FLOG HIM FOR WHAT?

Luke 23v13-16: Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing Him of leading a revolt. I have examined Him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find Him innocent. Herod came to the same conclusion and sent Him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. So I will have Him flogged, and then I will release Him.”

Pilate, if you have examined Him thoroughly and found Him innocent, why is there a punishment afterwards even if it’s a lighter one? Doesn’t that make Him “a little” guilty, and if so, for what? Wouldn’t that be a stain on someone’s character? Doesn’t that also seem unjust to you? Are you okay unjustly punishing Him, because the issue is not in the size of the punishment but whether the person deserves it or not. I thought it was supposed to be about whether the person is guilty or not as opposed to what the people want regardless of your findings and the truth? If you can go against your findings Pilate, then you are an unjust Judge and you do not deserve to sit on that seat. Resign and leave, make room for those that function and stand on the truth as a Principle.

In this life, there are people who will punish you to appease the complainants or to relieve themselves of the pressure from the people even though it is proven that they are lying. There will be times when you are thrown under the bus by people who feel pressure from those they prefer over you. I think of some cases which had white supremacists on the jury and though the person on trial was innocent, because they were black, they were found guilty and severely punished just so that they can appease their white community. Some are still in jail because their verdicts cannot be overturned because of the strictness of the laws in their States. Some have been finally exonerated but are still being held within because the flawed system cannot release them. Shame on that system, shame on it!

If Pilate truly found Jesus to be innocent and Herod confirmed that finding, making him a witness, why was there a need to flog Jesus? Do you flog innocent people just for the sake of it? He wanted to flog Him to silence the crowds. He was going to flog Him so that there is a little satisfaction that he has at least done something with this Accused. He was going to flog an innocent man to save his own skin because there was a raucous crowd. He was going to flog an innocent man to gain favour with the crowds/people.

The problem is that if you even think that He deserves a bit of flogging, you have told them they can stick up false accusations on Him and they will be entertained too. Because of such, they clamoured crucify Him as they upgraded their request because of that little opening Pilate exposed to them. Ah, how we need to truly close the door because even Sennacherib in 2 Kings 18 and 19 couldn’t get satisfied with a little giving in. He wanted the whole package because the devil and his agents always go for blood. The crowd rode on that wave and asked for more for sure and in their loudness, they prevailed. Huge injustice! It’s never about how loud the protests are; how many accusations they are, but the truth. The truth should be our guiding light and measuring stick even if it makes us unpopular.

I can’t help but think of the many times we have been unjustly flogged just so that someone can be eased and entertained. When my niece was a toddler, if she ever cried for something or even falsely accused me of beating her, her mother would scold me or act like she is scolding me just so that she can be silent. She became silent as her demand was appeased but the problem is that she always came for more and that encourages a person to keep falsely accusing others or develop lying tendencies. I got upset many of those times but with little relief, because it continued. I was guilty for her sake.

I see us in Jesus. A preferred person accuses you and gets away with it because the judge is biased towards them. It might be at the work place or at home. In order to maintain favour with the favoured or feared person, the unjust judge finds you guilty and flogs you a little but the problem is it’s not about the gravity of the flogging but the flogging itself. Why is the person being flogged? Are you not telling people that you can punish people for nothing? That you can also know that they are not guilty but numb your conscience and still punish them to make the liar happy? Oh Lord!

Be on the lookout for these tendencies because they have the ability to draw blood from you. They have the ability to bring self-doubt in you because if you are innocent and yet are considered guilty, then what must you do? This will perplex you and change you if you do not know how to stubbornly stand your ground but on the truth. If they did it to Jesus, they will certainly attempt to do it to you, but remember, in allowing Himself to go through this and even be crucified, Jesus has conquered it on your behalf. He took your place, bore the accusation and took the punishment, your job is to defy those spirits vehemently and avoid double jeopardy. Whatever the enemy attempts is illegal because of Isaiah 53v1-5.

#watchoutforaccusers

#watchoutforliars

#BeOnGuard

#StandYourGround

#standfirm

#YouAreUnconquerableinChrist

#Hetookyourplace