Our Daily Devotions ECWA Daily Manna

THURSDAY, 13 APRIL 2023

TEXT: Mark 15:1-15

1: Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

2: “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “You have said so,” Jesus replied.

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 festival 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 self-interest 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.

(New International Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: CHOSE WHOM YOU WILL PLEASE TODAY

Jesus was bound and led to Pilate just like a sheep being led to be slaughtered (Isaiah 53:7). The disciples may have wondered how someone who had demonstrated so much power could so easily surrender to these soldiers! Nevertheless, there were others who held on to Him and never gave up.

The religious leaders, on the other hand, enjoyed the momentary victory they thought had come their way. They and their supporters thought that they were doing God a favour by condemning the One they considered a criminal and blasphemer. Unfortunately, they were wrong because the same scripture that prophesied about Him was before them all the time.

Pilate knew that they had condemned Jesus out of jealousy and that he had the power to release Him but he chose to please the crowd out of the fear of losing his position.

Like these groups, many believers today chose to go with the crowd even when it is obvious that the crowd is wrong. We prefer human applause and praise which are momentary than eternal glory which Christ offers those who endure to the end.

QUESTION: When life gets tough and you are hard - pressed, whom would you choose to please?

PRAYER: Help me to stand strong and not give in to the temptation of choosing my comfort and convenience over You, in Jesus name. Amen.