Who Would YOU Choose

# 732 Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 15:6-8, “Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.
7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.

Reading from the other three gospels helps to get the full picture of what's going on here. Pilate has finished his interrogation of Jesus and finds no fault with Him and was willing to simply scourge Him and let Him go.

His wife was putting pressure on him to release Jesus because of a terrifying dream she had concerning Jesus. Pilate was looking for a graceful way out of this situation, and the annual custom of releasing a prisoner to the Jews on Passover seemed the best way to go.

And so he calls the people together and gives them a choice. Barabbas or Jesus. In his mind that was like saying, “Osama Bin Laden or Mother Theresa.”
Barabbas was a convicted murderer and robber, surely the crowd would choose Jesus over him. If you were these religious leaders, who would you choose? Someone who shared your own political views, (a hatred of Rome) or someone who has spent the past three years pointing out your hypocrisy?

To be honest, I'm afraid of my answer to that question.

I think rather, I need to learn from it. I think I need to always be on guard against hypocrisy of any form. I think I constantly need to be open to the correction of the Holy Spirit concerning any and all hypocrisy on my part.

Let's pray from Ps 139:24, Father, “see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”