My fictional story

Isaiah 53:3-12

You’re in the crowd, you heard him speak, you have seen the miracles, in fact you were one of the families who were fed at the dinner of the 2 fish and five loaves of bread, and many in the crowd were also there, but now it seems the Scribes and elders, and even the priests are in charge, this miracle worker is on trial.  The rumors are being told that Jesus said when ask by Pilate the governor “are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.”  But when accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 

 

I remember hearing one of my friends who knew one of the priest say, they were worried if this Jesus was allowed to keep going they would lose all the power and privileges, it seems like today Jesus has the deck stacked against him.  It is the feast time and the governor was accustomed to releasing one prisoner and I was sure others who had been with him who had experienced the miracles would ask for Jesus, but it’s feast time and so many thousands have come to Jerusalem, I’m not sure what they will do. 

 

I’m a little shocked at Pilate, he is offering up one bad guy, his name is Barabbas, he a notorious prisoner, and or Jesus, it seems like the governor is making it very hard for the chief priests and elders, for no one, not even them would want Barabbas, would they?  To my surprise they began to ask for Barabbas, and when the governor asked what should they do with Jesus who is called the Christ?  I was totally amazed the crowd yelled, “Let him be crucified!”  And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?”  But the crowd, the one I was part of began, and I found myself joining with them in yelling, “Let him be crucified!”

I did not mean it, I got caught up in the moment, but when Pilate had Jesus scourged, he no longer looked like the man who had fed us; he was almost beyond recognition.  And the crowd said, “His blood be on us and on our children!” I was crying by this time, so ashamed of my actions, but it seems the priest and the crowd had won; and Jesus is to be taken and crucified. 

 

As I took my family away, a righteous man who had no part of the crowd came and ask me why I was crying and I told him of how I got caught up in the crowd and knew my actions and the crowd were wrong.  He began to teach me from Isaiah how the Suffering Servant would be misunderstood by the people and they believed He was as One struck down by God for His own sins.  He told me he believed Jesus was the one Isaiah wrote about: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.  By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?  And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

In my fictional story, this man was presented with the Scripture, and now you also have the same opportunity as he.  What will you do with Jesus?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice