You ever felt really bad about something you’ve done wrong? Ever in some way harmed another person or harmed your walk with God? Ever done something that you just know you should have not, and then, you realize it. And … Continue reading
Today we look at Mark 15:15, Jesus handed over to be crucified:
As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2 Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” 3 Then the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
Pilate Hands Jesus over to Be Crucified
6 Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. 7 Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. 8 So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. 9 Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12 Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14 Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
One of the interesting things to notice in this passages, at least to me, is the response to the pressure of others. Look at Jesus. Here is Pilate saying basically, who are you? Jesus didn’t feel the need to respond. He wasn’t going to play games, He wasn’t there to bargain for His life. His life was truth, His life was life.
He wasn’t there to bend His knee to Pilate. Remember, no one murdered Jesus. Jesus willing laid down His life for the forgiveness of the world.
When Pilate saw one unafraid, someone that knew truth, that was following truth, that wasn’t giving into or living by the powers of this world, as the text says, he was amazing.
Pilate was used to being big and bad and in control. And Jesus didn’t care. He had a higher purpose, one that Pilate couldn’t stop and didn’t even understand.
Jesus wasn’t playing by Pilates rules. And that amazed Pilate.
Then, look at Pilate. He through (as he tried to “prove” to Jesus) he was in charge, he backed down when pressure came. He didn’t want trouble. He wanted peace. He wanted everything easy. He didn’t want anyone to stir up anything.
So when faced with pressure, instead of doing what he knew be right, he traded a murderer for an innocent man.
Today, this weekend, sometime in our life, we will face pressure. We will know what is the right thing. We will know what we should do. We will have that conviction of what is right.
And we will face pressure. It may be internal temptation. It may be pressure from the outside. It may be pressure from friends, from strangers, from culture, from who knows where or what.
We will face pressure.
What will we do? Will we stand in truth like Jesus? Or will we wilt like Pilate?
We each will face pressure. What will we do it?
Monday we’ll look at Mark 15:16-20.
What questions do you have? How does this strike you? Shoot me an email, comment below, or connect with me through social media.
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You ever felt really convicted by God for something that you’ve done wrong? That’s called conviction. Conviction is when God’s spirit lays hold to our hearts and says – that is wrong.
Sometimes we feel conviction in a message that is preached.
Sometimes we feel it when we are reading the scripture or praying.
Sometimes we feel it after and action that we have done that is wrong.
Sometimes we just feel it. We just know that there’s an area of our life that we’ve got to change, that we’ve got to give to God, that we’ve got to make right.
And you know what? That’s as good thing. Listen to what Paul says today in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11:
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.
He says Godly grief (or conviction) produces repentance, which leads to salvation. This conviction is actually God’s way of drawing us closer to Himself. This Godly grief of conviction is God’s way of showing us the right path, showing us the way that we should walk, showing us what we should or should not do.
We need to, in our lives, feel that conviction, when we are wrong. Because that steers us right. That makes us right. That turns us right.
Today, in your life, where is that area that God has convicted of you? Where do you feel like is an area that God has pointed out that you need to give to Him?
That feeling of conviction? It is truly one of God’s greatest gifts to you. It is truly one of the ways that God draws you back to Himself.
Today, if you feel, thank Him for it. And all it to help you become more faithful!
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