Have you ever spent time thinking about just how outrageous the trial was that Jesus faced? Have you ever thought, “How can anyone have authority over Jesus?” What amazing audacity to think you can judge the Son of God?!
But wait! Do we judge Him? Oh, we certainly do not, we might claim. We don’t want people to think we are judging Jesus. We don’t want to think we judge Him. Yet, we might be surprised at what He thinks about our actions.
We won’t admit to passing judgment on Jesus, but we will quickly move on to our favorite sin. We will then argue that doing so is not judging Him. Perhaps we should spend a little time studying the Scripture. Perhaps we should look at the argument the Apostle Paul makes in Romans 5:12-6:4.
Paul first makes the case that sin has been in the world since Adam and Eve. He states the Law God gave the Israelites made sin abundantly clear. He then goes on to say that God’s grace covers our sin, which is because of Christ. He asks if we should go on sinning to make God’s grace more abundant. Sound like judgment?
Perhaps we don’t think so. Here is another situation. Let’s suppose we fall away from God, deny God. Then, let’s suppose we want to come back to Him. The writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 6:4-6 it is impossible. Doing so is crucifying Jesus all over again. Sound like judgment?
To take advantage of God’s grace or to deny God, then want to call on His mercy cheapens Him minimally. But I wonder if God doesn’t look at it as though we are judging Jesus as much as Pilate did. I think Jesus might give us the same answer He gave Pilate. We would not be able to turn back to God without having been granted God’s amazing grace, which is all due to the amazing act of self-sacrifice Jesus made for us.
I pray we all leave our life of sin. I pray we stop turning away only to turn back again. I pray each one of us stop taking God’s amazing grace for granted, deciding to honor Him instead. Take a deep look into your heart. Take a hard look into the mirror. Stop taking advantage of God’s grace. Stop passing judgment on Jesus.
John 19:11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
Marty Pressey 