God in the Dock (Jesus and Pilate)
Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.
“Barabbas,” they answered.
“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”
Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
God on trial! God in the dock! The thought is ludicrous … unimaginable! Or is it? Given the chance, would mankind actually put God on trial? In fact, our world does endeavour to try God before the court of human opinion … not occasionally, but frequently. Each time society inveighs against the Faith once delivered to the saints, God is placed on trial. Whenever good people insist that religion is a private affair, God again stands in the dock. When social lions feel free to ridicule the Faith of the Lord Jesus while feigning sensitivity toward every other religion practised in North America today, God is again summoned before the bar of human opinion.
Though incapable of judging with justice, fallen man thinks to judge the Great Judge of all creation. Though ignorant of even the most rudimentary truths, puny man imagines himself able to question the mind of God in whom dwells all knowledge and all wisdom. Though destined for dust, a sinner by birth and without hope and without God in the world, wicked man thinks to try God by fallible concepts.
Nor should we think that such foolish efforts by fallen man to judge the Living God are of recent origin; such wicked efforts are as old as the fall of our first parents. Once wicked men did hold God in the dock. Once fallen men did subject God to trial. Once evil seemed to prevail and Holy God was called to account before dying men. But the trial was not as those conducting it had hoped … for God judged them that day.
It is always that way – we think we are judging God and all the time it is we who are on trial. The story is told of an American tourist visiting the Louvre in Paris. Viewing the Old Masters hanging in display in that great museum, a tourist complained to a travelling companion that he didn’t consider these to be such great paintings. A guard overheard complaint and wisely responded to the rude visitor that it was not the paintings which were on trial, but rather those who viewed the paintings were on trial. Just so, on that day when Jesus stood in Pilate’s hall, it was not God who was on trial. Mankind was on trial when God stood in the dock. There is a delicious irony in the thought that men, thinking themselves in charge of that trial, were themselves tried and found guilty. Was it not such a serious matter, we might laugh at frail man’s puny effort to judge God. Man was tried and found wanting on the day that God stood in the dock.
Religion Was Judged as Inadequate. Man is incurably religious. Were there no God, man would invent one; indeed man has often invented gods of his own choosing rather than submit to the True and Living God. Even in modern North America, contemporary man has created gods after his own image. Even we who are called by the Name of the Lord God of Heaven and earth are tempted and too often seduced into worshipping at the shrines of position, power, popularity, possessions, or pleasure. The accoutrements of worship before these shrines are so meaningless … except to fallen minds. A brass nameplate, a powerful European sports sedan, a chequebook with vast resources to back up what the pen drafts … all are desired and pursued ardently by contemporary worshippers. Being religious, man will not brook interference with his religious practise … even should that interference originate in the hallowed precincts of Heaven.
Though the common people heard Him gladly [cf. Mark 12:37 (KJV)], it was the religious leaders who hated Jesus with such deep bitterness and who repeatedly slandered Him with such caustic invective. It was religious lips which spit in His face and which laughed as liquid hatred stained His noble visage. Religious fists smashed into His face and religious hands slapped God in the face. They laughed in ridicule as they called out, Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit you? Religious people vilified the Son of God and delivered Him into the hands of powerful men that He might be crucified.
The religious people of that day were punctilious in their religious observances. Their phylacteries were wide and the tassels on their garments long, but they did not know God. They loved the place of honour at banquets and coveted the most important seats in the synagogues, but they had no answer to their prayers. They loved to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them “Rabbi,” but they were unknown to the Lord God of Heaven [cf. Matthew 23:5-7].
They diligently sought converts to their religion and for themselves, but they themselves were ignorant of God. Careful in the formation of their oaths, they were blind to that which is of eternal value. Scrupulous in their efforts to precisely count out a tithe even from their spices — mint, dill and cumin — they were yet self-indulgent and full of greed, and they were thus without justice, mercy or faithfulness [cf. Matthew 23:15-28].
Instead of spontaneous and responsive, their generosity was practised and precise. Announced with trumpet fanfare so that everyone would know when they were giving alms, their giving was a pious show. Prayer was for them an opportunity to be seen, for they stood in the synagogues and even on the street corners, loudly repeating themselves in hope that they would be heard by virtue of their multiplied words [cf. Matthew 6:1-8]. Such a man was described by Jesus in Luke 18:11,12. God, I thank you that I am not like other men — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector [standing here beside me]. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.
I am amazed that the religious leaders were ever so careful to avoid ritual contamination which would result from entering a Gentile habitation, yet they failed to see the incongruity in their demand for the death of an innocent man [see John 18:28,29]. Their religious scruples demanded that they keep themselves ritually clean so they could observe the Passover. They would be forced to purify themselves and delay their observance of the holy day if they were to enter Pilate’s judgement hall, but they saw no problem in their unjust demand for state-sanctioned murder of an innocent man.
There is an old saying which is heard among churches in the Southern United States, if your religion hasn’t changed you, change your religion. The religious leaders were strict in their observance of the dictates of rabbinical law, but they were wicked men intent on performing violence. If despite my strict religious devotion I am unchanged, I must consider whether I know – indeed, whether I am known by – the True and Living God. The Faith of Christ is transforming! The surest evidence that much of the practise of religion in this fallen world is inadequate before God is that it fails to change its adherents. The religions of this dark world still permit one to hate and destroy.
It is a matter of darkest wickedness that Muslims and Hindus can slaughter one another in the name of their respective religions. It is a shameful evil that Muslim mullahs would dare demand the death of one they consider to be an infidel or of one holding citizenship in the United States … yet most of our religious leaders remain silent. It is serious enough when such religious tyrants preach their hatred and spew out their vile invectives, but when confessed followers of the Prince of Peace preach religious hatred, such as has been too often seen in Northern Ireland and which has even managed to infect our own nations, I consider it an outrageous abomination.
We had such a religious neighbour once. She attended religious ceremonies at her church daily. She carefully recited the prescribed prayers with great devotion and in a location where anyone passing by her house could readily see her as she performed her religious duty. Yet she hated anyone who was not of her religious persuasion and she hated anyone who was from the United States. Our family qualified for her enmity on both counts. Her religious observance had not changed her … she was not transformed. Despite her religious practise, she was a bitter woman ruled by prejudice and hatred instead of demonstrating the grace which comes from the presence of the God’s Spirit.
The most of contemporary religions think that God is committed to judging by a standard which is less than perfect. You can hear the speculation on almost any day. “When I stand before God,” people aver, “He will weigh my good deeds against my bad deeds. If my good outweighs my bad, He will invite me into His Kingdom.” Of course, no one considers that God’s standard may differ from theirs! They determine what is good and what is bad, good being that which pleases them and bad being anything which displeases them. They even think God condones their wickedness and their violence.
Yet such religious people are fastidious and punctual in attendance at the services of their house of worship. Reciting prescribed prayers aloud and carefully reading the precise number of verses expected each day, they nevertheless fail to hear the clarion voice of God. They observe the rituals and rites expected of their religion … do the acts of devotion, make the assigned visits, and carefully dress and act as expected of those associated with their religion. Despite their exacting efforts, they are empty and uncertain that God hears them. Somehow, for all their exertion they are unfulfilled and have no confidence that God accepts them. Held in slavery by their fear of death such people are quite uncertain how much devotion will suffice to please God [cf. Hebrews 2:15]. Instead of a loving Father, they see God as a capricious and arbitrary cosmic killjoy. They can never know how many religious deeds will be enough to satisfy God, since nowhere does God prescribe such efforts. Thus they are always fearful and uncertain.
To this day, multitudes think they can please Holy God through their own efforts. I need only be perfect to measure up to the divine standard of Holy God. I need only avoid all contamination, need but avoid every sin, need but live without any charge against me and I will please God through my own efforts. Of course, should I so live, I will never die. But the statistics on death are still pretty amazing – one out of one die. Each death testifies that man is sinful. Each of us must ultimately confess that we were born in sin and that we die because we are sinners. Each cemetery is silent testimony to our fallen condition. Each funeral home stands as witness to our sinful state.
Those are awful words which Paul wrote to the Roman Christians, are they not? Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned — for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come… the wages of sin is death [Romans 5:12-14; 6:23a]. Death and his handmaidens disease and weakness and ageing provide sure evidence that I am a sinner.
Before Holy God, I stand condemned. My sin rises up and accuses me. I do not need justice; I need mercy. I cannot exalt myself before the Great God of all Creation; He is awesome in holiness and perfectly righteous. How can I think to please Him by my feeble efforts? If I say that I am holy, I am condemned by my ungodliness. If I insist that I can satisfy His just demands, my repeated failures testify against me. Though I long to be holy, though I want to be righteous, I am yet sinful. By birth and by choice I am a sinner in need of mercy. May God deliver me from relying on my religion and bring me into living relationship to Him! May God set me free from guilt by setting aside my sin.
Do you remember the words which Jesus spoke in John 5:24? I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. If I will be free of guilt, I must cease depending upon my own supposed goodness. If I will enter into His life, I must rest on His grace. Perhaps you will recall the words which Paul penned in the encyclical we know as Ephesians. It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. The Apostle concludes that passage by noting that we are transformed by His grace so that we may do what we could not otherwise do — perform the very deeds pleasing to Holy God: we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do [Ephesians 2:8-10].
Power Was Judged as Corrupting. The religious leaders were judged as having fallen short of the glory of God [cf. Romans 3:23]. Nor did Roman might prove sufficiently powerful to influence the Living God. Pilate was Governor of Judea, representing the interest of Rome in the occupied nation. Throughout the trial of Jesus, he perhaps comes off somewhat better than do the religious leaders, but he nevertheless reveals himself to be craven and corrupt, which is unsurprising in light of the character of the powerful of this fallen world. He was willing to satisfy the people rather than satisfy even Roman justice.
At first Pilate appears to perfunctorily question the prisoner standing before him. Jesus was charged with sedition against Rome and subversion of the Jewish nation through His claim to be a king. He was charged with mischief — fomenting rebellion and preaching religious intolerance. Pilate questioned Him and discovered that Jesus readily admitted divine nobility. He is not a king as this world counts royalty; He is King of Heaven, and His subjects do not conduct warfare such as is practised by this world.
To the multiplied accusations of the religious leaders, Jesus answered not a word. There is wisdom in that lack of response. How does one answer lies? If our lives are righteous, if we have lived openly and righteously before mankind, such lies will fade into dark obscurity where they belong. This is the admonition of Peter who teaches us to live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us [1 Peter 2:12]. Though the truth may not be verified until the Day when Christ shall reveal His glory in us, the world will know that we are victims of a lie. Even if the world does not recognise the slander and vituperation in lies spoken against us, we will yet know that we have honoured the Lord our God.
It is too easy to accuse another. It is distressingly easy to fabricate a story, twisting facts and fashioning a tale which will make the subject of the lie appear in the poorest possible light. It is man’s morbid fascination with dirt that permits such evil to continue even to this day. Despite the falsehoods brought against Jesus, Pilate responded to the illicit demands of the religious leaders, I find no basis for a charge against this man [Luke 23:4].
This unexpected response of the governor brought an impassioned appeal from the religious leaders as they pressed their demands for His death with even greater vigour. He stirs up people all over Judea by His teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here [Luke 23:5,6]. It is obvious that Pilate did not wish to accede to their demands, since he immediately seized upon the information that He was a Galilean and sent Jesus to Herod, tetrarch of Galilee. Herod, like Pilate, was unwilling to make a ruling on Jesus. He sought only to appease the religious leaders since it seemed probable that they could make trouble for him. Instead of using his position and his power for righteousness, he endeavoured to satisfy the unjust demands of the religious leaders. He chose to compromise. Jesus was ridiculed and mocked and sent back to Pilate [see Luke 23:8-12]. The charge, after all, was not laid within Herod’s jurisdiction. The problem was Pilate’s.
Upon Jesus’ return to Pilate, his wife forwarded a disturbing communication. Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, she wrote, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of Him [Matthew 27:19]. Pilate must have been terribly disturbed. His wife was likely unaware of the full extent of the commotion surrounding Jesus, yet she had a dream about Him. Whatever the content of her dream, it was disturbing in the extreme, causing her to suffer. She seems to have assumed the dream meant that Pilate was tampering with the supernatural and might suffer evil as result of his actions.
Now Pilate was concerned. I gather from the biblical accounts that he struggled to administer Roman law. He wanted to insure justice, but not at the expense of losing fleeting popularity. Once more he appealed to the restive mob, stating that neither he nor Herod had found any basis for a charge against Jesus. He pointed out to the irate crowd that he had examined Jesus in their presence and could find no justification for their charge that He was seditious. Therefore, he offered to again scourge Jesus and release Him to the people, but the throng decisively rejected this offer [see Luke 23:13-16].
It was a custom at the time of the Passover for the governor to release a prisoner. It was a recognition of the High Holy Day and a concession to Jewish sensibilities. Knowing that the religious leaders envied Jesus, Pilate hit upon a plan which would permit him to maintain Roman justice without angering the Jews through open opposition to their request. He would offer to release a prisoner and trick the people into choosing Jesus. He proposed two individuals – Jesus and a man named Barabbas – asking that the people choose one of them for release. Barabbas was an insurrectionist and a murderer. No one in his right mind would ask that a murderer be released. No one would dream that a man guilty of inciting rebellion would be preferred to a religious teacher!
The proposal was accordingly made to the surging crowd, but Pilate had not figured on the determination of the religious leaders. When the offer was made to the mob, the religious leaders persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed [Matthew 27:20]. Asked which of the two they wished released, the crowd stunned Pilate by asking that Barabbas be released. What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ, stammered the governor. He was astonished, bewildered and dismayed as the enraged mob began to shout with one voice: Crucify! Crucify!
Clearly Pilate was aghast, for he responded to their position with incredulity, Why? What crime has He committed? This question, sputtered out in growing horror, resulted only in increasing fury from the mob as they shouted all the louder, Crucify! Crucify!
The mood of the mob was ugly and growing uglier. It was obvious that the question was precipitating an uproar. Realising that he was getting nowhere and that the people were determined to have their way with Jesus, Pilate ordered water, and washing his hands before the raging crowd he stated, I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility.
You may recall that the High Priest had once said that it was better that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish [John 11:50]. Pilate seems to have drawn a similar conclusion in the face of the growing wrath of the religious mob. From his vantage point, it was better that one man die than for a religious riot to begin. Instead of insuring that justice was done, he caved in to the unjust demands of the wicked mob. Instead of administering justice, he practised concession and appeasement. He could no more wash his hands of responsibility than he could deliver himself from divine judgement. He was proved to be cowardly and corrupt and deserving of eternal loathing.
Seeing that they had prevailed at last, the angry mob answered this feeble show of imperial reluctance in the face of evil by saying Let His blood be on us and on our children! Poor people! Poor, ignorant people! How could they know that they would indeed suffer cruelly for this foolish challenge to Holy God? How could they imagine the sorrow which would attend their rashness? I weep for these people, who though loved of God called upon themselves this awful judgement. Throughout the centuries since that awful day the Jewish people have suffered horribly, seldom with justification, and all because of the irrational response to Pilate’s cowardice by the religious leaders of the nation.
My experience suggests that powerful men seldom are strong individuals morally. They are pragmatic, sensible in the ways of this world. In a former church was a wealthy man. Because of his wealth, the people of the congregation were willing to give in to his demands, however disgraceful they might be. He was prone to rationalise his actions by appeal to his “practical” nature. Pragmatism is not always righteous. He would tolerate evil in order to manipulate others. He was willing to compromise morally in order to get his way. In short, he was craven and corrupt. Pragmatism is unbecoming to God’s child.
Pilate, though knowing that right was about to be perverted, was pragmatic. Power may be maintained only so long as the people do not rebel. So long as people cower, or are lulled to sleep by prosperity, despots can rule. At the last, all the tyrants of this fallen world learn that their cruel tyranny must fail. Pol Pot dies a broken old man. Ceausescu at the last is murdered by his own people who refuse to be beaten down any longer. The Chinese autocrats are practical, ruling the people with a fist of iron concealed in a velvet glove. Yet at last they, too, must fail before the Judge of all mankind. They, as is true of all power which is not submitted to the Son of God, are corrupt and those who embrace such power shall themselves likely be corrupted.
All Mankind Was Judged as Needing Redemption. The religious leaders were judged and their religious efforts proved inadequate to satisfy the righteous demands of Holy God. The powerful of this fallen world were judged and exposed as cowardly and corrupt. Likewise, Barabbas, wicked Barabbas was recognised as wicked and in need of redemption. What must he have thought when his guard announced that he was free? One moment he was awaiting death by crucifixion. The next moment he was set at liberty.
Decent people might imagine that this evildoer would be filled with gratitude. Experience tells me that he likely thought in terms of personal good fortune. Great events sparing us hurt and injury seldom cause us to think of the grace and mercy of the Lord our God; we simply experience relief. Only as we permit ourselves to reflect on the events – the proximity of death or injury or hurt and the magnitude of our deliverance – can we lift our hearts in gratitude to God. Even then, for the most of mankind the thought continues focused more on fortune and luck than on mercy and grace.
Soon the deed was done. Jesus was crucified. The religious leaders laughed at His helpless condition. The powerful were not overly concerned with His situation. After all, He was just another Jew and there were too many of them in the world in any case. But something awful happened at Calvary … something we may describe, but which we cannot experience. Who can explain the events of that awful day?
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God [2 Corinthians 5:21]. Hanging on the cross, the Son of God cried out, hjli hjli lema sabacqani;, My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me [Matthew 27:46]? Who can understand? Who can explain such love? At last, He cried out with a loud voice, tetevlestai, Finished! Done! He bowed His head and gave up His spirit [John 19:30].
His blood formed bright crimson rivulets down his face, a face disfigured beyond that of any man [Isaiah 52:14], and spilled onto His chest. The blood dripping to the ground whispered to the grass, It is finished. And the grass repeated the message of grace, It is finished. The flowers received that message and echoed it to the trees, It is finished. The trees spoke to the birds flying high in the sky, It is finished. The birds trilled the song of redemption to the heavens above, It is finished.
The angels in Heaven heard the word and cried with loud voices, It is finished. And all Heaven resounded with the sound of victory, It is finished. Atonement is made! Salvation is provided! Redemption is accomplished! Man can be free! Oh, dear God! Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last!
I heard a great preacher relate on one occasion an astonishing account. He said that on the Day of Atonement as the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies, he would be shrouded within the darkness of that awful place for the space of about three hours. The people would wait expectantly until he at last emerged. Stepping into the light before the eager anticipation of the people of God he would lift his hands to Heaven and cry out in a loud voice, Finished! It is finished! Atonement is made! Sin is once more put away.
Our Saviour entered Heaven itself to make atonement for us. Did you ever wonder at those awesome words which were penned by the unknown writer of Hebrews? The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.’”
First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy [Hebrews 10:1-14].
There is life in those words; there is grace and mercy sufficient for all in those words. The preceding verses speak of that life when they state that Christ … entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Then appears the warning which we must heed. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him [Hebrews 9:24-28].
Once God stood in the dock. Man thought he was judging God, but man himself was judged. The divine verdict was awful: Whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed [John 3:18b-20]. All mankind comes up short and falls under divine condemnation. If man shall be saved, it must be that divine grace and mercy be extended. Thus it is said, whoever believes in Him is not condemned [John 3:18a].
Have you believed? Have you received His sacrifice, a sacrifice which was offered in your place and because of your sin? You see, if you think to blame the Jews for the death of the Son of God, you err. If you think to blame Pilate for His crucifixion, you are in error. If you think it was those cruel Roman soldiers who killed the Saviour, you are wrong. It must be, it needs be, that I killed Him. You killed Him; we killed Him.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
…
It was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his
life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied
by his knowledge my righteous
servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
[Isaiah 53:6,10,11].
We invite you to consider now the love of God in Christ the Lord. We invite you to receive His grace, submit to His call to life and to believe that He died because of you. If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:9-13]. Believe today and you shall be saved. Who now confesses Christ as Lord? Amen.