Dailies~ Advent
December 23, 2019
Luke 23, they took him to Pilate, they
took him to the leaders, and they knew Jesus was something special. Even
unbelievers knew that this was no ordinary man.
He could have called down angels to
take them out! He could have utterly destroyed these men who attacked Him, beat
Him and bragged about it; but what did Jesus do?
He went willingly to this end. He went
willingly to accept His ridicule, and torturous death on the cross. He went
because He knew also what would come of it. He knew that each of us that has,
or will accept that Jesus died on the cross for our salvation would be able to believe
because He did so.
He did so because He loved, loves us.
What will you do for Him? Not that we must
do anything but what will you do for Him?
Just because you love Him?
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving
us so much, thank you for the ultimate sacrifice you gave us that day so long
ago. Help us to live a life worthy of such a huge thing. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. 2 They
began to state their case: “This man has been leading our people astray by
telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he
is the Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked him, “Are
you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
4 Pilate turned to the
leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this
man!”
5 Then they became insistent.
“But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes—all over Judea, from
Galilee to Jerusalem!”
6 “Oh, is he a Galilean?”
Pilate asked. 7 When they
said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under
Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.
8 Herod was delighted at the
opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping
for a long time to see him perform a miracle. 9 He asked
Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. 10 Meanwhile,
the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting
their accusations. 11 Then
Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a
royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12 (Herod
and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.)
13 Then Pilate called together
the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, 14 and he
announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a
revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find
him innocent. 15 Herod
came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done
calls for the death penalty. 16 So I will
have him flogged, and then I will release him.”[a]
18 Then a mighty roar rose
from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release
Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas
was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the
government, and for murder.) 20 Pilate
argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they
kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For the third time he
demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence
him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
23 But the mob shouted louder
and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate
sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. 25 As they
had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and
murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
26 As they led Jesus away, a
man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the
countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him
carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large
crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. 28 But Jesus
turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but
weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the
days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are
childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have
never nursed.’ 30 People
will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ 31 For if
these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two others, both criminals,
were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they
came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And
the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.
34 Jesus said, “Father,
forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his
clothes by throwing dice.
35 The crowd watched and the
leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is
really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The
soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37 They
called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 A sign
was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals
hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving
yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
40 But the other criminal
protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We
deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he
said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43 And Jesus replied, “I
assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
44 By this time it was about
noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45 The light
from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple
was torn down the middle. 46 Then
Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed
his last.
47 When the Roman officer[i] overseeing the execution saw what
had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.” 48 And when
all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went
home in deep sorrow.49 But
Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at
a distance watching.