Matthew 27 -- What A Shame

“All the leading priests and older leaders of the people decided that Jesus should die.”  Those thought to be closest to God were responsible for the death of His Son!  They’d paid Judas 30 pieces of silver to betray Him, but Judas was remorseful after finding that they planned to kill Jesus, so he threw the money back to the them and left.  In their unimaginable hypocrisy, they agreed that they couldn’t accept the money, because it was “blood money” that paid for a man’s death (but it had been Temple money and they were the ones who’d paid it!)

 

After a short trial, Pilate could find no reason to kill Jesus, but those same religious leaders insisted upon His death.  Pilate then chose the worst prisoner in custody as “the other choice” of whom to release for Passover – Barabbas or Jesus.  Any right-minded citizen would quickly have chosen Jesus, but the leaders stoked the crowd into calling for Barabbas’ release!

 

Pilate declared himself not guilty of Jesus’ death, and the religious leaders and all the Jewish people present answered, “We and ur children will be responsible for His death.”  And well they have been over the centuries.

 

The Son of God was stripped, beaten, mocked, ridiculed, and spat upon by the Roman soldiers.  He refused any attempts to deaden His senses as He took on our sins in death.  He went out fully aware of all that was happening.  Upon His death, three miracles occurred – the curtain in the Temple was torn from top to bottom (indicating that man now had access to God through Jesus’ death and that priests weren’t needed); an earthquake shook the land (when the Law had been given, an earthquake rattled Mount Sinai and now this earthquake signaled that the demands of the Law had been met, my commentary said); and some saints arose from the dead and appeared in Jerusalem.  All of this caused a Roman centurion to decide that truly Jesus was (and is) the Son of God.  It’s amazing how many Old Testament Scriptural prophecies were fulfilled on that day, pointing us right to Christ as the Savior of the world from before the world was made!

 

Father, how utterly blinded by power and closed-minded  those religious leaders were.  They wanted to protect You rather than do Your will, and in doing so they condemned themselves and their nation.  Please help me not to run afoul of Your will.  Show me what it is and help me to obey.

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford