We are Just Like Them

In Mark's account of Jesus' "trial" before Pilate (15:1-20) and what follows we can see three definite groups who took part in the betrayal, conviction, and brutal treatment our Savior suffered. Each displays the raw, savage, insane wickedness of the human heart in a different way. WE ARE JUST LIKE THEM.

Someone has put the "scale" of wickedness-to-love like this:

• To return EVIL for GOOD is DEVIL Like
• To return EVIL for EVIL is MAN Like.
• To return GOOD for GOOD is MAN Like.
• To return GOOD for EVIL is GOD Like.

Note the DEVIL LIKE evil of each group below. See yourself (before or apart from the new life the Savior gives) in each.

Group One: The Chief Priests. They rejected Christ because He EXPOSED them as the religious hypocrites they were (Mt 23). When they confronted Christ He called for change...HEART change. He shined the heavenly light of holiness into their temple-coated darkness. It was unacceptable in His presence to remain the same. So...They chose to KILL HIM rather than REPENT.

It is our hearts, as well, to choose to reject and do away with Christ rather than repent and follow Him.

Group Two: Pilate. He gave Jesus over to death to SAVE HIS NECK. Pilate was already on shaky ground in terms of the Jews in Jerusalem. He could not afford a riot or his position would be taken away along with all the privileges that Rome granted. He knew Christ was not guilty of death in a Roman court. But when the cry to "Crucify" came and the cry to release Barabbas instead of Jesus rose to a frightening pitch, he gave Jesus over to be flogged and taken to the cross. At the heart level, Pilate loved Pilate, not truth or justice or the true God...or Jesus.

In our unredeemed hearts, as well, we love us and not Jesus. We'll give Him up to save our necks.

Group Three: The Romans Soldiers. They imposed the most crass and wicked mockery of Jesus as FAKE ROYALTY. They raised their hands and spit against Him in a soldier's game of cat and mouse. They dared in the blind insanity of their hearts to raise their hands against the King of Heaven. Blind, wicked insanity. They opened his flesh to the bone with their cat-o-nine-tails and beat his head and face beyond recognition (Isaiah 52:14).

We, as well, before INFINITE MERCY transformed us, raised our fists and hearts and did violence to the King of Heaven. We mocked His divine royalty with every choice we made to be lord of our own lives. We set ourselves up to be his antagonists. And there was no trembling.

Do you see yourself in these three groups? If not, try Romans 3:9-20 or Jeremiah 17:9 or Isaiah 53:6. When we see our sin more as God sees our sin we can see our SAVIOR more as He is and we can glory in our great forgiveness and we can be set free to LOVE HIM with all our heart and soul and mind and strength. A light view of my sin leads to a heart that loves with no might.