THE EASTER STORY (4)

BY EVANGELINE UNITY ESAABA FOLSON

Matthew 27: 20 – 23

But the Chief Priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should save as Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, whether of the two will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas

Pilate saith unto them, what shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all said unto him, let Him be crucified.

And the governor said, why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more saying, let Him be crucified.

Matthew 27 gives an account of Jesus before Pilate the governor. The Jews asked that Jesus should be crucified although Pilate did not find Jesus guilty of any crime. It also gives a summary of activities leading to Jesus’s death and burial.

Verses 20-23 of Mathew 27 talk about Jesus’s encounter with Pilate. Jesus was put before the high priest Caiaphas first. He found Him innocent but since the Jews insisted, He was guilty. Jesus was therefore sent to Pilate, a higher authority. He also found Him innocent but the Jews still insisted He was guilty and should be crucified.

What can we learn from this?

Prophecies from God would always be fulfilled.

Matthew 27:22-23,

Isaiah 53:3-5

Be bold enough to defend your faith and beliefs.

Matthew 27: 24

Revelations 2: 10

Do not allow yourself to be deceived by false accusers

Matthew 27: 20 – 21

Matthew 5: 37

PROPHECIES FROM GOD WOULD ALWAYS BE FULFILLED

Isaiah 53:3-5

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquired with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him, he was despised and we esteemed Him not.

Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes, we are healed.

Prophecies from God will always be fulfilled no matter how long it takes or how winding the road to fulfillment is. The prophet Isaiah predicted hundreds of years before the death and resurrection of Jesus happened.

Everything happened just as He said. Even the unreasonable way the Jews treated Jesus was part of the plan to make it possible for everything to be fulfilled.

Matthew 27:22-3 has already been quoted at the beginning of this write-up. Pilate gave up his authority to make the final decision because he knew Jesus was innocent and had to be set free. He left the Jews to decide the fate of Jesus, their own tribesman. This was necessary to make the prophecy God gave Isaiah come true.

BE BOLD ENOUGH TO DEFEND YOUR FAITH AND BELIEFS

Matthew 27:24

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing but that rather a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person see ye do it.

No Christian should behave like Pilate did and wash his hands off an issue relating to defending his faith and beliefs. He knew the Jews were wrong so He should have insisted that Jesus should be released.

The bible says in Revelations 2:10 that;

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you unto prison, that ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

God knows we would have to defend our faith and beliefs at a point in time and things would be very difficult. However, He directs us to be faithful unto death and He would reward us with the crown of life or eternal life. Are you ready to remain faithful to God even in difficult times? Take a step of faith and God will do the rest.

DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE DECEIVED BY FALSE ACCUSERS

Matthew 5:37

But let your communication be, yea, yea or nay, nay; for whatever is more than these cometh of evil.

The verse above encourages us to be honest, if you believe something is true, stick to your confession do not allow other people to change your stand based on some fake doctrine or desire for revenge.

In Matthew 27:20-22, the Chief Priest and elders were able to persuade the multitude to condemn Jesus for no-fault, H was innocent. Do not associate yourself with people who cook up theories and stories to condemn someone you know in your heart is innocent.

CONCLUSION

It is very important that we defend our faith and beliefs at all times. Study the bible carefully so that you will know how to defend your faith and beliefs.

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