Mike Patrick

Have you ever considered the parallel between Peter and Pontius Pilot… At virtually the same time during the sentencing and trial Peter tried to distance himself from Jesus but didn’t want to be to far away. The Bible says the Peter followed at a distance, and denied being associated with Jesus. Just far enough away that no one accuses him of being with Jesus, but not to far that Jesus couldn’t see him. John records the moment when pilot came to Jesus more than once and said .. Just tell me plainly and I can let you go.. Pilot also said to the priests that he wasn’t going to sentence Jesus because he didn’t think he did anything wrong. Pilot also noticed that there was king ship in Jesus, nowhere in the gospels did it say that anybody else called Jesus King and certainly Jesus didn’t say that about himself, and yet pilots first question to Jesus was, “are you a king” There was obviously deep intrigue on Pilots part. He wasn’t quite sure that Jesus was who he said he was, but he wasn’t completely unsure either. Pilot wanted to be close enough to Jesus but not to close. Not to the point of taking his side and setting him free.. Not yet.. that would be to close, believing to much.. Some secular and Christian historians write that Pilot later on did in fact become a follower of Jesus. I think most all of us can identify with these two positions.. far enough away from Jesus to not be associated with his radical love for others and call for repentance.. not so far away so that we feel out of his consideration when we need him. Or close enough that makes us feel good about Sunday morning church or even prayer… not so close that we feel bad about that pet sin we just don’t want to confront and get rid of. Jesus doesn’t force any of himself on us, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus in the book of Luke, Jesus just comes along, walks beside us, reveals himself to us, and then lets us decide what we think about him. There is a right and wrong answer to what we think about him.. but just as Peter was restored back to faith after denying and distancing himself, and Pilot (perhaps) becoming a believer after sentencing Jesus to death on a cross.. A death died for my sin and yours… if you have breathe today you can still choose to believe the truth! Sunday is coming!!