BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY:
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.
~ John 18:33-40 ~
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.
~ John 18:33-40 ~
THOUGHT:
It was hard for me to pick a passage from the last day of Jesus' life. Trying to pick out one part of the day that was most important is pretty close to impossible, at least for me. Every moment that was recorded from this day shows us something invaluable about God's great love and his plan for the salvation and redemption of this world. Every moment shows us something invaluable about the sacrificial life we are to live if we are followers of Christ. Though I could not find the most important passage, I found a passage that I think is an interesting moment in Jesus' last day.
I find this passage interesting because it shows a one on one conversation between Jesus and someone who has no religious affiliation. Up until this point Jesus has been questioned and beaten by the religious leaders who's main concern was trapping and silencing him, not finding the truth. The conversation in this passage is different because Pilate is actually looking for the truth. Jesus, rather than being condescending and judgmental in his conversation with Pilate, asks questions and speaks honestly and boldly about his identity and purpose. Jesus says that he came to testify to the truth and Pilate, instead of waiting for the answer to his question about truth from the person who calls himself "the way, the truth, and the life", turns away before hearing what Jesus would say.
Pilate missed out, and so many times we miss out too. We miss out on hearing the truth of Jesus and who he is. Maybe we miss out because we are like the Jewish leaders who were threatened by Jesus' presence and afraid of losing control or power in our own lives. Maybe we miss out because we are like Pilate and we are too caught up in thinking about what the people around us want rather than who Jesus really is and what he wants of us. But Jesus is patient and persistent in sharing the truth with whoever will hear, even today. Especially today, on Good Friday, Jesus is inviting us to know and understand the truth of who he is and what he has done for us.
CHALLENGE:
Wherever you are in your walk of faith, today is the day to remember and mourn the death of Jesus. It's a day to think about why he died and what that means for our lives today. Even if you have never done so, today might be a great day to attend a Good Friday service. There are many happening all over New Haven and at least two happening on campus (information below). Check one out with the same question in mind that Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?", and look for the answer.
Elm City Vineyard Good Friday Service-
6-7p, Af-Am House, MP room
Yale Christian Fellowship Good Friday Service-
11pm, Af-Am House, Game room (downstairs)
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