What Group were you in?

John 18:38-19:16

When it comes to the death of Jesus, many have played the blame game, and there were many actors, Judas, and we should never forget that he was hand picked by Jesus who had full understanding that he was a thief and would sell Him out for thirty pieces of silver.  We also have the religious leaders, the Pharisees and priests who believed in Jesus, yes, they believed He was God, but because of fear of losing their position and standing of importance in society they remained quiet.  John’s gospel refers to them, “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”(John 12:42-43 ESV)  But there was another group of the authorities, the Pharisees and the priests who hated Jesus because He exposed them for being lovers of self and not lovers of God, they looked good on the outside, but their hearts were full of evil.  Matthew’s gospel gives this account of them, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:27-28 ESV)

What about the other eleven handpicked disciples, where were they when Jesus was being examined by Pilate?  The Scriptures do not speak to any of them being there, were they no-shows, it does seem so, not one came as a character witness to the inquest before Pilate.  In fact, we do not have any account of the many who Jesus healed from leprosy, the many who He restored their sight, and not even Lazarus whom He raised from the dead.  What happen to the hundreds who just moments in time were doing and saying such things as, “The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them? They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:6-11 ESV)

There is an old Negro Spiritual that asks this question, “Were You there” and it goes like this: “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?  Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?  Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?”  I wished they had added another verse, “Were you there when Pilate said “I find no guilt in him.”  As you read the account in John 18:38-19:16, a question should be asked, what part or group did I fit into as Jesus stood before Pilate? 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice