(Matthew 27:11-66)
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “So You are the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not offer any answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they are testifying against You?” 14 And still He did not answer him in regard to even a single charge, so the governor was greatly amazed.15 Now at the Passover Feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Him over.
19 And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to put Jesus to death. 21 And the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” 23 But he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”
24 Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; you yourselves shall see.”
TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:
Jesus only confirmed the truth, that He was (and is) the King of the Jews, but He refused to give any answer to all of the false allegations, even though in that court, a defendant who offered no defense was normally convicted by default. Jesus knew everything that was going to happen, and knew that it all had to, in order to accomplish His work on the cross, to pay for all sins, for all people, of all time. Everything He did was out of His great love for all people, and His desire to have a personal relationship with each and everyone of us. Anyone who repents and believes in Him, will receive eternal life and His indwelling Holy Spirit, who will change us from the inside out, to have spiritual peace, joy and hope, and help us understand His truth and His will.
Satan and his realm, on the other hand, desires to distort, deceive, divide and destroy, and his path only leads to eternal death and punishment. Satan will do whatever he can to keep people away from the Lord, which includes inciting people towards having "Jesus-derangement-syndrome". We can see how easy it is to rile up people and create a mob mentality, even in our own society today, where good is "suddenly" seen as bad, and bad is good, and violence is only amping up.
The governor, Pilate, was not a believer, but was an astute politician. While representing Rome and needing to adhere to their laws, governors had to manage different regions without enabling angry mobs which could rise up and become problems. Therefore, the governors typically respected the surrounding customs. Interestingly enough, and probably because he was able to remain more objective, Pilate could see that Jesus was completely innocent and righteous. By offering up one of the most nefarious criminals to be released, he was hoping that the people would be reasonable, and ask that Jesus be released instead. But in frenetic events and times, people will become unreasonable.
When and if we ever find ourselves hating someone or hating a specific group of people, we better stop and pray through this. If there is actual proof of any wrongdoing, we are to hate the words and actions, but not the person. God tells us to forgive our enemies and love them. If forgiving them is difficult, ask God to forgive them for you.
If there isn't any proof of any wrongdoing, that means we have been led to believe in the lies, and we need to confess. If we have hurt anyone along the way, we will have to apologize to them. And we will have to forgive those who have been spreading the lies and inciting people to anger and hatred. Let's beware, so that we do not get caught up in a movement which goes against our Lord and Savior.
The closer we grow in our relationship with Jesus, the more we will know Him. And the more we know Him, the less likely we will become deceived. The Lord loves us and has a much better way for us to live. No matter what is happening to us or around us, God has a purpose for us. So, as we strive in our obedience, with Him leading the way and equipping us with His love, strength and wisdom, we will experience His spiritual peace, joy, hope and blessings.
