TRIED

As Jesus returned to his sleeping disciples after praying, Judas and a multitude of armed men came.  As soon as Judas came, he came to Jesus and said, “Master, Master” and kissed him.  The kiss was the sign that the armed ones needed to identify Jesus as their captive.    The guards took Jesus away.

Jesus was taken before the high priest.  Chief priests, elders, and scribes were with him.  They all looked for false witnesses against Jesus but their witnesses couldn’t agree on their testimony.  The high priest asked Jesus, “Are going to say nothing?”   Again, the high priest asked him, “Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?  Jesus replied, “I am, and ye shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven.”  The high priest saw no need of more witnesses as he felt Jesus was a liar so Jesus was condemned to death.  Many there begin to spit on Jesus and slap him.

In the meantime, Peter was in the palace with the others in the crowd warming himself at the fire.  One of the maids saw him and said that he had been with Jesus.  Peter denied this.  He moved to the porch and heard the rooster crow.  The maid saw him again and again repeated that he was one of “them”.  Peter denied again.  A little bit later, others saw Peter and said surely he was one of them as he was a Galilean.  Peter began to curse and to swear and said, “I know not the man of whom you speak.”  As soon as the words left his mouth, he remembered what Jesus had said…..and Peter went away and wept.  In spite of his assumed boldness for his Jesus, the sadness at his denial.  Sadly, I often see my denying self in the denying Peter.

In the morning, Jesus was delivered unto Pilate.  Pilate, I believe, would have released Jesus.  I believe he believed in Jesus’ innocence and tried every way he had to release him.  His “out” was that at the “feast”, tradition had it that one prisoner could be released.  Pilate was certain the people would want the release of Jesus, not knowing maybe that the chief priests had stirred the people to want to crucify Jesus.  

Pilate asked the people whether he should release Jesus or Barabbas, a convicted murderer.  The people wanted the release of Barabbas and said, “Crucify Jesus”.  I can almost see the crowd as a rioting crowd.  

Then I think of Barabbas.  As I have said often, I imagine him in his cell, bound, hearing the footsteps of the solders coming for him, thinking his time was come.  Then they open the cell and tell him he is free.  How must he have felt?  Disbelieving, ecstatic, shocked, speechless?  

Jesus came to die for our sins, that was the plan all along.   John 3:16 says that “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  That includes me, you, and Barabbas.  

Consider…..