Two Verses, Two Men, One Choice

Pilate was not happy. He had been awakened from his sleep. He had heard about this Jesus fellow, and had known that the Jewish leaders didn’t like him, but he didn’t think he was a bad man. He hadn’t been doing anything wrong. The Jews were upset, but then, they seemed to get upset pretty easily. Why did they have to get him involved in their little problems? Why did they have to bring Jesus to him? Oh yes, because he was the only one with the power to put men to death. That’s what they wanted. He knew that. Power was an interesting thing. He loved it and hated it at the same time. He knew he didn’t want to give it up. He enjoyed his power. It made him feel strong. On the downside though, he was constantly under pressure from Caesar to keep the peace over here in the land of the Jews. Yeah, ‘cause that’s an easy job. The Jews put pressure on him too, always wanting something. He needed to keep everyone happy, but all they do is complain. Why didn’t people realize how hard his job is?
And now, he had a bunch of angry people standing in his courtyard that wanted him to put an innocent man to death.
It was crazy. The man had done nothing wrong. The Jewish leaders we’re just jealous of the influence Jesus had. He was smarter than they were and they knew it. He had more power then they did and they knew it. And they wanted him to fix their problem.
Psch. He had a decision to make. And it wasn’t gonna be easy.

Many people do not view Pontius Pilate in a very kind light.
He’s viewed as a man without a backbone. A wimp. Someone who gave into peer-pressure. Some say he wasn’t worthy of the position he held. Some may pity him for the guilt he had to carry around. He tried to shirk responsibility.
I was reading in Luke 23 the other day, where Jesus is brought before Pilate. I was trying to understand what was going through Pilate’s head. I was doing a pretty bad job until I reached verse 25.

“So Pilate decided to grant their demand…and surrendered Jesus to their will”

Suddenly it all fell into place, as a sobering reality came upon me.

I could relate to this man. In this man, a man who has been looked down upon for years, I saw myself.

How many times just in the last few days had I surrendered Jesus?
How many times had I given into sinful desires?
How many times had I pushed Jesus to the side, and ignored doing what was right to please others?
How many times had I been selfish enough to SURRENDER Jesus?

Every time I’m selfish, every time I put what I want before God, every time I do something to please others and not God I am surrendering Jesus. I am giving Him up for something that I view as better. You’d never hear me say that a friend’s approval is better than God’s, but actions speak louder than words, do they not?
That’s pretty chilling.
I continued to read and was once again, caught by surprise, just one verse down, in verse 26,

“As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from
the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus”

Here, in complete contrast to Pilate, is a man who sacrificed himself.
Who gave up selfish desires to carry the cross of Jesus: A man who was sentenced to death. I'll bet that did not do much good for his image. We know that people jeered and spit at Christ while he walked. I’ll bet that many did the same to Simon.
This man sacrificed himself, his image, his comfort, to follow Jesus and carry His cross.

I was struck by the immensity of these two verses.

In two small verses Luke had outlined who I am and who I want to be.
A selfish leader who put his own insecurities and desires before doing what was right and a humble countryman who stopped what he was doing, and put following Christ before himself, sacrificing his image, his health, and his time, everything for Jesus.

Pilate had a dish of water bought to him and tried to wash his hands of the deed he’d done, but just as water from the well could not stop the thirst of the Women at the Well (John 4), water could not wash the guilt from Pilate’s hands.

Every time I surrender Jesus, I am just as guilty as Pilate. Every time I put myself ahead of Christ, I am hammering nails through my Savior’s hands and the only thing that can cleanse me and that could cleanse Pilate and the Woman at the Well, is the precious blood of Jesus.

Because of that cleansing blood, because of the forgiveness and grace I have been given by the sacrifice his blood represents, I can now have the freedom to lay down my pride, pick up my cross and follow God. Because of God’s grace and His gift of salvation I am cleansed and able to be molded by God into a better person, a person that never surrenders Christ to the world, but sacrifices themselves to following Christ.

Romans 12:1 “ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer
your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your
spiritual act of worship.”

So, in whom do you recognize yourself?
Do you see yourself as a Pilate? Or a Simon?
Will sacrifice yourself to carry the cross today?