No Fault
Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all. John 18:38
After Jesus was arrested and scrutinized by the priests, the elders and the scribes, they took Him to the Roman governor of that region, Pontius Pilate. This scene reminds me of what it might look like in heaven one day, but there is one big difference. There will be no beating, scourging or crucifixion.
The scene may play out something like this: I will be taken up to heaven and stand stand with my Lord, Jesus before the throne of the almighty God of eternity. He will stand between me and the judgement. There will be an accuser to try to condemn me and take me away from my savior for all eternity, by my heavenly Father will say: I find no fault in her. The price for her life has already been paid! There was a verdict, a brutal beating and death penalty paid for all my transgression. So, when I stand at the judgement seat, God will look at the spotless lamb and see that I have been made whole and clean from the stains of sin.
When Jesus took that sentence condemning Him to death, it was my sentence. He didn’t have to stand condemned; He didn’t have to take the beating and He didn’t have to die on a cross. He could have stopped it at any one of those moments, but He took it for me. He kept me in mind. He thought: “If I don’t do this for Lynette, she will have to bear this shame, humiliation and suffering alone by herself. I love her too much to let her pay this price, so I am paying it for her!”
He thought that about you too! In fact, He had all people in mind as He took on the punishment for all people for all time. He paid the price for every sin, for every person that sinned, that is all of us. It is available to anyone who will receive His love and payment, but the choice is up to you, not Him. He made His choice so you could have a choice. Make that choice today to walk in newness of life by receiving His great salvation and love.
If you have never received His salvation through the payment HE made in your place, it is not to late. As long as there is breath in your lungs, you can surrender your life to Him and exchange it for His love and eternal purpose. He wants all people to receive the gift of living for all eternity with Him in that glorious, beautiful place and have a home there with Him forever.
Today I want to encourage you to be so thankful that Jesus stayed in His place to take on your sin. Remember what HE went through, was so you wouldn’t have too. He took your place and mine and now we can live forever with Him in His glorious kingdom. If you have never received His gift of grace and forgiveness, don’t wait another minute. Pray this prayer from your heart and receive Him into your life right now.
Pray: God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior. I want to turn away from my sinful life to the life You have planned for me. Please forgive my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new. I know Your Son, Jesus died for me. I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead. At this very moment, I accept, confess, and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward. I now have a right relationship with God my Father through this salvation in Jesus. I thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit to guide me and to empower me to do the things that You have planned for my life in Jesus’ name, Amen
Today’s scripture reading: John 18:19-38
19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.
21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”
22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”
24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!”
26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”
27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.
29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”
31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,”
32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.
The Daily Dose 