This is the day….today, Jesus lays down His life that we might have life!

John 18

^28-29 They led Jesus then from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s palace. It was early morning. They themselves didn’t enter the palace because they didn’t want to be disqualified from eating the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and spoke. “What charge do you bring against this man?”

³⁰ They said, “If he hadn’t been doing something evil, do you think we’d be here bothering you?” ^31-32 Pilate said, “You take him. Judge him by your law.” The Jews said, “We’re not allowed to kill anyone.” (This would confirm Jesus’ word indicating the way he would die.)

³³ Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus. He said, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?”

³⁵ Pilate said, “Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?”

³⁶ “My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.”

³⁷ Then Pilate said, “So, are you a king or not?”

Jesus answered, “You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice.”

^38-39 Pilate said, “What is truth?”

Then he went back out to the Jews and told them, “I find nothing wrong in this man. It’s your custom that I pardon one prisoner at Passover. Do you want me to pardon the ‘King of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰ They shouted back, “Not this one, but Barabbas!”

This is the crowd, that just a week ago welcomed Jesus with shouts of Hosanna as He entered into Jerusalem. And now they are calling for the murder to be released and Jesus to be crucified. How fickle are people. How fickle are we.

Our hearts are so easily turned from one direction to another. That is why Jesus said we must build our house of rock not on sand – so that we would not be blown over at the first strong wind.

Do you know people who are easily swayed? I do. They come out with a strong statement but then they adopt the next thought and the next. They actually don’t know what they really believe. They are fickle, they call for Jesus, then they call for Barabbas.

Jesus is not an easy figure to follow. He demands our lives. He demands our souls. He tells us we will have trouble in this world. He says that they hated Him and so we should expect they will hate us. It is not easy being a follower of Jesus.

And yet, when the Holy Spirit breathes new life into us, we discover that we have strength for what we did not expect and conviction for what we were unsure of.

It is Good Friday and today we mark this day with great sorrow and joy. Sorrow at the price paid for OUR sin, and joy for the salvation which is ours.