To Encourage You

John 18:23 “Jesus answered him, ‘If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?’ Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.”

One example of how people try to justify their evil behavior is demonstrated in the verse above.  Before Jesus’ crucifixion he was subject to not one trial, but several.  First, he was dragged before Annas, a former high priest and the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at the time.  Then he was taken to Caiaphas, and next Pilate.  Pilate then sent Him to Herod Antipas, who then sent Him back to Pilate.  Pilate then tried to pass all guilt onto the Jewish crowd, but because of his fear of man, he finally condemned Jesus to the cross.  During this entire course of events, men were trying to justify their own sin by the sin of others who joined them in their despicable acts. 

That should cause each one of us to ask himself or herself why we do what we do, and if what we do is in violation of what God has commanded us in His word, how do we then justify it?  Do we look for justification from the government?  Is abortion OK because the government says so, or our friends, or our parents, etc., etc., in spite of what God has clearly said?  Do we cheat on our taxes because other people do as well, regardless of God’s clear instruction to us?  Do we follow this pattern with other unbiblical views we might hold?  How would we answer Jesus if He were to confront us with the same question he asked Annas in the verses above:  “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” i.e.,  “Why do you oppose Me?  How do you justify it?” 

For you see, the truth is, everything Jesus, the Righteous One, has ever said is, indeed, right, and to oppose anything He has ever said, says more about who we are than Who He is.