The Question becomes,
Matthew’s gospel records,
“Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.
Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”
But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.
At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.
So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”
For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.
“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!”
“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” Matthew 27:11-24.
The above is Matthew’s account of the trial of Jesus before the Roman Governor Pontius Pilot.
At the trial of Jesus that day we have the world in microcosm. We have the religious leadership of the day, we have the average person in the crowd, and we have the secular Roman governor. We also had God the Father.
The religious leadership had brought Jesus before Pilot to be put to death. They’d trumped up some charges but not having the authority to impose the death penalty themselves the brought Jesus before the Roman governor who did.
The religious leadership could have dropped the charges. Or upon being given the choice between a “notorious prisoner, called Barabbas”, and Jesus, they could have let Jesus go. Instead they chose Barabbas.
The Roman governor who from the text knew what the religious leaders were doing could have released Jesus. Even his 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.”
The crowd was also given a choice to release Jesus. However they chose to follow the leading of the religious leadership and called for Jesus to be crucified.
God was also present at this trial also. Jesus is the Son of God. God could have in a show of his power sent angels to rescue Jesus. After all what better way to prove who Jesus was. However God’s ways are not our ways.
God asks man to no matter the circumstances to have faith in Him and His ways.
The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.
Jesus was not the conquering Messiah the Jews of the day were looking for. Jesus is the suffering Messiah described in Isaiah chapter fifty-three that states,
“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD'S will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors .For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53.
This is the central belief of Christianity. Jesus died for the sins of all who would believe in Him. The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways but in these last day he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir to all things and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
As I said this is what Christians believe. It is what Christians present to the world.
So the question becomes who do you think Jesus is?
Please think about it.
Matthew’s gospel records,
“Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.
Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”
But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.
At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.
So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”
For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.
“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!”
“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” Matthew 27:11-24.
The above is Matthew’s account of the trial of Jesus before the Roman Governor Pontius Pilot.
At the trial of Jesus that day we have the world in microcosm. We have the religious leadership of the day, we have the average person in the crowd, and we have the secular Roman governor. We also had God the Father.
The religious leadership had brought Jesus before Pilot to be put to death. They’d trumped up some charges but not having the authority to impose the death penalty themselves the brought Jesus before the Roman governor who did.
The religious leadership could have dropped the charges. Or upon being given the choice between a “notorious prisoner, called Barabbas”, and Jesus, they could have let Jesus go. Instead they chose Barabbas.
The Roman governor who from the text knew what the religious leaders were doing could have released Jesus. Even his 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.”
The crowd was also given a choice to release Jesus. However they chose to follow the leading of the religious leadership and called for Jesus to be crucified.
God was also present at this trial also. Jesus is the Son of God. God could have in a show of his power sent angels to rescue Jesus. After all what better way to prove who Jesus was. However God’s ways are not our ways.
God asks man to no matter the circumstances to have faith in Him and His ways.
The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.
Jesus was not the conquering Messiah the Jews of the day were looking for. Jesus is the suffering Messiah described in Isaiah chapter fifty-three that states,
“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD'S will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors .For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53.
This is the central belief of Christianity. Jesus died for the sins of all who would believe in Him. The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways but in these last day he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir to all things and through whom he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
As I said this is what Christians believe. It is what Christians present to the world.
So the question becomes who do you think Jesus is?
Please think about it.
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