Easter | Jesus and the Conflicted (Pontius Pilate) | Easter's Villains Meet Easter's Victor - Part 3

Send us Fan MailJESUS AND THE CONFLICTED (PONTIUS PILATE)Easter Villains Meet Easter’s Victor – Part 3Senior Pastor Keith StewartApril 2, 2023As we inch nearer to the cross, the villains surrounding Christ unite in their intent to kill the Son of God. Only one man now stands in their way - the Roman governor who must authorize and ratify their decision to execute Christ. Pontius Pilate is known as a ruthless Prefect of Rome with no love for the Jewish people he governs. This will not be an easy sell. Join us this weekend as we dive into the story of Pilate and what it has to say to us about Who Jesus is and why He came. SERIES: EASTER’S VILLAINS MEET EASTER’S VICTORThere are plenty of things to learn from the bad guys. In the Easter story, the villains multiply & bring their collective power against the Son of God. But far from a message of despair & hopelessness, Easter’s Victor soars above the conflict to bring light & salvation to all who seek it.DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. Pastor Keith compared the entry of Pilate and his army into the city during Passover with that of Jesus Christ on the donkey. The contrast could not be more stark. Yet in this bit of prophetic theater, Jesus is making a strong statement about the nature of His kingdom. Why do you think people are so impressed by overt displays of power and strength? Why does Christ (Whom we know is God in human flesh) not choose that same path even though His own power is greater than all the armies of this world? How does Christ’s example affect your own attitude and example as a believer?2. Looking at the trials of Christ both at the hands of the Jewish people and the Roman authorities, there is no question that there is an organized, intentional effort on the part of the Jewish leaders to see Christ put to death. At the same time, given the reality that the power of capital punishment was stripped from the Jews during this time of Roman occupation, apart from Rome’s approval, Jesus would have never been put to death. Pilate had to give his approval to Christ’s death – which he did even though he tried to absolve himself of responsibility by washing his hands. In your mind, are the Jewish leaders guilty of Christ’s death, or is Pilate, or are both the Romans and the Jews responsible? Explain your answer.3. We don’t know much about Claudia Procula, Pilate’s wife, based on the single verse that describes her attempted intervention in this mockery of justice. We see a woman who was discerning, possibly even spiritually open because of listening to a dream that  God directed and even more than willing to act on that knowledge. This is a big theme in the gospels – women who are spiritually discerning and act on what knowledge or information they have. Can you name any other women in the gospels who are singled out for their unique contributions or faith? What does the example of Claudia say to people who assert that God doesn’t speak to anyone besides His own children?4. Barabbas or Jesus? It seems like a no-brainer, right? Yet the people chose Barabbas over Christ. Why is that? What does that say about people? In what ways are we like them in choosing Barabbas-like people, strong men, tough talkers, those who do whatever it takes to advance their cause?5. Dying in the place of a truly underserving man like Barabbas, Jesus makes one of the powerful statements about the nature of why He came and Who he came to save - He loved us and died for us at our worst. If you’re a Christ follower, how has Jesus’ unconditional love changed you? What does it mean to be accepted at our worst? How has that made you into a different sort of person? How does that impact the way you see others?https://www.springcreekchurch.org/ #realspringcreekchurch #easter #villains #darkness #betrayal #conflict #PontiusPilate #Jesus #victor #religion #hate #love #redemption #hope #encouragement