Our son-in-law is a high ranking official of our city’s coliseum where crowds gather for concerts, exhibition shows, political along with sporting events. Over the years of employment, he has learned a great deal about crowd control. Control is a must so no one gets hurt in the process of giving the people what they want in entertainment without the crowd banning together to do harm. Teams of people work together to maintain peace for the safety of all people.
A crowd has gathered outside Pilate’s place of judgement. Peace and safety for this crowd is not the concern for the religious leaders—getting their way is of most importance. A few days earlier, this same crowd honored Jesus with palms and cheering. They joyfully danced and sang, “Hosanna, which means “save us, rescue us”! “Blessed is He who come in the Name of the Lord!” This crowd knew nothing of the plot of the religious leaders vehemently opposed to Jesus brewing beneath the surface of their joy of seeing their Healer, Miracle Worker, and now Savior, as He rode in on a donkey. The rejoicing crowd prompted the religious leaders to work more swiftly and diligently to gain control of this crowd and turn public opinion to their way of thinking. They incited the crowd to now shout, “Crucify Him”! The desperate leaders decided it was their right to rid the world of the One who was robbing them of their power over the people.
God knew. God loved. God used the situation to carry out His Plan of salvation for all who would believe. God is in control. Jesus’ accusers think they are in complete control of the situation. God uses each player in His Plan to redeem the world as Jesus is being mocked, tortured, and examined for wrong doing. Jesus is found blameless time after time—fulfilling scripture with each accusation.
God’s Plan cannot be thwarted by man. The Enemy thinks he is in control as he uses people as pawns in his game to stop God and His Plan; but God’s Plan will be carried out exactly as God told His prophets, centuries earlier, that it would.
At just the right time and place, Jesus came into the world with God’s purpose to seek and to save the lost, guiding all who will listen back to God—beginning with His Chosen people. God promised a Messiah. God fulfilled His Promise. “The one who will save”—has come and walks among His people. And His very own people rejected the Promised Messiah!
Luke 23, The Message
Pilate
1-2 Then they all took Jesus to Pilate and began to bring up charges against him. They said, “We found this man undermining our law and order, forbidding taxes to be paid to Caesar, setting himself up as Messiah-King.”
3 Pilate asked him, “Is this true that you’re ‘King of the Jews’?”
“Those are your words, not mine,” Jesus replied.
4 Pilate told the high priests and the accompanying crowd, “I find nothing wrong here. He seems harmless enough to me.”
5 But they were vehement. “He’s stirring up unrest among the people with his teaching, disturbing the peace everywhere, starting in Galilee and now all through Judea. He’s a dangerous man, endangering the peace.”
6-7 When Pilate heard that, he asked, “So, he’s a Galilean?” Realizing that he properly came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he passed the buck to Herod, who just happened to be in Jerusalem for a few days.
8-10 Herod was delighted when Jesus showed up. He had wanted for a long time to see him, he’d heard so much about him. He hoped to see him do something spectacular. He peppered him with questions. Jesus didn’t answer—not one word. But the high priests and religion scholars were right there, saying their piece, strident and shrill in their accusations.
11-12 Mightily offended, Herod turned on Jesus. His soldiers joined in, taunting and jeering. Then they dressed him up in an elaborate king costume and sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became thick as thieves. Always before they had kept their distance.
13-16 Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others and said, “You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge. And neither did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It’s clear that he’s done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go.”
18-20 At that, the crowd went wild: “Kill him! Give us Barabbas!” (Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for murder.) Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again.
21 But they kept shouting back, “Crucify! Crucify him!”
22 He tried a third time. “But for what crime? I’ve found nothing in him deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go.”
23-25 But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally they shouted him down. Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted. He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave them Jesus to do whatever they wanted.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Pilate is caught in the middle, a political player who wants to diffuse trouble, washing his hands of putting a man to death for doing no wrong. Herod merely wants to be entertained and disappointed when he is not. The Crowd follow the loudest voice in their ears. God’s Chosen decide it is time to kill the Son who is disrupting the religious community with Truth. All will play a part in God’s Plan without knowing the Truth. Very soon Truth will rise and each person must decide individually; “what do we do with this Jesus? The result of this decision is a matter of life or death.
Later, led by God’s Holy Spirit, Peter (“upon whom I will build my church”) will preach for the first time to a crowd numbering a few thousand. He will remind the people of their sins of crucifying the One who came to save them. “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” –Peter after Jesus’ ascension. Acts 2:22-24
“God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” Acts 2:32-33
Peter, the once lowly fisherman, now is fulfilling what Jesus called him to be, “I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17) Now filled with God’s Holy Spirit power with the words to speak, Peter confidently begins the work of Jesus called him to do. “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades (Hell) will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:18 Jesus is Peter’s confidence. So Peter continues… “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Acts 2:36-40
God’s Plan to save the world from sin’s hold on us was completed in Jesus’ death and resurrection. This question requires our response: what will we do with Jesus? What must we do to reverse our sin problem? Peter shows us the way to Jesus: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Caught in the middle of the political pull is saying no to Jesus. Following crowd opinion is a no to Jesus. Wanting to be merely entertained is not following Jesus.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” Acts 16:31 So, we ask, do I really believe what God says really real? What we believe in our hearts and decide with our minds will be revealed in our behaviors. Be reconciled (reconnected) to God through Jesus, His Son. Then be in communion (intimate conversation) with Him daily. God promises to never leave us or forsake us. God does not lie. God is faithful. Always and forever.
Lord,
I believe. I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul because You loved me first. Cleanse my heart, renew my mind, refresh my soul, and restore the joy of your salvation at work within me—daily. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 