Day 62: March 29

SCRIPTURE READING: MATTHEW 27:1-26

SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHTS:  
OBSERVATIONS:
This passage draws a striking contrast between Jesus' innocence and the sin of everyone else.

Judas declared Jesus innocent. Pilate recognized the accusations against Jesus were unfounded and motivated by envy. Pilate expressed his own judgment that Jesus was innocent when he challenged the people to name the crime Jesus committed. Pilate’s wife even recognized that Jesus was innocent of any wrongdoing.
 
In contrast to Jesus' innocence, the evil of mankind is on full display. Judas set up Jesus – his faithful friend for almost three years - to be arrested and killed in order to enrich himself.

The chief priests and elders – supposed spiritual leaders - plotted to kill Jesus. They committed premeditated murder motivated by envy. Their utter callousness and disregard for human life was expressed in their response to Judas’ confession that Jesus was innocent. “What do we care?”, they said. Their consciences were seared. The people, many who had been healed and fed, and taught, by Jesus asked for Barabbas to be freed and Jesus to be crucified.

Pilate, knowing in his heart that Jesus did not deserve being imprisoned, much less crucified, abdicated his responsibility to do what was right, and turned Jesus over to the mob to be killed. If allowing an innocent man to be brutally tortured and killed was necessary in order to keep the peace and maintain his personal comfort, Pilate was perfectly willing to choose the latter.

Then we have Barabbas, a revolutionary who engaged in murder and who felt justified in doing so. He is released from the impending death he was about to face and Jesus - the humble, just, righteous, innocent, selfless, loving man – takes his place.
 
APPLICATION:
As I read this passage, anger builds inside of me. I want to scream about the injustice being done to Jesus. I want to change the story. I want to pry the cross from Jesus' hands and put it on Barabbas. I want to tell Jesus to speak up and defend himself. I want Jesus to call tens of thousands of angels to come down and wipe out his accusers and attackers. Jesus doesn’t deserve Barabbas’ cross....

And then I can hear Jesus say to me, “Randy, that cross didn’t only belong to Barabbas. It belonged to you too. I was taking your cross so you could go free!” Then the Lord reminds me that we are all Barabbas BUT...
PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me for my self-righteousness. Thank you for reminding me that I am more like Judas, Pilate, the priests, and the crowd than I would like to admit. Thank you for taking the cross that belonged to me. Thank you for taking my place. Thank you that I am free from the guilt and the shame that I had earned. Thank you for your amazing grace that saved a wretch like me. My chains are gone, I have been set free!