Greg Laurie: A New Beginning

Pontius Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, yet he chose to placate the people rather than release Him. But the courage he lacked, you can show today.

Notes:

Focus verses - John 18, 19

By definition, a coward is someone who lacks the courage to face difficult or painful things.

Pontius Pilate saw an angry crowd that threatened his position.
He was more afraid of the consequences than he was of God.

#1 The Prefect Meets the Perfect
John 18:28-38

Jesus, the PERFECT Son of God stands before Pontius Pilate, the Roman appointed PREFECT Governor of Judea.  

Prefect Governor means he was a military focused governor.

The religious leaders knew exactly what they were doing when they brought Jesus to Pilate.

The man known for using power harshly becomes hesitant and weak when confronted by Jesus.
  
“What is truth?”

Jesus was the incarnation of truth.
 
Read verse 37.

Jesus came to bring truth.
 
Truth divides.

Like Pilate, we all must make a decision regarding Jesus. Neutrality is not an option.
  
Pilate attempts to appeal to the crowd logically, in an attempt to get Jesus released.
  
#2 Pilate Blinks
John 18:39-19:6
 
Just like Neville Chamberlain blinked in the face of tyranny, Pilate blinks in the face of Truth.
 
He knows Jesus is innocent.
But instead of releasing Jesus, he tries to placate the people.

Pilate offers the crowd a choice: Jesus or Barabbas.

No better picture of the gospel than this right here. The cross Barabbas was to die on was already constructed, the arrangements were made, and he had hours left to live. Barabbas was guilty, but Jesus was innocent.
 
This is what Jesus has done for us.
We’ve committed a crime by violating God’s commands, we’re guilty, and the penalty is death. But God made a way for us to be delivered out of death, out of our guilt, and that’s what Jesus ultimately did on the cross.
 
2 Corinthians 5:21
 
Jesus took Barabbas’ place on that cross.
 
The crowd chooses Barabbas.

Pilate didn’t need any Passover custom to release an innocent man, he just needed to do what was right.
 
When the crowd decided against Jesus, he thought he might have one more trick up his sleeve.

He released Barabbas, and scourged Jesus in hopes it'd satisfy the angry crowd.

Pilate brought Jesus out one final time. 

He thought that if he give the crowd a little bit of what they want they’ll be happy, they’ll change their minds, they’ll reverse course.
Pilate blinked.
 
He thought he could use diplomacy and compromise to get himself out of a difficult position.
 
Compromise doesn’t calm the mob, it fuels it.
 
Compromise is part of life.
But when it comes to THE Truth, when it comes to Christ, compromise should not be part of the equation.
   
To compromise on who Jesus is, is to invent another Jesus.
 
Only the real Jesus saves.
 
Pilate’s appeasement of the crowd is not just a political failure—it’s a picture of what happens when leaders, Christians, and even churches try to compromise truth to satisfy the demands of culture.
 
If you play both sides, offering a little truth, softened by a lot of concession and mix in some human empathy, and you end up with the crucifixion.
 
A complete and utter rejection of everything Jesus is and was.

We cannot untether EMPATHY from TRUTH.
 
Just because someone feels a certain way does not mean we abandon truth.
 
As Christians we are called to offer COMPASSION not COMPROMISE.
 
Let’s bring this message to a close now.
 
Read John 19:12–16 
 
#3 Pilate judged the Judge.
  
Pilate crucifies Him.
The fear of man outweighed the fear of God.
  
Jesus threatened to disrupt Pilate’s cushy role, and so he gave in to peer pressure and he judged the Judge.
 
In Revelation 20 at the Great White Throne judgement, the judged will face the Judge.
 
Pilate symbolically washed his hands of Jesus.
But you cannot wash yourself of your sins.

You either receive Him or reject Him.

“You are either for me or against me.”

Have you trusted Jesus as Savior and made Him the Lord of your life?
 
The courage that Pilate lacked, you can show today.
 
Jesus said "Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32 NLT)

We are just like Barabbas.
Guilty and headed for judgement.
But Jesus came in, not accidentally, but intentionally and took that punishment we deserved and He died on a cross for our sin.
 
Like those soldiers around Jack Lucas, he dove on those grenades and absorbed their destruction, that’s what Jesus did for us!
He absorbed God’s righteous judgement and drank the cup of His wrath that was going to be poured out on us because of our spiritual rebellion against God.
 
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Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org.

This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gospel is now on Prime Video! Beyond House of David is a special documentary, bonus series to the new—and epic—House of David. It takes you behind the scenes of the show where you can learn about the clever camera tricks used, explore the realistic sets, and more.

More importantly, Pastor Greg Laurie sits down for insightful biblical discussions, reveals how the lessons of David still apply to us, and shares the gospel with the potential to reach millions on a platform like Prime Video.

Beyond House of David is now streaming on Harvest+ and Prime Video. Watch the completed series now and help us spread the word!

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Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org.

This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Campers who like to go out into the boondocks to find a remote campsite sometimes fly drones to look ahead at what’s around the next bend. They can make better decisions with a bird’s eye view. Well, we’ll make better decisions about our lives if we trust God’s view . . . the one that sees around the bend and well into the future. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie brings some encouraging insights about the will of God and how it’ll keep us from being spiritually stranded in the boondocks.

Listen on harvest.org

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Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of us remember the stress of driving in an unfamiliar area before GPS. “Do we turn at the next signal, or the one after that . . . or was it the one we just passed!?” Life got simpler when our dashboard told us where to go. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points out the joy we can discover when we let God’s will tell us where to go. We’re thinking big picture things today as Pastor Greg takes us to James chapter 4 in his new series, “Walk This Way.”

Listen on harvest.org

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Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Certain things people say can SOUND like they’re true. But they’re not. Before the railroad was invented, it was believed people couldn’t never travel faster than 30 miles an hour because air would rush past them and they wouldn’t be able to breathe. How fast were you driving to work today? And you’re still here! Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie urges us to trade human wisdom for Divine wisdom. We’ll see it points us to God and His will for our lives.

Listen on harvest.org

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Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever play the telephone game? You and some others gather in a circle. Someone whispers a message to the first person, who whispers it to the second and so on.
When the last person reveals what he heard, it’s obvious that the message got wildly distorted. Some people seem to play a game like that with their Bible knowledge. They rely on what they’ve heard the Bible says. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie takes us to the source to discover some things people said it said that it never said.

Listen on harvest.org

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Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No matter who we are, what neighborhood we come from, whether we’re famous, infamous or unknown, we have something someone else wants. We have something someone else needs. We have a smile, and a kind word. It’s that simple. Maybe we don’t have a dollar in our pocket, but a moment of kindness may be just what someone needs to get through their difficulty. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us follow the Bible’s plan for the wise use of our words.

Listen on harvest.org

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Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the truth about Judas Iscariot? Has he truly been misunderstood all this time? Pastor Greg Laurie makes a biblical case for just how evil Judas actually was.

Notes:

Focus verse - Matthew 26
 
Judas Iscariot was perhaps the most paradoxical and wicked man in the Bible.
 
Was Judas Iscariot misunderstood?
   
Satan put the idea into Judas’s mind to betray Christ.
John 13:2
 
Judas could have resisted that temptation.
  
Judas initiated the betrayal of Christ.
Matthew 26:14–16
  
Judas was a pretender, an actor, a performer.
  
Don’t let someone else’s inconsistency keep you away from following the only one who is consistent, Jesus Christ.
 
Jesus Christ was the perfect example.
 
Read Matthew 26:21–24
 
Even though Jesus knew what Judas was up to, He demonstrated love to Judas to the very end.
 
Read Matthew 26:39–50
  
Jesus was considering the load of sin He would bear.
 
Jesus cried out "Abba, Father,"
Mark 14:36
 
When worry causes you to choke, cry out to God.
 
Jesus was a model of what to do in times of uncertainty.
 
Jesus demonstrated His divine power and gave a glimpse of His glory when the Roman soldiers came to arrest Him.
 
Jesus was in complete control of everything.
He was going to the cross as a Victor, not as a Victim.
 
Judas ignored all the warnings that Jesus gave.
 
The way Judas betrayed Christ was so abhorrent.
Matthew 26:49
 
Judas was a hypocrite.
 
Jesus reached out to Judas with love.
Matthew 26:50
 
Jesus offered Judas one last chance to repent.
 
Read Matthew 27:2–5
 
Judas did not have a friend in the world except for Jesus whom he just betrayed.
 
Judas was remorseful.
Matthew 27:3
 
God will not violate the will of man.
He will affirm us in the decisions we make.
 
But a true child of God will not continue to live in a pattern of sin.
1 John 3:9–10
 
Two men failed Jesus on one night, Judas and Peter.
 
Judas Iscariot turned away and walked into eternal remorse.
Simon Peter walked into the open arms of God.

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Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org.

This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve all been wounded by something someone said to us. And, if we’re candid, we’d probably all admit we’ve said some things that may have hurt someone else. Once those careless words leave our mouths, there’s just no getting them back. How can we control our tongues . . . how can we keep that tiger in the cage? Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie takes us to some specific counsel in the book of James. 

Listen on harvest.org

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Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some people bake a double batch of cookies and then wonder why they’re tempted to eat sweets. Some make sure their new car has a supercharged-mega-hemi-turbo-GT engine and wonder why the police seem to be handing out more speeding tickets. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us take an honest look at temptation and how we often set ourselves up for the fall. We’ll learn to recalibrate and set ourselves up for more success, and more satisfaction.

Listen on harvest.org

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Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org

A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.