The cross was once an emblem of suffering and shame. But it has become to us a symbol of beauty because it was at the cross that Jesus revealed Himself to be our beautiful Savior. The cross is where we find our redemption, our worth, our identity, and our purpose. “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal. 6:14).

In the remainder of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, we encounter the sinfulness of sin of Pilate, Caiaphas, and the Jews. In all of these we see a glimpse of ourselves and our own sinful hearts. But in this text we also see the immense suffering of our Savior who has paid our ransom. There is hope for sinners because Christ Jesus suffered on our behalf. He has paid the price to call us out of sin and to transform our wicked hearts. May the Lord evermore lead and guide us to His pathway of righteousness for His name’s sake.

We have a Lord to serve, a church to build, and a world to reach. All who belong to the kingdom of Christ are to be about the Lord’s business. As Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, He testified to the reality of His heavenly, redemptive, eschatological kingdom. May all recognize the voice of the Lord and heed it faithfully and follow Him diligently in the strait and narrow way to eternal life.

While Jesus was progressing toward the cross to pay the debt of sin of sinners, Simon Peter kept driving himself deeper and deeper into the debt of sin. The contrast between Simon the sinner and Jesus the Savior is as stark as it can be. John intertwines the two stories of Jesus’ trial and Peter’s denial to showcase the golden thread of Jesus’ righteous character against the contrast of Simon Peter’s dark black thread of sin and unfaithfulness. John writes this story for our sake that we would deal with our sins honestly before the Lord and recognize the Lord Jesus alone as our Savior who can cleanse us and restore us from all our sin and condemnation.

Jesus selflessly gave Himself up for us, a profound truth vividly displayed in the scene of His arrest. In these eleven verses, John reveals how Jesus truly surrendered Himself for our salvation. His rejection of personal gain, self-preservation, and self-centeredness exposes our own selfishness, highlighting our need for the Savior and repentance. May the Holy Spirit guide us to behold Jesus’ glory in His self-sacrifice, repent of our sinfulness, and grow in grace.