Luke 23
Luke 23:1-2 NIV
Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king."
He is falsely accused of perverting a nation. Have u ever been falsely accused? Christ knows how u feel.
One part of the accusation is true however...
Luke 23:3-4 NIV
So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"You have said so," Jesus replied. Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."
3 times Pilate confesses seeing no fault in Christ.
Luke 23:5-7 NIV
But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here." On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
He knows that Christ is innocent and Pilate is facing a political firestorm as he knows he cannot condemn an innocent man. So he passes the buck to avoid this confrontation by sending him to Herod who is over the gallileans too.
Luke 23:8 NIV
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort.
The problem in Herod looking forward to seeing Christ is that he just wanted to see what tricks or miracles he could actually do. He just wanted Christ to entertain him. I think Christians far too often find themselves in this same relationship of wanting Christ to just do things for them, entertain them, perform miracles. But they don't actually have a desire to know the true and living God that Christ is.
Luke 23:9 NIV
He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.
You may have come across this point in your own walk as a follower of God or as a parent or as a child, where God refuses to speak until your heart repents and listens to your conscience. As a child when your parent doesn't respond but u know that u are wrong. As a parent when your kid knows what you're thinking but u don't need to say a thing.
Luke 23:10-16 NIV
The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies. Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."
Again Pilate trying to work around killing an innocent man. And a crowd cries out for his innocent blood. They cry out “away with him”. This still happens today as the world desires the freedom of barrabas, and adamantly rejects Jesus.
Luke 23:18-22 NIV
But the whole crowd shouted, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."
Third time insisting that he was inocent but Pilate listens to the crowd instead of his conscience. Why do people today listen to the crowd and care what they will think of you or how they will respond if you call Christ your Lord. Listen to your conscience. Jesus is Lord and you must give your life over to him completely. Do the right thing regardless of the cost. What voice are u going to listen to? Pilate listened to the chief priests and becomes the man in history who sent Christ to be crucified on the cross.
Luke 23:23-25 NIV
But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
We all have choices to make. Look at Pilate’s life after this point. He stole money from the temple to build an aquaduct and ended up being the most unapproved of in office and getting kicked out of position. He condemned himself when he cared more about popularity then Christ.
What do we do when we come face to face with our bloody Savior? How do we respond to that?
1 Timothy 1:5, 19 NIV
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.
This advice applies to us too. If Paul gave it to Timothy (a greater man of God than I by far), then how much more must it apply to me?
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