Pilate’s most painful task was to comply with Jesus’ wishes and with the Jew’s demand to pronounce the death sentence on Jesus and execute Him. In the Gospel of John (19:2-3), to induce mercy and hopefully a release for Jesus, Pilate had his soldiers mock Jesus, but to no avail. Jesus, Himself, was kinder to Pilate than to the Jewish leaders. Jesus actually consoled Pilate in telling him that he only carried out orders as predetermined by a higher authority from above, and that his guilt was less than those who demanded His crucifixion (John 19:11). Fear caused Pilate to lose control! And so Pilate turned Jesus over to his soldiers to finish the horrified act of crucifying an innocent and righteous man. However, there were two soldiers who had some pity and forced a man from Cyrene to carry Jesus' cross (Mark 15:21). Most of the Roman soldiers were cruel and they took pleasure in abusing our Lord Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. However, Jesus did forgive them, "... for they did not know what they were doing" (Luke 23:34). The soldiers were given the impression that they were disposing of a dangerous enemy of Caesar and Rome.

The Cross of Christ is the most powerful deterrent from going to hell. In the ancient world, the cross also was a deterrent against crime. The first horrifying use of the cross, to avenge himself, was Jannaeus, the grandson of Mattathias Maccabee, and not a Roman. Jannaeus crucified eight hundred Pharisees who had opposed him being their king and high priest (Note 2). To the contrary, Christ Jesus, the Son of God, used the cross to stop humans beings from destroying each other --- and from following Satan into hell. The cross is the most powerful symbol of Salvation! God the Father, Himself, allowed His Son to choose the cross as the means and vehicle to leave this world. Paul, the Apostle, penned these immortal words:

Living in grace is to lead a content and satisfied life in Christ. Outside of Christ or outside of God’s kingdom there is no absolute and no satisfactorily contentment available. It is even impossible! Jesus told the ruler of the world, Satan: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). At the same time, without bread man cannot live at all. How then, does God use "grace" to make life content and satisfied? Essentially, God entrusted man with the task to meet each other’s needs. To do so, man has to be at peace with himself, with his fellow men, and with God. The person who has been endowed with the peace of Christ no longer has his conscience or his heart accuse nor condemn him. In addition, a Christian has to keep in mind that he represents his faith in hostile territory.

Peter began his new journey in Joppa in a prayer room. His experience with Aeneas and Tabitha (Dorcas) had lifted him to his highest spiritual mountain. Peter felt clean and at peace with himself; and therefore, he had determined in his heart to stay up there. He was away from being persecuted and being held the responsible for the flock, because James, the half-brother of the Lord, had secured command over the huge gathering of disciples. At that time, everyone was a disciple and they belonged to the "Way" of Jesus. While Peter was enjoying some serenity, a message, from heaven came about a forbidden people, which disrupted his sleep. Luke recorded this phenomenal meeting of two men from different backgrounds, from different creeds, and from different races. To Peter’s surprise, and without the laying on of his hands, the Holy Spirit settled on all Gentile believers in Cornelius’ household. A second Pentecost had taken place.

Caiaphas and his Kangaroo court were about to sit down and eat their Passover meal when Judas arrived and informed them that Jesus could easily be apprehended without a public notice. To avoid public retribution, the leaders had decided to have Jesus removed, as a rival to Caesar. So, Judas led a band of Sanhedrin guards and Roman soldiers to Gethsemane, where they arrested Jesus. They then took Jesus to Annas and Caiaphas where Jesus was humiliated and sentenced to die. The Sanhedrin feared the public because the people liked what Jesus was doing. Therefore, the Jewish leaders put the blame on the Romans. These Jewish leaders forced Pilate to do their killing. By six a.m., in the morning, they had Jesus handed over to the Romans. And by nine a.m., in the morning, a strong Roman military contingent led Jesus to Golgotha. False rumor had it that Jesus had planned an insurrection. And that is why mostly women met Jesus carrying the cross. And only one man, going home, was forced to carry Jesus’ cross (Luke 23:28; Mark 15:21). By three p.m., in the afternoon, Jesus had died.

Living in grace is spreading love where it is least expected. Grace avoids favoritism! And grace fears no humiliation! Even the idea that your own kind (people) comes first was a Jewish idea and not a Christian idea. Jesus, Himself, enjoyed some affection.

The passing on of the "spirit" of Elijah to Elisha is not a new phenomenon. It began when the Creator breathed His Breath into man. And the Creator commanded man to multiply, so that the "spirit" was being passed on. The passing on of the "spirit" became the responsibility of the individual person; therefore, every new baby that is conceived receives a double portion from the father and from the mother. It matters greatly how the "spirits" of the parents were developed and how they were influenced. The "spirit" in man, like his conscience, can be trained and it can be conditioned towards what is right or towards what is wrong. My parents began to train my "spirit" when I still was in diapers. When I began to talk and think, I already knew what was good for me and what was bad and that what I did pleased or hurt others or myself. The "spirit" my parents passed on to me included a healthy "fear of God" that improved by ability to love and to respect the Creator; His handiwork, which also included man. The fear of giving an account to God has helped me to be responsible for my life so that I can be accountable to others. I have had the problem and I still do with people who tell me what I should be doing; yet, they, themselves, do not do what they should be doing. Jesus faced a group like that and He left us this advice, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat; so practice and observe what they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice” (Matthew 23:2-3).

In the early period of the kings, Elijah and his successor Elisha were violent men. It was the age when justice demanded, "a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye and a life for a life" (Genesis 9:1-7). Early on, Adam had learned that he could not eat everything, nor could he have everything. Adam learned the hard way, that if he ate the wrong thing, he would die. Unfortunately, the knowledge came too late because Adam disobeyed the warning. Adam died in the hope that his offspring would heed the warning. However, Cain did not heed the warning; therefore, Cain learned that he could not replace his brother's life. It is the perpetuation of a measurement, which could not and which cannot amend the harm it has done. Even in Jesus’ day, “the measure you give will be the measure you get” (Matthew 7:2). Unfortunately, those that are in power use favoritism and also extend that favoritism in their favor. Favoritism has become a bottomless pit, which no one has been able to fill. Not just for the individuals, but also the nations were toppled by unfulfilled favors. The kings of Israel and the kings of Judah are good examples of what favoritism does. Today, our modern socialistic systems lives and thrives on making empty promises. Let us not forget, to include the promises we make as Christians, which have no chances whatsoever to be fulfilled. We all suffer from a false sense of reality when we expect some super being to rescue us from the trouble we are in. I am afraid when people tell me that the Lord will take them away before their trouble will start.

In the early period of the kings, Elijah and his successor Elisha were violent men. It was the age when justice demanded, "a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye and a life for a life" (Genesis 9:1-7). Early on, Adam had learned that he could not eat everything, nor could he have everything. Adam learned the hard way, that if he ate the wrong thing, he would die. Unfortunately, the knowledge came too late because Adam disobeyed the warning. Adam died in the hope that his offspring would heed the warning. However, Cain did not heed the warning; therefore, Cain learned that he could not replace his brother's life. It is the perpetuation of a measurement, which could not and which cannot amend the harm it has done. Even in Jesus’ day, “the measure you give will be the measure you get” (Matthew 7:2). Unfortunately, those that are in power use favoritism and also extend that favoritism in their favor. Favoritism has become a bottomless pit, which no one has been able to fill. Not just for the individuals, but also the nations were toppled by unfulfilled favors. The kings of Israel and the kings of Judah are good examples of what favoritism does. Today, our modern socialistic systems lives and thrives on making empty promises. Let us not forget, to include the promises we make as Christians, which have no chances whatsoever to be fulfilled. We all suffer from a false sense of reality when we expect some super being to rescue us from the trouble we are in. I am afraid when people tell me that the Lord will take them away before their trouble will start.

The “condition” God installed in Genesis 2:17 dominated the "Monarchs" of Israel and Judah. The world also can slice off a piece of the pie of “good and evil,” and so can every person. “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows of his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reaps eternal life. And let us not grow weary in well - doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:7-9). There is no mention of any spiritual activity or divine intervention after Solomon’s second dream until Elijah confronted Ahab, Jezebel and Baalism (I Kings 9:2; 18:12). Elijah represents a period when the human spirit was energized by the need to produce action.