Mark 15:1-15
Mark’s account of the Sanhedrin, the chief priest, the elders, and scribes binding Jesus and taking him to Pilate shows the foolishness of religion. Binding God with ropes can’t keep Him from doing what He is not willing to do! Yes, it is stupidity! Religion wants to believe it is in control, and yes I do agree with Blaise Pascal’s quote: “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.” While Jan and I were in Jerusalem, we went to the east gate, the Muslims have had brick masons close the opening so that when Jesus returns He will not be able to enter through the East Gate. So once more we see religious men acting like fools as if rope or bricks can keep God from being God. It is so stupid it makes one wonder how much faith does it take to believe such foolishness?
A note needed at this point; I am a follower of Christ, I am not into religion but a relationship with the living God, who is, and who is to come. When I was young I was a Baptist, the truth was told about God and His only Son, but I was happy with just being a Baptist, I was not into truth. But at 27, I began to search for truth, and Jesus says; “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” And I ask a real live person to forgive my sins and come into my life that is called a relationship.
Pilate saw through these religious guys, he understood they were jealous and feared Jesus, and they wanted him to remove a competitor but Pilate was captivated by this man Jesus, listen to his question: “Are you the King of the Jews?” And this is Jesus’ reply; “You have said it.”
The chief priests began to accuse Jesus of many things, and Pilate was amazed that not once did Jesus reply or defend Himself. Pilate would have fit in well with the guys in Washington D.C. in that his goal was to talk big but do nothing. He had a plan to ask the crowd whom they wanted him to release that was the custom at the festival. However the crowd was demanding that the Chief Priest ask for Barabbas, a rebel that had murdered during the rebellion.
So Pilate asked then what should I do with the one you call the King of the Jews, and the crowd shouted, “Crucify Him!” Picking up Mark’s account in verses 14-15, “And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged[a] Jesus he delivered him to be crucified.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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