THE GOSPEL OF PROTEST: From David’s Battles to Jesus’ Revolution - PETER OBI ARISE

Miguel De La Torre of Baptist News Global described Jesus as a "troublemaker, instigator of conflict, disrupter of unity"—referring to His countercultural life of protest against the Jewish leadership's Torah misinterpretations and Roman oppression. This contrasts sharply with the pacifist, gentle, and unifying Jesus portrayed in John Howard Yoder’s The Politics of Jesus (1972), a view entrenched in modern theology.

Jesus was born into a lineage that embodied royalty, ferocity, and boldness—traits that explain why Judah was known for leadership, war, and resistance against oppression, intimidation, and evil machinations diverting God’s people from true worship. Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, roared with a voice that still echoes after 2,100 years. His nature, actions, and words were protests in every sense, making Him the most radical, countercultural, and insurmountable threat to the established orders of His day and beyond.

This leadership and protest lineage originated from Jacob’s blessing upon Judah, Abraham’s grandson. In Israel’s history, Judah was Jacob and Leah’s fourth son, following Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. The profound blessing Jacob pronounced over Judah in Genesis 49:8-12 manifested in David’s life—killing lions and giants, waging wars—and reached its zenith in Christ’s ministry with even greater manifestation.

Consider Jacob’s words to Judah:

"Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness—who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples."

For emphasis, here’s Genesis 49:10-12 (KJV):

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk."

This passage’s purpose is to show how Judah’s leadership, kingship, and covenantal defiance manifested in David—who publicly defied Goliath, won victories, and rose to the throne. David fought about 25 documented wars against foreign enemies (Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, Syrians, Edomites) and internal rivals (Saul’s house, Absalom, Sheba). Holding the enemy by the neck in unceasing deific victory.

This passage holds high significance in both Jewish and Christian traditions, as it is often interpreted as a Messianic prophecy. In Jacob’s blessing, "sceptre" (שֵׁבֶט, shevet) symbolises tribal authority, and "lawgiver" (מְחֹקֵק, mechoqeq) indicates that Judah shall rule Israel “Until Shiloh comes.” Many Jewish scholars interpret Shiloh as referring to the rest and peace brought by the Messiah’s coming (based on Talmudic tradition, Sanhedrin 98b). This prophetic benediction came to pass in David’s reign and the Davidic line until the Messiah’s arrival. “The gathering of the people” refers to the nations coming to Christ (Genesis 49:10, cf. Isaiah 11:10), over 4 billion Christians per recent estimates. The abundance and prosperity in Genesis 49:11–12 possibly symbolise the Messianic age (cf. Amos 9:13).

The often-overlooked aspect of the blessing, “Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies,” speaks to the trait of holding the enemy to the truth, whether by conquest, protest, or resistance, until victory is secured. Most notable characters from Judah’s lineage actively protested against evil and oppression while showing immense regard for Yahweh.

Judah’s descendants include Perez and Zerah (twins), ancestors of David’s line (Genesis 38:29–30; Ruth 4:18–22); Nahshon, a tribal chief during the Exodus (Numbers 1:7); David, Israel’s greatest king (Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Samuel 16); Solomon, the Temple builder (2 Samuel 12:24); Rehoboam, first king of Judah after Israel’s split (1 Kings 12); Hezekiah, who defied Assyria and protested pagan worship (2 Kings 18–20); Josiah, a protester and reformer (2 Kings 22–23); Tamar, who preserved Judah’s lineage (Genesis 38); Ruth, David’s Moabite ancestor; Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother (2 Samuel 11–12); and Isaiah, who prophesied the Messiah’s coming (Isaiah 11:1). Finally, we have Jesus Christ, the Messiah, called the Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5; Matthew 1:1–16).

Jesus Christ protested over a dozen times in the New Testament. In the Temple in Jerusalem—Judah’s territory—he protested against greed, exploitation, and idolatrous commerce in the house of God (Matthew 21:12–13; Mark 11:15–17). The Temple had become a "den of robbers" (Jeremiah 7:11), much as Judah’s kings allowed idolatry (2 Kings 21:4–7) in the past. Jesus used a whip (koboko) to drive them out.

In the synagogues in Galilee (Matthew 12:9–14; Mark 3:1–6), he protested against legalism, arguing that compassion outweighed man-made rules. At the Pharisee’s feast (Luke 11:37–54), Jesus protested against false piety and the neglect of justice, invoking Judah’s prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, who condemned empty ritualism (Isaiah 1:11–17).

At the Pharisee’s Feast in Luke 11:37–54, Jesus Christ protested against false piety and neglect of justice, invoking Judah’s prophets (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah) who condemned empty ritualism (Isaiah 1:11–17). Jesus protested publicly at Herod’s Court (Luke 13:31–32), where he called a ruler a fox—a term in Jewish tradition symbolising insignificance, cunning, and nocturnal marauding. At that very hour, some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus], “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.’” This protest against Herod Antipas (Idumean/Judah’s corrupt puppet ruler) demonstrated that protesting against evil leadership is not prohibited, as evidenced by Jesus’s actions. Herod embodied political idolatry, murder, oppression, and degradation. Jesus spoke to him with a boldness that sparked wonder. Who shall stand in protest, carry the people along, to speak to Nigeria’s government today?

Jesus Christ stood before a crowd in protest against unrepentance. He cursed the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for their hard-hearted refusal to repent—despite witnessing His miracles and teachings. This judgment echoes God’s historic warnings to Judah and Israel for idolatry and rebellion (Matthew 11:20–24; Luke 10:13–15). See Jesus’ rebuke, which was not a letter written from the comfort of his office in Victoria Island. He shouted before the crowd: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” (Matthew 11:21) Jesus compared the unrepentant cities to Sodom and Judah’s doomed cities in Jeremiah 7:12–15. His judgment of Capernaum is instructive because it came to pass: “And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades!” (Luke 10:15) Like Sodom (Genesis 19) and Babylon (Isaiah 13:19–22), Capernaum faced doom for pride and unbelief.

While protesting in the streets of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41–44), Jesus wept—like Jeremiah in Lamentations 1:16—foreseeing Judah’s destruction (AD 70) for rebellion against the national rejection of the Messiah, an act of rebellion against God. One of Jesus’ ultimate protests was in the Samaritan village, where he confronted the false temple worship that Judahites and other Jews preferred over focusing on the Messiah (John 4:20–24). Jesus’ protest was based on the fact that Judah’s leaders clung to geographic tradition while rejecting the Messiah. Today, churches often idolise buildings, styles, or politics over spirit-led surrender and compassionate work for the faithful and the lost. Jesus transcended tribal rivalry, declaring true worship in spirit (Malachi 1:11). It was a tough protest before his followers, who were already attached to the Temple in Jerusalem.

The protest against Sabbath legalism was loud. In the temple, he publicly disobeyed the Jewish authorities by healing a man who had been sick and forsaken for 38 years. You will only see this as protest if you understand the cultural nuance surrounding Sabbath laws and the authority Jewish leaders wielded in enforcing them (John 5:1–18). Jesus found that the leaders preferred tradition over mercy (Hosea 6:6), like Judah’s ancient priests. He called their bluff and performed countless miracles on the Sabbath.

Jesus Christ protested openly and boldly against a mob pursuing a woman caught in adultery. This symbolic protest targeted the hypocritical condemnation of women caught in adultery while ignoring the men (John 8:1–11). Jesus preached that all had sinned and deserved mercy. The mob receded in shame, dropped their stones one by one, and walked away powerless. Jesus Christ spoke up for the oppressed alone, like David before Goliath, and against wolves and lions attacking his sheep.

While his journey to Golgotha (Matthew 27:33–54) and his crucifixion fulfilled Jacob’s prophecy (Genesis 49:10), exposing the corruption of its leaders (Zechariah 11:12–13), Jesus’ resurrection marked victory over death, sickness, Satan, and sin. Now he holds his enemies by the neck through that ultimate sacrifice, as Genesis 49:8 foretold. His protests against the failed leadership of priests and scribes who opposed God’s Kingdom (Matthew 23:2) remain valid today. Jesus was mocked, lied against, insulted, and accused by the “experts” of being disruptive and evil—because Jesus was a protester (Matthew 9:2–8).

The question that arises when politicians oppress, exploit, idolise corruption and money, pillage resources, build mansions from government proceeds, buy businesses with the common wealth of the people, squander resources, and implement bad policies is: What would Jesus Christ do if he were on the ground today? In Jesus Was a Protester, Watson (2016) answered this question accurately: “Contrary to our religious assumptions about righteousness and holiness, sometimes the most Christ-like thing we can do is protest.” He argues that Jesus was a protester, and we should follow his example.

Not protesting against the kidnap and murder of citizens, leaders, children, Catholic clerics and laity, Pentecostal and Protestant preachers and laity by all churches in Nigeria stems from wrong indoctrination. Our lineage is the lineage of Judah. We must fight for our salvation as a church and as citizens wherever we find ourselves. Based on the sweeping panorama of Jesus’ protestationary ministry, Peter Obi should stand up to this oppressive government now! Mahatma Gandhi learned his fasting approach to protest from history. Jesus Christ is one historical figure who carried out 40 days and nights of fasting in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11). He can start by declaring a six-hour fast for Obidients. This is a battle for survival. After 2027–2031, he will have to wait until 2039 for the North. Believe me, he would not be able to compete with me then.