Unlimited: Crucify Him!

Aug 14, 2024 1821

“Crucify him!” they shouted.

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him” (Mark 15:13-14, NIV)!

Pilate asked the crowd what he should do with Jesus. It’s never a good idea to ask the crowd about moral issues.

The question has to be asked, “Why did the mob demand the death of Jesus?” After all, during the preceding days the people of Jerusalem came in their hundreds, and perhaps even thousands, to hear his teaching. A few days ago, they hailed Jesus as their king, and now they called for his execution. What could have caused this change?

The Chief Priests rounded them up to influence Pilate so that he might condemn Christ.

This is the fickle mob, who always finds it easier to do the bidding of its leaders than to do what is right based on of principle. These are majority, who do the bidding of their political and religious leaders, and who always vote along religious or party lines.

And so, the mob demands the death of Christ.

Pilate desperately searched to find a way to release Jesus, because he knew that he was innocent. So, Pilate tried to argue with the crowd.

But the mob was unreasoning, and the more that Pilate insisted that Jesus was innocent, the more that they screamed for his blood.

“They” shouted, “Crucify him!” We live under the tyranny of “they” – the tyranny of the crowd. “They” shout into our lives in a million, different ways.

“They” each have their own reasons for why they choose to crucify Christ in the way they think, the way they live, and in the way they treat others.

– Eliezer Gonzalez

Eli’s Reflection: Stop and take stock of your life. In what ways do you follow the mob?

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