Luke 23:20-23

²⁰ Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.²¹ But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”²² For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”²³ But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.

“Crucify him!”

Knowing that Jesus had committed no crime, Pilate intended to release Jesus, but he yielded to the pressure of the people’s insistent demands and shouts of “Crucify him!” Pilate surrendered Jesus to the crowd’s will.

Among the crowd in Jerusalem, could have been many of the same people who had welcomed Jesus with palm branches shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”  How come had these people, had such a radical change of opinion just within a few days?

Before we despise the crowd in Jerusalem who wanted to crucify Jesus, I ask myself: If I were among this crowd of people, would I be courageous enough to shout, “Jesus is innocent!” Or would I just keep silent among the majority?

Nowadays, we don’t even need to shout to express our opinions, as most of us have a smart phone and with just a click of a button, messages / videos can be forwarded to hundreds of friends. Many opinions are made at a superficial level, we might follow opinions from certain social media KOLs (key opinion leaders / influencers) and just add our “likes” or “dislikes.” Do we spend time fact-checking whether the news we have received is fake or propaganda? Do we compare different points of view with an open mind to find the truth before we form our own opinion?

Our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross to redeem us from our sins. We have the Holy Spirit in our heart, and we must be careful not to fall into the sin of slander or false testimonies by forwarding any unconfirmed messages or opinions - which could cause harm or mislead others. The Bible teaches us how to control what we say, but for modern Christians, these principles apply to messages we send as well.

• Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues (Proverbs 10:19).
• Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29).

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, you see all things and know all my thoughts. Teach me, Lord, that I may walk in your wisdom. Guide me in what I say and how I use modern technology carefully with you in mind. May my words and how I use social media honor and glorify you. Amen.