When Pilate Gave Sentence

Today’s Verse:

And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. ~Luke 23:24-25

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Have you ever helped another person clean out a room or desk, and when you found something that looked like it had no value, he said to you, “Don’t throw it away!”? How about if you have ever played in a competitive event and your team was in the lead, but the opponent was encroaching on it and your coach admonished your team, “Don’t throw away your lead”? This morning, we want to meditate about a man who threw away the opportunity of a lifetime.

Pilate threw away the opportunity of being forgiven.

Pilate, like all of us, was a terrible sinner who needed to be saved. When a person gets saved, he is forgiven of all his sins—past, present and future! Pilate asked, "What is truth?" when the Truth was standing before his very eyes! The Truth exposed Pilate as a failed sinner who needed to be saved from his sins. When a person gets saved, he is expunged from all his sins. There is no record of those sins when they have been expunged.

Pilate threw away the opportunity of having a future.

His future eternity was at stake, and he threw it away when he turned Jesus over to the angry mob. The most important question a person needs to answer is where he will spend eternity when he dies. It’s important to know that Heaven is your home after you die. Pilate could have secured himself a place in Heaven, but he threw it away.

Pilate threw away the opportunity of fellowship.

Pilate was a miserable person stuck in the quagmire of Roman politics. All of his friendships were superficial. He was used and abused. He needed a real friendship, which could only come through a real relationship with Jesus. Fellowship with Jesus would have given him meaning and purpose for his life, but he threw it away.

Pilate threw away a foundation.

His life was on shaky ground. Everything he built his life upon was a foundation that was unstable and crumbling away. That’s how it is if we try to build our life on anyone or anything other than the Lord Jesus. With Jesus as our foundation, there is hope, happiness, and Heaven. With Jesus as our foundation, we have permanency and potential. Pilate, unfortunately, threw it all away when he turned Jesus over.

Are you throwing away anything having to do with Jesus? Are you throwing away the potential for your life? Are you throwing away the power for your life? Are you throwing away the peace for your life? Don’t throw it away!

Have a satisfying God Morning!

Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Kings 1-2

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