Devotionals

A Public Example

by PamFord Davis 
11/17/21
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No one likes to be made a public example for bad behavior.

My husband Norm has often shared a story from his school years. Students were talking amongst themselves in the school auditorium. They were chatting when they should have been listening to a presentation by the school principal. Annoyed, the principal looked out among the crowd; he pointed to my husband and told him to come up to the platform.

Norm just happened to be wearing a bright red shirt that day. He stood out from the rest.

The principal made him a public example.

Jesus did no wrong. Yet, He was publicly shamed and crucified.

Pilate knew that the religious leaders had a motive.

“For he knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Him over.

And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, ‘See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.’ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to put Jesus to death.  And the governor said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Crucify Him!’ But he said, ‘Why, what evil has He done?’ Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying, ‘Crucify Him!’

Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this Man’s blood (Matthew 27:18-24a NASB).”