Verse: Matthew 27:11-26
Jesus Before Pilate
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
The Crowd Chooses Barabbas
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, 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 out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again 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, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Devotion
Wow. So much can be said about this amazing passage. When reading it, I think that The Lord helped me to take notice of three things.
First, I was struck by verse 12 where it says, “… he gave no answer” and verse 14, “But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.”
Jesus’ actions in this instance were the total opposite of what one might expect from a person. Jesus offered no self-defense to protect himself from incredible pain and torture. This stands in stark contrast when compared to me, and likely compared to most of us. In contrast, I find that I am quite defensive in nature, and my inclination is to tell my own story to paint myself in a good light or to prove myself innocent. I’m most interested in figuring out how I can avoid punishment or consequences. Yet, Jesus did something entirely different. Instead of using my technique, he allowed the people that he lovingly created to treat him terribly. He was willing to be scourged and suffer that horrible pain, the torture of death on a cross, and the ultimate pain of bearing our sins and paying their price. He did all of that because of his amazing love for us.
This, by the way, is another piece of evidence that Jesus was more than just a normal human being.
(See Romans 5:7-8, where Paul wrote: “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”)
Next, the word “envy” in verse 18 struck me, when it says (about Pilate and the priests and elders): “For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.”
Most certainly, I have acted just like the priests and elders. Before Jesus came to their town, these guys were large and in charge. Jesus pretty much turned all of that around and ruined their day. No longer were the people coming to them for their leadership and advice. No longer were they the center of attention. Just like the priests and elders, I’ve wanted to be in charge, make my own rules, and be the object of people’s attention. But instead – whether it is how I am told that I need to come to God through Jesus (John 14:6) or what I decide to do each day (Galatians 5:16) – God wants me to submit to Jesus, put him first, and listen to the Holy Spirit.
Finally, I felt the impact of both verse 24, where Pilate washed his hands and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood”, and verse 25 where “… all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
Often, I think quite well of myself. It’s very easy to forget that I am not perfect and that I am not innocent. Truthfully, the reason that Jesus shed his blood is because of me. I’ve heard it said that even if just one of us were on earth and had been the only person to ever sin, Jesus still would have died for just that one. My own sin is the reason that Jesus died, and thankfully, Jesus loves me so much that he would be willing to die just for me. What a thought. What a reason to love Jesus. What a reason to honor him with my life, for the rest of my life and forever.
Prayer
Thank you, Jesus! Thank you for the amazing and wonderful Savior that you are! Thank you for all that you have done for each one of us. Thank you for how you love us and thank you for the opportunity to praise you forever for this beautiful life you have given! Amen.
Author: Chris Fraser
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