Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – John 18:19-40
Set – Jeremiah 22; John 18
Go! – 2 Kings 24; Jeremiah 22; Psalms 112; John 18
John 18:19-40
Annas (to Jesus): 19 Who are Your disciples, and what do You teach?
Jesus: 20 I have spoken in public where the world can hear, always teaching in the synagogue and in the temple where the Jewish people gather. I have never spoken in secret. 21 So why would you need to interrogate Me? Many have heard Me teach. Why don’t you question them? They know what I have taught.
22 While Jesus offered His response, an officer standing nearby struck Jesus with his hand.
Officer: Is that how You speak to the high priest?
Jesus: 23 If I have spoken incorrectly, why don’t you point out the untruths that I speak? Why do you hit Me if what I have said is correct?
24 Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas bound as a prisoner. 25 As this was happening, Peter was still warming himself by the fire.
Servants and Officers: You, too, are one of His disciples, aren’t you?
Peter: No, I am not.
26 One of the high priest’s servants who was related to Malchus—the person Peter attacked and cut off his ear—recognized Peter.
High Priest’s Servant: Didn’t I see you in the garden with Him?
27 Peter denied it again, and instantly a rooster crowed.
28 Before the sun had risen, Jesus was taken from Caiaphas to the governor’s palace. The Jewish leaders would not enter the palace because their presence in a Roman office would defile them and cause them to miss the Passover feast. Pilate, the governor, met them outside.
Pilate: 29 What charges do you bring against this man?
Priests and Officials: 30 If He weren’t a lawbreaker, we wouldn’t have brought Him to you.
Pilate: 31 Then judge Him yourselves, by your own law.
Jews: Our authority does not allow us to give Him the death penalty.
32 All these things were a fulfillment of the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way that He would die. 33 So Pilate reentered the governor’s palace and called for Jesus to follow him.
Pilate: Are You the King of the Jews?
Jesus: 34 Are you asking Me because you believe this is true, or have others said this about Me?
Pilate: 35 I’m not a Jew, am I? Your people, including the chief priests, have arrested You and placed You in my custody. What have You done?
Jesus: 36 My kingdom is not recognized in this world. If this were My kingdom, My servants would be fighting for My freedom. But My kingdom is not in this physical realm.
Pilate: 37 So You are a king?
Jesus: You say that I am king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the cosmos: to demonstrate the power of truth. Everyone who seeks truth hears My voice.
Pilate (to Jesus): 38 What is truth?
Pilate left Jesus to go and speak to the Jewish people.
Pilate (to the Jews): I have not found any cause for charges to be brought against this man. 39 Your custom is that I should release a prisoner to you each year in honor of the Passover celebration; shall I release the King of the Jews to you?
Jews: 40 No, not this man! Give us Barabbas!
You should know that Barabbas was a terrorist.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
How blind can you let yourself become to violate the most basic laws of human nature to avoid accepting that I am who I say I am? When I walked alongside you, the chief priests and leaders of the Jewish nation willingly determined to kill Me to keep their rules intact. Nevermind that murder carried a capital offense. Nevermind that everything I did brought good to those I served. Nevermind that the only things I said to those who listen brought truth to them about the Kingdom of Heaven.
The leaders began to plot My death early in My ministry because I disrupted their normal train of thought. They didn’t like a carpenter explaining scriptures in ways that lifted their burdensome rules from humanity and gave them the hope of salvation through faith in Me and My message for them. The leaders thought they saw in My message the demise of their institution and so they wanted My death more than they wanted the truth.
It’s still hard for Me to believe they would abandon their own beliefs to get rid of Me. Of course, I knew it would happen to fulfill scripture, but if anyone would uphold the commandments, you would think the leaders and teachers of those commandments would. But they didn’t. They figured My death meant their freedom. It would have if they believed in Me because My death is the sacrifice, the penalty paid for the sins of the world for all who believe I am God incarnate come to save people from their sins. For those who do not believe, they will remain chained by their sins and guilt.
You choose to believe or not. You choose to try to destroy My message and Me or not. Always your choice. Choose rightly.
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