While Jesus was a king, He was a different kind of king. He was a spiritual king, which neither the Jewish leadership nor Pilate understood. The Jewish council had accused Jesus of blasphemy because He had claimed to be the Son of God. Ironically, this was the truth. But blasphemy would not be a reason …
The Jewish leadership made false claims against Jesus as they brought Him before the Roman governor, Pilate. The leadership had made a show of their trial of Jesus. They were determined to find Jesus guilty of something before the trial even started. They had to depend on false witnesses to trump up some charge against …
Repentance versus remorse can make the difference between being forgiven or not. Remorse is being regretful that you did something. Repentance is turning away from your sin and toward God to receive forgiveness. To truly change, I must repent as God molds and shapes me to be a transformed person. David gives us insight. Psalm …
Finding forgiveness when we fail is the story of every forgiven sinner. Unfortunately, some people, like Judas, don’t let the Lord forgive them. He was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus who spent three years with the Savior but threw it all away. Matthew 27:3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had …
Jesus’ prophecy during His trial with Caiaphas took place when He was put under oath and with that, broke His silence. Matthew 26:62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high …
Jesus’ silence reminds us that being quiet at times is significant and the opposite of the world. Our world is filled with noise, often distracting us from what is important in life. People usually speak their minds in critical situations without much thought of the impact of their words, only to regret it later. I …
Gaslighting the public is nothing new. The Sanhedrin, the ruling council during the time of Jesus, did it. Gaslighting is the act or practice of grossly misleading someone, especially for one’s own advantage. The term comes from the title of a 1938 play involving a man attempting to make his wife believe she is going …
The trial of Jesus in Matthew 26:57-68 demonstrates illegal expediency. We already know that the Jewish council wanted to rid themselves of the “Jesus problem.” Thus, they weren’t interested in a fair trial but one that quickly disposed of Jesus. They wanted to be rid of Jesus before the Passover crowds became aware of what …
The story of Jesus’s Jewish trial demonstrates the need for power blinds. The High Priest’s family managed the “Temple business.” The high priest was to serve until death according to Old Testament law. However, the Romans ensured the high priest would work for them by appointing the office. Caiaphas was the high priest at the …
Satan is behind the spiritual battle and is our enemy. The Scriptures tell us there are two forces in the world: evil and good. God’s word also tells us that these forces are not equal and satan only continues to exist because God is using him to carry out His plan. Why did God create …