As I write I find the coolness of the inside much more inviting than the heat of the outside.

We had some wind and clouds yesterday, still hot, but at least a bit of relief.  It will continue to be in the high 90’s for a couple of days, but it is supposed to cool into the 80’s for a day or two – it will be welcome.

It has been a long year since I went my first operation – and it will be a few more months before the next one that we hope will help my A-fib problem.  We are hoping that will work the first time through – although he has warned me it works the first time only about 50% of the time.

All in all, though, the challenges are nothing compared to what many of you have and are going through.  We may not know why, but it is and we do what needs to be done.  Many of you have been a strong inspiration to me – I thank you.

John 19:19-22 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of The Jews.

²⁰ This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.

²¹ Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.

²² Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

We look at Pilate and condemn him for turning Jesus over to the Jewish leaders knowing they would crucify Him.

He declared Jesus innocent of wrong doing, yet, he allowed his soldiers to torture him, he ridiculed him and humiliated Him.  When that was not enough, he turned Him over to the Jewish leaders to be crucified.

Pilate talked to Jesus, He listened to Him – he appears to have had some compassion towards Him – yet he still turned Him over to the Jewish leaders to be crucified.

Pilate listened to Him and found no fault in Him, he would not crucify Him but told them to do it on their own, yet in the end only he could sanction crucifixion and he still turned Him over to the Jewish Leaders to be crucified.

Why?  Why knowing that Jesus had committed no crimes would he beat Him?  Would he authorize Christ’s crucifixion?

He was afraid, afraid of the Jewish leaders and the rabble facing him that night.

Verses 19:7-8 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

⁸ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;

He was afraid of rebellions; of riots in the street.  He was more afraid of man, even with Roman soldiers to support his decision than he was on doing what was right.

Even with a warning from his wife Mathew 27:19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.  he continued the ‘trial’ of Jesus.

He had the authority to release Jesus, but he was afraid, he was afraid of what man can do and didn’t consider what God can do.

We know that he was but the means to fulfill the Scriptures, that Jesus had to die for us – but if he had not given into the people would that death have been delayed, and Christ’s deity been more accepted?

Don’t know, because he chose to given Him up to the Jewish leaders to be crucified.

We like to think that all this was put into motion and that the actors had no choice but to follow the ‘script’ as it was written – yet that cannot be true. 

We are agents of free will, we make choices to either obey God or not.  Anyone of those persons that participated in the farce  of an arrest and trial could have changed their mind. 

They did not.

Had they not, someone else might have, but they chose to crucify Jesus.

Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

Pilate yielded to the leaders, even though he knew it was a wrong decision.  He put the placard above Jesus’ head in three languages, so all there could read it, and when challenged refuse to change the wording.

With all his authority, power and ability to enforce his decision why did he torture, humiliate and allow an innocent man to be crucified?

It was expedient.  It was easier to deal with the Jews by kowtowing to them than to risk a troublesome uprising.  What was one more Jew to die?  What did it matter?

At least he would have peace in his domain.

I often wonder if he had peace in his life from this point on.  His wife had warned him.  He watched the crowd rejoice in their blood lust of killing an innocent man.

If he believed what he posted, did his actions haunt him as ours sometimes do in the o-dark-thirty moments?

Who cares?  Pilate allowed Jesus to be put to death and therefore we should not worry about what he felt.  He killed Jesus; by his fears he condemned his own self into whatever hell, living and death, he resided/s in.

WE should care, because he is an example to all of us of how easy it is to be intimidated by others into denying our Jesus.

WE have the advantage of knowing who Christ is.

WE have the advantage of God’s Word guiding us in a life lived for Christ.

WE have the advantage of the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and comfort.

WE should care, because satan works on us, as he did Pilate, and we sometimes fail to stand our ground for Christ.

WE do not crucify Him, but we don’t witness for Him when we know that to do so may be uncomfortable for both us and the other person(s).

WE give up and hide under some false satisfaction of thinking we had no choice.

Instead of being what we think Pilate should have been, honest and refusing to yield to forces he knows were wrong, we give in and keep our mouths shut.

We may not be in a position to preach to hundreds or thousands.

Our actions may not affect thousands of others, but we do see people every day; people who need God but are resistant to Him.

People who the Holy Spirit is guiding us to, maybe not to preach or witness to, but just contact and start the process of gaining their trust – and showing compassion of Christ to them. 

The Holy Spirit will do the rest, in both guiding us, and preparing their hearts for His message.

WE need to have Pilate’s lesson in fearful resignation, help us realize that satan works on all of us.  To realize that we need to ask God to help us overcome fear and do the right thing.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again