Thursday April 5, 2012

Read Mark 15:6-15

 

The intrigue continues. Jesus has been arrested and has been interrogated by Pilate. Immediately a crowd comes to Pilate and asks for the usual good will gesture of releasing a chosen prisoner for them. How did they know to come at that time? Did the leaders stir up a crowd? Did they gather the mob that arrested Jesus in the Garden? Where did this crowd come from?

 

Pilate was by no means a dope! He knew it was out of envy that Jesus was arrested and delivered to them. Maybe this realisation caused him not to offer the death penalty immediately as Jesus was first presented to him.  Pilate was no dope but he was ruled by the mob. Though he tried to state Jesus’ innocence and pleaded with the crowd to release Him, he was swayed by their insistence. They wanted Barabbas, a criminal who was jailed for insurrection and murder. Again we must ask, How did the crowd come to asking for Barabbas? Did the leaders start a mass chanting? Did the leaders put his name forth to many different people? One finds it fascinating that a crowd would chant for the release of a man imprisoned for murder and insurrection. Verse 11 tells us plainly that the Chief Priests stirred up the crowd.

 

And what of Jesus? The mass hysteria of the crowd, whipped into a frenzy by the religious leaders, demanded in unison that Jesus be crucified. Most of the crowd would have had no idea why Jesus was there and what crime He was accused of. Mob mentality took over. Pilate gave in! Jesus was flogged and was handed over to be crucified. It appears that the enemy had won.

 

Prayer:

¥ Pray that tomorrow’s service will bring great glory to Christ and conviction upon all who are present. Pray that the believers would love God more and recommit their lives to Christ. Pray that non believers or nominal believers would be granted repentance and faith and that we’d see many come to Christ for salvation.

¥ Pray that God would reveal the glory of Jesus to many this Easter. Pray that throughout Australia we would see the gospel faithfully proclaimed and that many would convert to Christ. Pray for God’s Spirit to be poured out upon this land.