Who is Jesus? A Lenten Devotional through John – Day 27
Read John 18:1-40
Arrest. Trial. Denial. There is a lot of action in this chapter. There are three trials: Jesus is tried by a religious tribunal, by Pilate, and Peter is tried by the people of Jerusalem. For everyone, these trials are revealing.
Jesus’ first trial is religious. We aren’t given a verdict, but it’s not hard to figure out that the religious court found him guilty. So, they sent him to Pilate. Pilate hardly knows what to do. He doesn’t want to get involved in religious squabbles, but the religious leaders wanted Jesus to be put to death, revealing them to be power hungry and crass. In this brief trial, Pilate is revealed to be a coward, unwilling to make a judgement. He won’t even take a stand on what he believes to be true!
Peter is put on trial three times. Each time he denies Jesus, and reveals that he is a coward and a wavering disciple. He was not who he thought he was.
Perhaps one of the messages of these trials is that a testing will reveal not only who Jesus is, but who you are, too.
Prayer
Lord, when we see you, you show us our true selves. Help us, by your Spirit, to look at ourselves with all our faults and sins, and still know that we are loved by you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.