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In Pilate's Judgment Hall
When Jesus came out of the Gethsemane he was prepared to face what lay ahead of him. A pack of armed men, carrying torches, made their way toward him. The disciples, who had been sleeping woke up, blinking bleary eyes against the sudden brightness that surrounded them. Judas materialized from the shadows and kissed Jesus twice, on both cheeks.
And then everything seemed to fall apart. The armed mob converged on the lone, exhausted figure who, just days ago had been hailed by the people as a king. As they seized him the disciples realized what was happening. Peter pulled out his sword and sliced off Malchus’ ear. The rest of the disciples looked ready to bolt.
Jesus intervened. He healed Malchus’ ear, told Peter to put away his sword, and pointedly asked the mob why they had come to take him under cover of darkness when he had been preaching publicly all week long. No one gave him an answer.
Instead, the mob arrested Jesus, the disciples fled and Judas slithered off to collect his blood money. Words were unnecessary in the dead of night. At this point, the only thing that mattered was action.
They brought Jesus to the home of Caiaphas the high priest where a clandestine assembly of scribes and elders had been convened for a quick, low profile trial. False witnesses were brought in but none of them produced the information the council was looking for. They needed something substantial to pin on Jesus. Something that would justify a sentence of death but nothing was forthcoming.
Finally, in desperation, Caiaphas demanded “are you the Christ, the Son of God?”
So far Jesus hadn’t answered a single charge brought against him. He felt no need to defend himself or justify his actions because he knew that he had acted in accordance with His father’s will. He also knew that nothing he said could change the course His father had set for him.
This final question though was a game-changer. It was a question regarding His identity. One that He needed to answer as a witness and a testimony to everyone listening.
With quiet dignity, he answered in the affirmative adding “hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven”
It was enough to condemn him for blasphemy and insurrection. Jewish law forbade a man from making himself God. Roman law did the same citing insurrection against the empire. Only Caesar could call himself a god and Rome only needed one of those.
While Jesus was inside the great hall of Caiaphas’ home Peter was outside in the courtyard warming himself by the communal fire, trying to be as inconspicuous as he possibly could. But he got pulled into the fireside conversation and as neutral as he tried to appear, he caught the attention of one of the household servants who identified him as one of Jesus’ disciples. Immediately Peter squirmed with discomfort and denied having any association with the man currently on trial. He didn’t stop to think about what he was saying, just blurted out a response to save his hide from being nailed to a wall. But the servant's comment caught the attention of the others who sat around the fire.
Eventually, just as the cock was crowing for a second time that morning Peter denied Jesus for the third time. As the words left his lips, Peter felt his heartbreak. He remembered what Jesus had said to him just a few short hours before and how vehemently he had refused to accept the warning. At that moment, when the words of betrayal were still fresh on his lips Peter looked up and saw Jesus, looking directly at him. Their eyes locked and instead of the condemnation he expected to see burning in Jesus’ eyes all Peter saw was compassion and disappointment.
Heartbroken he bolted from the courtyard weeping all the way. He had denied his master. Something he had sworn he would never do just hours before.
Peter’s denial was not the act of a moment. It was the result of a series of bad choices and missed opportunities.
When Jesus warned him of what lay ahead, instead of choosing to heed the warning Peter refused to accept it. Then when he was given the opportunity to strengthen his faith through prayer he chose instead to take a nap. Finally, when he came into the courtyard at Caiaphas’ home he pretended to be a part of the crowd who had brought Jesus in for questioning.
Each choice he made brought him one step closer to denying his best friend. But unlike Judas who threw away his blood money and then hanged himself, Peter genuinely repented of his sin and found restoration at the foot of the cross.
Peter's story is full of lessons but perhaps one of the most important is this; pay attention when God speaks to you through His word. Don’t casually dismiss warnings and reproofs. God sends them to you to save you from a path that might lead to your destruction.
Having finally extracted the admission he was looking for Caiaphas wasted no time. He hauled Jesus off to Pontius Pilate, at the crack of dawn and demanded an audience. Pilate, who was the Roman Governor of Judea was not convinced that Jesus was guilty of anything he was being accused of. Neither did he believe that he deserved to die.
Pilate’s assessing gaze took in the situation in a heartbeat. He understood the jealousy, greed, and lust for power at play. It was a game common to all humanity, one that was consistently and constantly played throughout the Roman Empire. He didn’t want to give in to the fickle demands of the Jewish leaders. His Roman pride recoiled from it and his experience as an adjudicator resisted their flimsy arguments.
But the Jewish leaders knew how to push his buttons. After several failed rounds of negotiations, Pilate decided to absolve himself of the guilt of an innocent man’s blood by offering the people a fair exchange.
It was a common custom to release a prisoner during the Passover celebration. Pilate used the opportunity to try to secure Jesus’ release. Bringing up a notorious criminal, wanted for both murder and insurrection, Pilate offered the crowd a choice. They could either free the convicted criminal Barabbas or the innocent, badly beaten, and silent Jesus.
Pilate was sure the people would choose to set Jesus free. He was wrong. Incited by the ruler and priests they called for Pilate to set Barabbas free. Shocked and dismayed Pilate asked them “then what shall I do with Jesus who is called King of the Jews?” “Crucify him!” they screamed.
Pilate called for a bowl and washed his hands, symbolizing that he was absolved from the guilt of shedding innocent blood. When he told the Jew as much they all screamed “His blood be upon us and our children”
It was a chilling snapshot of an irrational mob high on bloodlust. But it was also a lesson in how fickle human opinion is. The same people calling for Jesus' blood had just days before, called for his ascension to the throne.
How do you make sense of that? Jesus had done nothing wrong. For years he had moved among the Jewish people, his people, healing, teaching, preaching, alleviating suffering whenever and where ever he saw it. He loved the people. And yet, spurred on by the jealousy of the priests and rulers and carried away by the energy of the mob they turned on him in a heartbeat, as ready to kill him as they had been to laud him as their sovereign.
That should tell you something about adoring crowds and popularity. Both are fickle and both will fail you. It isn’t in your best interest to lean too heavily on either pillar for support.
Jesus didn’t deserve to die. Yet He did. He was treated like a criminal, scourged and spat upon by the very people he came to save.
And yet he was God. He could have stopped the entire farce in the blink of an eye but he choose to endure it to its bitter end. That is the most powerful part of his story. God in human form chose to endure humiliation, suffering, and death in order to save the very creatures who murdered Him. All while holding the fragile chord of their life’s breath in the palm of his hand.
That kind of intentional sacrifice is what makes the God of the Bible worthy of not only our worship but also our heart’s allegiance. God is love because even when it's easy to hate and destroy, even when he has the power to do both, He chooses love and sacrifice.
Take a minute to think about that.
