First Step - day 5

Today’s Bible Reading

Mark 15:1-20

1 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate.

2 “Are You the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “Yes, it is as you say,” 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 Feast to release a prisoner who the people requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the [rebels] 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 envy 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. 16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on Him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on Him. 18 And they began to call out to Him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck Him on the head with a staff and spat on Him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him.

Applying God’s Word in My Life:

1. Who participated in Jesus’ death? Why would each of these groups want Jesus dead?

2. Who would you hold most responsible for Jesus’ death—the religious leaders, Pilate, the crowd, Barabbas, the soldiers or yourself? Why?

3. How does the release of Barabbas illustrate what Jesus did for you?

Today’s Key Verse:

Isaiah 53:6

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the [sin] of us all.

Who’s To Blame?

What is the worst of all evils? It’s not homicide or even genocide. No, it’s the murder of God’s Son! That is what happened over 2,000 years ago when Jesus was hung on a cross.

for His blood? All these, to be sure, share the guilt.

The great artist Rembrandt captured the truth of Scripture in one of his paintings. It shows Christ on the cross, with a mob surrounding Him. In the shadows at the edge of that appalling scene stands a man. Who is it? Rembrandt himself! By including himself, the artist confessed that he too was responsible for Jesus’ death.

Have we realised that Jesus bore our guilt on the cross? (Isaiah 53:6). Because we have all sinned (ignored and rejected God, our Creator), we are all responsible for the crucifixion as much as the soldiers who carried out the actual execution.

Who does God the Father hold responsible for what happened there? The religious leaders who plotted the Saviour’s execution? Pilate, the cowardly Roman governor? The harsh soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross? The crowd who called

Let us, then, take our place alongside Rembrandt. Only let’s not stand there. Let’s kneel in thanks that Jesus took our punishment for us.

—Vernon Grounds

When Jesus Christ my Saviour suffered loss, He gave Himself because He saw my need; It was my sin that nailed Him to the cross; I cannot blame another for the deed. —Hess

The only people God forgives are those who confess their guilt.