Read Matthew 27:11-31 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
1. How did Jesus respond to the accusations against Him?
2. What did the crowd demand?
3. How did Jesus suffer?
Reflect
The religious leaders, those who wanted Jesus crucified, brought Him before a Roman official so that they could avoid the responsibility of sentencing Him to death. But Pilate talked himself into the same kind of logic, and he blamed the crowd for Jesus’ execution. Both the Jewish and the Roman leaders thought themselves innocent, but the only true innocent one was Jesus.
We can fall into the temptation to avoid responsibility for our sin, too. The punishment for our disobedience has been paid, but that doesn’t give us the license to continue sinning without remorse. When we remember Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, it reminds us of the weight of our sin – we were dead without Him.
When you understand how deeply you need Jesus, your gratitude for His saving power increases all the more. He will never shame you for the mistakes you make; He wants you to repent, to turn and run after Him. And if you’re experiencing hardship or the consequences of someone else’s sin against you, take comfort from today’s reading that He can empathize with you, no matter what you’re going through.
Respond
How do you view yourself? Do you tend to fall into shame over your sin, take pride in your works, rest in what Jesus has done for you, or find yourself somewhere in the middle? What can you do this week to remind yourself of who God says you are?