“Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.” Mark 15:15
We are living in a time when what many call spiritual enlightenment, God calls apostasy. He is watching to see what we will do with Jesus – with His Word – with The Truth. Pilate was willing to stand up for Jesus as long as it didn’t cost him anything. But what will we do when Jesus (His Word, The Truth) puts us in an unpopular position with many around us? What if standing by Him (His Word, The Truth) puts us in a dangerous position? Will we be like Pilate and hand Jesus (The Truth) over to be crucified by the crowds, desiring to satisfy them in order to save our reputation, our status, our popularity, our position, our ambition, our lives? Or will we stand up for Jesus and His Word even if it that unpopular or dangerous position jeopardizes and costs all?
It’s not about us; it’s about Him and advancing His Kingdom in this earth, and it’s about the others He sends us to reach. God does and will ask us to go through things that do not seem pleasant, comfortable, or advantageous to us, things that result in death to self, in order to fulfill His will and purpose to reach the lost and those who have turned away from truly following Him. We might be the only witness He has to reach people in certain situations. Are we willing to follow Him and do whatever He asks us even when it costs us everything? Or are we only interested in “what’s in it for me?” If it’s hard, uncomfortable, or has too high a price will we convince ourselves God wouldn’t ask us to do it? If we don’t understand His reasons why, will we talk ourselves out of difficult assignments He gives? Or are we living sacrifices who are committed to take up our cross and follow Him wherever He leads? When we became Jesus’ disciples, He didn’t just give us His Spirit, power, covenant blessings and promises, He also gave us some nails and a cross. But the flesh will always try to convince us it’s OK to follow the path of comfort and self-preservation rather than the path of crucifixion. As the curtains draw to a close on this age, both light and darkness are reaching full maturity in mankind. I pray the church will not give the crowd the lawless “Barabbas” they are demanding and hand Jesus (The Truth) over to be crucified, but that we will stand by Jesus, His Word, the Truth and do all He asks regardless of the consequences.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also]. For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].” Matthew 16:24-25 AMP
