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Mark 15:6-15
In Mark 15:6-15 is the trial of Jesus before Pilate with the crowd, guided by the chief priest, as the jury. God has given man every opportunity to exhibit some form of redemptive action in preventing the death of Jesus, as if man had any form of redemptive ways to exhibit. But the result was a resounding “NO!” Jesus has come before one who commonly released a prisoner at the feast every year, and yet this year with Jesus being without sin was offered to be set free but the crowd refused with so much animosity that they demanded that a known criminal, a murderer be released instead and that Jesus be condemned to death on the cross. Jesus has already pleaded His innocence long before the trial as He declared in John 8:42-47 (NKJV), “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God’ nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
This is an example that man, in his own ways, is controlled by the devil.
Jesus came to save that which was lost (Matthew 18:11), and we are all lost in sin until we answer the call from God to repent – to turn from our evil ways and follow Him. He sent His One and only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we may be saved through Him. We cannot redeem ourselves no matter how hard we strive to do so. We must let go of our own ways and begin seeking God’s will for our lives if we want to be saved from the evils that control our lives. So I ask you today, “Are you holding on to sin because you think you can overcome it by yourself?” Let it go today and ask Jesus to forgive you of it, for it is the only way to redemption from sin (John 14:6). Trust Jesus and you will be set free from the chains of sin.
Dear LORD,
We continue to be so lost in sin that we cannot even see that we need to be saved from it. But You are greater than we are, and Your ways are above our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Please open our eyes so that we may see Your great love for us in Your One and only Son Jesus and open our ears so that we may hear the message of the gospel and be saved – in Christ! In Jesus name I pray, amen.