Reading your Bible for today January 11

January 11: John 18:28-38

KJV Key Verse: John 18:31
31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death :

Devotion:

What do we have standards for? Why do we have laws? Why are we taught rules from the time we are born? We would not get very far if there were no laws because everyone would do what they wanted all the time. If we have no standards to live up to, then we would all accept whatever happened and would not try to better ourselves. And if we are not taught rules, we grow up without a concern for the law or rules.

The Bible has many laws and rules within it and we must strive to uphold God's rules but we must also strive to uphold the rules of the land in which we live. If we were to ignore either we are working against God's wishes. We must always uphold God's laws above everything for the laws within the land may not always be just. One that springs to mind was an old English law stating that it is lawful to kill a man with a bow and arrow whilst standing on the opposite bank of a certain river in the north of England! A law that was introduced during a conflict and never changed... But just because that law says it is ok, that does not mean that it is alright to murder someone going for a stroll along the river!

What happened to Jesus was planned; He intended for things to happen in this manner so people would see what was written in the scriptures could and would be fulfilled. He was willing to law down His life for our sins, even when our sins were involved in sending Him to His death. The Jews knew they could not kill any man for no reason, so they decided to try and use the law of the land to their advantage. They took the local law literally and tried to get Jesus hung as quickly as possible, knowing that the Romans took no time in carrying out the sentence.

We often find ourselves bending rules and regulations just so they suit us. What we can never change is the truth. No matter how much we try and hide it, it remains the truth. No matter who we try and hide behind, no matter how much good we try to cover it with, it will always be there. Embrace the truth of God’s Word and tell it to others.

Points to Ponder:
How many rules will you break today?

Will you ask God to help you keep the laws today?