“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.” Luke 23:23-25 NIV
Reflection: what is the will of the people in your country? In your city? Your church? Your family? What is the will of your heart?
You probably caught on the news that tens of thousands of criminals, including known murderers, have been allowed into the United States over the past few years. And, not unexpectedly, some of these individuals have continued their criminal activities after arriving into the country, including many murders. Aligned with the new administration’s mission, there is an effort to find and deport these hardened criminals. One would think that removing murderers from the streets should be a nonpartisan issue, something that everyone can agree on. But no. The hate in some people has shown otherwise. They scream, and have demanded that even deported criminals and known murderers should be returned and allowed in the United States.
A scream to have a known murderer,
Is strangely not new. Jesus was from the the council of the elders and the chief priests to the head of the Roman command Pilate, and king Herod. While they had the authority to execute a prisoner, neither could find Jesus guilty of any crime. In fact, Pilate realized that this whole thing was a made up charge by the religious community to remove Jesus. So Pilate decided to release Jesus out of his custody. At least he tried, multiple times and ways. And his final attempt was to give them an ultimatum, a prisoner release
of either a murderer or Jesus.
Should be an obvious choice, right? But we read “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.)” Luke 23:18-19 NIV. We looked at yesterday of how evil can creep in and take over, even to the point of people committing the most heinous acts.
The people chose to release a murderer, and take the life of an innocent man.
So, Pilate gave in to their demands. Their screams demanding evil. They chose to align with evil over good, align with the devil over God’s Son. It is very difficult to grasp how this could have happened, how deep the foothold of the devil was in the religious leaders and in the people. To scream on behalf of known evil, and against God. What the Father and the Son had to go through for us, to rescue us from ourselves, we just cannot understand.
We consider in pain these events of Passover play out.
The Lord knew this would happen, even before he entered into our world. That he would be betrayed, denied, deserted, wrongfully accused, blasphemed, tortured, and eventually put to death via the most horrific way reserved only for the worst criminals. But he still chose to do it, for our sake, to pay our debts.
While we can wonder how the will of the people could be so blind, so aligned with evil, we see many of the same behaviors and trends even today. How people will go directly against the will of God. Choose evil over good. But before we accuse and judge others, let’s first look at ourselves, at our own hearts, to root out evil. That the will of our hearts are to choose good over evil. The will of our hearts to choose God.