Who Do We Listen to

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

WHO DO WE LISTEN TO

Mark 15:3-15

3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of." 5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. 6 Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. 9 "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, 10 knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. 12 "What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them. 13 "Crucify him!" they shouted. 14 "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" 15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

NIV

Like a lamb led to the slaughter is how this fulfills the scriptures. Jesus would not defend himself against the onslaught of accusations of the chief priests, teachers of the law, and the elders. They had to have presented their case before Pilate if he was going to condemn Jesus to crucifixion. This form of punishment was for crimes against the Roman rule of law, not for any Jewish matter. Jesus would not give any response to the claims by the Jewish leaders, but that was already spoken of by Isaiah, as we started with:

Isa 53:7

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

NIV  

This had to make the Chief priests and the teachers of the Law and the elders even angrier and upset at him. Pilate must have been confounded by his silence. From the other accounts, we know that by now the chief priests, teachers of the law, and the elders, had gathered a crowd and had worked them into a frenzy against Jesus. How could just a few have so much influence on a crowd of people, who many may have had some positive experience with Jesus in the past, is amazing? For the whole crowd to yell and keep yelling louder and louder, “Crucify him” somehow does not make any sense. Again, Mark does not give us the details about Pilate's offer to release Jesus, but instead, they stirred the crowd up to want Barabbas released and Jesus to be crucified. Envy leads to hatred, and hatred destroys the heart of men. Envy was the core issue at the center of these actions by the chief priests, teachers of the law, and the elders. There positions of dominance over the hearts and minds of the common people were so severely threatened by Jesus, and it would appear or at least it seems to us, they became envious of him, for the people followed after him with such adoration, which they felt they should have from the people, not this Jesus. Their hearts were darkened by this jealously and envy until hatred overpowered them. This is a lesson we need to take to heart. There will always be someone who has more, is more liked, that has more respect and more influence on how people think. They will always be someone who is better equipped, has more education, more abilities, and more material things than we have. The key to being content is given to us in the peace that Jesus gives us. This peace, this Greek word carries the meaning of a soul, which is us, that is assured of its salvation through Christ and does not fear anything from God and is content with its lot in life, whatsoever that is. These men missed that kind of peace because of their greed or desires of their own. Life is far better if we leave that kind of life behind and move forward with the peace of Christ in our hearts. Let us not listen to the crowd, nor those who would incite them into a frenzy, but rather let our hearts listen to that still small voice within, guiding us to a life of peace.