Lesson Five: Jesus Was Sinless
Pastor Ryan Story
We all know that critical person who can find something wrong in every situation. We all know the person who will say it is too hot or too cold outside. You know that person who is unhappy if their food takes too long to get to their table. They are the person who can spot cobwebs from fifty feet away and say that an entire room is filthy. We all know that person who is more focused on their preference than principles. Sadly, we all have moments of being critical, we all have the pet-peeves that drive us crazy. Think of the way we start to treat people when they do not live up to our expectations. If a waiter takes too long to deliver food, we instantly jump to the conclusion that they are out to get us. We are so quick to find fault with people. Even worse, we are quick to finding fault with God as well.
In John chapter 19, Jesus is in the middle of a very bad night. The Pharisee leaders arrested Jesus. Now they want to put Jesus to death, but they cannot because they lack any true governing power. To execute Jesus, the Pharisees just need to get the Roman prefect to say this execution was just. John 19:4 says, “Pilate went out again and said to them, ‘See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.’” After meeting and questioning Jesus, Pilate was not able to find any fault in Jesus of Nazareth. It amazes me that Pilate was able to look at this Jewish man and see no guilt in Him. Pilate was a Roman leader who was doing his best to keep Jerusalem under control so he would not lose his job and life for failing the Roman Empire. To me, the easiest thing Pilate could have done in this situation would be to do what we all try to do, find a fault when one is not there. Amazingly, Pilate could not find anything to say showing Jesus was guilty.
Any Christ follower will agree with you that Jesus is God. He was sinless, perfect, and without any worldly blemish. Knowing that Jesus is the only person who we can say is perfect is such a peaceful feeling. Knowing that all of God’s ways are perfect, sinless, loving, merciful, and just should be at the central hub of our faith. Then why is it that when our situations in life are not where they should be, one of the first people we want to find fault in is God? Pilate examined Jesus for a substantial amount of time and found no fault in Him, and he was not even aware that Jesus was, in fact, the Christ, the world’s Savior, the King of kings. We are aware of all those things, and yet we still think God is unfair when there is turmoil in our families, a tragedy strikes, or when finances are not as bountiful as we were hoping. If we know that Jesus is, in fact, perfect and sinless, then His plan for our lives must be the same. Too often I hear people who think that difficult situations in life mean that God is not real, perfect, or just. Instead of looking for the problem in the One who is in control, look at how you can change your perspective. God is perfect and sinless. His plan is perfect. Take a page out of a Roman’s life, view God as without guilt, without fault, and perfect in all He does.