Now Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “So you say.”
When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many things they testify against you?”
He gave him no answer, not even one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the multitude one prisoner, whom they desired. They had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ?”
Matthew 27:11-17
It all seemed so very wrong. Jesus, who had never sinned was being condemned to die on the Cross. It was the most wicked thing that had ever been done since the beginning of time. The perfect, pure Son of God was rejected by those He had come to save, and yet in that very act of rejection they put Jesus in the place where He would defeat forever the power of Satan and death itself.
The Cross was the supremely powerful example of "all things work together for the good" of those who follow Jesus. God allowed wicked men in the act of fulfilling their evil desires to put Jesus on the Cross where His Sacrifice would wipe out sin which had ruled all men since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit!
When the disciples saw Jesus hanging on the Cross, they had no idea what a glorious thing was happening. They saw tragedy. It was a great victory instead.
When you look at the evil going on around you in the world today what do you see? Do you see defeat and tragedy? Do you see a world spinning out of control with no hope of getting better? Or do you believe that God still has the power to bring life from death and good from evil? The power that God displayed to all the cosmos when Jesus hung on the Cross is the same power that works for your good today!
"Lord Jesus, I see darkness and gloom and trouble all around. But I know Lord that You can use all of those things to accomplish Your wonderful purposes in the world today, even as you did with the Cross itself! Help me to rest in the fact that You are still the Almighty and Sovereign God and that all will be as You have purposed and planned! Praise Your Name forever! Amen."
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