It's a Heart Issue

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

IT’S A HEART ISSUE

John 18:28-32

28 Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?" 30 "If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you." 31 Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. 32 This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.

NIV

Although this indicates, once again, the foreknowledge of Jesus, being God, there is another point in this conversation which leads us to another life application. Even though the Jews wanted desperately to have Jesus put to death, they would not enter the palace of the Roman governor so as to avoid ceremonial uncleanness. Their hearts were so ceremonially unclean what would being in the palace change that? But they were more concerned about their religious rituals then the condition of their hearts. They had convinced themselves what they were doing to Jesus was based on their faith, or we should say religion, rather than on their own desires. Their charges against Jesus were based on religious blasphemy, not on breaking civil law, yet they lied to Pilate inferring Jesus was such a criminal he was worthy of execution. Their hearts were as dark and as unclean as any men could be, yet they wanted to be able to celebrate the Passover. What hypocrisy resides in the heart of men! Do we place religious ritual above the condition of our hearts? Do we place denominational doctrine above the condition of our heart? Do we place the ritual of Sunday morning worship and Sunday school attendance above the condition of our heart? Do we place daily reading in the scripture, even daily prayer, even daily devotions above the condition of our heart? Are we more concerned about looking like a Christian, going through all the right motions, then being one? Yes, we could argue that God caused them to act in this manner, because of the phrase about this happened so that words of Jesus would be fulfilled, but he said it with foreknowledge knowing the hearts of these men who he said were like white-washed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. This is our life application. We must ensure we are not like these men. We must make every effort to examine, to be aware of the condition of our heart above all else.   Looking religiously clean on the outside may have some merit, but it is being clean on the inside which receives merit from God.  It is a heart issue.