The Jesus Choice

The Jesus Choice
Words of Faith 4-16-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 15
[6] Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. [7] A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. [8] The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do what he usually did for them.
[9] "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, [10] knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. [11] But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
[12] "What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.
[13] "Crucify him!" they shouted.
[14] "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
[15] Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.

It is one of those famous choices. Pilate chose Barabbas over Jesus. He chose to set Barabbas free. Why? Not because of any virtue or agenda or because he saw comparative innocence or value. Pilate chose Barabbas over Jesus because it was the expedient thing to do. That is not a Bible word, but it is a fitting word.
Webster defines 'expedient' as "suitable for a particular end in a given circumstance or doing what is opportune as governed by self-interest." That says it well. Pilate probably reasoned that this was the "prudent" thing to do. The followers of Barabbas were violent, while most of the followers of Jesus were pacifists.
The decision was really relatively easy. It was the "judicious" thing to do. He didn't even have to be swayed too much by the crowds. Pilate weighed the potential losses and gains. He considered the price of doing the right thing to be too high. So he did the opportune thing as governed by self-interest; he set Barabbas free. We would never do such a thing. Or would we?
Who have I chosen over Jesus when the crowds chanted and opinions were influential? Who have I chosen instead of Jesus in the moments that counted? When have I decided not to release Jesus into my circle of influence? When have I chosen a more "expedient" course of action "for the sake of all involved?" When have I chosen complacent silence rather than costly obedience? When have I done the suitable thing? The prudent thing? The reasonable thing? When have I done the opportune thing as governed by self-interest? When have I done the expedient thing? When have I acted in ways that were really no different than Pilate?

The truth is that every day, we are faced with the exact same decision that Pilate faced. Will I set Jesus free to influence this circle of friends and colleagues, or will I choose Barabbas? Will I stand for what is right and pay a price, or will I do the judicious and prudent thing?
The church faces the same decisions day after day. Will we stay with the Truth and make a decision that could cause us to lose members, or will we take a more comfortable path? Will we take a strong stand against sin even if that might cost us in contributions? Or perhaps we should be more "tolerant." More "prudent." More "judicious." More "expedient." More lukewarm? No. No. No. No.
Don't misunderstand. This is not about lacking compassion or choosing to be hateful. It is about making choices that reflect Truth rather than being blown by the political winds of the moment. Make the Jesus choice, not the Barabbas choice.

Lord, give me the courage to always choose You. Free me from prudence and judiciousness that compromises Your truth. Give me the courage to always release You into my world. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.