Deliver Us From Evil

# 736 Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 15:12-15, “Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?" 13 So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!" 14 Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!" 15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. Pilate agrees to release Barabbas as the crowd wished, but now he is stuck with this man named Jesus. Then he foolishly asks their opinion as to what kind of punishment he should inflict on Jesus. I don't believe he was prepared for their answer. “Crucify Him!” “What? Why? What evil has He done?” Their answer? They scream even louder! “Crucify Him!” And so Pilate wanting to gratify the crowd, (read that satisfy the desires of their flesh) releases Barabbas, scourges Jesus, and orders the crucifixion. My friends. Be thankful for God's restraint of evil. Because when He withdraws His protection, the murdering forces of the devil and his demons step in. It was this influence, allowed by God to suit His purposes, that killed the Son of God. This turning of the crowd and their barbaric behavior can only be explained in this manner. We need to realize just how deadly the evil one is and how our only help is the protection of God. We need to know how close each one of us is to the possibility of atrocity. Jer 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? We would all do well to respect this truth. Father, thank You for Your restraint of evil. Restrain it in me.