04/07/2023
TRUTH MATTERS IN OUR CHRISTIAN JOURNEY:
Arrested with a kiss for a lie!
It all began with the hatred of Jesus by the RELIGIOUS LEADERS. They couldnāt stand the courage of Christ in calling them out for the HYPOCRITES they were. Jesusā actions and behaviors throughout his life were at variance with their traditions in observing the Sabbath day and associating with those the Jews thought they were better than. Referring to himself as the Son of God, and the promised Messiah was even more of a gutsy punch against the HYPOCRITE RELIGIOUS LEADERS. The alleged crime was blasphemy and the penalty was stoning to death.
He was arrested with a kiss by Judas, a disciple, and a tribesman. At His trial, all evidence pointed to his innocence, yet none was brave to stand by it. Pontious Pilate, the governor saw it. His wife knew it through dreams. The crowd could not say what his crimes were other than the chant to crucify Him. Knowing they were wrong but not wanting to anger the religious leaders, Pilate cowardly turned his face away saying, āI am not responsible for the death of this man!ā But the whole crowd answered, āLet the responsibility for his death fall on us and on our children!ā (Matt 27:24-25). Barabbas, a hardened criminal was freed and Jesus handed over to be crucified.
I challenge you brethren church leaders to do a soul-searching reflection of your actions in the lives of believers. Think of how your secular behavior of malice and divisiveness have brought a divide in your community to the point of pushing people further from kingdom business. I challenge your consciences to the higher callings in Christ, knowing that the very Christ whose death you commemorate today, reminded us in the book of John 14:6, āI am the way, the truth, and the life, for no one cometh to my father except by me.ā
To those of you my brethrens who are seeing the truth, and know the truth but prefer to remain quiet you are equally guilty. If Pilate had spoken the truth, Christ would not have died the way he did.
Dangling with believersā hearts and souls in the church is a dangerous game to partake in. Banging the head of one believer against another in the church is diametrically Toying with their vulnerabilities and ignorance contradicts the very essence of the coming of Christ and his death.
Lies, manipulation and envy has taken preeminence over the lives of believers in the church. Believers come in search of salvation, not manipulation. They come to have and live life in abundance in Christ, not to die in lies. If the truth in Christ is minimized in and out of season, the responsibility for the spiritual deaths of believers rests squarely in your hands. Leaders in our churches ought to exemplify the life of Christ -IN TRUTH AT ALL TIMES- otherwise, believers are in trouble because truth matters in their Christian journeys as believers.
Dr. Christian Sesay Jr.
Indianapolis Theological Seminary