Defile Them

Scripture: John 18:28-32 (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

28 Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. 29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?” 30 “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted. 31 “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. 32 (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.) (John 18:28-32 NLT)

Annas and Caiaphas had both judged Jesus guilty of heresy (false teaching) and blasphemy (claiming to be the Son of God). But Roman rule didn’t allow the Jews to execute a person for a crime, so they needed to have Jesus “tried” and condemned by the Roman military governor Pilate to carry out their murderous plan.

Friends, I have been deeply impacted by this year’s daily journey through the gospels of Matthew and John. Today’s reading brings out one of the things that has impacted me negatively and painfully all through both of these accounts of Jesus’ ministry. The driving force behind all the opposition Jesus faced was the leadership of the very religion whose redemptive purpose and prophecies Jesus came to fulfill.

There were many ordinary, faithful Jews who kept the law, who celebrated the feasts, who faithfully offered the sacrifices, and worshipped and prayed to God. But the Jewish leaders were so threatened by Jesus’ message of the Kingdom of God that they finally initiated a plot to have him killed at any cost. They chose Pilate as their “hit man” to murder Jesus. Yet at the same time, they were so “faithful” to their religious rules that they couldn’t defile themselves by entering Pilate’s headquarters and they had to have Jesus dead by sundown so as not to violate the “Sabbath.”

The seeds of this deception exist in my own heart (temptation to commit to an ideology and sacrifice love and truth to maintain it) and in the church (temptation to violate Jesus’ law of love to enforce doctrines and maintain systems). Who will be able to stand in his presence? He that has clean hands and a pure heart!

Prayer:

Father, Forgive us. Sometimes we know not what we do! Open our eyes and hearts to see and hear the truth of Jesus’ Gospel of the Kingdom and his message of love. Amen.