Is there some person you don't like having to be responsible to
and maybe you look forward to being able to get away from him or
her? I hope you will not behave as these people did!
"The chief priests and teachers of the Law" had Jesus on trial
before Pilate, the Roman Governor. They accused Jesus saying, "This
man claims to be Christ, a king."
"So Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?' ‘Yes, it is
as you say,' Jesus replied.
Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no
basis for a charge against this man.' But they insisted, ‘He stirs
up the people all over Judea by His teaching.'" 1*.
The real reason for them wanting Jesus put away was His
teaching. They did not want to believe that Jesus was who He
claimed to be - the Messiah and the Saviour of the world whom God
had promised to send. 2*. They were satisfied with their religion, and
Jesus' teachings were upsetting and questioning what they
believed!
Are you willing to carefully find out what Jesus really
taught? Or would you be afraid of finding that His teachings
disagreed with what you want to believe?
Pilate could not find anything to punish Jesus for, but he wanted
to please the priests and religious leaders. Neither Pilate nor the
religious leaders wanted Jesus to be telling them what to believe
and what to do!
In order to try to get off having to make a decision about Jesus
Pilate sent Jesus off to be judged by King Herod. 3*. But Pilate had made a decision! It
was clear what he thought about Jesus - this Saviour and King is
not for me!
What about YOU? What decision are you going to make about
Jesus who claims to be the only Priest and Saviour you need
to make you right with God? 4*. If you prefer to have someone else forgive your
sins and to tell you what to believe about God, you are saying,
"Jesus is not for me!"
Now King Herod was a wicked man who had refused God's warnings to
turn away from his sinful living. 5*. "When He saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased,
because for a long time he had been wanting to see Him."
6*.
The sinful Herod talked away to Jesus - "but Jesus gave him no
answer"! 7*.
How like many sin loving people today who talk away to God in their
prayers; and fool themselves into believing He is answering them!
They ignore what God has said sin does - "your sins have hidden His
face from you, so that He will NOT hear"! 8*.
If you want God to hear you pray to Him you must come in
repentance and faith. That means, you must want to be turned
from sinful ways and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as
your only hope of acceptance and forgiveness. 9*.
King Herod and his soldiers did not want to repent and have faith
in Jesus! They "ridiculed and mocked Him. Dressing Him in an
elegant robe, they sent Him back to Pilate." 10*.
I hope you are not going to say "Jesus is not
for me!" as these did in Luke chapter 23, verses 1-12.
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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There will be another message for you next week.
Bible quotations from N.I.V.
1Luke 23:1-5.
2 John 5:39-40. 1st John
4:14.
3 Luke 23: 6-7.
4 Hebrews 8:1-2. 10:9-14.
1st Peter 3:18.
5 Matthew 14:3-12.
6 Luke 23:8.
7 Luke 23:9.
8 Isaiah 59:6. Micah 3:4.
Psalm 66:18.
9 Acts 20:21. 26:20. John
14:6.
10 Luke
23:11.
