Chapter Overview
Jesus is taken to Pilate, the Roman governor who sees no guilt in Him. Even Pilate’s wife has a dream about His innocence. But the Jewish crowd is insistent that Jesus be crucified. One criminal is to be released, and they choose to release a murderer, Barabbas, instead of Christ. Jesus is mocked, beaten, and crucified between two criminals. When Judas sees all this taking place, he throws away the money he received and runs off to hang himself. After six hours of suffering, Jesus dies on the cross. At that moment the veil of the temple is ripped in two, and the earth quakes. A centurion remarks: “Truly this was the Son of God!” A rich man named Joseph asks for the body and buries Jesus in a new tomb.
This is the darkest moment in human history. The Jewish people put to death the very Messiah for which they had been waiting. They were angry and adamant and said, “His blood shall be on us and our children!” He was their Creator, their Savior, and the entire purpose of their law, and their envy and pride had blinded them to the truth. In all of this, Jesus was silent before His murderers. He knew His blood had to be shed to bring about a new covenant and cleansing to the world. We must never let pride blind us to the worthiness of Jesus. And we must always be grateful He was willing to endure suffering and death for our redemption.
Gracious Lord, it is shameful the way Your Son was treated and put to death by sinful men. It is sorrowful to realize that we too are sinners, and because of our sins, He had to die. Please forgive us of sins against You and against our Savior. Help us to be thankful for His sacrifice and live to honor it. As the earth shook at His death, we know the earth will shake again at His return. May we not wait until then to proclaim Him as Your Son. We will do so now and forever.
Thought Questions
- 1Have you ever felt despair like Judas, having sinned against Jesus? How is it vital to respond like Peter in those moments and not like Judas?
- 2Why are envy and greed so powerful and dangerous? Are you willing to give Jesus total control of your life, or do you guard it jealously?
- 3Joseph showed great courage in requesting the body of Jesus. Can you find a moment today to be the one who steps up on Jesus’ behalf?