John 18:28-29 - Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in
the early hours of the morning. Next he was taken to the palace of the Roman
governor. His accusers wouldn’t go in themselves for that would “defile” them,
they said, and they wouldn’t be allowed to eat the Passover lamb. So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and
asked, “What is your charge against this man? What are you accusing him of
doing?”
Jesus had been arrested late in the evening…then
passed from official to official during the night. Each one would find Him innocent and give Him
back to the Jewish leaders that arrested Him.
Pilate was their last hope of a crucifixion sentence …. the last to
examine the possible guilt of this man that they wanted to be crucified so
badly. They had to have his approval according to the laws of that day.
Pilate wasn’t a believer …but He knew in
His heart from his questions that Jesus was as innocent as any man he had ever
tried. He wanted to let Him go…but after several attempts to free Him…he gave
in to the leaders and crowd they had gathered to shout for His death. He tried to release Him by using a scapegoat named
Barabbas…. tried to appease the leaders with compromise in beating Jesus terribly….then
finally washed His hands and gave permission…shirking the responsibility of His
death back to the Jewish leaders.
Pilate reminds me so much of myself…when I
know the truth…but choose to do it the wrong way anyway. I too shirk my responsibility in things….trying
to get someone else to do what I know is my job all along. I too try to find
scapegoats….blaming other people for what I did. I too succumb to peer pressure way too many
times…when I know that I should really take a stand and speak out. Pilate reminds me how very wrong it is to sometimes
twist the truth to be whatever keeps me happy…and in control.
How very comforting that Jesus died for
people like Pilate and me in spite of our twisted hearts….so that we could
experience His full forgiveness and mercy in salvation. It rocks me to the very
core to think that I have ever thought that acting like Pilate was okay. I want
a fresh resolve to not just know the truth….but use it to power me to take a
bolder stand in situations that I have recently let suck me too much into the
world.
Father….thank you for the reminder that my
human flesh wins out in way too many situations where I should be taking a
stand for you. Forgive me for the times
that I have let selfishness keep me from choosing the truth. Help me to rest in your perfect forgiveness
and mercy and let it give me the discernment to know the truth. Let the truth
give me confidence to bold and strong and stand the right stand…the one that
will glorify you the most here on earth.
Amen.
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