John 18:28-38 (NIV)
Read by: Clayton Cullaton
I remember when I was a young boy, the 4th of July would come around, and the air was full of two distinct smells: barbecue in the afternoon and the smell of fireworks in the evening. Take away all the other senses and I bet I could have told you what day it was.
In today’s passage John tells us that it’s early in the morning on the Passover. The Jewish leaders are actively avoiding defiling themselves so they can partake of the passover meal. As Jesus is being brought before his executioners, the Passover lamb is being prepared in the temple, and all across Jerusalem the smell of each household’s passover meal is filling the air. Everyone knew what day it was, but few knew that it was about to be radically redefined around Jesus, who at the beginning of this Gospel was called the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
----------REFLECT----------
1. What word of phrase stood out to you in the passage? Consider why that might be.
2. Pilate and the Jewish leaders were trying to keep their hands clean while condemning the only man with truly clean hands. Are there ever moments in your life when you have ever felt motivated to keep your hands clean rather than doing what’s right?
3. Jesus tells Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world. Too often we’ve taken this to mean that His kingdom is somewhere else, and not associated with this world. Rather, we must learn to hear Jesus say that though His Kingdom is not from here, it is indeed a kingdom that is uniquely and powerfully FOR here. In what ways do you long for Jesus’ Kingdom to come more fully in our world?
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