April 26
Exposed

Luke 22:54-23:12

J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

Jesus is arrested: Peter follows but denies his master three times

^54-56 Then they arrested him and marched him off to the High Priest’s house. Peter followed at a distance, and sat down among some people who had lighted a fire in the middle of the courtyard and were sitting round it. A maid-servant saw him sitting there in the firelight, peered into his face, and said “This man was with him too.”

⁵⁷ But he denied it and said, “I don’t know him, girl!”

⁵⁸ A few minutes later someone else noticed Peter, and said, “You’re one of these men too.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”.

⁵⁹ Then about an hour later someone else insisted, “I am convinced this fellow was with him. Why, he is a Galilean!”

^60-62 “Man,” returned Peter, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crew. The Lord turned his head and looked straight at Peter, and into his mind flashed the words that the Lord had said to him ... “You will disown me three times before the cock crows today.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

^63-65 Then the men who held Jesus made a great game of knocking him about. And they blindfolded him and asked him, “Now prophet, guess who hit you that time!” And that was only the beginning of the way they insulted him.

In the early morning Jesus is formally interrogated

^66-67 Then when daylight came, the assembly of the elders of the people, which included both chief priests and scribes, met and marched him off to their own council. There they asked him, “If you really are Christ, tell us!”

^68-69 “If I tell you, you will never believe me, and if I ask you a question, you will not answer me. But from now on the Son of Man will take his seat at the right hand of almighty God.”

⁷⁰ Then they all said, “So you are the Son of God then?” “You are right; I am,” Jesus told them.

⁷¹ Then they said, “Why do we need to call any more witnesses, for we ourselves have heard this thing from his own lips?”

Jesus is taken before Pilate and Herod

23 ^1-2 Then they rose up in a body and took him off to Pilate and began their accusation in these words, “Here is this man whom we found corrupting our people, and telling them that it is wrong to pay taxes to Caesar, claiming that he himself is Christ, a king.”

³ But Pilate addressed his question to Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, I am,” he replied.

⁴ Then Pilate spoke to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find nothing criminal about this man.”

⁵ But they pressed their charge, saying, “He’s a trouble-maker among the people. He teaches through the whole of Judea, all the way from Galilee to this place.”

^6-12 When Pilate heard this, he enquired whether the man were a Galilean, and when he discovered that he came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he passed him on to Herod who happened to be in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was delighted, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time. He had heard a lot about Jesus and was hoping to see him perform a miracle. He questioned him very thoroughly, but Jesus gave him absolutely no reply, though the chief priests and scribes stood there making the most violent accusations. So Herod joined his own soldiers in scoffing and jeering at Jesus. Finally, they dressed him up in a gorgeous cloak, and sent him back to Pilate. On that day Herod and Pilate became firm friends, though previously they had been at daggers drawn.

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Questions to ponder:
Do I want to stay in the background in my walk of faith, like Peter?
Hoping that I can go unnoticed .... unidentified?
....after all, it's easier if people don't think of me as a "Christian".
In my workplace, in my family, even in my own home it's just easier if people don't know that I am a believer.
Right?

What is that nagging feeling, causing me to feel so uncomfortable?
I just want to be left alone to live my life like everyone else!

Then, when Jesus meets my gaze, He looks straight into my heart and I am exposed.

I am NOT like everyone else. I am a child of God......I have a Savior,
Someone who died for me.......gave His life for mine.
I can't stay in the background.....I must speak out, stand up, and claim my position in Christ Jesus!