If you never read the end of Jesus' life before, you've just heard about it, I must tell you it's about to get bad. Gruesome actually.
Despite that, there are some key things coming out of the reading today. Let's do a 3 point thing today (spice it up a little).... 1) Jesus is silent. He doesn't talk, but ONCE, and it needs to be paid attention to. Jesus basically says that nothing or no one has power over him, except if God has granted it AND he saying Pilate is more innocent then most people in this scenario. Which brings us to point number 2... 2)Pilate, a Roman leader, who was under Caesar, who treated people unfairly, is less sinful in this situation than the Jewish leaders and people shouting at him about Jesus. Jesus even says this! You can also see the way Pilate really struggles with killing this man called Jesus and that is beyond odd for a Roman leader. Did Pilate see more of who Jesus was then the Jewish leaders? 3) "This is it. There's no turning back now." Probably what Jesus, Pilate and the Jewish leaders were thinking all at the same time...but in different ways. Read this story slowly, carefully today. Feel the agony of Jesus, the confusion of Pilate and the hatred of the Jewish leaders. Tomorrow...tomorrow will be far worse. Jesus was ready to die. For them. For you. “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. 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!” 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.” 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.” 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 ). 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 19:1-7, 9-16 NLT
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AuthorThe Pastors of Cornerstone Wesleyan Church Archives
July 2017
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