¤[music ends]¤¤
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>>John Bradshaw: This is
the story of the only man
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in history who
stopped the sun from shining.
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It's also the story of the
greatest miscarriage of justice
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known to humankind.
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But first, let's bring
it a little closer to home.
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In June of 2024, Sandra
Hemme was released from a prison
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in Missouri after
serving 43 years for murder,
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a crime she did not commit,
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becoming the longest-known
wrongly incarcerated woman
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in U.S. history.
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Reports say certain individuals
were "highly motivated
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"to look away from
where the evidence pointed
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and look instead
in other directions."
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Ms. Hemme spent
almost half a century
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locked up for no reason at all.
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Questions have persisted
for decades about the deaths
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of former
president John F. Kennedy
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and civil rights leader
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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The moment Jack Ruby killed
Lee Harvey Oswald on live TV,
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people everywhere suspected
there was a whole lot more
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to the story than
the official story.
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Dr. King's family don't believe
James Earl Ray fired the bullet
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that took the life of
the civil rights leader.
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Maybe we'll never
know what really happened.
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Justice isn't always as
blind as we'd like to think.
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But the man who
stopped the sun from shining?
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There is no
question about who he was
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and absolutely no
doubt about his guilt.
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¤[somber music]¤
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Thanks for joining
me on "It Is Written."
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The greatest
miscarriage of justice
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in the history of
the world took place
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on what Christians
now call Easter weekend
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2,000 years ago.
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The Son of God was born as
a baby in Bethlehem in Israel,
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raised in Nazareth, and in 27
AD began a very public ministry.
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After getting offside
with Jewish religious leaders,
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He was crucified,
nailed to a cross.
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But during Jesus'
awful journey to the cross,
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there was one man
who could have intervened
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to stop history's
greatest miscarriage of justice,
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prevent an
incomprehensible abuse of power,
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and turn back a
bloodthirsty mob.
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He's the only man who
ever lived who could have kept
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the sun shining in the sky.
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We don't know much
about his background,
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but in the Easter story
Pontius Pilate looms large.
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He was the governor of Judea,
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which is roughly Israel
and part of Jordan today.
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By the time Jesus was born,
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Judea was part of the
Roman province of Syria,
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and as the governor of Judea,
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Pilate reported
to the Roman emperor.
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He had jurisdiction
over military matters
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and was authorized to
impose the death penalty.
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The Sanhedrin, made of
70 influential Jewish men,
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had some influence in
civil and political matters,
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but with the Romans in control,
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they had the greatest
impact in the religious sphere.
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And on the night
Jesus was arrested,
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everything came together
to create the perfect storm.
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The Jewish leaders
overstepped their boundaries,
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and the man
appointed by the Roman Empire
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to maintain peace and
order failed in his duty.
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And we remember that every year.
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As we look at Pilate's
role in the Easter story,
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we see that God gave him
opportunity after opportunity
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to do something
historic, to do the right thing.
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Now, I'm not suggesting
Jesus' death on the cross
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might have been avoided.
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It was prophesied
that He would be crucified.
00:04:10.48\00:04:13.08
But Pilate's name could
have gone down in history
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for all the right reasons if
he'd only acted with integrity.
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And he could have.
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Pilate could have been a
Daniel who purposed in his heart
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that he would honor God,
no matter the personal cost.
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He could have been like
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
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who knew God could save
them from the fiery furnace,
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but told the king
that even if God did not,
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they still weren't going
to violate their conscience.
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In fact, conscience is a
major part of Pilate's story.
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Conviction came to
him again and again
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as God spoke to his heart.
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So, let's see this unfold.
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As we do, we're going to
learn something important enough
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to be the difference between
being saved and being lost.
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Let's look into the Bible.
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We'll start in
Matthew, chapter 27 and verse 1.
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And the Bible
says, "When morning came,
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"all the chief priests
and elders of the people
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"plotted against
Jesus to put Him to death.
00:05:11.31\00:05:15.38
"And when they had
bound Him, they led Him away
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and delivered Him to
Pontius Pilate the governor."
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After tolerating Jesus' ministry
for three and a half years,
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Jewish leaders
had had enough of it.
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This young teacher
didn't respect their customs.
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He was a threat
to their authority,
00:05:33.03\00:05:34.83
and he attracted
people by the thousands.
00:05:34.86\00:05:38.00
He was showing people what
faith in God really looked like,
00:05:38.03\00:05:40.84
and He did so by
portraying God as loving,
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by showing empathy and kindness,
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by investing in
people, by offering hope
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and touching even
the hardest hearts.
00:05:50.21\00:05:54.02
But the Jewish authorities
decided He had to go.
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Was it because He healed people?
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Was it because He
raised people from the dead
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and brought them back to life?
00:06:01.79\00:06:03.29
Was it because He
offered people hope?
00:06:03.32\00:06:05.49
Was it because He
restored people's sight
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or gave them back
the use of their limbs?
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No, they were
envious, threatened.
00:06:10.83\00:06:14.60
And because the purity
of His life was a rebuke
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to their obvious corruption,
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they thought the best
thing they could do to a man
00:06:20.64\00:06:23.21
who raised the dead and healed
lepers and cancelled funerals
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was put Him to death.
00:06:27.78\00:06:29.62
But because they didn't have the
authority to execute someone,
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they brought Him to Pilate,
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urging Pilate to do
what they could not.
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"Now Jesus stood
before the governor.
00:06:39.16\00:06:40.93
"And the governor
asked Him, saying,
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"'Are You the King of the Jews?'
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Jesus said to him,
'It is as you say.'"
00:06:46.37\00:06:51.21
It's clear Pilate
wasn't moved by the accusations
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brought against Jesus.
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Jesus had never
given Pilate any trouble.
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He'd never led an insurrection
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or got in the way
of the Roman armies.
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He wasn't a violent man.
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He didn't carry
Himself like a criminal.
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He was a religious teacher,
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who couldn't even be accused
of profiting from His ministry.
00:07:07.36\00:07:10.89
When Pilate asked
Jesus about the accusations
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made against Him,
Jesus stayed silent,
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and Pilate marveled greatly.
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You'd expect
someone in that situation
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to protest their innocence,
to give their side of the story.
00:07:23.64\00:07:27.84
But Jesus didn't,
and Pilate was stunned.
00:07:27.88\00:07:31.91
He would have
been asking himself
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what kind of man this was.
00:07:33.58\00:07:35.22
Normal people
didn't act like this.
00:07:35.25\00:07:37.72
It was clear
that Jesus cared about
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more than saving His own life.
00:07:39.49\00:07:42.09
He knew He was
destined for the cross.
00:07:42.12\00:07:44.79
But His commitment to saving you
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was stronger than His
commitment to saving Himself.
00:07:47.30\00:07:51.70
Now, Pilate's
behavior is interesting.
00:07:51.73\00:07:54.90
He was no stranger to
killing innocent people.
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In Luke 13 there's a reference
to a time he had a number
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of Galileans killed while
they were offering sacrifices.
00:08:01.34\00:08:05.18
And according to
the historian Josephus,
00:08:05.21\00:08:07.62
when Jews
protested Pilate taking money
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from the temple treasury to pay
for the building of an aqueduct,
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he put down the rebellion by
massacring numbers of people.
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Pilate ended up losing
his job over a massacre
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of Samaritan
worshipers on Mount Gerizim
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a few years after
the death of Jesus.
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He was no choirboy, but here
Pilate was looking for a way out
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of condemning an innocent man.
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There was something
different about Jesus,
00:08:34.81\00:08:36.54
and Pilate didn't want
Jesus to be put to death.
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So, Pilate came up
with a foolproof plan.
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"Now at the feast the governor
was accustomed to releasing
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"to the multitude one
prisoner whom they wished.
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"And at that time they
had a notorious prisoner
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called Barabbas."
00:08:55.50\00:08:57.80
Mark adds an important detail:
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"And there was
one named Barabbas,
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"who was chained
with his fellow rebels;
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they had committed
murder in the rebellion."
00:09:03.97\00:09:08.14
Put yourself in
Pilate's position.
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He doesn't want to
condemn an innocent man to die,
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so he presented the
people with two choices.
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The obvious choice was a
man who may well have healed
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some of the very
people baying for His blood.
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Pilate would
contrast the humble, kind,
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gracious Jesus with a murderer.
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Surely there was
only one possible outcome.
00:09:27.96\00:09:31.57
Except that Pilate wasn't
familiar with the old adage
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about lawyers
during cross-examination:
00:09:35.24\00:09:38.31
Never ask a question you
don't know the answer to.
00:09:38.34\00:09:41.28
He assumed that the
people in that crowd possessed
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some measure of
humanity, some shred of decency,
00:09:43.38\00:09:46.51
some sensitivity
to life and death
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and reason and commonsense.
00:09:49.08\00:09:51.35
But he was wrong.
00:09:51.39\00:09:53.12
Envy can do
strange things to people.
00:09:53.15\00:09:56.69
"Therefore, when they
had gathered together,
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"Pilate said to them, 'Whom do
you want me to release to you?
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Barabbas, or Jesus
who is called Christ?'"
00:10:01.46\00:10:05.20
Now, notice this: "For he knew
that they had handed Him over
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because of envy."
00:10:09.70\00:10:11.01
He knew. Pilate knew
full well what was going on.
00:10:11.04\00:10:15.34
Therefore, as the
governor of Judea,
00:10:15.38\00:10:17.48
his duty was to free Jesus.
00:10:17.51\00:10:20.52
He knew that, too.
00:10:20.55\00:10:22.18
And as if his conscience was
not already burning within him,
00:10:22.22\00:10:26.02
he received at that very moment
00:10:26.05\00:10:28.96
a remarkable
message from his wife.
00:10:28.99\00:10:31.63
Now, it's early in the morning.
00:10:31.66\00:10:33.80
John writes that Pilate
presented Jesus to the people
00:10:33.83\00:10:37.10
at the sixth hour.
00:10:37.13\00:10:38.60
And it seems John was
reckoning time from midnight,
00:10:38.63\00:10:42.07
different to what you
find in the synoptic gospels.
00:10:42.10\00:10:44.74
His wife had been
sleeping, but she woke up
00:10:44.77\00:10:48.24
and had a message
delivered to her husband.
00:10:48.28\00:10:51.81
I'm not sure how often
Mrs. Pilate sent messages
00:10:51.85\00:10:55.22
to her husband while
he was doing his job,
00:10:55.25\00:10:57.52
how often she told her
husband what he should do
00:10:57.55\00:10:59.82
in his professional life.
00:10:59.85\00:11:01.62
Given the era, my guess is that
it didn't happen very often.
00:11:01.66\00:11:05.09
So what was happening here
was absolutely extraordinary.
00:11:05.13\00:11:10.03
Her message was to the point:
00:11:10.07\00:11:12.60
"Have nothing to
do with that just Man,
00:11:12.63\00:11:15.80
"for I have
suffered many things today
00:11:15.84\00:11:18.24
in a dream because of Him."
00:11:18.27\00:11:20.24
So, what do you think is
going on inside Pilate's mind?
00:11:20.28\00:11:22.88
His conscience was
screaming at him by now.
00:11:22.91\00:11:25.81
He already
believed Jesus was innocent,
00:11:25.85\00:11:27.85
and now his wife sends a
message from out of nowhere
00:11:27.88\00:11:30.29
saying the same thing, adding
that she had suffered much
00:11:30.32\00:11:33.42
in a dream she'd had.
00:11:33.46\00:11:34.56
A dream had
caused her great anguish.
00:11:34.59\00:11:37.29
God was appealing to
Pilate every way He could,
00:11:37.33\00:11:41.06
even through his wife,
who had zero connection
00:11:41.10\00:11:43.77
to what was unfolding.
00:11:43.80\00:11:45.47
God was giving
Pilate the same opportunity
00:11:45.50\00:11:47.50
he gave
Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh.
00:11:47.54\00:11:50.17
Pilate could
have been a saved man.
00:11:50.21\00:11:53.84
And if he'd yielded to
the promptings begging him
00:11:53.88\00:11:56.01
to do the right thing, Pilate
would not have been responsible
00:11:56.04\00:11:59.48
for sending the Son
of God to His death.
00:11:59.51\00:12:03.25
How many times do you
think that happens to people?
00:12:03.28\00:12:05.75
Someone planning a crime
and a voice inside is saying,
00:12:05.79\00:12:08.62
"You shouldn't do
this. This is not right.
00:12:08.66\00:12:10.46
This isn't how you were raised."
00:12:10.49\00:12:12.23
That person in a bar or
a restaurant or an office,
00:12:12.26\00:12:15.00
everyone's having fun, but
then they remember their spouse,
00:12:15.03\00:12:18.60
and conscience says,
or the Holy Spirit says,
00:12:18.63\00:12:22.07
"Don't let this escalate.
Get out of here while you can."
00:12:22.10\00:12:25.37
That's God speaking,
trying to save that person.
00:12:25.41\00:12:28.51
A friend says, "We're
going to rob a store."
00:12:28.54\00:12:30.28
That voice says,
"Bad idea, don't do it."
00:12:30.31\00:12:32.85
But the young man goes along,
doesn't mean any real harm.
00:12:32.88\00:12:35.75
No one's going to get hurt.
He's just along for the thrill.
00:12:35.78\00:12:38.82
God is saying, "Don't
do this. You know better.
00:12:38.85\00:12:42.19
I can get you out of this."
00:12:42.22\00:12:43.96
And then it all goes bad,
and that young man is sitting
00:12:43.99\00:12:47.40
in a cell that will be his
home for the rest of his life,
00:12:47.46\00:12:51.63
even though his
conscience, his better judgment,
00:12:51.67\00:12:55.27
even though God
told him plainly,
00:12:55.30\00:12:59.04
"You don't want to do this."
00:12:59.07\00:13:00.41
¤[soft reflective music]¤
00:13:00.44\00:13:01.74
You know what's a good idea?
00:13:01.78\00:13:02.84
It's a good idea for
you to take some "you time."
00:13:02.88\00:13:05.55
Now, to take "you time,"
you could walk or rest or relax
00:13:05.58\00:13:08.22
or read or travel or learn.
00:13:08.25\00:13:10.72
But the best "you
time" has to be taking time
00:13:10.75\00:13:14.56
to grow
spiritually, feeding your soul,
00:13:14.59\00:13:17.83
becoming the person
you were created to be.
00:13:17.86\00:13:21.33
Understand your
Bible with the free online
00:13:21.36\00:13:25.40
It Is Written
Bible Study Guides.
00:13:25.43\00:13:28.57
Dig deep into
subjects that really matter.
00:13:28.60\00:13:31.37
You'll uncover
precious life-changing truths--
00:13:31.41\00:13:34.31
25 lessons, easy but in-depth,
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00:13:34.34\00:13:40.15
You may learn more about
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00:13:40.18\00:13:42.15
than you've learned
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00:13:42.18\00:13:44.82
Simply go to itiswritten.study
00:13:44.85\00:13:47.76
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00:13:47.79\00:13:51.06
It's completely free, "you
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itiswritten.study.
00:13:57.73\00:14:01.44
In June of 2024, some
men outside a nightclub
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in Canberra, Australia,
got into a bit of a dispute--
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nothing unusual for a nightclub.
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While one man was
walking away, he was punched.
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One punch.
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The man who was on the
receiving end, a father of four,
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is now living with an
irreversible brain injury,
00:14:20.32\00:14:22.39
while the
21-year-old who threw the punch
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was sentenced to up
to six years in prison.
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At some stage, both men
thought about just walking away.
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One did, but one
did not, and then?
00:14:32.17\00:14:37.51
A British mother recently
buried her 17-year-old son
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after he made an
error of judgment.
00:14:40.38\00:14:42.28
She had warned
him not to use drugs.
00:14:42.31\00:14:44.98
He assured her he wouldn't.
00:14:45.01\00:14:47.38
But then he took
narcotics while drinking.
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Just once, and
the result was fatal.
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He knew, but instead of
following the voice of reason,
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he gave in to temptation,
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and what happened in a
moment can never be undone.
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Everyone has had that
experience to some degree.
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It might be a website
you should steer clear of
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or an angry word that
you think the other person
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deserved to hear.
00:15:13.58\00:15:15.01
Something was
saying, "Don't do it."
00:15:15.04\00:15:17.15
And yet you did, and
it can't be taken back.
00:15:17.18\00:15:19.61
And someone's going to have
to live with the consequences
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of those actions for
the rest of their life.
00:15:21.95\00:15:25.59
You know something?
00:15:25.62\00:15:27.02
It's always
better to yield to God.
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I want to
encourage you to surrender
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when God speaks to your heart.
00:15:33.06\00:15:35.10
Let God's will be
done in your life.
00:15:35.13\00:15:39.77
The people knew
nothing about what was going on
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in the heart of Pilate.
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"The chief priests and
elders persuaded the multitudes
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"that they should ask for
Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
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"The governor
answered and said to them,
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"'Which of the two do you
want me to release to you?'
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They said, 'Barabbas!'"
00:15:53.75\00:15:56.22
Notice what's going on?
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Pilate is trying
to release Jesus.
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He's hoping the people
would have a change of heart,
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but they chose a
murderer and rejected a Messiah.
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Luke writes,
"Pilate gave sentence
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that it should be
as they requested."
00:16:10.20\00:16:12.10
Pilate could simply have
chosen to be a leader and lead.
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It was his job, as the person in
authority, to do the right thing
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and not be pushed around
by the people he governed.
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But Pilate was weak.
00:16:23.24\00:16:25.71
He even tried to get
out of the whole situation
00:16:25.75\00:16:27.88
by having Jesus sent to Herod
and make it Herod's problem,
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only for Herod
to send Jesus back.
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When he needed
backbone, Pilate wilted.
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You might have had
that experience, too.
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When temptation comes, your
reservoir of strength is small,
00:16:41.63\00:16:45.90
and you say that awful
thing, or you lash out,
00:16:45.93\00:16:48.40
or you're critical
or dishonest or immoral.
00:16:48.44\00:16:51.57
But a follower of Jesus can have
strength in moments like that.
00:16:51.61\00:16:56.24
I'll tell you how.
00:16:56.28\00:16:57.58
Crumbling like Pilate
did is not really the result
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of what happens in the moment.
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Instead, it's the result of
what has happened over time.
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If you're connecting
with God on a daily basis,
00:17:07.32\00:17:10.49
you are far less likely to
fold in the face of temptation.
00:17:10.53\00:17:15.20
Your daily devotional time
strengthens you for those times
00:17:15.23\00:17:18.47
of strong temptation.
00:17:18.50\00:17:20.20
I was digging something out of
the ground in my yard recently,
00:17:20.24\00:17:22.70
and it was stubborn,
really hard to shift.
00:17:22.74\00:17:26.31
And that's because it had
a root system that went deep.
00:17:26.34\00:17:30.08
If you put down deep roots
and fasten them around Jesus,
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temptation won't be
able to easily push you over.
00:17:35.18\00:17:39.69
Prayer puts down roots.
00:17:39.72\00:17:41.69
Reading the
Bible puts down roots.
00:17:41.72\00:17:44.39
Grow your relationship
with God today and tomorrow
00:17:44.43\00:17:48.03
and the day after, and
when temptation presses in,
00:17:48.06\00:17:51.70
you won't easily be uprooted
00:17:51.73\00:17:53.44
because the roots of
your faith go down deep.
00:17:53.47\00:17:58.57
Now, "Pilate said to
them, 'What then shall I do
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with Jesus who
is called Christ?'"
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And "they all said to him,
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'Let Him be crucified!'"
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He tried again. In
his mind he's thinking
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these good religious people
surely wouldn't want to harm
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an obviously innocent man.
00:18:17.89\00:18:20.53
Pilate was dead wrong.
00:18:20.56\00:18:22.23
"From then on Pilate
sought to release Him,
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"but the Jews cried out,
saying, 'If you let this Man go,
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"'you are not Caesar's friend.
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Whoever makes himself a
king speaks against Caesar.'"
00:18:31.21\00:18:35.41
So you see what
pushed Pilate over the line?
00:18:35.44\00:18:38.31
He was so
concerned about his job,
00:18:38.35\00:18:40.58
so concerned about his
reputation with his boss
00:18:40.62\00:18:43.22
that he was prepared to allow
a gross miscarriage of justice.
00:18:43.25\00:18:48.59
So what influences you?
00:18:48.62\00:18:51.33
There are people
who would follow Jesus,
00:18:51.36\00:18:53.60
but they're concerned
about what others would think.
00:18:53.63\00:18:56.33
Or they're concerned
about their livelihood.
00:18:56.36\00:18:58.50
But that's not how faith works.
00:18:58.53\00:19:00.90
Abraham followed God, not
knowing where he was going.
00:19:00.94\00:19:04.27
James and John followed Jesus,
leaving their jobs behind.
00:19:04.31\00:19:08.14
Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego were faithful,
00:19:08.18\00:19:10.48
believing it would
cost them their lives.
00:19:10.51\00:19:13.05
And in each case, God blessed
them for their faithfulness.
00:19:13.08\00:19:19.42
You can't do the right
thing for God and be worse off.
00:19:19.45\00:19:23.06
So don't worry about what
people think or how they react
00:19:23.09\00:19:27.03
or what they say.
00:19:27.10\00:19:29.13
Put God first,
knowing that God said,
00:19:29.16\00:19:31.93
"Those who honor
me I will honor."
00:19:31.97\00:19:36.87
Pilate is now exasperated.
00:19:36.91\00:19:40.31
He asks a desperate question:
00:19:40.34\00:19:43.75
"'Why, what evil has He done?'
But they cried out all the more,
00:19:43.78\00:19:48.42
saying, 'Let Him be crucified!'"
00:19:48.45\00:19:51.85
The people ignore his
appeal: "What evil has He done?"
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They don't even
want to go there.
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They just want Him gone.
00:19:57.36\00:20:00.00
And Pilate knows they
have no grounds for this
00:20:00.03\00:20:03.00
and that the life of
Jesus is hanging in the balance.
00:20:03.03\00:20:05.70
Ahead of Him, crucifixion,
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a revolting,
brutal, painful death.
00:20:07.90\00:20:11.54
Pilate could stand in
defense of his Creator.
00:20:11.57\00:20:15.31
All he needs to do is
make the right decision.
00:20:15.34\00:20:19.98
"When Pilate saw that he
could not prevail at all,
00:20:20.02\00:20:22.12
"but rather that
a tumult was rising,
00:20:22.15\00:20:24.42
"he took water and washed
his hands before the multitude,
00:20:24.45\00:20:27.96
"saying, 'I am innocent of
the blood of this just Person.
00:20:27.99\00:20:33.60
You see to it.'"
00:20:33.63\00:20:35.60
And that doesn't make any sense.
00:20:35.63\00:20:37.93
"I'm telling
you He is righteous,
00:20:37.97\00:20:41.30
but I'm handing Him
over to be crucified anyway."
00:20:41.34\00:20:45.21
Pilate wasn't
innocent of anything.
00:20:45.24\00:20:48.21
Now, if you were Pilate,
what would you have done?
00:20:48.24\00:20:50.61
What a fearful responsibility to
hold the life of the Son of God
00:20:50.65\00:20:55.18
in your hands!
00:20:55.22\00:20:57.52
This was an opportunity for
Pilate to speak up for Jesus,
00:20:57.55\00:21:00.89
to acknowledge what
everyone could see and prevent
00:21:00.92\00:21:04.53
a gross miscarriage of justice,
and an opportunity for Pilate
00:21:04.56\00:21:08.83
to yield to that
voice speaking to his heart.
00:21:08.86\00:21:11.70
What better opportunity
could the Roman governor have
00:21:11.73\00:21:14.27
to accept Jesus than having
a personal audience with Him
00:21:14.30\00:21:17.71
and seeing for
himself that Jesus
00:21:17.74\00:21:20.01
was just who He claimed to be?
00:21:20.04\00:21:22.04
And then things
got dark. John again:
00:21:23.04\00:21:25.88
"Then Pilate...took
Jesus, and scourged Him."
00:21:25.91\00:21:30.42
He had Him whipped with a whip
made of leather cords embedded
00:21:30.45\00:21:34.69
with nails and fragments
of metal and bone shards.
00:21:34.72\00:21:40.66
"And the soldiers platted
a crown of thorns and put it
00:21:40.70\00:21:43.30
"on His head, and they
put on Him a purple robe
00:21:43.33\00:21:47.30
"and said, 'Hail,
King of the Jews!'
00:21:47.34\00:21:50.97
and they smote
Him with their hands."
00:21:51.01\00:21:53.94
The brutality against
Jesus was in full swing.
00:21:53.98\00:21:57.95
Back to Matthew:
00:21:57.98\00:21:59.55
"And all the
people answered and said,
00:21:59.58\00:22:01.62
'His blood be on us
and on our children.'"
00:22:01.65\00:22:05.52
And those words
turned out to be prophetic.
00:22:05.55\00:22:08.22
"Then he
released Barabbas to them;
00:22:08.26\00:22:10.53
"and when he had scourged Jesus,
00:22:10.56\00:22:12.53
he delivered Him
to be crucified."
00:22:12.56\00:22:15.30
And with his
conscience still burning,
00:22:15.33\00:22:18.73
"Pilate wrote a title
and put it on the cross.
00:22:18.77\00:22:22.60
"And the writing
was: 'JESUS OF NAZARETH,
00:22:22.64\00:22:25.61
"THE KING OF THE JEWS.' ...
00:22:25.64\00:22:27.28
"Therefore the chief priests
of the Jews said to Pilate,
00:22:27.31\00:22:30.95
"'Do not write "The
King of the Jews," but,
00:22:30.98\00:22:32.85
"He said, 'I am the
King of the Jews.'"'
00:22:32.88\00:22:35.18
Pilate answered, 'What I
have written, I have written.'"
00:22:35.22\00:22:39.85
That was a vain attempt to
soothe his burning conscience.
00:22:39.89\00:22:45.36
And crucified
between two common criminals,
00:22:46.36\00:22:49.63
Jesus hung on a cross.
00:22:49.66\00:22:52.73
"Now from the sixth
hour until the ninth hour
00:22:52.77\00:22:55.10
there was darkness
over all the land."
00:22:55.14\00:22:58.11
The sun refused
to shine as its Maker
00:22:58.14\00:23:01.18
was suspended
between heaven and earth,
00:23:01.21\00:23:03.58
bearing the sins
of the whole world--
00:23:03.61\00:23:06.28
bearing your sins.
00:23:06.31\00:23:08.62
Pontius Pilate was
the only man in the world
00:23:08.65\00:23:12.15
who could have prevented
that darkness, but instead,
00:23:12.19\00:23:15.59
his refusal to surrender to
the pleading of God sent Jesus
00:23:15.62\00:23:20.20
to the cross and stopped
the sun from shining in the sky.
00:23:20.23\00:23:26.10
And what became of Pilate?
Well, we don't know for sure.
00:23:26.13\00:23:29.17
Some reports say
he took his own life.
00:23:29.20\00:23:31.27
Some say someone
else took his life.
00:23:31.31\00:23:34.41
Either way, it seems
certain things didn't end well
00:23:34.44\00:23:38.38
for Pilate--when it all
could have ended gloriously.
00:23:38.41\00:23:43.89
Pilate, the man who
stopped the sun from shining--
00:23:43.92\00:23:48.72
yet, he couldn't stop
the light from shining.
00:23:48.76\00:23:53.36
The light of the
cross still shines,
00:23:53.40\00:23:55.73
illuminating the whole world,
00:23:55.76\00:23:58.60
giving you the opportunity
to do what Pilate did not.
00:23:58.63\00:24:05.21
So, how is it with you today?
00:24:05.24\00:24:07.71
God is speaking to your
heart, but are you responding?
00:24:07.74\00:24:12.15
If you're stuck in sin or
some destructive habit pattern,
00:24:12.18\00:24:15.68
Jesus is appealing to
you to surrender that to Him.
00:24:15.72\00:24:18.52
If you're having problems
trusting God, believing in God,
00:24:18.55\00:24:21.89
God is asking for your heart.
00:24:21.92\00:24:23.93
And if you've
never chosen Jesus,
00:24:23.96\00:24:26.23
God is asking you to do so
00:24:26.26\00:24:27.56
and to trust that He
will live His life in you.
00:24:27.60\00:24:30.30
He'll give you peace
that passes understanding.
00:24:30.33\00:24:32.93
He'll give you purpose,
and He'll give you forever.
00:24:32.97\00:24:37.21
All it takes is a decision,
00:24:37.24\00:24:39.84
the decision that
Pilate wouldn't make.
00:24:39.87\00:24:44.11
Can you believe today?
00:24:44.15\00:24:46.48
Believe that Jesus died for you.
00:24:46.51\00:24:48.72
Believe that Jesus is
everything He said He was.
00:24:48.75\00:24:52.25
Believe that Jesus
is coming back soon.
00:24:52.29\00:24:55.49
If you do so,
He'll come back for you
00:24:55.52\00:24:58.96
and usher you into a
future that has no end.
00:24:58.99\00:25:02.63
Friend, if you'll
believe in Jesus today,
00:25:02.66\00:25:05.23
if you'll accept
Him as your Savior,
00:25:05.27\00:25:07.84
you can know with confidence
00:25:07.87\00:25:10.67
that you have everlasting life.
00:25:10.71\00:25:14.34
Now, there's
something I want you to have.
00:25:15.68\00:25:18.08
The cross
shouldn't be simply a story.
00:25:18.11\00:25:21.82
There's power in the cross,
00:25:21.85\00:25:24.12
and I want you to
experience that power.
00:25:24.15\00:25:26.52
God wants you to
experience that power.
00:25:26.55\00:25:28.99
Call now and get
"The Power of the Cross,"
00:25:29.02\00:25:32.26
a free faith-building
resource I've written.
00:25:32.29\00:25:35.93
It's our gift to you.
00:25:35.96\00:25:37.60
The message of
"The Power of the Cross"
00:25:37.63\00:25:39.97
has the power to
transform your life,
00:25:40.00\00:25:42.90
to connect you
with the power of God,
00:25:42.94\00:25:45.24
and free you up to experience
the blessing and the hope
00:25:45.27\00:25:48.84
and the purpose
God has for your life.
00:25:48.88\00:25:51.85
Now, to get "The Power
of the Cross," call now.
00:25:51.88\00:25:54.32
The number is 800-253-3000.
00:25:54.35\00:25:57.32
That's 800-253-3000.
00:25:57.35\00:26:00.76
You can go to iiwoffer.com
00:26:00.79\00:26:03.63
or text "freecross" to 71392.
00:26:03.66\00:26:07.60
Experience "The
Power of the Cross."
00:26:07.60\00:26:10.47
Call now: 800-253-3000.
00:26:10.50\00:26:14.17
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:14.90\00:26:17.01
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:17.04\00:26:20.68
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:20.71\00:26:23.38
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:23.41\00:26:27.72
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
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to the address on your screen,
00:26:29.42\00:26:30.82
or you can visit us
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00:26:30.85\00:26:34.82
Thank you for your prayers
and your financial support.
00:26:34.86\00:26:36.99
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:37.03\00:26:40.86
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:40.90\00:26:44.53
>>John: Let me
pray with you now.
00:26:45.97\00:26:47.47
Our Father in
heaven, we thank You
00:26:47.50\00:26:48.80
that there is
power in the cross,
00:26:48.84\00:26:50.67
and You've included in the Bible
stories like that of Pilate
00:26:50.71\00:26:54.01
so that we can
learn what not to do
00:26:54.04\00:26:57.58
and how to respond when
You speak to our hearts.
00:26:57.61\00:27:00.12
Now, friend, I
believe that right now
00:27:00.15\00:27:01.45
God might be
speaking to your heart.
00:27:01.48\00:27:02.85
I know He's speaking
to some heart right now.
00:27:02.88\00:27:05.75
And if that's you, would you
surrender your life to Jesus?
00:27:05.79\00:27:08.62
Remember the story of Pilate.
00:27:08.66\00:27:10.43
Saying no to Jesus
leads nowhere fast.
00:27:10.46\00:27:14.46
Would you say to Jesus, "Yes,
I accept Your will for my life.
00:27:14.46\00:27:18.63
Yes, I accept Jesus
as my Lord and Savior."
00:27:18.67\00:27:21.37
Lord, You heard
every one of those yeses,
00:27:21.40\00:27:23.37
You've seen every heart,
and so bless now, I pray.
00:27:23.41\00:27:26.01
Friend, if you've asked Jesus
to be your Lord and Savior,
00:27:26.04\00:27:28.51
He is that right now,
and you can know that,
00:27:28.54\00:27:31.91
from this moment on, you have
the gift of everlasting life.
00:27:31.95\00:27:34.52
Cling to Jesus and
you'll never let that go.
00:27:34.55\00:27:36.72
Lord, we thank You,
00:27:36.75\00:27:38.15
and we pray in Jesus' name.
00:27:38.19\00:27:41.19
Amen.
00:27:41.22\00:27:42.52
Thank you so
much for joining me.
00:27:42.56\00:27:44.26
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:44.29\00:27:45.99
Until then, remember:
00:27:46.03\00:27:47.50
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:47.50\00:27:51.23
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:51.27\00:27:54.90
¤[dramatic,
triumphant theme music]¤
00:27:54.94\00:27:58.94
¤[music ends]¤¤
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