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Pilate

The GT Weekend ~ Cross Week 2

April 13, 2019 by Rebecca Adams Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Crucifying Christ was something Pilate felt incredibly uneasy about. He believed Jesus was innocent, even washing his hands of Jesus’ death, wanting no part in it. Where do you find yourself in Pilate’s story? What part of you assents to Jesus being God, but in fear, back away. In fear of the mob, in fear of a riot, Pilate gave orders to crucify the Lord. Where are you living in fear over walking in faith for Who you know to hold all truth and authority? Where Pilate wanted to wash his hands of Christ’s blood, let’s extend our hands into the flow, saying, “Yes, You are the Christ! Remove my fear and make me new!”.

2) Simon of Cyrene had a unique, very up-close perspective with Christ as He was crucified. What would it have been like for you to be in his shoes on that day in history? What questions would you have wanted to ask? What fears would shake you? Would fear and shame make you run? Would love make you stay? If Christ indeed is innocent, unjustly executed in your place, what is that to you?

3) Stepping into John the Disciple’s shoes we watch him move from “piqued curiosity” to “Yahweh dwelling with us”. Here’s the thing, Sister, whatever truths you currently hold about God as Father, Son, and Spirit, there is so much more. The journey the Lord wants to take you on in this process of knowing Him better is sweeter than any other pathway. Refuse to allow yourself to settle into knowing “enough” about God. However deep you go, He lovingly invites us deeper still. Evaluate where you have plateaued in your understanding of God. When was the last time you grew in your experience of knowing Him?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Matthew 27:24-26 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

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.

Prayer Journal
Pilate claimed innocence in crucifying You, Jesus. Oh Lord, his sin was as great as my own. No water can wash away our sin. No symbolism. No action or lack of action. No one and no thing can extend that kind of mercy. Only You at Your Cross.
The people cried out, “His blood be on us and our children.”. They intended to be free, they thought themselves “just” for killing You. Oh Lord, the irony here, for it is only through Your blood covering us that true freedom is found!
You are innocent. I am guilty. Boundless is the love that died to forgive and free!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

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Posted in: Cross, Deep, God, GT Weekend, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Scripture, Truth Tagged: Easter, fear, Innocent, John The Disciple, Knowing Him, Pilate, Simon of Cyrene, Yahweh

Cross Day 9 Simon Of Cyrene: Digging Deeper

April 11, 2019 by Natalie Smith 3 Comments

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Simon Of Cyrene!

The Questions

1) Who is this Simon of Cyrene, anyway?

2) What do these verses tell me about God’s character?

3) What do these verses tell me about people?

Luke 23:23-33

23 But they kept up the pressure, demanding with loud voices that he be crucified, and their voices won out. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand 25 and released the one they were asking for, who had been thrown into prison for rebellion and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.

26 As they led him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross on him to carry behind Jesus. 27 A large crowd of people followed him, including women who were mourning and lamenting him. 28 But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children. 29 Look, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the women without children, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall onus!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two others—criminals—were also led away to be executed with him. 33 When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.

Original Intent

1) Who is this Simon of Cyrene, anyway?
On this day as Jesus is being led to The Skull for His crucifixion, Simon was “coming in the from the country”. (verse 26) Mark 15:21 notes Simon was, “passing by”, painting the picture that Simon may not have been fully aware of all that was happening. He may have heard of Jesus, but was he yelling, “crucify him!” just moments earlier? The text does not really indicate this.
The book of Mark also notes Simon has two sons, Alexander and Rufus. It is not known if they were with Simon at this unusual moment. However, this detail, in correlation with other verses from Acts, gives the impression that Mark’s readers were familiar with the sons at the time the book of Mark was written. Possibly, Simon’s family was hospitable to the disciples during Jesus’ ministry.
Why was Simon picked? Did he have a different skin color (coming from the area of Liberia in Africa)? Was he young and muscular, able to carry the crossbar of the Jesus’ cross? Or did he just have a confused look on his face? However it happened, Simon the Cyrenian did not walk away from the encounter unchanged.

2) What do these verses tell me about God’s character?
These short verses encompass big encounters during which Jesus keeps His purpose in focus. From His intentional responses of silence before Pilot and the crowds to His purposeful conversation with the women on the road, Jesus moves forward to complete His mission of propitiation (taking our punishment on Himself) and calling people to recognize their helpless state before God.
In verses 23-25, Jesus has been up all night, enduring mockery, beatings, and scrutiny from both Pilate (a Roman governor) and Herod (a Jewish governor), yet found innocent. Jesus remained silent through all it, never once defending Himself. He knew neither of these governors had power beyond what was given to them in that moment by God the Father. This has been the plan from the beginning of the world to reconcile God’s people back to Himself.  That is precisely why Jesus lived on earth – to complete the mission of the Gospel.
As Jesus, weary and exhausted, moves towards the cross, He continues His purpose to warn and teach others. There are different theories as to why the women of verse 24 were lamenting, but as some of the last people Jesus spoke to, He tells them to mourn over a deeper sadness of sin and the destruction. He is speaking of Israel’s sin of refusing to acknowledge Him as the Messiah and foretells of Jerusalem’s coming destruction in AD 70.

3) What do these verses tell me about people?
In contrast to Jesus staying kingdom-focused, we humans are first inclined to hone in on how we are feeling in the temporary years of life on earth. In verse 25, Luke notes Jesus was handed over to “their will.” The will and pressure of a group of people (starting with the Pharisees and any who felt threatened by Jesus’ presence, abilities, and popularity) who influenced Pilate to go against his own conclusion of Jesus’ innocence. (Luke 23:13-16) Pilate was focused on the temporary physical worries in handing Jesus over for crucifixion. Many of the people yelling to crucify Christ were, only days prior, welcoming Him with a parade. But, they too, fell into the influence of the temporal worries.
The ladies lamenting over Jesus as He walked to Golgotha only saw a man on a road to His gruesome death. They could not see the victory that was approaching in only three more days. Judging by Jesus’ response, they neither saw their own personal sin or the impending destruction of Jerusalem that God would allow as consequences of Israel’s sin. We see in people the failing struggle to look past the emotion and fear of the moment, to the God who orchestrates a mighty plan of redemption to rescue them from their sin!

Everyday Application

1) Who is this Simon of Cyrene, anyway?
Most of us can relate to an experience of “why me?” Bible commentators have pointed out the unique situation of Simon of Cyrene literally carrying out Jesus’ words earlier in his ministry: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24
One may say Simon did not have a choice. He well could have asked, “Why Me?!”. He was pressed by powerful Roman guards before a large and upset crowd. Whatever Simon himself was thinking (surprise, sadness for Jesus, fear for what could happen to himself after reaching Golgotha, pressure, fatigue, stress, etc.), it was a scene with much to process. But God was using every single moment of it to draw people to Jesus. To Simon, the event may have felt out of control or senseless. But God’s sovereignty was over him, leading him, to become a worker of the early church.
What in your life feels heavy, coincidental, and perhaps senseless? Because our human nature inclines us away from God, an encounter with Him and His purposes of sanctification rocks our boat; it feels unusual, strange, and painful. Lean into Jesus with your questions and remember He is in the business of making us new!

2) What do these verses tell me about God’s character?
“Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:17). These are Jesus’ beginning words when as He transitioned into public ministry and calling His disciples. His message echoes that of John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus’ formal ministry. Such a call may sound harsh, but He did it all out of love for His people.
Jesus went to extraordinary lengths to point people to repentance and salvation. What is keeping you from mourning your own sins against God? Or, perhaps, from waking up each morning with a renewed sense of gratitude and purpose for another day of living in the salvation God has provided you? What is your distraction from God’s first call on every Christian’s life to love God first and most and, from that love, warn the lost? Take in and rejoice how Jesus never lost focus of the greater picture of redemption! Jesus did not get caught up in the latest entertainment, styles, or politics.  He was singularly caught up in drawing people to the realization of their need for and freedom in repentance and forgiveness. Seek God to show you how to be more like Jesus in these ways.

3) What do these verses tell me about people?
Setting a goal to be more like Jesus can be motivating for a season, but when the rubber meets the road, the holes in self-discipline, patience, and trusting the Lord for His purposes in the situation really start to show.  Perhaps one can hold their tongue decently at work or in an environment one is afraid they might have great loss of income or respect by outsiders. But attempting to hold the tongue in honoring a child or spouse seems impossible. I have often found myself crying to Jesus, “I can’t do it!”
In our strivings to be like Jesus, it is important to realize the truth of the matter – we are not like Jesus. We need Jesus to be like Him. Jesus did not call us to only wash the outside and look like Him in good deeds alone. He calls people to be cleansed on the inside (the heart, mind, and right standing before God) (Luke 11:39-40). This is why He came – to offer internal and eternal cleansing (from which our ought good deeds flow). Call to Him for help, no matter where you are in your faith journey! Even if you don’t think you have sin to deal with, call on Jesus and He will show you more of Himself!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Simon Of Cyrene!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Cross Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up
to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Posted in: Cross, Digging Deeper, God, Gospel, Jesus, Kingdom, Power, Scripture Tagged: eternal, Focused, Innocent, Pilate, Simon of Cyrene, Washed Clean

Cross Day 7 Pilate: Digging Deeper

April 9, 2019 by Shannon Vicker 2 Comments

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Pilate!

The Questions

1) Who was Pilate?

2) Who was Barabbas?

3) Why didn’t Jesus defend Himself when Pilate was questioning Him?

John 18:38-19:16

38 “What is truth?” said Pilate.

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no grounds for charging him. 39 You have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

40 They shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe. 3 And they kept coming up to him and saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and were slapping his face.

4 Pilate went outside again and said to them, “Look, I’m bringing him out to you to let you know I find no grounds for charging him.” 5 Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

6 When the chief priests and the temple servants saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

Pilate responded, “Take him and crucify him yourselves, since I find no grounds for charging him.”

7 “We have a law,” the Jews replied to him, “and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was more afraid than ever. 9 He went back into the headquarters and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not give him an answer.10 So Pilate said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you?”

11 “You would have no authority over me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above. This is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

12 From that moment Pilate kept trying to release him. But the Jews shouted, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar!”

13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside. He sat down on the judge’s seat in a place called the Stone Pavement (but in Aramaic, Gabbatha). 14 It was the preparation day for the Passover, and it was about noon. Then he told the Jews, “Here is your king!”

15 They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?”

“We have no king but Caesar!” the chief priests answered.

16 Then he handed him over to be crucified.

Then they took Jesus away.

Original Intent

1) Who was Pilate?
Pilate was a prefect or governor of Judea for the Roman emperor during the time of Jesus’ life. When Jesus was on trial, it was Pilate He was brought before. The Jewish leaders had no legal rights to sentence anyone to death. In order for Jesus to be condemned to death, they had to find a way to have a Roman official sentence Him. Pilate was that Roman official. Pilate didn’t want to sentence Jesus to death and tried unsuccessfully to send Him back to the Jewish leaders. Eventually, Pilate’s hand was forced because he feared the crowd. In order to prevent an uprising, he sentenced Jesus to death even though he was not convinced Jesus was guilty or deserving of death.

2) Who was Barabbas?
John 18:40 calls Barabbas a revolutionary. The Greek word used is “lestes”, which literally means a robber or plunderer who typically does so with violence. Barabbas was a criminal in jail for actual crimes he had committed while Jesus was innocently on trial. The crowd had no regard for who either of these men actually were or their reputation; their angry pride blinded them. Barabbas was a tool used by God to fulfill prophecy. Barabbas is the one who deserved to die, yet he walked away a free man while the innocent Jesus was sentenced to death. When Pilate provided his Jewish audience with a choice of men to release, they screamed for Barabbas to be free and Jesus to be condemned. The crowd, incited by the Jewish leaders, finally received what they wanted and Jesus was condemned to death by crucifixion.

3) Why didn’t Jesus defend Himself when Pilate was questioning Him?
During the trial, Pilate provided Jesus with an opportunity to defend Himself. In John 18:33-37 Pilate questions Him several times about His identity and why the people want Him condemned. Each time Jesus offers a different indirect answer. The closest Jesus ever comes to defending Himself is in affirmation of Pilate’s statement that Jesus is a king. However, Jesus is quick to point out that His Kingdom is not of this world and His life’s mission is completely different than the world and its rulers would expect. His life is about love and sacrifice. In John 19:8-11, Pilate again provides Jesus an opportunity to defend Himself. Jesus simply states that Pilate only has power over Jesus because it comes from above (God). Never once did Jesus defend Himself in a way which would bring about His release. Instead, Jesus knows what lies before Him. He embraces His unjust punishment because He has already released His will to that of His Father’s. Therefore, He permits Pilate to sentence Him to death.

Everyday Application

1) Who was Pilate?
Pilate was the Roman official who sentenced Jesus to death. However, Pilate was never convinced Jesus was guilty and deserving of death. He even washes his hands of the decision in an effort to distance himself from condemning this innocent man to die. The King of the Universe stood before Pilate and Pilate handed Him back to the Jewish leaders to be crucified. However, it wasn’t just Pilate who handed Jesus over to be crucified, it was you and it was me. Pilate may have been the government official who allowed the crucifixion, but it was our sins for which Jesus was crucified. Sometimes, I am tempted to think that because I have never committed what we, in American western culture, consider “big sins”, I am not as guilty as others. I think I can wash my hands of Jesus’ death just like Pilate. However, I am just as guilty as anyone else and God doesn’t rank our sins. The reality is, Jesus would have come to die even if it was to pay the penalty for just 1 sin in order to redeem mankind back to Himself. I cannot wash my hands of Jesus’ death any more than Pilate could. He was guilty and so am I.

2) Who was Barabbas?
Barabbas, thief and murderer, was the one who deserved to be condemned. The crowd chose the murderer and thief over the innocent man who lived a life of love. Jesus had the power to free Himself, yet He chose to be the condemned man while the guilty man walked free. When I stop and think on this I am quick to see the connection to Barabbas and myself. I am truly no better than Barabbas, none of us are. We may not be thieves or murderers, but we have our own sins we are guilty of. Romans 3:23 says we all have sinned and Romans 6:23 informs us the penalty of that sin is death. Our sin deserves death just as Barabbas sin deserved death. However, Jesus stood condemned instead of Barabbas while he walked free and Jesus has already died my death for me and for you. As a result, once we invite Jesus to be Savior and Lord of our lives, we walk in freedom. John 8:36 holds the promise that if the Son has set us free, we are free indeed! We simply need to choose to walk in that freedom.

3) Why didn’t Jesus defend Himself when Pilate was questioning Him?
Twice, Pilate provided Jesus with the opportunity to defend Himself. Jesus could have jumped at the opportunity to defend Himself. He could have even freed Himself without Pilate’s permission. After all, He is God! However, Jesus chose to sit, wait, and point His audience, including Pilate, to His sacrificial mission and the Father who sent Him. Jesus knew what He was walking into by neither defending or freeing Himself. However, He also knew He was walking in God’s will. He had submitted Himself completely to what His Father willed, which inherently means He trusted the Father’s heart, even knowing He would be forsaken. I am reminded of the words He uttered in Luke 22:42 when He asks His Father to take the cup He was preparing to drink away, but follows by committing, “not my will, but Yours, be done”. Jesus’ entire life was lived with the end goal in mind. He knew He had come to redeem us back, to pay the price for our sins. Every decision He made through His life was made with redemption and love for us in mind, including His decision to not defend Himself.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Pilate!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Cross Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up
to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Posted in: Cross, Digging Deeper, Freedom, God, Jesus, Life, Redemption Tagged: barabbas, free, Pilate, Rome, sacrifice, Your Will

Cross Day 6 Pilate

April 8, 2019 by Lesley Crawford 26 Comments

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 23:1-12
John 18:28-19:16
Matthew 27:17-21
John 19:28-42

Cross, Day 6

What a day!  I’ve faced some difficult decisions in my time as Roman Governor, but nothing like this! I’m sure the trial of Jesus is one I will never forget.

It was early in the morning when they brought him to me, saying he was leading people astray by telling them not to pay taxes, and that he was claiming to be the Messiah.  It seemed clear to me that the man had committed no serious crime, so when I discovered he was a Galilean, it made sense to let Herod deal with it.
I thought my part in it was over.
If only it had been that simple…

Before long he was back.
Herod agreed Jesus was innocent, but his enemies were insistent he was a trouble-maker.  They accused him of stirring up riots and rebellion.

It confused me.
He didn’t seem the type at all.  He wasn’t angry or argumentative and, unlike most prisoners who desperately try to defend themselves, he hardly spoke a word.  The whole time he displayed a calm, quiet…authority…. which was remarkable given the circumstances.

It was disconcerting.
It was as if he was the one in control.

I wasn’t sure what to do.  I was convinced he didn’t deserve death. I suggested having him whipped before releasing him, thinking that might be enough to appease the religious leaders, but they refused to let it go.  I suspected their real motive was envy, but there was no way to prove it.

Then I had an idea.  The custom is that each year at Passover, one prisoner is set free, and the crowd chooses.

What if I offered them the chance to free either Jesus or Barabbas?
Barabbas was notorious – a murderer who had taken part in an insurrection against the government.  Surely, the crowd would free Jesus!

But I had underestimated the powerful influence of the religious leaders
and the strength of their hatred.
To my amazement the crowd shouted repeatedly for Barabbas to be freed!
My plan had failed.

As I considered what to do next, an interruption came – a message from my wife: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of him.”  (Matthew 27:19)

What did it mean?
What was I supposed to do?
The words kept running through my mind: “that righteous man.”
Surely, if he was righteous, I should set him free.

Silencing the cries of the crowd for a moment, I found my courage at last: “Take him and crucify him yourselves, since I find no grounds for charging him.” (John 19:6)

Their answer came quickly:
Under Jewish law, Jesus ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.

I have never felt fear like I did in that moment.
Who was this man?
I needed to speak to him some more.
Find out the truth before I made a big mistake.

“Where are you from?” I asked but, again, he was silent.

“Don’t you know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you?” I asked, trying to get him to see the severity of the situation. Still, he remained calm:

“You would have no authority over me at all if it hadn’t been given you from above.”
(John 19:10-11)

 Despite being Roman Governor, I have never felt more powerless.
What if He did hold all authority?

Once more, I attempted to release him, but the religious leaders retorted that if I released Jesus, I was rebelling against Caesar.
I tried to think, but the noise was relentless.
The fear of people was overwhelming.
The churning inside was unyielding.

“Crucify him!  Crucify him!”, the crowd chanted over and over again.
Before long, I would have a riot.

I was torn.  I truly believed the man was innocent, but the crowd were so angry, I didn’t know what to do.

Eventually, I called for a bowl of water and I washed my hands.
If he was going to die, they could take the responsibility.
This man’s blood would not be on my hands!
They agreed readily, so I handed Jesus over to be flogged and then crucified.

The decision was made, but I felt uneasy… I still do.

I suppose it’s guilt.  I believed he was innocent, yet I let him die.
I wish I had been stronger, but it’s too late now.  He’s dead.

It all happened quickly in the end. The Jews were keen for it to be over before the Sabbath, so they asked permission to break the legs of the men being crucified to hasten their deaths.  I agreed, but when it came to Jesus there was no need.
He was dead already. 

Some friends came and asked if they could bury his body and they placed it in a tomb, sealing the entrance with a stone.

Now it is truly over, but this is one trial that will continue to haunt me.
I’m not happy about the decision I made, and I feel unsettled.

Somehow, I just can’t shake the feeling I haven’t heard the last of this man, Jesus.

Like Pilate, we all have times when we must choose between loyalty to God and pleasing people.  James writes that “whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.”  (James 4:4)  May Pilate’s story motivate us to choose well.

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A Note About Cross
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters in Scripture and looked through their eyes as they saw the cross. We do our best to research the culture and times and all biblical support surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives as they watched the crucifixion, but we can’t be 100% accurate. These first-person stories are our best interpretation of how these characters viewed Jesus as He gave Himself up for us. Our hope is that by looking through their eyes, we will see the Cross differently as well, and be dramatically changed as we encounter the Savior!
Enjoy!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Cross Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Here’s a link to all past studies in Cross!

Posted in: Cross, God, Gospel, Jesus, Power, Powerless Tagged: barabbas, Hatred, Herod, Pilate, Righteous Man, Rome, Son of God

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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14