The people of Jesus' day were heavily taxed by and ruled over by Romans (who were considered unclean) and corrupt leaders (High Priests, Saducees and Pharisees) in Jerusalem who relied on Rome for their support and legitimacy. The peoples' disatisfaction was seen in:
1. The constant riots that are reported by Josephus and the New Testament.
2. The popularity of the many messiahs and prophets that promised change through some great act of God.
During Jesus' day there were constant riots. Most of them were small, but some could be large, in fact, at least 4 were massive causing many deaths. Riots were caused by:
1. The perceived attack on Jewish religious practices or identity.
2. The lack of power and control in matters political, economic and religious.
Other factors that encouraged rioting were poverty, lack of economic oportunity and the racism of Romans who looked down on Barbarians (the Jews and other people who were occupied by Roman armies).
During Jesus' day there were false messiahs or prophets that led many astray by promising great works of God on the horizon. They led their followers into the desert, toward Jerusalem or up mountains only to find that they had walked into Roman massacres.
From the constant rioting and from the popluarity leaders with charisma who were filled with false hopes and promises. Desperate for a better life, people rebelled against the way things were and chose these leaders to guide them to a promised better life. Faced with deepening poverty people turned to dreams. They fell easy prey to those who could give them the illusion that something great was about to take place.
I believe that until his closest disciples had been properly trained, they were no more special or noble than the bunches of other people who followed other prophets making bold claims in God's name. Jesus knew this about all of his followers and for that reason found ways to pare them down from time to time. In John 6 Jesus spoke so harshly to his followers that they were offended and all but 12 left him. Jesus was not looking for people to place their own personal or national dreams on him and that is exactly what they were doing.
In the book of Mark, Jesus healed many people and told them afterward not to tell others about their healings (something that is called the Messianic Secret). I believe Jesus did this because of problems caused by people who followed Him for all the wrong reasons, reasons related to their personal hopes and dreams that were self-centered or national centered. Only the crucifixion and resurrection could fix the misunderstandings created by personal and national self-interest. Only the crucifixion and resurrection could help people see that the real Christian life involves suffering as much as it involves glory. The kingdom of God was not an escape from this world of politics and poverty, it was a committment to God's mission that says go, make disciples, love God and love neighbor.
After months of following Jesus, Peter finally understood that Jesus was the messiah - it was a revelation of God. After acknowledging his revelation, Jesus commended him for realizing that Jesus was the messiah. But when Jesus began to define the messiah's work in ways that displeased Peter, he tried to correct Jesus who then rebuked Peter saying, “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” God gave Peter a revelation that Jesus was the Christ, but Peter's own self-interest and his national self-interest reshaped God's revelation so that it became demonic. It became demonic in that it no longer served God's interests but served human interests.
Jesus was faced with a crowd of followers, including his own disciples, that hoped to find their human dreams made real in Him. They may have believed that he was the messiah or some great prophet, but their dreams were nothing more than personal and national hopes for a better life, and the better life they wanted was nothing like the life God was promising through Jesus.
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