Hello Advent Family,

 

Sometimes when I read the crucifixion account, I feel badly for Pilate. He is the person most closely identified with Jesus’ death (he even made it into the apostle’s creed) but he truly did not want to crucify Him. I guess if you can fault him it is for not standing up for what he really thought was right. Let’s look at the story in Matthew 27 today. 

 

11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. 15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him. 19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. 22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

 

There are times in our life when we are called to go against the crowd.   Jesus certainly modeled that for us as He often did the “unexpected”. Pilate went along with the crowd’s wishes and therefore lives in infamy. Look for the ways in your life that God is calling you to be different from the crowd. The Bible says we are aliens and strangers here on earth. We are peculiar people on a mission of spreading God’s love to the world. Let us stand out and seem strange by how well we love others.

 

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave