Day Seventeen

Take the time to silence other sounds today -- unplug the phone, put a sign on your door, turn off radios, CD players etc. In silence, be still and know God speaks to you. Thank Him for meeting you here day after day, never failing.

Ask God to reveal to you the true condition of your heart. Read the following three verses slowly and thoughtfully, letting God shine His light as you evaluate:

Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For it flatters him in his own eyes concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it.
Psalm 36:1-2

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
I John 1:8

Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
Revelation 3:1

Do you see yourself as wretched, poor, needy, full of sin? This is important in order to fully appreciate Christ's death for you. Write a prayer of commitment to seek this kind of heart, based on these verses.

The clamorous crowd objects when Pilate appears on the Praetorium platform alone. Throughout the morning, rumors of the prisoner's dangerous past have spread like gangrene. Ire emanates from the growing mob as their eagerness for execution intensifies.

"If you let him go, you are no friend of Caesar's."

"He calls himself a king -- that makes him an enemy of Caesar!"

Pilate watches their loyalty to the Roman conqueror in amazement. Recognizing the insanity of the farce before him, he ponders such drivenness to destroy. Yet, their threat must be taken seriously. If word reaches Tiberius that he is befriending an insurrectionist, his political future will be in grave danger. Shaking his head, Pilate goes to retrieve the prisoner.

Within minutes a stumbling Jesus is escorted onto the platform, Herod's robe now gone. Some of the blood from the scourging has dried, binding his tunic to his back. His face, though bloated and bruised, looks pasty white, his eyes nearly swollen shut.

What must the Christ be thinking now? Does he drift in and out of consciousness, barely aware of the noisy chatter below? Does he dream of a seraph coming to cool his brow or bind his broken body?

Judgment is nigh for the one who will one day judge the world. What does he think of these accusers who stand before him now as judge and jury? What does Jesus feel for the procurator who persists in proclaiming his innocence?

Taking his official seat on the platform, Pilate orders the soldiers to bring the prisoner forward for sentencing. The late morning sun beats down and a servant rushes to hold an umbrella over Pilate's head. No shade is offered the Christ who leans weakly against a soldier's arm.

"Here is your king!" Pilate taunts the religious leaders.

"Take him away. Crucify him!" They cry back.

"What? Shall I crucify your king?"

"We have no king but Caesar." One priest calls out, the crowd chiming in with a chant-like drone.

Pilate, astonished at their fervor, motions to a guard. The noise dies down as he sets a basin of water before him. Reaching into the bowl, the procurator rinses his hands slowly and methodically, as if practicing some ancient ritual. Finally, he looks up and announces with authority: "I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man. See to it yourselves."

His blood shall be on us and on our children! A high priest shouts. Making a mantra of the sacred words, priest after priest affirms his own willingness to assume responsibility for Christ's punishment. As his accusers, the law requires nothing less, but in this moment when doubts would seem reasonable, they relish instead their role as witnesses for the prosecution.

His blood shall be on us and on our children! The dreadful sound slices through the air like another blow assaulting Jesus the Christ. These who glory in teaching others the ways of God, can't possibly comprehend the eternal significance of the words they speak.

For it is not this sham of a trial that sends Jesus to Calvary, but a people who've fallen short of God's glory. No human being can ever wash their hands of him, but the blood he sheds there fills a fountain where all may plunge, losing their guilty stains. His blood be on us and on our children, for it has the power to heal an eternity of hell within our hearts.

Respond

Hear the words like a chant in your own ears: "His blood be on us and on our children." What must Jesus have felt when the sound of it filled the air? What might He have wanted to say?

Consider the punishment Jesus is about to undergo. See yourself as morally responsible. Say quietly, "Your blood is upon me...Jesus."

Read the following verses aloud as a prayer of worship and gratitude that you can come to the healing waters of Christ's shed blood today and everyday.

Oh Lord, your blood is on me and my children. I say it with shame. I cannot even look into your eyes, for the sadness there re-opens the wounds of my sinful heart, and like an infected sore, they ooze with sordid filth. But I must look -- I must, for through the sorrow, you invite me to come and be cleansed. And so I will -- let your blood be on me, and in me and over me until I am pure, precious Redeemer.



MAKING THE PASSION PERSONAL A Journey with Jesus to the Cross and Beyond by Tricia McCary Rhodes DAY SEVENTEEN -- Crucify Him! And, unfortunately, it is certain that I am also one of that crowd that doesn't give much thought to what happened. I, who am even able to write these things about the passion while remaining impassive, whereas it should only be written about in tears. Raneiro Cantallamesa Reflect Take the time to silence other sounds today -- unplug the phone, put a sign on your door, turn off radios, CD players etc. In silence, be still and know God speaks to you. Thank Him for meeting you here day after day, never failing. Ask God to reveal to you the true condition of your heart. Read the following three verses slowly and thoughtfully, letting God shine His light as you evaluate: Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For it flatters him in his own eyes concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it. Psalm 36:1-2 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. I John 1:8 Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. Revelation 3:1 Do you see yourself as wretched, poor, needy, full of sin? This is important in order to fully appreciate Christ's death for you. Write a prayer of commitment to seek this kind of heart, based on these verses. Read And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children!" Matthew 27:25 The clamorous crowd objects when Pilate appears on the Praetorium platform alone. Throughout the morning, rumors of the prisoner's dangerous past have spread like gangrene. Ire emanates from the growing mob as their eagerness for execution intensifies. "If you let him go, you are no friend of Caesar's." "He calls himself a king -- that makes him an enemy of Caesar!" Pilate watches their loyalty to the Roman conqueror in amazement. Recognizing the insanity of the farce before him, he ponders such drivenness to destroy. Yet, their threat must be taken seriously. If word reaches Tiberius that he is befriending an insurrectionist, his political future will be in grave danger. Shaking his head, Pilate goes to retrieve the prisoner. Within minutes a stumbling Jesus is escorted onto the platform, Herod's robe now gone. Some of the blood from the scourging has dried, binding his tunic to his back. His face, though bloated and bruised, looks pasty white, his eyes nearly swollen shut. What must the Christ be thinking now? Does he drift in and out of consciousness, barely aware of the noisy chatter below? Does he dream of a seraph coming to cool his brow or bind his broken body? Judgment is nigh for the one who will one day judge the world. What does he think of these accusers who stand before him now as judge and jury? What does Jesus feel for the procurator who persists in proclaiming his innocence? Taking his official seat on the platform, Pilate orders the soldiers to bring the prisoner forward for sentencing. The late morning sun beats down and a servant rushes to hold an umbrella over Pilate's head. No shade is offered the Christ who leans weakly against a soldier's arm. "Here is your king!" Pilate taunts the religious leaders. "Take him away. Crucify him!" They cry back. "What? Shall I crucify your king?" "We have no king but Caesar." One priest calls out, the crowd chiming in with a chant-like drone. Pilate, astonished at their fervor, motions to a guard. The noise dies down as he sets a basin of water before him. Reaching into the bowl, the procurator rinses his hands slowly and methodically, as if practicing some ancient ritual. Finally, he looks up and announces with authority: "I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man. See to it yourselves." His blood shall be on us and on our children! A high priest shouts. Making a mantra of the sacred words, priest after priest affirms his own willingness to assume responsibility for Christ's punishment. As his accusers, the law requires nothing less, but in this moment when doubts would seem reasonable, they relish instead their role as witnesses for the prosecution. His blood shall be on us and on our children! The dreadful sound slices through the air like another blow assaulting Jesus the Christ. These who glory in teaching others the ways of God, can't possibly comprehend the eternal significance of the words they speak. For it is not this sham of a trial that sends Jesus to Calvary, but a people who've fallen short of God's glory. No human being can ever wash their hands of him, but the blood he sheds there fills a fountain where all may plunge, losing their guilty stains. His blood be on us and on our children, for it has the power to heal an eternity of hell within our hearts. Respond Hear the words like a chant in your own ears: "His blood be on us and on our children." What must Jesus have felt when the sound of it filled the air? What might He have wanted to say? Consider the punishment Jesus is about to undergo. See yourself as morally responsible. Say quietly, "Your blood is upon me...Jesus." Read the following verses aloud as a prayer of worship and gratitude that you can come to the healing waters of Christ's shed blood today and everyday. Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like a great deep. O LORD, you preserve man and beast. How precious is your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of your house; and you give them to drink of the river of your delights. Psalm 36:5-8 A Prayer Oh Lord, your blood is on me and my children. I say it with shame. I cannot even look into your eyes, for the sadness there re-opens the wounds of my sinful heart, and like an infected sore, they ooze with sordid filth. But I must look -- I must, for through the sorrow, you invite me to come and be cleansed. And so I will -- let your blood be on me, and in me and over me until I am pure, precious Redeemer. << Back to the Daily Devotionals, Home or Unsubscribe Copyright © 2004 Tricia McCary Rhodes