LISTEN TO COME AND SEE! CHAPTER 14 – CRUCIFY HIM!
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Welcome to this special Easter edition of Redeeming the Chaos with Laurie Christine!
A FAMILY DEVOTIONAL FOR EASTER
For 30 days leading up to Easter, I will be reading to you from my easter devotional book, Come and See! 30 Family Bible Stories for Easter.
Today, I am reading Come and See! Chapter 14 – CRUCIFY HIM!
Come and See! invites families of elementary-aged children to experience firsthand the anticipation, the sorrow, the tragedy, the fear, and the ultimate triumph of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Through the eyes of six eye witnesses, you will be led on a journey through the busyness of the streets of Jerusalem, to the despair of Golgotha, and finally to the celebration of the empty grave.
This bookincludes 30 short devotional stories, each with accompanying Scripture references and questions for discussion and imagination.
We are going to be reading one story each day leading up to Easter. You’re welcome to grab the kids and listen together for your family Bible time. Or, if you would rather read to your kids on your own, you can DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY OF THE ENTIRE EBOOK HERE.
LISTEN TO COME AND SEE! CHAPTER 14 – CRUCIFY HIM!
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READ COME AND SEE! CHAPTER 14 – CRUCIFY HIM!
CRUCIFY HIM! – Told by Nicodemus, a Pharisee
I could see Pilate’s anguish as he listened to the angry mob. I imagined the anxious thoughts going through his mind. Would he act on what his heart believed to be true? Or, would he give in to the maddening crowd?
NICODEMUS, A PHARISEE
It had been decided. Jesus was to be executed. Except, under Roman law, only the Romans were allowed to execute anyone. So the high priests took Jesus to the headquarters of Pilate, the Roman governor. Joseph and I decided we should go along. Partly out of guilt, and partly out of curiosity, I felt like I should see what the outcome of the night would bring. Maybe Pilate would decide that Jesus was innocent after all. Maybe Jesus would not be sentenced to death.
We couldn’t actually go inside the Roman headquarters, because entering the house of a Gentile this close to the Passover would make us unclean. So we waited in the courtyard while Pilate came out to meet us.
“What is it that you want? What has this man done to deserve punishment?” Pilate asked the crowd that was gathering outside. He wore the typical garb of a Roman dignitary: a white wool toga with a crimson sash tied around his waist.
A loud cry rose up from the priests and religious leaders, who, it seemed, had now been joined by an angry mob from the city. “Crucify him! Crucify him!” they shouted.
“Why? What has this man done?” Pilate asked again.
“He claims to be the Son of God! He says he is a king!” they replied. “The Jewish law says that he deserves to die for blaspheming the name of the most Holy God.”
Pilate paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. “Let me speak with the man.”
A guard brought Jesus forward, and Pilate led him into the inner chamber of his house, closing the heavy wooden doors behind him. After what seemed an eternity, the doors opened again, and a Roman guard shoved Jesus out onto the patio. Pilate soon followed and addressed the crowd.
“I find no fault in him,” Pilate declared. But the crowd continued to get louder and angrier by the minute.
“Crucify him!” they chanted over and over again.
I could see Pilate’s anguish as he listened to the angry mob. I imagined the anxious thoughts going through his mind. Would he act on what his heart believed to be true? Or, would he give in to the maddening crowd?
My questions were answered soon enough. Pilate held up his hands in a sign of surrender to the people. He asked for a bowl of water to be brought to him. “I am washing my hands of this matter!” he cried as he dipped his hands into the bowl. “This man’s life is no longer my responsibility. Do with him what you want.”
My heart sank into my stomach. I had been desperately hoping that Pilate might declare Jesus innocent. But, like me, he too was afraid — afraid of what the crowd would think, afraid of ruining his reputation, afraid of giving up his position of power.
I watched in anguish as the Roman guards flogged Jesus with a whip, ripping long, bloody strips of flesh from his bare back. I could not watch this. I wanted no part of this. I caught Joseph’s eye, and noticed that he too looked like he wanted to cry. Or throw up. Or both. The two of us slipped out the back entrance of the courtyard and made our way back to the temple, where we would continue preparations for the Passover.
WANT TO GO DEEPER?
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