Crucify Him!
6 min read
23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
— Luke 23:23-25
Behold the Man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished.
In every job I ever had, I was confronted with office politics. And when it comes to office politics, people can be incredibly selfish and childish. Sometimes I have felt that people reach their full emotional maturity in the tenth grade. After that point, people respond to every relationship with the heart of a 15-16 year old. A bit of an exaggeration, but really not that much. And the higher up you get on the corporate ladder, the more immature people seem to get.
And truth be told, that realization is partly what drove me to faith in Christ. I didn’t know anything about Jesus except what is popularly known. But to me, His message of love was the last beacon of hope in this amazingly foolish and childish humanity.
I remember this one cartoon of a sheep dog and a coyote. The sheep dog’s job was to protect the sheep. The coyote’s job was to steal the sheep. Outside of their work, the sheep dog and coyote were totally civilized with one another. But once they clocked in and the work whistle blew, their true natures came out, and they became bitter enemies.
I didn’t find many sheep dogs in the corporate world. Although maybe I imagined myself to be one. I mostly saw coyotes fighting one another for the “sheep.” But then I started to see that I myself was a coyote too. I was becoming the very thing that I detested about corporate life—a petty 15 year old in adult clothing.
No disrespect to 15 year olds. Most 15 year olds are more noble than a 15 year old in adult clothing.
These Jewish leaders were simply looking out for their own self-interest, as was Pilate. The message of Jesus and the presence of Jesus simply threatened the prosperity that they had worked so hard to build up for themselves.
There is a greater prosperity (shalom) that God would want to give to us, but it requires our complete submission and obedience to Him.
And who among us can fathom letting go of everything that we have worked so hard to build up for ourselves? At least, that is how we interpret it. When push comes to shove, we see ourselves crying out with the rest of them, “Crucify Him. Crucify Him. Crucify Him!” even as tears are trickling down our cheeks.
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
— Ephesians 2:4-5
Father, How great is Your love for us? No one can fathom. And where would we be without Your mercy? I praise You for Your amazing love, mercy, and grace. My words sound hollow and meaningless compared to Your love, mercy, and grace, and the salvation You have given. But let my praise bless Your heart and glorify Your name. In Jesus’s name. Amen.