Every year at ...Passover the governor would free one prisoner whom the people chose. A man named Barabbas [was in] prison... a rebel [who] committed murder. The crowd came to Pilate ...to ask him to free a prisoner.
So Pilate asked, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?” Pilate knew the leading priests turned Jesus in because they were jealous.
But the leading priests persuaded the people to ask Pilate to free Barabbas, not Jesus. Pilate asked the crowd again, “So what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” They shouted, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked, “Why? What wrong has he done?” But they shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”
Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he freed Barabbas for them. After having Jesus beaten with whips, he handed Jesus over to the soldiers to be crucified. (Mark 15:6-15 NCV)
Most people wonder how the crowd could be persuaded to ask for a convicted murderer rather than the innocent Jesus. But is it really so hard to believe?
In America, interest in Jesus, and especially church, has dropped dramatically since the days of the Jesus People Movement of the 70's.
Why? What's become more popular? All we need to do is look at what fills our windows to the world—our tv's, movies, digital gear and computers. What is seen? Violent gaming, pornography, vampires and zombies, politics, sports, money and materialism, and other things that feed our self-indulgence.
Before you react in self-defense, consider what moves and motivates you. What are you most emotional and passionate about? What's true and spiritual in nature is often no match for emotion, passion, and desire. But what's the end result?
[bctt tweet="What moves and motivates you. What are you most emotional and passionate about?"]
So who do you think you would choose—Barabbas or Jesus? Who you would choose is most likely seen by what you choose each day. Look at the choices you make day in day out. Think about it, before you react as the crowd did. ©Word-Strong_2015