Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Holy God, thank you that you know me. Thank you that you care personally for me and my pain, suffering, struggles, temptations, tragedies, hurts, illnesses, anxieties, wounds, and weariness. In a world where I often feel like a number, I thank you that I am always intimately and personally loved by you. I offer you my thanks in the name of the one who loved each person he met with a personal touch, Jesus. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Then Pilate ordered that Jesus be taken away and be whipped. The soldiers used some thorny branches to make a crown. They put this crown of thorns on Jesus' head. Then the soldiers put a purple robe around Jesus. The soldiers came to Jesus many times and said, "Hello, O king of the Jews!" They hit Jesus in the face. Again Pilate came out and said to the Jewish leaders, "Look! I am bringing Jesus out to you. I want you to know that I find nothing I can charge against him." Then Jesus came out. He was wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to the Jews, "Here is the man!" When the leading priests and the Jewish guards saw Jesus they yelled, "Kill him on a cross! Kill him on a cross!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and nail him to a cross yourselves. I find nothing I can charge against him." The Jewish leaders answered, "We have a law that says he must die, because he said that he is the Son of God." When Pilate heard this, he was more afraid. Pilate went back inside the palace. He asked Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus did not answer him. Pilate said, "You refuse to speak to me? Remember, I have the power to make you free. I also have the power to kill you on a cross." Jesus answered, "The only power you have over me is the power given to you by God. So the man who gave me to you is guilty of a greater sin." After this, Pilate tried to let Jesus go free. But the Jewish leaders yelled, "Any person who makes himself a king is against Caesar. So if you let this man (Jesus) go free, that means you are not Caesar's friend." Pilate heard what these Jews said. So he brought Jesus out to the place called "The Stone Pavement." (In the Jewish language the name is "Gabbatha.") Pilate sat down on the judge's seat there. It was now almost noon on Preparation day of Passover week. Pilate said to the Jews, "Here is your king!" They yelled, "Take him away! Take him away! Kill him on a cross!" Pilate asked them, "Do you want me to kill your king on across?" The leading priests answered, "The only king we have is Caesar !"

Related Scripture Readings

But he took our troubles and made them his. He bore our pain, and we thought God was punishing him. We thought God beat him {for something he did}. But he was given pain to suffer for the wrong things we did. He was crushed for our guilt. A debt we owed—our punishment—was given to him. We were healed (forgiven) because of his pain. But {even after he did this,} all of us wandered away like sheep. We all went our own way. {We did this after} the Lord {freed us from our guilt and} put all our guilt on him.

"When birds are sold, five small birds cost only two pennies. But God does not forget any of them. Yes, God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Don't be afraid. You are worth much more than many birds. "I tell you, if any person stands before other people and is willing to say that he believes in me, then I will say that person belongs to me. I will say this before the angels of God.

Remember those days when you first learned the truth. You had a hard struggle with many sufferings, but you continued strong. Sometimes people said hateful things to you and persecuted you before many people. And sometimes you helped other people who were being treated that same way. Yes, you helped those people in prison and shared in their suffering. And you were still happy when all the things you owned were taken away from you. You continued to be happy, because you knew that you had something much better—something that would continue forever. So don't lose the courage that you had in the past. Your courage will be rewarded richly. You must be patient. After you have done what God wants, then you will get the things that he promised you.