#125. Crucify Him

Have you ever considered how much jewellery features a cross or crucifix?

The cross for people in Jesus’ time only meant one thing — execution!

In this morning’s reading we end with the crowd shouting crucify him!

Mark 15:1-15

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ asked Pilate.

‘You have said so,’ Jesus replied.

The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, ‘Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.’

But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

‘Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?’ asked Pilate, knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to get Pilate to release Barabbas instead.

‘What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked them.

‘Crucify him!’ they shouted.

‘Why? What crime has he committed?’ asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Our reading this morning shows how different people are. Only a few paragraphs before people couldn’t get enough of Jesus. But things changed drastically as the call now from that crowd was to crucify Jesus.

Pilate shows his weakness as he put popularity before integrity and justice.

Not one person stands up for Jesus.

As one writer put’s it -

Like Pilate, the Jewish leaders and that crowd declare: Barabbas is guilty—but Jesus is punished. Jesus is innocent—but Barabbas goes free. The prisoner exchange of Jesus for Barabbas shows us what Jesus’ death achieves for us: Jesus, the innocent one, is sentenced to death so that you, the guilty one, can be released to enjoy life!

Much love

Tim

#126. Mocking Him

How was school for you? I have mixed memories of school. I wasn’t an angel at school (in the nativity or in my behaviour) but I wasn’t public enemy number one. However, to my shame there were occasions when I would mock someone. Maybe it was because they wore grey trousers instead of black trousers or because they had an English accent! In today’s reading Jesus is mocked terribly by the Roman soldiers. 
Lets read it now - 

Mark 15:16-20 

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on Him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on Him. And they began to call out to Him, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ Again and again they struck Him on the head with a staff and spat on Him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.”

Today’s reading is so sad. Jesus is mocked by the ones whom He was about to die for. Jesus didn’t discriminate in His death on the cross. He didn’t say I’m going to die for those who loved me on earth or just for my friends. Jesus died for the whole earth. In one of Paul’s epistles we read this - While we were still sinners (or mockers), Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) 

This morning be thankful that Jesus doesn’t take revenge or He doesn’t deal with us according to our sin or repay us according to our wrongdoing (Psalm 103:10). 

What a saviour, what a brother, what a friend - 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69m3X-DQxOA

much love 

Tim