Good Friday… part three… what He suffered for me…
At this point and time in Israel… the Jews had no authority to kill a condemned man… they were under Roman rule…
So they took Him to Pilate… the governor of Jerusalem… to accuse… question… condemn to death…
Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him…
Luke 23:13-16 NKJV
Pilate found no guilt in Jesus… but Pilate was more afraid of a Jewish uprising… than God…
If Pilate did not keep the peace in Jerusalem… he would be in trouble with Caesar… so he tried to appease the Jews by giving Jesus a beating… and then setting Him free…
Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. But they shouted saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
Luke 23:20 NKJV
When Pilate saw he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” …
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. and they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
Matthew 27:24-25, 27-31 NKJV
They nailed an innocent man… the only innocent Man in all history… on a cross…
There he hung for six hours… excruciating… hours…
When the crowd yelled… His blood be on us and our children… they had no idea what they were saying… a blessing some would soon cry out for…
His blood is on all our hands… every person ever born or yet to be born… every sin committed… past… present… future… big or small… put Jesus on the cross… His blood is on our hands…
Have you accepted your responsibility… for His unjust death…?
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