Our spiritual Path Begins

I'd like to tell you a story if you have a few minutes to spare...It comes from a collection of ancient texts written by over 40 authors and during a 5000 year timeframe.

Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect (Governor) of Judaea (26-36 CE). As you can tell by the date, this was during Jesus' time on earth. During the festival of the Passover (The 7 day holiday commemorating the Hebrew's liberation from slavery in Egypt) a detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus and took Him to Caiaphas who was the High Priest that year.  After that, the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor Pilate.

By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover feast. So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” 

“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” 

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected.

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 

“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” 

“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” 

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” 

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. 

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” 

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. 

With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. 

At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas.  Barabbas had taken part in an uprising and was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising.

So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”  For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” 

While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man (Jesus Christ), for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” 

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 

“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. 

They all answered, “Crucify him!” 

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. 

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” 

All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” 

Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Who will you choose today? Jesus Christ or Barabbas?