Note from Valerie: This was written by Dr. Ron Martin. He is a member of FFBC's Christian Writer Group. He shared this at our last meeting - it was one of three great pieces that he wrote.
THE PRICE MUST BE PAID
"I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him." But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to
grant their demand." Luke 23:22,23, NIV
The crowd demanded with such forceful malice that their proclaimed King be executed that the Roman governor Pilate ordered what they demanded. Perhaps the crowd displaced their hatred of their Roman oppressors onto Jesus, who they may have believed goaded the Romans into tormenting them
more harshly. Evildoing demands punishment.
As a substitute teacher each day I see disruptive behavior such as paper-wad fights in defiance of my directives. Knowing that this is against my rule, the
students cleverly throw the paper only after I look away. When I follow the wads' trajectories backward toward the throwers, they insistently demand that I ignore it, saying, "You didn't see anything!" "All right," I agree, "but stop
this throwing!" Then as soon as I look away and back, I see more paper wads flying through the air. Only after calling campus security, who takes out suspected paper throwers and begins to arrange for consequences of their actions, suspension and expulsion, does the paper throwing stop.
Wrongdoing requires punishment. Order demands it. Law demands it. The crowd demanded that Jesus be executed for His part in the Roman duress. God also required that Jesus be punished, His Only Begotten Son, for *our* wrongdoing. Holy Week brings before us again God's exaction of punishment--for *us*, for *our* wrongdoing. Praise God that He attributes Jesus' righteousness to us!
Prayer: Dear God, our Rescuer, we praise you for your righteousness. We thank you for your taking the consequences for our sin upon Yourself. We adore you for including us in your Kingdom of love. Amen
Posted by Valerie at March 25, 2006 07:55 AM