So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
Readers, we all are presented with a choice – God has surrendered Jesus to the exercise of our will – do we reject, neglect or embrace the Savior of mankind? Like these teachers of the law and chief priests, we must each make a decision, a choice, a determination regarding our will towards Jesus. What is our inclination, our want or desire regarding Him? Are we anxious to rid Him from our presence as these leaders – viciously fighting against Him - striving to silence Him at every turn? Antagonistically conniving to get Him out of our life? Do we simply want Him to leave us alone – do we just want Him out of our space? Rejecting by neglecting – not too dissimilar to Pilate who thought he was washing his hands of Him yet he remained unclean. Do we blithely go through this life ignoring and neglecting the most important which is, of course, Jesus Himself? Do we embrace Jesus as our Savior and Lord, accepting His gift of life both for the here and now and for eternity? Do we seek to love and serve Him with whole hearted devotion and a willing mind – glorifying Him through our obedience, resting secure in Him for our peace? Do we allow His life to live through us in the power of the Holy Spirit as did His disciples when they turned the world upside down by emptying themselves of them and filling their vessels with Him? The choice is ours – what do we do with Jesus?
“Man’s sensitivity to trivia and his insensitivity to matters of major importance, reveal he has a strange disorder.” Blaise Pascal
“Worldly wisdom is arrant folly; and, when set in opposition to the will of God, will be sure to disappoint us.” K. H. Von Bogatzky
He will graciously, albeit sadly, grant the request of denial. Remember how He mourned over those in Jerusalem who would not receive Him – how He longed to gather them under His wings yet they were unwilling?
37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Matt 23:37 (NIV)
He offers the free gift of abundant life in the here and now and eternal life in the hereafter yet He never forces us to take it. Knowing that He is best for us, knowing that He is the Way to salvation, Jesus clearly tells us in John:
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (NIV)
Because of this, Jesus’ word to us is “Come”! Come weary and burdened in shackles or free; come joyful or sad infirmed or in health - He simply woos us by His love to come:
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt 11:28-30 (NIV)
“Behold, the Heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, and thou sayest, ‘Come ye all unto me.’” Thomas a Kempis
"To every toiling, heavy-laden sinner, Jesus says, 'Come to me and rest'. But there are many toiling, heavy-laden believers, too. For them this same invitation is meant. Note well the words of Jesus, if you are heavy-laden with your service, and do not mistake it. It is not, 'Go, labor on,' as perhaps you imagine. On the contrary, it is stop, turn back, 'Come to me and rest.'
Never, never did Christ send a heavy laden one to work; never, never did He send a hungry one,
a weary one, a sick or sorrowing one, away on any service. For such the Bible only says, 'Come, come, come.' Hudson Taylor
“The voice of God is a friendly voice. No one need fear to listen to it unless he has already made up his mind to resist it.” A.W. Tozer
"Our Creator is infinitely good, and His will is love: to submit to one who is 'too wise to err, too good to be unkind,' should not be hard." C.H. Spurgeon