DARKNESS TRIED
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him.’” Luke 23:13-14, ESV
Theme: Jesus was found not guilty of any charges, yet He went to the cross anyway.
LIGHT
When someone shines a light in dark places, those who benefit from the darkness begin to seethe. Truth-tellers and light-bringers are a threat to the cozy corruption that festers in the shadows, and those who dwell in darkness will often do whatever it takes to snuff out the bright flame of reformation.
The Jewish people who Jesus encountered during His ministry—the everyday men and women—were drawn to His message. They had seen Him feed the hungry, heal their mothers and brothers and daughters, and proclaim the arrival of God’s new kingdom—a kingdom defined by love, justice, service, and humility. These were the people who cried out “Hosanna” in worshipful shouts on Palm Sunday!
SHADOW “TRIAL”
Later that very same week, in the dead of night, Jesus was bound and taken to the home of the high priest, Caiaphas. There, hidden in the shadows, Jesus endured a sham trial—not before the full Sanhedrin, not in public, but in secret so that no light could expose the truth.
In the early hours that following morning, the cadre of religious leaders brought Jesus to the headquarters of Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. You’ve probably heard it said that the Jewish people were fickle, that their cries of “Hosanna” quickly became shrieks of “Crucify Him,” but John 18-19 tells us that it was the chief priests and temple officers who led the charge to execute Jesus. “Look,” Pilate said to the leaders the morning after the hidden trial, “I’m bringing him out to you to let you know I find no grounds for charging him” (John 19:4, CSB).
Jesus was innocent—blameless under Roman law and not a threat to the government…at least not in the way they imagined. But the powerful people who engineered Jesus’ execution were not motivated by justice; they were driven by fear. They feared losing power and control. They’d carved out a comfortable arrangement of religious influence and political favor, they had a monopoly on the temple sacrifices, and they enjoyed a cooperative relationship with Rome. But Jesus, with His message about a different kind of kingdom, was unraveling their grip on the Jewish people and threatening the fragile empire they had built.
“If you let this man go,” the chief priests said manipulatively to Pilate that morning, “you’re no friend of Caesar.” In other words: punish this man or we’ll see to it that you lose your job, maybe even your life. And so, without cause, Pilate handed Jesus over to the chief priests to be crucified (John 19:15-16). The corrupt priests and their entourage cared only about protecting their seats of influence, and they intended to stop the Jesus Movement before it could upend their way of life.
LOVE THAT OVERCOMES
Jesus didn’t resist. He didn’t run, or protest, or call down a legion of angels. Instead, He went to the cross—not because He was guilty, but because He loves us. He was tried in darkness, and darkness tried to quench His light. But His light shone in the darkness, and instead of merely surviving the shadows, He overcame them (John 1:4-5). He went to the cross to unbind us from sin and death, enduring a punishment He did not deserve and calling us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
Make it Personal: Jesus was arrested for being an inconvenience to powerful leaders, denied a trial, and sentenced to death without cause. Though we can see this injustice clearly 2,000 years later, there may be areas of our own lives where we still choose convenience or fear over truth. Ask God to show you the areas of your life where you value comfort over living and speaking as Jesus would have you do.
Pray: Jesus, although You were innocent, You endured the mortification of the cross. Thank You for breaking the chains that wanted to keep me bound. Help me to live a life worthy of Your gift of freedom. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Read: John 1:4-5; Romans 6:6; Luke 23:38-43
Weekly Memory Verse: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14, ESV