Journey through Lent – Day 22
Mark 15:1-5
Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”
But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.
Look – they’ve changed the charge against Jesus. First, it was blasphemy, but that doesn’t mean anything to a government that doesn’t honor God. They make the new charge treason: He wants to be king of the Jews. To the leaders, it means he’s a leader of the resistance against the empire.
The trial begins but as Pilate hears the testimony, he begins to doubt that this man is a fanatic. He questions Jesus but Jesus gives to reply.
The crowd will have to try something different…