| whom are we with?13
Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people,
23:14
and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.
23:15
Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.
23:16
Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."
23:18
With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!"
23:19
(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
23:20
Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.
23:21
But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
23:22
For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."
23:23
But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.
23:24
So Pilate decided to grant their demand.
23:25
He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
23:26
As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
23:27
A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.
23:28
Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.
23:29
For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!'
23:30
Then "'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!'"
23:31
For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
"If we were in there place, we would have done what they did... We too sacrifice Jesus... to our envy like the priest, to our ambition like Pilates. He continues that we will be at the foot of cross 'not as spectators only but as participants, guilty participants, plotting, scheming, betraying, bargaining, and handing him over to be crucified" John Scott, The cross of Christ.
What would you have done? Whome are we with? More and more i think about it, John Scott is right. Probably out of envy and guilt i would have cried "Crucify him" like the rest of them. No one likes some one that makes them feel bad about themselves or is better than them. And to these people that's what Jesus was. He made them feel bad for their sinful nature and they didn't like that he was so perfect in everyway. That He was so Godly.
So many of us in the church try to show that we are keeping up with our spiritual walk with God and that we are really spiritual but when you see their behavior and their heart, you will know that there is no God in there heart. Even having faith has become a competition. Who has the better faith. Who has more passion. Who sacrifices more for God. We all need to reflect and see why we do what we do.
Are you really living your life for God? Could you have been the one that cry "release Him' or would you be the one that cries "crucify him?' |
