The Roman Soldier & the Pharisee

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." - John 15:13

Yesterday I watched The Passion of Christ with my two sons. I have seen this movie before, but my two boys have never seen it. If you have not seen it before, let me enlighten you. The movie is about the crucifixion of Jesus. It is very vivid and gruesome and give us a more or less accurate idea of what Jesus went through for us. I don’t recommend having your very young kids in the room with you when watching this movie. But my boys are now 13 and 19, so they aren’t little boys anymore.

Through the movie my eldest was quiet with a stern glare. I on the other hand was a hot mess. As the movie came to an end, my eldest picked up his blanket and I could see in his countenance how angry he was. I wiped all the tears off my face and pulled myself together and then I asked him why he was angry. And the words that came out of his mouth became the platform on which the Holy Spirit started ministering to me. A perspective change was about to happen.

"You are the Roman Soldier! You are the Pharisee!"

My son said, “How could they kill him in such a cruel way! They prayed for a Messiah. They asked for a savior and then they murder him!” In that moment I heard the Holy Spirit say, “This is you Lientjie. This is exactly how you respond when someone hurts you. But today I want to tell you, you are the Roman soldier, You are the Pharisee.”

I hope someone’s ears are open to hear, because this is a message, I believe all of us need to hear. We are all sinners! Every time we sin we are the ones beating Jesus. Shouting with our actions and words to crucify Jesus. Listen, JESUS DIED FOR YOUR SIN! Is that sinking in? YOU are reading this AND ME! None of us are blameless. Whether a born again Christian or a non-believer. There is no difference between us.

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him – Romans 10:12

Blameless...

And they beat Him, He was blameless.

Yet He did not curse them.

And He carried that cross through the crowd, Still blameless.

They spat on Him, Cursed Him.

Yet He did not curse them.

And then they pinned Him to the cross, He was still blameless.

They cursed Him, And spat on Him.

Yet He did not curse them, But instead made a plea to His father for them.

“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” – Luke 23:34”

When we are done wrong by someone, we immediately say, “How could they do that to me? I did not deserve to be treated like this!” But we forget, we are not blameless, we are not without sin. It is only through the grace of God that we can stand blameless and be forgiven. Nothing we do in our own strength can give us that.

Your Enemy is out to get you...

The one who does the crime against you is not your enemy. The criminal is not visible to the physical eye. The criminal is the one the bible speaks of…

Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage. - Ephesians 6:12 TPT

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. - Ephesians 6:12 NIV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. – John 10:10

I realize that it is difficult to see when you are in the moment, and Jesus understands too. That is why He gave us the most difficult commandment, but not without making sure that we know He will be with us. He knew would fail in this area with flying colors that is why He died so we could be forgiven.

“So I give you now a new commandment: Love each other just as much as I have loved you. For when you demonstrate the same love I have for you by loving one another, everyone will know that you’re my true followers.” - John 13:34-35 TPT

Have grace with the person that hurts you, pray for them and bind the lies of the enemy so that you may always walk in the Love of Jesus. And even the Roman Soldiers and the Pharisees were forgiven.