LIFE SCRIPTS

At every Passover Festival the Roman governor was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner the crowd asked for. At that time there was a well-known prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to set free for you? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called the Messiah?” He knew very well that the Jewish authorities had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.
Matthew 27:15‭-‬18 GNBDC

In this passage, we see the position the Elders, chief priest and the teachers of the law had placed Jesus…He was equated to a common criminal…His ‘fate’ was tied to the fate of Barrabas, the robber. However, as stated in verse 18, Pilate knew the drive that made the chief priests to bring Jesus before Him…they were jealous. They were jealous of His ministry, they were jealous that they couldn’t make as much impact as He did. They were jealous that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. When they saw Him, they saw the Truth. It rubbed them the wrong way. Does jealousy motivate us at times? Do we at times see the progress and success of others as a threat there by choosing to ‘bring them down’ instead of wishing God’s blessing upon them? Jealousy is sin. But it’s not only a sin perse but it’s a sin that leads to more sin. When we’re jealous, we develop vendetta; we harbor vengeful feelings; we become resentful and ultimately desire harm on others. Just in the same way the elders and the chief priests desired harm on Christ, jealousy can drive us to such limits. It is only God who can deliver us from it.