Greater Sin

Scripture: John 19:7-11 (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

7 The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. 9 He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. 10 “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?” 11 Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” (John 19:7-11 NLT)

Greater sin? If you gauged the magnitude or seriousness of sin by contemporary Christian morality, you’d think that the greatest sins are sexual sins, and the lesser sins are things like hate, unforgiveness, bitterness, slander, lying, greed, and stuff like that.

In fact, throughout history, church history and my personal history at least, the “greater sins” tend to be the sins other people are sinning, and the lesser sins are the ones I’m sinning. My point is, it seems as if it’s much easier to excuse our own sins, whatever they may be, and to judge and condemn the sins of others. That’s problematic, you know. Because sins are not disposed of by excusing them, they’re forgiven by the mercy of God!

As Jesus is preparing to make provision for that forgiveness, he makes a profound statement about what constitutes “the greater sin.” The greater sin is willful sin done in willful ignorance of truth or in willful disobedience to truth. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. (James 4:17 NLT)

The Jewish religious leaders had the greater sin because for hundreds of years they had the benefit of the knowledge of God’s laws, of God’s promise of a Messiah, of hundreds of prophecies about the Messiah, and yet they chose to remain willingly ignorant of the truth. Their love for power and for their positions of leadership authority, their personal greed, and their intentional blindness to the Truth before them caused them to demand the death of God’s only Son! Pilate in his pagan, brutal ignorance, had less sin than the religious leaders with all their “knowledge” of God’s law.

Prayer:

Father, What a weight of knowledge and responsibility rests on us “Christians” today! How we need your grace to acknowledge our own sin and refrain from judging others for their sin! May we be merciful that we may obtain mercy! For your Kingdom’s sake!