So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus after he had scourged Him to be crucified. (Mark 15:15)

The Reason To Kill A Man

Life is most precious and should be regarded with the sanctity of what life represents. Every soul is a living being housed in a body of flesh and blood. The color of a man’s skin is not the summation of his worth. Humans come in different sizes, shapes, styles, and stories that define the character of their life. God requires the blood of a man who destroys another man’s life. There is a distinct difference between man and animal. A beast can be killed and eaten to sustain a man’s life, but when one man kills another man, it is murder. God created man in his image, and to kill another is to decry the design of God and the purpose of man. Respect for life was first learned in the tragic story of Cain and Abel. The cry of the slain reached the throne of God against Cain, who struck and killed his brother.

Pilate sits on the judgment seat of Roman power. He alone can adjudicate the sentence of any man with or without regard to the humanity of the accused. For Pilate, life is anything but precious. He had massacred some Galileans at their altar of sacrifice, and killing anyone was a whim of choice. Standing before Pilate is a man from the city of Nazareth. He is unimpressed with Jesus of Nazareth as a man. There was nothing remarkable about the Jew standing before Him. Pilate marveled at how calm and quiet Jesus was when attacked by the crowd and facing the rigorous interrogation of Herod and Pilate. Confronted by a crowd of rabble, Pilate vainly tried in his weakness to excuse Jesus and release him. He knew Jesus was on trial because of envy. It was within his power to release Jesus.

The pressure on the governor was intense as the crowd threatened to accuse him of betraying Caesar if he allowed Jesus to go free. Pilate’s wife warned him. He knew in his heart Jesus was innocent. His futile efforts to release Jesus only magnified how weak a man he was. Nothing was going to change the situation as it spiraled out of control. The Roman army could have come in and dispersed the riot, but Pilate chose to bow to the wishes of the crowd. Wanting to make the crowd happy and to save his position, Pilate released Barabbas and gave Jesus over to be crucified. Because of envy, Pilate had a man killed.

Jesus came to save the world from the tyranny of evil hearts like Pilate. The cruelties and injustices have not changed in two thousand years, but the answer to envy and hatred is Jesus Christ. Life is as precious now as it was when God created life. The world is filled with murder as each day thousands of innocents are killed in the womb in abortion—wars rage as nations seek to destroy other nations. Crime escalates with murder rates rising. Innocent men and women are caught in the crosshairs of evil. When life is viewed as an insignificant blob of matter with no worth, men become the base species of animal they are not.

God did not create life to be viewed as something that can be thrown away. Pilate had Jesus killed to satisfy the crowd. Life meant nothing to Pilate. It mattered nothing to him. He was able to wave his hand, and Jesus was scourged and crucified with little thought. Pilate thought so little of the value of life he committed suicide years later. What a lifeless and miserable life. God created man and breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul. The nature of man is very precious in the sight of the One who formed, created, and gave life. Jesus left heaven to become a man and die for the purpose of the Father to give man hope. Life is precious. Eternal life is the most precious life that can be desired. There is meaning to life because it is of value. Everyone has value in the eyes of God. Jesus died for everybody – nobody was left out. You are special. God loves you. He wants to give you eternal life. Let Jesus give you life.