The Week That Changed The World Devotional March 29

MARK 15:6-15 | 6 Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. 7 Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the insurrection. 8 So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. 9 Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12 Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14 Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified.

Under Roman governance, subject peoples had some control over their own affairs, political and legal, but none could exercise the death penalty as a punishment. This sentence was reserved for Roman officials, and in the form of crucifixion it was used to terrify and pacify their subjects. Its terrible pain and public humiliation were seen as a deterrent to anti-Roman behavior. It was reserved for insurrectionists, revolutionaries, and the most vile criminals. When the Jewish leaders bring Jesus to the Roman procurator, Pilate, they accuse Him of insurrection. In fact, His refusal to start a revolution is the reason the people are angry with Him and see Him as a failed Messiah candidate. Pilate saw through their lies. But being a man with no scruples save power, and yet not wanting to indict the innocent, he allowed the crowd to decide between a real insurrectionist and rebel called Barabbas, and a falsely charged one, Jesus. The crowd chose the rebel! Jesus was sent for death. This moment is injustice personified, evil triumphant, and power corrupted. Yet remember, Jesus was a willing sacrifice—He died for the rebel and the unjust person in all of us!

Read the rest of the crucifixion narrative in Mark 15:16-41.

Gracious God,
You turned a symbol of death, fear, and cruelty, a Roman cross, into a symbol of love and life. Thank You for dying to free the rebel in me.