Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 337

December 3;      Matthew 27:18;      27/260;      ‘Pride is Deadly’

Matthew 27:18  “For he (Pilate) knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.”

Jesus stood before Pilate. The religious leaders demanded Jesus be put to death.  And for what reason?  What had He done? Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but he disregarded his own conscience.  The religious leaders knew that the Lord Jesus had healed people and that the people heard His teachings gladly. They saw His godly character, as He dealt with women and children, which was a manner very different than the rude and harsh way the religious leaders dealt with them. Jesus had become more popular than the religious leaders and they were envious of Him. Jesus tells the religious leaders in John 8 that their father is the devil. What is the devil’s nature? It is pride. Because He had what they did not have they resented Him for it and wanted Jesus out of the way.  Jesus taught with authority, while the religious leaders did not. Again, Jesus was kind and caring, the religious leaders were not. Jesus did miracles, the religious leaders did not. The religious leaders were used to having all of the attention of the people, and they hated Jesus for taking it from them. ‘Pride’ is the basis for all sin. Jealousy and even self-pity are the result of pride. The religious leaders could have believed on the Lord Jesus as the Apostles did. They could have learned what He taught, gotten Born Again when Jesus rose from the dead and had been empowered by the Holy Spirit and gone on to do great things for God in their life.  Their envy of Him prevented it.