to put it very early.

These grim words reporting conspiracy appear relatively early and are reflected in all three Synoptic Gospels: I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”
He left that place and entered their synagogue; a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him (Matthew 12:6-14, NRSV). Conspiracy. Nothing but destruction would do it. And what about the community, those who listened to their leaders, their preachers?

When Jesus drew out what the Old Testament (OT) said it was not universally well-received. Luke's specific report of Nazareth shows how things could turn really bad fairly quickly: When the people in the meeting place heard Jesus say this, they became so angry that they got up and threw him out of town. They dragged him to the edge of the cliff on which the town was built, because they wanted to throw him down from there. But Jesus slipped through the crowd and got away (Luke 4:28-30, CEV). There are other indications of breakdown in relationship.

With the authorities opposing Jesus, people had a choice to make. They were still able to hear him, but would they listen? He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (John 6:65-67, NIV.) So decisions were reached and attitudes hardened. John details that particular controversy, which started in response to Jesus rejecting revolution and then teaching in the Capernaum synagogue (for the last time?). There is more...
The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”
“I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me (John 8:47-49, NIV). People who may have considered being "for", instead found themselves "against".

Mark includes a hint of what it was like for the “familiar friends” as it became clear things were no longer the same with their Nazareth carpenter. There were close people concerned to take care of this altered Jesus and keep him safe: 
(Then he) Jesus went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” (Mark 3:19b-30, NRSV)
The “his family” there may be translated as “his friends” (Metzger), ie, people close to him, his kin. The expression does not require being read as Jesus' family of origin. (Mark does specify that actual family a few lines later; Matthew and Luke are comparable at that difficult moment.)

Jesus' close family did definitely try. I think they also were wanting to look after him. Jesus' mother and brothers went to see him, but because of the crowd they could not get near him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.”
Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God’s message” Luke 8:19-21, CEV). How hard was that for them to hear? How encouraging is it for you to hear?

Were there continuing family calls? Jesus knew about that experience. Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life (Mark 10:28-30, ESV). Clearly not literal (?), but the choice to make is a stark one with serious consequences. (Nonetheless, the follower should not seek out, nor foster, opposition.)

Jesus' priority was clear. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26, CSB). Sounds harsh to our ears, but think about "own life".

Even more, Jesus could sadly say: a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household (Matthew 10:36, NIV). It was(is) a difficult thing to be at odds with the ancestral home.

After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” For even his brothers didn’t believe in him. (John 7:1-5, NLT). John reports developing opposition and disappointment, even with those who might have been closest. Why did they suppose Jesus wanted fame? Were they thinking of their brother as a potential leader of an uprising? (What of Mary - how did she view her changed son? From the beginning Mary had much to remember and think about.)

We definitely see Mary of Nazareth at the end: but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene (John 19:25, ESV).

Something changed! A short time later waiting followers of the risen Christ were doing as he had told them to do: They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus (Acts 1:14, NLT). Perhaps it was a small group, maybe 120 people. Nonetheless, Mary and the brothers were counted amongst them and so surely the big struggle was resolved. They had encountered hard things and doubtless been shamed. Their worst fears had eventuated. Then Jesus rose from the dead. They were "for".

Now, at last, they knew and understood that this same Jesus was in fact their Lord and Christ. He is available to you in the same way. He wants to be your Lord and Christ.

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