{"id":524,"date":"2008-08-31T01:01:31","date_gmt":"2008-08-31T01:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/08\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-23.html"},"modified":"2008-08-31T01:01:31","modified_gmt":"2008-08-31T01:01:31","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-23","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/08\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-23.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who Was Responsible for the Death of Jesus?<\/h3>\n

READ Matthew 27:1-26<\/a><\/p>\n

Pilate saw that he wasn\u2019t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, \u201cI am innocent of this man\u2019s blood. The responsibility is yours!\u201d<\/p>\n

Matthew 27:24<\/a><\/p>\n

For centuries, many Christians have hated Jews, partly because \u201cthe Jews killed Christ.\u201d Not only is anti-Semitism contradictory to the call of Jesus to love others, but also it falls prey to Pilate\u2019s own cleverness. You see, Pilate was the only person in Jerusalem who had the authority over crucifixion. No matter what he said about his innocence, Pilate bears full blame, on human terms, for the death of Jesus. His claim to innocence was only an attempt to \u201cspin\u201d matters in his favor. The tiny percentage of Jews in Jerusalem who called for the death of Jesus had no power over Pilate, but they did provide a convenient excuse to protect him from the masses of Jews who supported Jesus.
\nAt a deeper level, however, Pilate wasn\u2019t responsible for the death of Jesus. Jesus himself chose the way of the cross in obedience to his Heavenly Father (see Matthew 26:36-46). As Jesus said in the Gospel of John: \u201cNo one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.\u201d So anti-Semitism is not only a moral mistake and a historical mistake, but also a theological mistake. Though certain Jewish leaders did conspire to have Jesus crucified, and though Pilate did approve of his crucifixion, what matters most is that Jesus chose the cross.
\nQUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/strong>: Have you ever witnessed anti-Semitic actions or heard anti-Semitic words? How do you understand the reasons for Jesus\u2019 death?
\nPRAYER<\/strong>: Dear Lord, today I\u2019m reminded to pray against the scourge of anti-Semitism. For centuries we Christians have rejected your call to love our Jewish neighbors. We have contributed to their persecution, or stood idly by while others did the dirty work. Forgive us, Lord.
\nAnti-Semitism is growing in our world today. Jews continue to be victims of violence and hatred. May such bigotry be rooted out and destroyed. May your justice prevail.
\nGracious Lord, though human beings contributed to your death, they didn\u2019t make it happen by their own choice. Indeed, you chose the cross out of obedience to your Heavenly Father and out of love for us. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your faithful sacrifice. Amen<\/em>.
\nA P.S. from Mark<\/strong>
\nI have written an extensive series on my website on the topic: Why Did Jesus Have to Die?<\/a><\/u> In this series I examine historical and theological reasons for the death of Jesus.
\nDaily Reflections from The High Calling.org <\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling of Our Daily Work <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>). You can read my Daily Reflections<\/a> there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace.
\n\"high<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who Was Responsible for the Death of Jesus? READ Matthew 27:1-26 Pilate saw that he wasn\u2019t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, \u201cI am innocent of this man\u2019s blood. The responsibility is yours!\u201d Matthew 27:24 For centuries,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}