Tough Times

Tough Times

Intro.: This has been a tough week.

I spent most of the week preparing for Saturday's meditation
But in the middle of it, I also had dinner with the DS and his wife at their home.
I finished my official work at cardiac rehab, but signed up for more of the same as part of a maintenance program.
I started taking classes at RIT – no tests, no grades, but going into a group of people I do not know is difficult just the same – at least for me.
A busy week. And a trying week.
But I expect that it was not as busy and trying for me as it was for Jesus in the hours following His arrest and trials.

Read: Matthew 27:1-26

Pray

T.S. Jesus' final interaction with the priests and Jewish leaders and with Pilot teach us a number of things about sin and how we can handle it.

Jesus' meets with the Chief priests one more time
1. The trial that took place accomplished nothing. It was an illegal trial – and thought they had hoped to force a verdict, it would not happen.
2. Now morning has come and something has to happen. But, because they can do nothing, they decide to send Jesus to Pilot the governor.
3. It is complete. Jesus, who knew no sin, has taken our sin. He is being tried as a sinner.

(Appl.) Think of the worse thing you have ever done. It may have been a child, a teen, or as an adult. You may have told someone about it – or maybe you have kept it to yourself all these years. But it has left you drained. As Jesus makes that trip from Caiaphas' home to Pilot's court, he carries with Him your sin. Regardless of how bad that sin may have been, Jesus carries it with Him.

(Ill.) Someone has suggested that sin is like something thrown into an ocean. If it is too light, it floats. It is obvious to all who see it. Unforgiven sin is sort of like that – we may be able to hide it from those around us, but you know what, we will see it. But a sin that we have confessed to Jesus and allowed him to deal with is hidden. It is like that thing we threw into the ocean. What if it were a weight from the weight room. It would not float, it would sink. And it would be covered so that nobody, not even you, would see it. When Jesus takes our sin, he covers it. He hides it. He deals with it.¹

Now being taken to the governer – for what, they think, will be a fair trial.

Jesus comes before Pilot
1. Matthew includes a brief parenthesis about Judas' regrets for betraying Jesus. It's not where I want to spend my time this morning, but I also do not want to neglect noting that sins is never as simple as it looks.
2. Pilot takes the straight forward approach.
3. “Are you the King of the Jews?”
4. Jesus is as straight forward in his answer. “You have said so.”

(Ill.) Of course this only half true – you see he is the King of the Jews. But he is also the King of Kings. He is the Lord. He is my Lord – I trust He is your Lord.

But Pilot was weak – he gave in to the crowd rather than follow his conscience. The biggest evidence that Pilot knew that Jesus was innocent was his choice of Barabbas. Barabbas was a notorious prisoner. Just as Pilot knew his reputation, so did the entire community. The contrast between Jesus and Barabbas was obvious. Pilot thought he was safe – surely they would choose to set Jesus free.
But they didn't – and Pilot would not do what is right. He followed the crowd.

(Appl.) It is easy to follow Pilot's example – to follow the crowd rather than do what was right. I like to think that we as adults have out grown the peer pressure crowd; but, as Pilot illustrates, we may never out grow it. Decide what is right – choose to do it, before you ask what others are doing.