ESOCS Devotional 20 June 2023
MEMORY VERSE: “And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.” Mark 15:15
TEXT: MARK 15:1–15
And immediately when it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes and the whole council, held a consultation; and when they had bound Jesus, they took Him away [violently] and handed Him over to Pilate.
2 And Pilate inquired of Him, Are You the King of the Jews? And He replied, It is as you say.
3 And the chief priests kept accusing Him of many things.
4 And Pilate again asked Him, Have You no answer to make? See how many charges they are bringing against You!
5 But Jesus made no further answer at all, so that Pilate wondered and marveled.
6 Now at the Feast he [was accustomed to] set free for them any one prisoner whom they requested.
7 And among the rioters in the prison who had committed murder in the insurrection there was a man named Barabbas.
8 And the throng came up and began asking Pilate to do as he usually did for them.
9 And he replied to them, Do you wish me to set free for you the King of the Jews?
10 For he was aware that it was [because they were prompted] by envy that the chief priests had delivered Him up.
11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to get him to release for them Barabbas instead.
12 And again Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with the Man Whom you call the King of the Jews?
13 And they shouted back again, Crucify Him!
14 But Pilate said to them, Why? What has He done that is evil? But they shouted with all their might all the more, Crucify Him [at once]!
15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, set Barabbas free for them; and after having Jesus whipped, he handed [Him] over to be crucified.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
Our text today is a record of the beginning of the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth. From this account by Mark, we learn that Barabbas was a terrorist against the Roman government. On this occasion and others, it seems that Pilate was trying to find some reason to release Jesus. It was a custom of the Roman governor to release someone during the Passover/Pentecost feast. This was done in order to appease the most radical Jews of the Roman Empire who were in Jerusalem at this time. The nationalistic emotions of the multitudes, therefore, were running high. As a governor of the region, Pilate had to make compromises with the intense Jewish multitudes that had compromised the truth by rejecting Jesus, in order to prevent riots in the city. Their compromises sent Jesus to the cross. Jesus Christ kept His cool all through thereby showing us that the silence of a blameless life pleads more powerfully than any defense, however elaborate.
Both the multitudes and Pilate knew the truth, that Jesus Christ was innocent. They had to compromise the truth because the multitudes thought this would prove to the people that Christ was not of God and Pilate, on his part, wanted to please the crowd.
The world today, even the Church has thousands of people willing to please people and not God. When Peter and John were thrown in jail for healing a lame man and warned not to speak or teach at all in Jesus’ name, they refused to compromise instead saying, “We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard”. They lived according to their beliefs wholeheartedly. They refused to compromise. We as Christians need to be wary of compromise. Although, there are some areas where compromise is necessary, for example, marriage: there are other areas where compromise is very dangerous and even deadly. James warns the believers about compromise, even when we are trying to make peace. While we must work towards peace, we must never abandon our allegiance or compromise the truths of God and His word. We must never compromise our convictions.
Do not be part of the multitudes that wanted to prove a point, hence they compromised the truth and sacrificed Christ for Barabbas, nor be like Pilate that compromised because he wanted to please the people.
- Be bold to defend your beliefs any day, any time, and anywhere.
- God, grant me the grace of boldness to defend the truth at all times in Jesus name, Amen.
FURTHER READING: Deuteronomy 6:13–25; Ezekiel 34:11–16; Acts 8:4–25
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ESOCS Devotional 20 June 2023
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