Daniel 7:9-14
Read Daniel 7:9-14
Helpful Background Information:
Amidst everything going on in our central preaching text this week, it's worth taking some time to focus on Jesus’ own words. Right after Jesus is betrayed by Judas to a violent mob of the Jewish leaders, He acknowledges the mistreatment He’s experiencing (14:48). There was no reason to come after Him with swords and clubs as if He were a violent criminal. Any honest person who spent any length of time around Jesus would have known that He was neither violent nor guilty of a crime. Despite this mistreatment, Jesus affirmed that things were, in some sense, going according to plan (14:29).
When Jesus said that the Scriptures were being fulfilled in the events that were taking place, there are a few specific passages from the Old Testament that rise to the surface. None more overtly than the passage Jesus directly references in (14:62). When Jesus said that they would “see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven,” the Sanhedrin knew full well that he was talking about the prophecy found in Daniel 7. In that prophecy, Daniel was given a vision of the coming day when the worst of evil would be done away with for good, and the Son of Man would receive authority, honor, and vindication in the sight of all (Daniel 7:13-14)
Jesus’ words were immediately met with outrage, as He was accused of blasphemy and given a death sentence from the Sanhedrin (14:63-64). This didn’t cause Jesus to retaliate, though, because just as the Scriptures were being fulfilled in the rejection He experienced, so too would they be fulfilled in His future vindication.
Reflection Questions:
How do you typically respond when you are misunderstood, falsely judged, or treated unfairly? What does Jesus’ calm confidence in the midst of injustice reveal about a different way to respond?
Jesus trusted that God’s purposes were still unfolding even in betrayal and suffering. Where in your life do you need to trust that God is at work even when circumstances feel painful or confusing?
Jesus endured present humiliation because He knew vindication would come in God’s timing. How might an eternal perspective change the way you handle present disappointments or hardships?