Jesus, the King of the Jews

Posted on by korgrocker

“And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it. Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.””
John 19:19-22 NLT

Before he vanished into history, Pilate had a last shout. It was customary to say something about the person on the cross and the notice on Jesus’ cross read “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”. And, more, it was displayed in three languages, extending its message to all the visitors in Jerusalem for the Passover festival. Pilate posted the sign and insisted it stayed on Jesus’ cross in spite of the protestations of the Jewish leaders. He knew the truth about Jesus, and the reason why the Jewish leaders wanted Him dead. But Pilate refused to change the sign and said to the leading priests, “what I have written, I have written”. The scene on that fateful day was of a Man hanging and struggling on a cross with a sign saying who He was, clear for all to read. What did the visitors to Jerusalem make of it all? There were no mass communication opportunities in those days, so the background to the crucifixion would have been whispered and discussed amongst the visitors and residents, and the Jewish leaders would have probably been rushing around promoting their official version to all who would listen. 

As we pilgrims know, Jesus was indeed the King of the Jews, but in the sense that His was a spiritual Kingdom, not the one the Jews were expecting. They were desirous of a kingdom that would be strong, self-governing and free of the hated Roman occupation. They harked back to the glory days when Israel was prosperous and able to subdue any attempts by neighbouring countries to conquer it. Through their leaders, the Jews thought that they had the spiritual side of the lives sorted because they followed the law of Moses and in any case, weren’t they children of Abraham? And that was the issue. Jesus came with a message of hope and love from a Heavenly Father desirous to renew the relationship with His children. 

Do we pilgrims know Jesus as the “King of the Jews”? Before a King we bow and respect, considering Him with awe and worship. But are we a little too flippant sometimes in our relationship, treating Him as a friend rather than as a King? Do we give Him the due to which He is entitled? The world was created through Jesus, as we read in John 1:2-3, “He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him“. How can we not consider Jesus with reverence? 

Dear Lord Jesus. We worship You today, in reverence and awe. Amen.

The Crucifixion

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.””
John 19:16-19 NLT

Time stopped still that day when Jesus, our Lord, was crucified. A clash of two kingdoms changed the relationship between God and His creation for ever. The devil was rubbing his spiritual hands with glee, thinking that he had finally dealt with his problem – Jesus of Nazareth. Nothing more could Jesus do now, once He was dead, or so the devil thought. The Pharisees were also feeling a great sense of relief because the thorn in their sides, Jesus, had been eliminated. They were back to being the top dogs again. No more threats to their authority. But in Heaven, God looked on, in sadness because of what was happening to His Son, but secure in the knowledge that His plan for the salvation of mankind was finally coming to its climax. There is, and has been, no other religion where people put their god to death. And yet, when that happened, Christianity was established, and it has become the biggest religion this world has ever seen. 

Crucifixion was the most brutal and painful death human beings have ever devised for another human being. But the cruelty displayed that day in the “Place of the Skull” is still present in people’s hearts today. It wasn’t just a phenomenon of the Roman occupation of Israel. We may not crucify people today but in people’s imaginations horrible things take place. But there is a warning out there for all people, believers in Jesus or not. Romans 2:16 (AMP), “on that day when, as my gospel proclaims, God will judge the secrets [all the hidden thoughts and concealed sins] of men through Christ Jesus”. Ecclesiastes 12:14, “God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad“. ‭‭

Anyone who uses social media apps will know the nasty things people say about each other, with public people, celebrities or politicians, receiving the most abuse. They may not physically crucify them but the anger and venom in their posts expose the blackness of the evil in their hearts. One day such people will face the Judge to give an account of their keyboard activities.

The writer to the Hebrews Epistle wrote about those who started on their Christian walk, believing in Jesus, and experiencing all the good things He had for them, but who fell away from the faith and returned to their old ways of life. In Hebrews 6:4-6 we read, “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame”. Heaven forbid that this would describe one of us pilgrims!

We pilgrims soberly reflect on what happened to Jesus. We mourn about what He went through, but we know what happened next. Our grief will turn to joy as we see the birth of the Way, the Christian faith.

Dear Lord Jesus. We read what happened to You and we recoil from the pain that You suffered. But we’re so grateful that You suffered and died for us. You took onto Yourself the sins of the world, and the punishment that we deserved. And somehow we look around and see our circumstances in a different light because of You and all You went through. Thank You Lord. Amen. 

Day of Preparation

Posted on by korgrocker

“When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, “Look, here is your king!” “Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!” “What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back. Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away.”
John 19:13-16 NLT

The common belief is that the Passover festival took place on the Jewish Sabbath, and that forms the basis of our Easter weekend when we Christians assume that Jesus was crucified on what we have come to call Good Friday, with the Jewish Passover being the following day. This then means that Sunday is the first day of the Jewish week. But according to the Jewish calendar, the day of Passover could have been on a Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday. This year, 2024, Passover took place on April 23rd, which was a Tuesday. Another fact about Passover is that the Day of Preparation ends at sundown. Theologians disagree about which day of the week Passover took place when Jesus was crucified because it is not totally clear in which year it took place, but in the end we do know that Jesus was crucified on the Jewish Day of Preparation, hence the unseemly haste in which the Jewish leaders wanted to complete their terrible deed. 

A Day of Preparation is not just a Jewish religious phenomenon. In business terms, presentations are prepared for meetings and sales pitches. When we go on holiday, we prepare for the event, booking tickets and packing suitcases. We examine flight or train timetables and select the best options. As we come up to retirement, we prepare for the increase in leisure time, or at least should do. Very importantly, our young people prepare for their exams by spending hours going through previous exam papers and swotting up on the exam material. But in spiritual terms, the need to prepare for anything is less obvious or expected. Of course, the preacher will prepare a sermon and the worship team will prepare the songs or hymns and practice where needed. But what about those who come to church, those in the congregation? I suspect that many people, including me at times, miss out on the blessings of God because we haven’t prepared our hearts in such a way that we are in a place to receive all that God has for us. And then there is the importance of being prepared in case someone asks us one day about how we became a believer in Jesus. 1 Peter 3:15, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect“. Jesus warned His disciples about being prepared. Matthew 24:44, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him“. And we know what happened to the five young women who were unprepared and who brought insufficient oil for their lamps, as Jesus told in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25). 

It is important that we pilgrims prepare our hearts before we move into the day. Many call a time of morning prayer and Bible reading a “Quiet Time” but I prefer to call it a time of preparation. How can we honestly face the hassles and struggles of the world without having first touched base with our Heavenly Father? How do we know what He wants us to do in the day ahead if we haven’t first asked Him for directions? And then stayed long enough to hear His answer? But it is a dangerous thing to do, to ask God what He wants us to do this day. We might hear something that totally upsets our plans. There was a day when a man called Ananias received a vision and we can read about what happened next in Acts 9:11-19. It goes without saying that Ananias must have had a prepared heart beforehand. 

We pilgrims are children of God, and what child doesn’t look to his or her Father for encouragement, love, and the resources for the day ahead. But if we don’t spend time with Him, then how will we ever be effective as a Christian, effective in our own personal lives or instrumental in ministering in the lives of others? Let’s prepare our hearts today in the presence of Almighty God. After all, only He has the Words of eternal life. 

Dear God. Our spirits are willing but our flesh is weak. Please help us to get into routine of being prepared before we start the day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Judgement Seat

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.” When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha).”
John 19:12-13 NLT

Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent of any crime. He knew how popular Jesus had become with the people. He discerned that the Jewish leaders were extremely jealous of Jesus and were afraid that their positions of religious authority were being undermined. He knew that Jesus was no political revolutionary intent on overthrowing the occupying Roman forces. But Pilate was in a bit of a bind. Jerusalem was overloaded with crowds of people present for the Passover celebrations, and the last thing he wanted was a riot to take place, which could happen if the Jewish leaders stirred everyone up. If Jesus was so popular with the people though, why did so many call out for Him to be crucified? We can only assume that the devil was behind much of the mayhem, because if there was anyone who could destroy his hold on Planet Earth it was Jesus. 

The Jewish nation was a problem for Pilate and particularly all their religious customs and festivals. Pilate didn’t care one bit for the Jewish religion and their blasphemy laws. He didn’t have a good track record with the Jews and Luke recorded an incident in the Temple. “About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple” (Luke 13:1). But here Pilate was faced with a potential riot over a Man who was innocent, and, to add to his woes, the Jewish leaders pushed a button that reminded Pilate of the vulnerability of his position, should news reach Rome that he failed to deal with a Man who claimed to be a King, superficially competing with Caesar, even if such an analysis was untrue. So Pilate sat down on the judgement seat outside his headquarters but he was never going to be allowed to release Jesus, even if it meant that he lost face and self-respect. 

But as we pilgrims know there is a judgement seat coming, before which everyone will have to appear; well, that is, everyone whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. We can read the account of John’s vision in Revelation 20:11-13, 15,“And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. … And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire“. A grim scene I think we can agree, and a day will come when Pilate and the Jewish leaders will have to stand before the Man they crucified “to be judged according to what they had done”. There are those who claim that this event could never happen because how could a God of love send people to hell. But they fail to realise that we live in a moral universe and there will have to be a final reckoning to balance the scales of justice. God is a God of love but also of righteousness and holiness and justice. His love was expressed through the event that Jesus was facing into – His substitutionary death that took on the punishment for our sins so that we wouldn’t have to face the Great White Throne and the Man sitting upon it.

Jesus’ mission was clear. We all know John 3:16 off by heart – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. We pilgrims believe in Jesus so we have nothing to fear, and one day will be in God’s presence enjoying eternal life with Him.

Dear Father God. It is an awesome thought, to have to face the wrath of the Living God. We thank You for Jesus and all He did for us at Calvary. Amen.

The Greater Sin

Posted on by korgrocker

“When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?” Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.””
John 19:8-11 NLT

Pilate was out of his comfort zone. Here was a Man who claimed to be the Son of God and who had just been flogged at Pilate’s order. But he was a superstitious man and when the mention of a “god” appeared in the context that he faced, then he became frightened. Pilate claimed to have the power to either release or crucify Jesus, but Jesus rightly pointed out to him that Pilate had no authority of his own other than what was given him by his superiors back in Rome. The Jews were a troublesome lot to Pilate and the constant threat of unrest and rebellion was wearing him down, particularly as there had been previous times when negative news about Judaean civil unrest had finally filtered back to Rome. So Pilate was not just afraid of the events panning out before him; he was also afraid of the consequences if news of the baying mob outside reached Rome. Pilate was not a nice man at all though, and his political skills seemed to be non-existent. On several occasions history records events when he unnecessarily provoked the Jews.

But Jesus made an interesting comment about sin. He implied that some sins were worse than others, when He said, “the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin“. But, don’t we understand that all sin is sin, with equal weight before God? Paul obviously thought so, when he wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). God demands absolute holiness and the only way that can be achieved is through Jesus. I always think of God’s perfect standard as being the pass mark in an exam set at 100%. Analysing how sinful someone’s life is might come up with a score depending on how many sins they have committed, the severity of each, and how good they are. So a murderous despotic leader of a country might score 0%. Some politicians might only get to 15%. A minister in the church might be holier and come up with a mark of 40%. A really saintly person might even achieve 60%. I shudder to think where my mark would be. But the important thing about this analogy is that all those who take the exam have failed because they have a mark less than 100%. The Pharisees thought they had achieved 100% through the adherence to the Law and all the rules and regulations that had been bolted on. But in Acts 13:38-39 we read what Paul said during a sermon in Antioch  of Pisidia. “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight—something the law of Moses could never do”. 

But Jesus still implied that there was a “greater sin”. The person responsible for bringing Jesus before Pilate was the High Priest, Caiaphas. In the end, he was the one who handed Jesus over to Pilate, and one day he will stand before the One he condemned. Caiaphas had the power to send Jesus to the cross, even though it had to be through a Roman governor, but in our moral universe, one day he will be brought to account. But there is only one punishment for sin, as we all know. Sin is sin. 

Thankfully, we pilgrims are blood-bought, forgiven, children of God. We stay close to the cross, believing in Jesus and keeping a clean slate before Father God. And the wonderful thing is that Jesus is interceding for us continually. Our message to the dying world around us, populated with people who have failed the exam, is our testimony of God’s love and grace. 

Dear God. Thank You for Jesus and His sacrifice at Calvary. We worship You today. Amen.

Frightened Pilate

Posted on by korgrocker

“The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?””
John 19:7-10 NLT

In those days superstition abounded. Every time something bad happened to someone they looked at things they had done in case one of their many deities had become involved. Perhaps, they thought, they had even offended one of their gods and were suffering the consequences. Adding to his woes, Pilate heard from his wife. “Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night”” (Matthew 27:19). Pilate was between a rock and a hard place. He knew that Jesus was not guilty of any crime, let alone one that would lead to death by crucifixion. Four times he said Jesus was innocent. Herod said He was innocent. And now Pilate’s wife had said the same. When Pilate heard the Jewish leaders say that Jesus “called himself the Son of God”, he was more frightened than ever, because to offend another God by putting His Son to death was just inviting a disaster to fall upon him. 

Even today, superstition abounds. I am writing this a few days after Halloween, a time when evil is celebrated. People dress up as ghosts, witches and in other scary ways, all in the name of “fun”. But there is nothing funny, nothing to celebrate, about the dark forces that have such a huge influence on the world around us. And then there are horoscopes. Someone has estimated that 23% of Americans regularly read their horoscopes, that they find in various media outlets. And then there is astrology and sorcery and so on. Yet, if a person is asked whether or not they are superstitious, they will probably deny it. “Just a bit of fun” they will say. 

Do we pilgrims become frightened of anything? There are natural dangers of course, and a human being is wired to take into account things that will cause them to avoid, or run away from, danger. But there are frightening circumstances that we cannot avoid, things that cause us stress or fear, and God has an answer to that. I love the first two verses of Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea”. In addition to such natural events, there are also consequences for our bad choices that can cause us to be frightened. The list of potential misdemeanours that mankind should be guilty of is lengthy but facing judgement either in this life or the next will surely happen. Thankfully God will be with us wherever we are and in whatever circumstances. Psalm 56:3, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you“. 

Regardless of what is happening, though, are we frightened today? As we reach out to our Heavenly Father we will find peace for our souls. In the context of eternity, we really have nothing to be afraid of, as we stay close to Jesus and His cross. 

Dear Father God. You sent Your Son to lead us out of the frightening world in which we live into one that has no danger in Your presence. Wow worship You today. Amen.

Crucify Him

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!” When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” “Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.” The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.””
John 19:5-7 NLT

Why were those days so cruel, with such a form of execution that combined unending and endless torture that only came to an end when death arrived? Why not a simple and quick method that would achieve the same end? And why such a sentence for someone who makes a claim, any sort of claim, about himself? Were those people of Jesus’ time, the Jews and their leaders, a particularly unsophisticated and bestial people placing no value on a human life? Of course, we 21st Century people, would never behave in such a way. Or would we? People today are just as wicked and evil as the Jews who were shouting “Crucify Him” two thousand years ago. The same devil. The same sin. We only have to open a media news report to find just how bad people are. And the sobering question is, would we too have shouted “Crucify Him” as we stood there in the Jerusalem crowd?

In 1 Peter 2:22-24 we read, “He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed“. Why didn’t those Jewish leaders just leave things to God for Him to deal with them, because, as Peter wrote, doesn’t He deal fairly with people? But human beings demand justice in this life, as most think little about the life to come and the final judgement. Human justice is flawed when it comes to things about God. But humans cannot and mustn’t stand in God’s place casting judgement on fellow humans in cases where only God can see the truth and decide fairly. 

Around us there are many strident voices demanding “justice” that aligns with their particular ideologies. Church history is littered with stories of people being condemned for “crimes” that are imagined or superstitiously derived. The cruelties didn’t end at Calvary and we soberly consider the fate of those caught up in the Inquisition in the Middle Ages, or the deaths of the Covenanters. But today in our hearts, cruelties are still prevalent. We look at another person who has done us wrong, even inadvertently, and anger and thoughts of punishment rise up within us. And every time we sin we are in danger of crucifying Jesus all over again. We read in Hebrews 6:4-6, “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame“. 

We pilgrims are dedicated followers of Jesus. There is no turning back for us. The journey before us may not be easy. There may even be times when we think that the road is too tough. But there is only one way into God’s presence and that is through Jesus. There will be many temptations on the way, trying to draw us up some cul-de-sac or other. Little voices may whisper in our ears that just once won’t really matter. But, as Jesus did, we look ahead resolutely to what is before us, and as we do we see the glow of Glory appearing on the horizon. For believers in Jesus, a new dawn is coming.

Dear Father God. You are the new dawn in our lives, reality in times of human cruelty. We pray for the opportunities to share Your love and grace with those around us. And we pray for all those in a place of leadership, that they will come to know You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Understand Clearly

Posted on by korgrocker

“Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!””
John 19:4-5 NLT

Pilate’s words “understand clearly that I find him not guilty” have hung in the air ever since the Jews of that time condemned the Son of God to death. They killed their Messiah. Pilate made the correct legal decision over Jesus and he had Him brought out before the crowd to make his point. In Luke’s Gospel he wrote, “Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty” (Luke 23:13-15). Earlier in His trial Pilate declared that Jesus was innocent, ““What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime” (John 18:38). There was no doubt in the Roman authorities’ minds that Jesus was innocent of any crime and Pilate declared as such no less than four times. 

On what grounds did the Jewish people overrule the verdict of the civil court, instead finding Jesus guilty of the crime of blasphemy, in claiming as He did that He was the Son of God? Their decision was based on their interpretation of Old Testament prophecies, that said the Messiah will come to fulfil events that have yet to happen. They also failed to accept that God is Three-in-one, a Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And that appears to a layman such as myself to introduce a great divide between the Jewish and Christian faiths. 

Pilate said “understand clearly”, and that is what we pilgrims must do today. We must “understand clearly” the basis for our faith. We must use our time wisely in prayer and reading God’s Word. We must align our Kingdom lives with God’s principles. We must avoid sinful situations. We must be steadfast, resisting the attempts of the enemy to draw us away into sin. We must discern areas of weakness and make them strong with God’s help. Hebrews 12:12-13, “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong“. 

Do we pilgrims feel a bit tired today? A bit lethargic in our faith? Thinking about giving church a miss this week? The we must “understand clearly” what Jesus did for us. We must allow His love and grace to flood over us, flushing away all thoughts of giving up. There is no other way. Only Jesus has the words of eternal life.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your blessings of grace and love. In the power of Your Spirit, we stir ourselves up once again and press on with our journey of faith in You. Amen.

Cruel Times

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.”
John 19:1-3 NLT

Those days were indeed cruel and vicious. That a human being was put through so much pain and distress at the whim of another human being is incomprehensible to us in these “enlightened” 21st Century days. But Jesus, the Son of God, was painfully abused, both emotionally and physically. What were His thoughts as he took the punishment, feeling the acute pain in His back as the whip did its worst. The thorns digging into His head. The mocking tones and jeers of the rough and violent soldiers. This was a situation far beyond what anyone in the West would experience today. But before we head for the moral high ground we should reflect that our thoughts can sometimes be directed at causing another person harm. We get angry with other people and, although nothing physical results, the damage is done. Today, we don’t have to go far before we can find all sorts of abuse published on on-line platforms, abuse that contains nasty and damaging comments directed at another person. Jesus taught in Matthew 5:21-22,“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell”. 

But we have to remember that it was our sins that put Jesus in that position. Without any sin there was no need for God’s plan for the sacrifice of His Son. The Prophet Isaiah could see this day coming and he wrote, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus knew from the beginning what he was facing, but it wouldn’t have made the event any easier. Rather, it is remarkable that Jesus was prepared to do all that he did, just for you and me. He never flinched from His mission. He never called for backup when in physical danger, even though there were many angels ready and waiting for His call. 

We pilgrims look back and marvel. It is impossible to fully appreciate all that Jesus did for us. How could the Creator of the Universe care so much about human beings that He put into place a plan for their salvation, so that they could be with Him forever? Sounds too good to be true? It’s too good not to be.

Dear Lord Jesus. Once again we thank You that You went to the cross for our sins, that You were whipped that we would be healed, that You suffered punishment through to death and traded Your righteousness for our sins. We are so grateful. Amen.

Barabbas Released

Posted on by korgrocker

““What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?” But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)”
John 18:38-40 NLT

In those days of the Roman occupation of Judaea, there were many insurrections, with an “underground” of guerillas always looking for opportunities to harass the Romans and try and bring about the autonomous state of the Jewish nation. So, the Roman governor had to walk a tight rope between provoking a fractious population and defending the Roman occupation when attacked. There was a custom every Passover for the Governor to release a prisoner, one who was imprisoned on death row. We know little about Barabbas. Matthew’s Gospel records Barabbas as being a “notorious prisoner”. Mark and Luke wrote that he was involved in a riot. But in the end he was captured and was awaiting his fate on a Roman gallows, another crucifixion carried out in those violent times. So that morning in the hours of darkness before the start of Passover at daybreak, the crowds were gathering in front of Pilate’s house, awaiting the announcement from the governor. We read in Matthew 27:15-18, “Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)” I would have thought that there were many in the crowds who had seen Jesus, had heard His messages and had seen or even experienced His miraculous healings. But the Jewish leaders had stirred up the crowd against Him, probably leveraging the religious power that they had over the people of Jerusalem. 

Imagine standing in Barabbas’ shoes. What must have been going through his mind, as he faced into the horrors of crucifixion. The mental stress and anguish would have been unbearable, even in those violent and febrile days. Knowing that a day or two from then, he would be whipped and forced to carry a cross to the execution site, and there nailed to a cross, and left to die in excruciating agony. Perhaps he was looking through his cell bars as the crowds gathered. Perhaps he could hear the shouts. Was that his name he could hear? Did a glimmer of hope start to rise within him? Would he be released? But his thoughts would have been quickly suppressed – after all, why would they want him to be released when Jesus was the obvious choice. But in Matthew 27:26a, we read, “So Pilate released Barabbas to them …“. Imagine his relief, his gratitude, as he was returned alive to a family expecting his dead body. 

Tradition has it that Barabbas was also called Jesus. But whatever his name, was Barabbas the first to benefit from Jesus’ sacrificial death? Would he go on to believe in Jesus and turn his life of violence around? So many unanswered questions. But just as Barabbas was released from prison, he possibly went home unchanged, facing into an uncertain future on either side of the Great Divide. For us pilgrims, and, through Jesus, we were released from our own prisons of sin but the stark and eternal difference is that we have been washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb. We have a certain future and a hope of eternal life with God.

Dear Lord Jesus. Our words cannot express our gratitude for what You did that weekend two thousand years ago. We worship You today. Amen.