November 22

A Lamb without Blemish

So Pilate went out to them and asked, “What accusation are you bringing against this man?” — John 18:29 BSB

That was a fair question. The Jews wanted Pilate to put Jesus to death, but Pilate had a right to ask for a reason why. No person should ever be condemned without a trial.

We have the same right to ask today of those who reject Christ: What wrong has He done? What fault can be found in His character? Who has He ever harmed? The Jews had no answer for Pilate’s question because there was no answer to give. Jesus had never wronged anyone.

A little girl once kissed her young brother’s hand as he lay in his coffin and said, “Mamma, this little hand never struck me.” The same could be said of Christ when He lay in the tomb: “These hands never struck anyone. These lips never spoke a hurtful word. This heart never held an unkind thought.” On the contrary, Christ’s life was a constant blessing to all who knew Him. His hands were always reaching out in healing and blessing—until they were stretched out on the cross. His lips were always speaking words of comfort and love. His heart was always full of grace and compassion. Who could ever bring a charge against Him?

Jesus was condemned to death not because of any wrong He had done, but because of men’s hatred. Today, He stands before us asking for our love and faith. What reason is there to reject Him? What fault can be found in His claims? Has He ever failed anyone who trusted in Him? Why, then, would anyone turn away from Him?