Crucify, Crucify, Crucify

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

CRUCIFY, CRUCIFY, CRUCIFY

Luke 23:13-25

13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him." 18 With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" 19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) 20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" 22 For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him." 23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

NIV

Interestingly, Luke records that Pilate attempted to release Jesus three times because he found no fault in him. Still, three times the chief priests, rulers, and the people shouted, “Away with him”, “Crucify him!”, and even louder, “Crucify him!”. It is as if the three times are a repetition of Peter’s three denials. However, the point here is the chief Priests and rulers now had their opportunity to exact revenge on Jesus. Their hatred for him had driven them to commit murder, as in fact, they had already committed murder in their hearts. We think their hatred was motivated by envy and jealousy of him because so many people left their leadership to follow Jesus. They were powerless, unable to match any of the things he did or taught. All they could do was watch their authority over the people slip away little by little at first, then in large numbers as more and more of the people wanted more of Jesus and less of them. However, we also know all this was being done according to the will of the Father, and actually also the Son and the Spirit. The will of God will always trump the will of men. That is one lesson we should take away from this, but there is one other lesson that is available to us. It is this jealousy and envy in the hearts of men that drive their attitudes to the point of committing murder with their hearts.  Jesus taught that lesson, that hatred, or anger within our hearts toward our fellow believers is the same as murder and subject to judgment. We must be careful not to allow anything to interfere with our love and our mutual respect for each other. This includes not thinking more highly of ourselves than we should, refusing to listen or spread gossip, putting others above our own self-interests, plus many more attitudes and behaviors that are not part of loving the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. We can never allow anything within us to want to cry, “Crucify, Crucify, Crucify”.