The Will

“But he handed Jesus over to their will.” (Luke 23:25b)

That was Pilate’s ultimate decision – and responsibility – to turn Jesus over to the will of the crowd and their leaders. He decided earlier to release Jesus, because he saw no grounds for the death penalty. Neither did Herod. But the crowd, the chief priests, and their leaders were relentless. So Pilate gave in and released Jesus to their will.

Actually, when you think about it, wasn’t it also Jesus who released Himself to their will? After all, He could have called on 12 legions (72,000) angels at any time to come to His rescue. So, what happened was also according to His decision.

When we take a step back, what we see is the Lord placing Himself in a position of being subject to people’s will. We are watching a question take place in this event: “What will you do with this opportunity?”

That same question has remained through the centuries. It is a question that comes to all of us: What will YOU do with Jesus? The choice is to receive or reject. The choice is to acknowledge Him as King, or disavow Him as an imposter. The choice is to believe, or not to.

So, what have you done with your opportunity? And how is that now reflected in how you live?

Lord, Thank You for the opportunity. May our lives reflect a commitment to You as Lord and Savior. Amen.