Our Sins Against God, Transparent to the World

ALL – Psalm 33:12-22
ALL – Proverbs 9:1-6
OT – Exodus 34:1-35:9
NT – Matthew 27:15-31

Have you ever really wanted something to go your way? And then you figured out a way to make it seem as though what you wanted was really in other people’s best interests? So you went out and got your way, and thought you made it look like it was for someone else and not for you?

Guess what. You may have fooled some people, but you didn’t fool everyone. Someone saw through you.

The Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead. They thought that they could make it look like they were being good Roman citizens and get the Roman government to kill Him by accusing Jesus of being a traitor to the Roman empire, a rebel who was trying to become king. They succeeded in getting Jesus killed, but they didn’t succeed in fooling the Roman governor, Pilate. He knew exactly what was going on, and he didn’t like it.

As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning he asked them, “Which shall I release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus your Messiah?” For he knew very well that the Jewish leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy because of his popularity with the people. – Matthew 27:17-18

His wife called Jesus a good man, too.

Pilate’s wife sent him this message: “Leave that good man alone; for I had a terrible nightmare concerning him last night.” – Matthew 27:19

And when the crowd asked for Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus, Pilate encouraged them to rethink their choice:

“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What has he done wrong?” – Matthew 27:23

Even as he caved to the crowd’s pressure, Pilate was trying to place the blame on them, knowing this was an injustice:

[H]e sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this good man. The responsibility is yours!” – Matthew 27:24

He’d seen through them. He knew they didn’t mind the responsibility for Jesus’ death. And they didn’t deny it:

“His blood be on us and on our children.” – Matthew 27:25

Secret sins aren’t so secret. We need to be real about our sins. Not proud of them. But real about them, and ready to see how sinful we are. We confess our sins rather than pretending to be good even as we go about our sinful ways. And in confessing our sins, we find that the very Jesus who went to the cross, the King of creation, is the Jesus who provides for our forgiveness. May we all find His grace and stop pretending to be doing good deeds as we sin.

What sins have you seen others committing while pretending to be good (please, no names or identifying details—just stories to show everyone how transparent we can be)?

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