November 3 - Mark 15:2-5, Matthew 27:11-14, Luke 23:1-12, John 18:28-40, Mark 15:6-15, Matthew 27:15-26, Luke 23:13-25, John 19:1-16, Mark 15:16-20, Matthew 27:27-31

Good morning everyone,

Today as we continue the story, Jesus has been betrayed by Judas Iscariot, taken in the middle of the night to Annas, whom the Jews considered their high priest, for a preliminary hearing. Annas then sent Jesus to Caiaphas, who too, by the cloak of darkness, mocked Jesus until morning when the high council would convene to approve the hearings, justifying their own preconceived guilty verdict. However any death sentence had to be approved by Roman officials and so Jesus was sent to stand before Pontius Pilot, governor of the province of Judea.

Pilot’s relationship with the Jews was shaky, at best, often offending the religious leaders which resulted in rioting and chaos. He was trying to control a people who treated the Roman army with no respect. Already a volatile situation, use your mind’s eye to see Pilot as they now come knocking on his door demanding the crucification of Jesus. 

Pilot never had any doubt that Jesus was innocent, three different time he declared Jesus not guilty. He even tried to pawn Jesus off on Herod, but Herod wanted nothing to do with the situation and sent Jesus right back, but not before getting a few licks in. Pilot’s own wife told him, “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” And yet, peer pressure and the fear of the “angry bee’s hive” of a crowd caused him to relent and give them what they asked for. Jesus would be flogged, which in many ways is so much worse than death, and then crucified. I will not go into what flogging looks like but will instead include the YouTube webpage of the flogging scene from the movie ‘The Passion of Christ’. Most would agree it to be a fairly accurate account. I must advise it is pretty hard to watch but when/if you do, ask yourself, “who would you go through that for?”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BXeAW4g0ZM 

In 1Corinthians 11:1, Paul says, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” I am not suggesting that you go out and get yourself flogged, but what I am saying is that a little bit of selflessness goes a long way. However, it requires an enormous amount of love to be able to have a selfless behavior, to suffer even little for someone. We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves, but this is not always an easy task, impossible without Christ. The apostle Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” It is only through Jesus that our attitudes can be changed and molded towards unselfish behavior. I would encourage us all to carefully examine all that we do and live each moment as imitators of Christ. Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …