Perverting The Nation
Or
Finding No Fault
Sunday June 4, 2023
Scripture To Consider:
“Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Jesus to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, ‘We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, that He Himself is Christ, a King.’”
“Then Pilate asked Jesus, saying, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered him and said, ‘It is as you say.’ So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no fault in this Man.’ But they were the more fierce, saying, ‘He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.’” Luke 23.1-5
Something To Consider:
After being condemned to death by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling religious group, Jesus was taken to Pilate whose name means, armed with a spear. Pontius Pilate had become the sixth Roman procurator or ruler of Judea, with authority over both political and military affairs in the region. It was under the rule of Pilate that Jesus worked, traveled, suffered, and died.
Pilate resided in Caesarea, but it was customary for him to go to Jerusalem during the feasts in order to ensure the peace. And so the Sanhedrin handed Jesus over to Pontius Pilate because of envy. Much of the evil in the world is done due to envy and jealousy. And this 21st century end times are no different!
Paul explained in Galatians 4.26; “Let us not become conceited [desirous of vain glory], provoking one another, envying one another.” Paul was and is instructing the true church concerning envy and jealousy. Are we listening to his instruction with ears to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to us as end time enduring to the end saints of the Most High God?
James, the step brother of Jesus, in promoting heavenly wisdom verses demonic wisdom, wrote in James chapter 3, verses 14 and 16; “If you [we] have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. For while envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”
Something Else To Consider:
On this occasion the religious leaders brought four false charges against Jesus. They prefaced these charges by declaring, “We found this fellow 1) perverting the nation, and 2) forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, 3) saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” And the fourth charge they testified falsely of Jesus, by declaring, 4) “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea.”
They were shrewd in their false accusations. They were sure to include, “We found this fellow perverting the nation…” For in their own Old Testament law, found in Deuteronomy 17.6, it states; “Whoever is worthy of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses, but he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.”
Numbers 35.30 also reiterates the same protection and human right of anyone condemned to die. They were also careful to include Judea in their charges, for Pilate was responsible for whatever happened in Judea. And yet, God the Father was in complete control of those proceedings.
Therefore, who is in complete and total control of the situations and circumstances of our lives as true born again children of God? The answer of course is that our heavenly Father is in complete control. And when we look back in time we are then able to better clearly understand that truth!
For example, as I am actually writing this lesson of a lifetime, it is Tuesday November 3, 2020, the day of the 2020 Presidential election. And God is in complete control. He will not be surprised by the outcome or by the people’s response. And by the time this lesson of a lifetime is uploaded to the website, we will look backwards and if true believers we will give thanks that God is merciful and gracious, and still in control!
Something More To Consider:
In the minds of those jealous Jewish leaders, their first charge against Jesus must have appeared to them to be the strongest of all the charges. They accused Jesus of perverting the nation, when in reality their own hypocritical religious lifestyles had done more to pervert the nation than anyone, including Jesus.
On the first trip to Pilate, speaking on behalf of Jesus, Pilate announced, “I find no fault in this Man.” That admission of innocence still rings true today down through the centuries of time, for there was no fault, no sin, and no charge that could ever have been brought against Jesus that would have stood up in any real court of law. The charges against Jesus were false, and yet He did not resist.
Jesus knew that there was coming a time in the future, when those who had brought false accusations against Him would be on trial themselves. And in reality, all of humankind will one day be on trial. Will we be found with or without fault? Only through the blood of Jesus are any of us to be found faultless.
Many of us, most assuredly myself included, before coming to Christ, were indeed guilty of perverting ourselves and others due to our envy, jealousy, and outright sin and rebelliousness against God and against His written Word. And yet, through true remorseful repentance, and a present tense attitude of repentance, no fault can be found in us as we remain in Him, in Jesus Christ!
A Few Final Words:
The wisest man who ever lived, according to the Word of God, Solomon, proclaimed in Proverbs 10.9, “He [or she] who walks uprightly [or who walks with integrity] walks securely, but he [or she] who perverts his [or her] ways will become known [by God as one who perverts others].” In other words, our sin and evil actions will be revealed in time if not truly and remorsefully repented of!
Many remain guilty of perverting the nations, the political systems of the world, the religious systems, and the coming one world political/religious system seemingly to be further controlled by the Antichrist or beast system. But, in the end, God will prove to be in control and will judge those at fault for perverting His truth.
Fault finding for the average person is an easy find, but no fault could or ever will be found through a careful study of the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, according to Luke’s gospel, “So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man [in Jesus].”
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, may we be found having no fault in us, through the forgiveness that is only found in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. May the precious blood of Jesus willingly poured out that day at Calvary, cleanse us from all our iniquity, as we are found looking unto Jesus. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 