And on the day when Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate was given two meetings with the Son of God, or two chances for his own salvation.
To begin, the Sanhedrin wanted Jesus dead. In fact, this body of Jewish leaders had murder on their minds and in their hearts. They tried to reach a quick verdict in their early morning trial, but because their witnesses were not credible, they had no case. Now what. Now they took Jesus to Pilate because they believed that Pilate would surely agree with them, that he would give the order to crucify Jesus, and the whole matter of Jesus would disappear.
Not so fast. Three times Pilate told the Jews he found no fault with Jesus, and when he learned that Jesus was of Galilee, which was Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Jesus to Herod; but when Herod questioned Jesus, the Lord said nothing, after which Pilate arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent the Lord back to Pilate.
Now what. Pilate did not want to order the crucifixion of Jesus, and now the Lord was in his presence a second time. As Pilate began another round of questions, a messenger arrived with a written note from his wife, saying, Have nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. (Matthew 27: 19).
Throughout the Bible, God spoke to many people in dreams, and this time God spoke in a dream to Pilate's wife, which was God's final appeal to Pilate. Pilate, however, resorted to an escape clause; for when he offered the Jews a choice to crucify Jesus or crucify Barrabbus (a prisoner convicted of murder), the Jews said to release Barrabbus and crucify Jesus.
Pilate asked two important questions of the Jews:
1. Why, what evil hath he done?
2. What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?
Clearly, Pilate did not want to have anything to do with this "just man" of his wife's note.
Then the Jews screamed at Pilate: If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. (John 19: 12)
Suddenly, Pilate was injected with fear. Caesar was King of the Jews and Pilate knew it; and for a man (Jesus) to be claiming to be King of the Jews, this was blasphemy. If Pilate let Jesus walk away and Caesar learned of Pilate's decision, Pilate's neck was on the line. Therefore, Pilate feared Caesar more than he feared God, and Pilate turned his back on Christ and gave the order to crucify Him.
In my own life, I can tell you that fear gripped me when I was faced with my decision for Christ. What would my wife think about me if I became a Christian? What would my family and friends say about me? And what would fellow church members say or think about me when I would tell them that I met Jesus for the first time? These were my "Caesars" and I experienced fear. But when I chose Christ, none of the fears that I had imagined would happen never happened. The "Caesars" disappeared because God gave me grace.
Pilate, however, did not find grace in the eyes of the Lord. Pilate was given two chances and his final answer was to let Jesus be crucified.
Amen.
To begin, the Sanhedrin wanted Jesus dead. In fact, this body of Jewish leaders had murder on their minds and in their hearts. They tried to reach a quick verdict in their early morning trial, but because their witnesses were not credible, they had no case. Now what. Now they took Jesus to Pilate because they believed that Pilate would surely agree with them, that he would give the order to crucify Jesus, and the whole matter of Jesus would disappear.
Not so fast. Three times Pilate told the Jews he found no fault with Jesus, and when he learned that Jesus was of Galilee, which was Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Jesus to Herod; but when Herod questioned Jesus, the Lord said nothing, after which Pilate arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent the Lord back to Pilate.
Now what. Pilate did not want to order the crucifixion of Jesus, and now the Lord was in his presence a second time. As Pilate began another round of questions, a messenger arrived with a written note from his wife, saying, Have nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. (Matthew 27: 19).
Throughout the Bible, God spoke to many people in dreams, and this time God spoke in a dream to Pilate's wife, which was God's final appeal to Pilate. Pilate, however, resorted to an escape clause; for when he offered the Jews a choice to crucify Jesus or crucify Barrabbus (a prisoner convicted of murder), the Jews said to release Barrabbus and crucify Jesus.
Pilate asked two important questions of the Jews:
1. Why, what evil hath he done?
2. What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?
Clearly, Pilate did not want to have anything to do with this "just man" of his wife's note.
Then the Jews screamed at Pilate: If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. (John 19: 12)
Suddenly, Pilate was injected with fear. Caesar was King of the Jews and Pilate knew it; and for a man (Jesus) to be claiming to be King of the Jews, this was blasphemy. If Pilate let Jesus walk away and Caesar learned of Pilate's decision, Pilate's neck was on the line. Therefore, Pilate feared Caesar more than he feared God, and Pilate turned his back on Christ and gave the order to crucify Him.
In my own life, I can tell you that fear gripped me when I was faced with my decision for Christ. What would my wife think about me if I became a Christian? What would my family and friends say about me? And what would fellow church members say or think about me when I would tell them that I met Jesus for the first time? These were my "Caesars" and I experienced fear. But when I chose Christ, none of the fears that I had imagined would happen never happened. The "Caesars" disappeared because God gave me grace.
Pilate, however, did not find grace in the eyes of the Lord. Pilate was given two chances and his final answer was to let Jesus be crucified.
Amen.
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