As Lent is upon us once again, I've decided to post little reflection on each of the Stations of the Cross over the next few weeks. We begin with the 1st Station
1st Station - Jesus Is Condemned To Death
Mark 15: 12-15
Pilate said to them, "Then what am I to do with the man you call King of the Jews?" They shouted back, “crucify him" Pilate asked them, "What harm has he done?" But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" So Pilate, anxious to placate the crowd, released Barabbas for them and, after having Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.
Acts 13:28
Though they found nothing to justify his execution, they condemned him and asked Pilate to have him put to death.
Mark 15: 12-15
Pilate said to them, "Then what am I to do with the man you call King of the Jews?" They shouted back, “crucify him" Pilate asked them, "What harm has he done?" But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" So Pilate, anxious to placate the crowd, released Barabbas for them and, after having Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.
Acts 13:28
Though they found nothing to justify his execution, they condemned him and asked Pilate to have him put to death.
Even though Pilate asks that question of Jesus: What is truth?, he knows the truth, the truth that Jesus is innocent. And yet out of fear, out of a desire to please the crowd, he finds the truth to be inconvenient and so he condemns the Lord of life to a terrible death. His judgement is unjust; the most unjust judgement ever made and yet the Lord uses that great travesty of justice and from this condemnation will come the acquittal of the every sinner who is willing to lay bear the truth about himself to the Lord’s merciful judgement. God gave his only Son, Jesus Bar Abba, Jesus Son of the Father, so that we who are wayward sons like Barabbas could go free. We do not deserve it, we did not merit it, and it cost the Lord everything. “What proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. (Rom 5:8). We are the convicted offenders, the sinners, we are the ones who deserve to die, but the Lord desires to free us from this sentence. He presents himself as the accused, as the sinner, and he is condemned to death in our place. The Son of God is condemned by man and man is set free by the Son of God.
Lord, you yourself said: “I was born for this, I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.”
Lord Jesus may we be always found on the side of truth. May our decisions be just, may they be merciful. Help us to show mercy in all the situations of our life so that we may be shown mercy in our turn. Lord you died to make us sons and daughters of the Father, may we always remain faithful to that high dignity, purchased by your intense suffering, and may we always be thankful for the freedom you purchased for us through your most bitter passion and death.
Lord, you yourself said: “I was born for this, I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.”
Lord Jesus may we be always found on the side of truth. May our decisions be just, may they be merciful. Help us to show mercy in all the situations of our life so that we may be shown mercy in our turn. Lord you died to make us sons and daughters of the Father, may we always remain faithful to that high dignity, purchased by your intense suffering, and may we always be thankful for the freedom you purchased for us through your most bitter passion and death.
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