The demonization of Jesus (and those who follow Him)

I was reading in John 8 today. Jesus is engaging with the Pharisees, causing them to face the reality of their godlessness. As the conversation progressed, they became increasing vicious in their attacks on Him. In the ongoing dialogue, there is a statement that reveals at least one contributing factor to their anger. Verse 30 sums up what was happening with the following words - As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

I believe that the Pharisees were fully aware that their religious control over people was being threatened. For years, in spite of differing views, the religious sects of the day played by the same rules. They were more interested in protecting their systems and theology than they were about the restoration of people. As long as all the different groups played by the same set of rules, the religious equilibrium was stable.

However, the entrance of Jesus on the scene upset the status quo. His words and actions indicated that God cared more for people than for the established religious systems. He healed on the Sabbath. He interacted deeply with unclean sinners. He touched the untouchable. And now people were drawn to Him. His words and actions gave them hope. Furthermore, Jesus' words revealed the condition of the Pharisee's heart. Their self-god was being exposed.

As the exposure increased, so did the vicious nature of the attacks. The Pharisees implied that they were better than Him because they were not born in fornication. (As if Jesus could have done anything about the circumstances surounding His birth!) As their anger increased, they continued to attack Jesus. They accused Him of being a Samaritan, of being demon possessed.
Finally, their rage culminated in an effort to kill Him.

A hallmark of people following the self-god is this kind of demonization. The self-god operates behind a facade of godliness. When the presence of God exposes the hypocrisy, the one through whom the presence of God is manifest must be demonized. Demonization of the person justifies the feelings of superioirity and rage. Ultimately it opens the door for all kinds of ungodly actions toward people.

Jesus said that a servant is not greater than His master. Those who follow Him should expect the same kind of treatment from the modern protectors of the religious systems.