At the start of Advent, our Pastor encouraged the congregation to prepare for Easter by reading the last three chapters of each gospel, and that’s where I’ve been camping out.
I confess, there’s a part of me that wants to skip over some of the verses that I’ve already read a dozen times or more, but my inward groaning is met with a gentle reminder.
Don’t settle for yesterday’s moldy bread.
Last night I returned to the 19th chapter of John, and as I neared the end, I was humbled by the fresh insight that God gave me.
So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged (flogged, whipped) Him. And the soldiers, having twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and threw a purple cloak around Him. And they kept coming to Him and saying, Hail, King of the Jews! [Good health to you! Peace to you! Long life to you, King of the Jews!] And they struck Him with the palms of their hands. Then Pilate went out again and said to them, See, I bring Him out to you, so that you may know that I find no fault (crime, cause for accusation) in Him. So Jesus came out wearing the thorny crown and purple cloak, and Pilate said to them, See, [here is] the Man! When the chief priests and attendants (guards) saw Him, they cried out, Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no fault (crime) in Him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and according to that law He should die, because He has claimed and made Himself out to be the Son of God. So, when Pilate heard this said, he was more alarmed and awestricken and afraid than before. He went into the judgment hall again and said to Jesus, Where are You from? [To what world do You belong?] But Jesus did not answer him. So Pilate said to Him, Will You not speak [even] to me? Do You not know that I have power (authority) to release You and I have power to crucify You? Jesus answered, You would not have any power or authority whatsoever against (over) Me if it were not given you from above. For this reason the sin and guilt of the one who delivered Me over to you is greater.
John 19:1-11 (AMP)
Gods perfect plan of redemption for mankind included the wickedness of Christ’s accusers and the cowardice of Pilate.
The priests, who had gotten caught up in their rules and traditions, were in religious bondage rather than a true relationship with God. They led the crowd, demanding that Pilate put Jesus to death based on a charge of blasphemy.
Pilate caved under pressure from the Jews and the priests, having Jesus scourged and then crucified. He appears to be more selfishly concerned with himself and what man thought of him rather than doing the right thing. In spite of believing that Jesus was innocent, he gave Him to His accusers to be crucified.
As Jesus was nearing death on the cross, He speaks one last time to His mother, Mary, who was nearby.
So Jesus, seeing His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, said to His mother, Dear woman, See, here is your son! Then He said to the disciple, See, here is your mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her into his own keeping, own home.
John 19:26-27 (AMP)
Even in the midst of a brutal, agonizing death, Jesus’s concern wasn’t for Himself.
It was for her.
Dear women, here is your son!
Here is yet another example of Jesus obeying his Father, and the seeing to the needs of others. He fulfilled His role as Mary’s son, obeying the commandment to honor His mother, and saw to it that she would be cared for once He was gone.
I don’t need to look far to see how devastating it can be to get caught up in religious practices rather than have a real walk with Him. Serving God had become a ritual for the priests and Pilate, rather than a walk of faith, trust, and obedience. Their hearts were for themselves, and Jesus contrasts their actions by making it all about others all the way to His death.
Today I was once again reminded that I shouldn’t be willing to settle for what I learned yesterday. No matter how many times I open to the same scriptures, God wants to provide me with a fresh Word and new insights that are sufficient for today and can be built upon tomorrow.
Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).
John 6:35