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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

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Matt 27:15-23

15 Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18 For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. 19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him." 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 1 "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. 22 "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" 23 "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"

NIV

Pilate made the effort to release Jesus for he knew that Jesus was innocent of the charges the Jews brought against him. Lies just do not stand up against the truth, but Pilate was also a made of Rome, a servant of Caesar, whose position was dependent on keeping the peace in Jerusalem. It is interesting that Jesus brought peace with God to us and here Pilate is attempting to keep the peace among men. But these men, the very people God chose as his own did not want the peace of Jesus, but their own peace of mind though ridding themselves of this Jesus who was disturbing this power over the people, and now they had a chance to reestablish this control by stirring up the crowd to chose Barabbas over Jesus as the one to be released because of the custom Pilate had of releasing a prisoner because of the feast. They also stirred up the crowd to yell, “Crucify him!” Most of the people in the crowd had no idea what wrong, if any, that Jesus had done. They were just being manipulated by the chief priests, teachers of the law, and the Pharisees that were in the crowd. How important it is to think for ourselves rather than allow some person to control our thinking. This applies to all aspects of life, including our spiritual life. Not only are they many false teachers and preachers out there, but it can also happen within any church. We want to put our trust in our pastor that he will lead us in the right direction, after all that is what a shepherd does for his flock. The shepherd takes his sheep to green pastures and by still waters. However, it is also our responsibility to check everything we hear with the word of God. It is the Spirit who leads us into all truth, and so he gifts us with discernment, to tell the truth from that which is meant to manipulate. This is certainly not to say every pastor wants to control his congregation. By no means! It is merely that we have to be able to think for ourselves, study the word for ourselves, and be led by the Spirit so that we know what we know to be the truth because it has been revealed to us through the power of God. Many Pastors have put in the work and studied the word and desire to bring the truth so as to help people see the truth. But we also have to be aware of those wolves in sheep’s clothing, many of whom broadcast their silver-tongued messages in order to influence as many as possible for their own personal gain. The normal Jew of that day relied on the teachers of the law and the chief priests to guide them in the ways of God, but they were only used and abused for the purpose of evil men pretending to be religious. Let us do the work, study the word, and prepare ourselves with the truth and the guidance of the Spirit to know the difference between the truth and deception when we hear it.