LUKE 23 (PART 1): STABBED IN THE BACK

Have you ever been
thrown under the bus -
unexpectedly condemned by a friend;
or been stabbed in the back
by someone you trust,
without warning or expectation.

Unfortunately, I think we all have been.
And it really sucks, and it really hurts.

This had to be how Jesus felt
when Judas betrayed Him
with the kiss of death,
and when one of His best friends,
Peter, denied him, over and over again.

Yet, that was not even the worst of it.

We are going to see
in Luke Chapter 23
the torture that was initiated
by God's chosen people
who come from the branch
of His family tree.

“Then the whole assembly
(Jewish leaders) rose
and led him off to Pilate
(Roman leader), and they began
to accuse him, saying,
“We have found this man
subverting our nation.
He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar
and claims to be Messiah, a king.”

Subverting our nation?
Are you kidding me?
Can you imagine what Jesus
must have thought
when His own kinsmen
called Him corrupt?

It’s just another example
of how the world is turned
upside down, and inside out!

So Pilate asked Jesus,
“Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

Then Pilate announced
to the chief priests and the crowd,
“I find no basis for a charge
against this man.”

But they insisted,
“He stirs up the people
all over Judea by his teaching.
He started in Galilee
and has come all the way here.”

“On hearing this, Pilate asked
if the man was a Galilean.
When he learned that Jesus
was under Herod’s jurisdiction,
he sent him to Herod,
who was also in Jerusalem
at that time.”

“When Herod saw Jesus,
he was greatly pleased,
because for a long time
he had been wanting to see him.”

I immediately thought
of baby Jesus
when the order was given
by Herod himself,
to kill all the male children,
two years and younger,
was put out.

I remember baby Jesus
born in Bethlehem
and God giving Joseph a dream
- a warning to get out!

I remember Joseph and Mary
and baby Jesus
escaping the wrath of Herod,
by hiding in Egypt
until it was safe to come back.

And yet,
here we see Jesus,
as an adult,
being delivered to Herod's doorstep,
just like a cat brings back a mouse
to the door of his master!

And there was Herod,
comically pleased,
that the Messiah
was nothing like a king!

“From what he had heard about him,
he hoped to see him perform
a sign of some sort.
He plied him with many questions,
but Jesus gave him no answer. “

“The chief priests and
the teachers of the law
were standing there,
vehemently accusing him.”

“Then Herod and his soldiers
ridiculed and mocked him.
Dressing him in an elegant robe,
they sent him back to Pilate.”

Can you imagine the humiliation?
Being mocked and ridiculed
by your own?

“That day Herod and Pilate
became friends -
before this
they had been enemies.”

Wow! I didn’t know this.
The killing of Jesus is what brought
the Jews and Gentiles together.

How incredibly sad is this!

“Pilate called together
the chief priests,
the rulers and the people,
and said to them,
“You brought me this man
as one who was inciting
the people to rebellion.
I have examined him
in your presence
and have found no basis
for your charges against him.
Neither has Herod,
for he sent him back to us;
as you can see,
he has done nothing
to deserve death.
Therefore, I will punish him
and then release him.”

But the whole crowd of Jews shouted,
“Away with this man!
Release Barabbas to us!”
(Barabbas had been
thrown into prison
for an insurrection in the city,
and for murder.)”

“Wanting to release Jesus,
Pilate appealed to them again.
But they kept shouting,
“Crucify him! Crucify him!”

“For the third time he spoke to them:
“Why? What crime
has this man committed?
I have found in him no grounds
for the death penalty.
Therefore I will have him punished
and then release him.”

“But with loud shouts
they insistently demanded
that he be crucified,
and their shouts prevailed."

"So Pilate decided
to grant their demand.
He released the man
who had been thrown into prison
for insurrection and murder,
the one they asked for,
and surrendered Jesus to their will.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭23:1-25

I will return tomorrow
with the culmination to all of this,
because just writing about this
makes me sick to my stomach!

To release a man
who actually killed someone,
yet hand over an innocent man,
to be judged and condemned to death
is beyond excuse -
it's ridiculous!

God help us!
What is wrong with them?
It makes me wonder,
have we learned anything from this?

Are we choosing the curse,
instead of new life through Jesus?

The same men
who listened in the temple,
the same men
who laid down garments for Him,
the same men
who traveled from distant lands,
the same men
who gave up their lives for Him,
the same men
who followed the Law -
never really saw Him at all!

The WORD was spoken
but very few heard.
The WORD was sent
but very few responded to it.

I ask you this -
are you the bride of a Christ?
Are you impregnated
with God’s WORD?

Are you sanctified?
Have you been set apart?
Are you purified
by the precious blood of Christ?

Are you willing to lay down your life?
Are you willing to be a living sacrifice?
Are you ready
to stop following the world?
Are you ready to stand alone?

Are you ready to go to Heaven, 
when Jesus comes again?

Can you feel Holy Spirit
steering His body
find His head?