Comments on Singing In The Reign: Why Was Jesus Blindfolded?

I always assumed that he was blindfolded so he cou...

2008-06-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

I always assumed that he was blindfolded so he could not assume any defensive posture or steeling his nerve, staying soft and vulnerable to the blows, increasing the cruelty.

Why do executioners put hoods on the heads of those about to be hung, or blindfold those in the firing line? The cruelty of anticipation?

It also makes me think of Jesus Christ Superstar...Pilate says, You Jews produce Messiahs by the sackful. Yes, a time of high Messianic expectation; the guards are scoffing the whole Messiah concept and the concept of prophesying. Assuming they're Roman guards.

Your points are interesting!

This post fascinates me Michael. Good parallel.

2008-06-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

This post fascinates me Michael. Good parallel.

Michael,It seems like you've got good wood on this...

2008-06-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

Michael,
It seems like you've got good wood on this one.

I'm wondering, why does Luke use the word, "prophesy," instead of "judge"? In the Bar Kokhba story the word "judge" is used and it clearly bespeaks the Isaiah reference. Obviously the allusion still draws us toward the Isaiah reference, especially when we see that in Matthew they use the term, "Christ" when they command him to prophesy.

When John references this in 7:24 and 8:15-16 he uses the word, "judge." Obviously John usually makes explicit what the Synoptics only hint at or assume. Yet, I'm curious if there's another purpose to the use of the word, "prophesy," in the Synoptics.

Thoughts?

Richard,

It seems like the command for Jesus to tell them who it is that struck him might still work if by 'who' we conclude that they are asking for Jesus to give them a name.

Brant,Thanks for the comment! Yes, eventually I wi...

2008-06-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

Brant,

Thanks for the comment! Yes, eventually I will publish something on this.

Steven,

Thanks for dropping by, though it seems you had a number of other things on your mind!

Richard,

Thanks for your comments as well. I liked the line about "polic brutality".

Fascinating, Michael. I am not a gospels specialis...

2008-06-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

Fascinating, Michael. I am not a gospels specialist, and I hope you get feedback on this hypothesis from people with more expertise then me.

I have one thought though. If you are right, the men holding Jesus may have considered their action to be legitimate. They may have considered it to be a legitimate test of Jesus's claim to messiahship and therefore part of an initial judicial investigation. Those holding Jesus are not described as guards and they may have been the chief priests and elders of 22:52. If the beating was legitimate from the perspective of the beaters, this might help explain how Luke got to hear this story: the beaters would not have been ashamed to talk about the episode. The fact that the story has come down to us is evidence that it was not just a case of police brutality by two or three guards behind closed doors, for such cases are normally hushed up.

The chief priests and elders are more likely than guards to have been familiar with messianic texts in Isaiah.

Richard.

Why would Bar Kochbka die for a lie?He must have k...

2008-06-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

Why would Bar Kochbka die for a lie?

He must have known he wasn't the Messiah.

The author of Matthew forgot to mention that Jesus...

2008-06-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

The author of Matthew forgot to mention that Jesus had been blindfolded resulting in a continuiy error in his story, when Jesus is asked who struck him.

Awesome post, Michael!!These Rabbinic parallels ar...

2008-06-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Awesome post, Michael!!
These Rabbinic parallels are mysterious and striking, and really provide the only good explanation for why Jesus is blindfolded and why it plays such a prominent role in the accounts of his Passion.

If you don't get this published as a short article, I'm going to steal it from you...!