The ‘MOST IMPORTANT’ CHOICE of our LIFETIME!
October
21 Bible Reading: Mark Chapters 13-16
The ‘MOST IMPORTANT’ CHOICE of our LIFETIME!
Now at
the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they
requested. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather
release Barabbas to them. Pilate answered and said to them again, "What
then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?" So
they cried out again, "Crucify Him!" Then Pilate said to them,
"Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more,
"Crucify Him!" So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released
Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be
crucified. (Mark 15:6, 11-15)
The
above scriptural passage brings us to the fake
trail of Jesus before the court of the Roman Governor Pilate. Since the
Feast of the Passover was observed in commemoration of the release of the
Hebrews from Egyptian bondage, the Roman governor customarily released a
prisoner during the Feast as a symbolic gesture of goodwill. The choice Pilate
proposed to the crowd was ironic: Jesus
Barabbas, the would-be political savior of Israel who was guilty of
rebellion and murder, or Jesus of
Nazareth, the true Savior of the world who had committed no sin!
This
story is one of ironic substitution. Pilate
knew the charges against Jesus were insubstantial, so he attempted to release
Jesus. However, the chief priests were guilty of envy and Pilate was guilty of
compromise. When Pilate offered to release Jesus by taunting the envious chief
priests, the people were incited to ask for releasing Barabbas. What a peculiar
irony that a revolutionary against Rome should be released by the cry, “We have no king but Caesar!” The very
ones who were charging Jesus with treason
against Caesar were asking the release of a man who was actually guilty of that crime!
Both the
Jews and the Gentiles were guilty of the execution of Jesus Christ because both
the priests and Pilate handed Him over to be crucified! Their
sins led to the release of an evil man Barabbas, and the death of Jesus, who throughout His trial and crucifixion was the
only one who did not act from fear, jealousy, or self-interest!
What
we can understand that all the players of this mock trial - the chief priests,
the Jewish elders, scribes, the whole Sanhedrin council and Pilate, the Roman
Governor - had the most important choice of their lifetime. This choice was
whether they would ask for the release of the innocent Son of God or the guilty
murderer. Sadly, they opted for Barabbas and thus condemned Jesus to be crucified.
What a wrongful and tragic choice!
Let
us remember that the most important choice that we have is whether or not we
will accept Jesus Christ into our heart as our Lord and Savior, and live our
life pleasing Him alone. We have to make this choice as soon as we are aware
about this matter. Have you made your
most important choice by accepting Jesus Christ? If not, today is the day
to make this most important choice and seal your destiny in heaven.
Moreover,
our everyday life consists of a series of
choices, whether good or bad. Through each choice we determine if we will
obey and follow the desires of God or, do the things of the world. Let every
other choice that you make daily be in conformity to the will of God as then
only can we truly please God, our Heavenly Father!
