Meditate. Continue to consider why Jesus was crucified.
Now it was the governor's custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner--anyone the people requested. One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual. "Would you like me to release to you this 'King of the Jews'?" Pilate asked. (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. Pilate asked them, "Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?" They shouted back, "Crucify him!" "Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime has he committed?" But the mob roared even louder, "Crucify him!" So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. Mark 15:6-15
Looking back at the trial of Jesus
we hear Pilate, the Roman governor of the regions of Samaria and Judea, who didn’t
want to crucify Jesus, ask, “What crime has he committed?” It was the
Jewish priests who wanted Jesus put to death (Matthew 27:1) and only the Roman
government had the authority to do that. Their method of corporal punishment at
that time was crucifixion. Thus it was…Jesus was headed for death on the cross
just as predicted in Psalm 22.
“What crime has he committed?” No crime. Jesus was sinless, but all the sins of mankind hung on that cross with Him. Envy was the sin that the Jewish priests portrayed. The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. The final sin that led Jesus to the cross. Have you ever envied someone? Wanted what they had…a car, nice hair, clothes, friend, home, boat, grades, talent, job, future? That envy is covetousness. Jesus, as well as Moses and Paul, taught about the evils of coveting.
It is only through the sacrificial
blood of Jesus shed there on the cross that our sins—including covetousness—were
removed from our souls…washed away. Can you get your head around that fact?
Jesus took our sins to the cross—where He died…otherwise we would have to have
died for those sins. Even our own death would not have cleansed us from the sin
in our lives. Jesus paid for our sin with His blood…with His body. Blood shed
for us…body broken for us. “What crime has he committed?” No crime—only love.
What can we do in return? "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Begin by loving God—by loving Jesus—with all your heart, soul, mind and
strength. He is worthy of our love and a deep, abiding relationship with Him.
How’s that going for you today?
Prayer ~ Lord Jesus, draw me close to You. Your love is overwhelming and I feel undeserving—but I accept You love and grace in my life, today and always. Just as You promised…I will never leave you or forsake you…I promise You that I will never leave You or forsake You.
Verses of Salvation ~ This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. Romans 13:11-14
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