I’VE BEEN TAUGHT to look for repetition in Scripture.
A word or a phrase that is employed over and over in a verse or series of verses.
Case in point: Matthew 27:27-37 (ESV).
Matthew uses the same word, “they”, like a verbal machine-gun:
“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and THEY gathered the whole battalion him.
And THEY stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, THEY put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand.
And kneeling before him, THEY mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’
And THEY spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.
And when THEY had mocked him, THEY stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
As THEY went out, THEY found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. THEY compelled this man to carry his cross.
And when THEY came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), THEY offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
And when THEY had crucified him, THEY divided his garments among them by casting lots.
Then THEY sat down and kept watch over him there.
And over his head THEY put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
I personally prefer “they”.
Them.
Those folks.
“They” places the blame back in ancient history.
Long ago.
“They” is impersonal.
“They” is innocuous.
I’m free – because it’s a third-person pronoun.
I’m free because it was “they” – the Jews sent Jesus to the cross, while the Gentiles actually fastened Him there.
“They” did it.
The problem is, no matter how hard I try – I can’t escape “they.”
I’m a part of “they.”
I AM “they” (Acts 2:23; Rom. 3:23, 10).
MY sins sent Jesus to Calvary too (Acts 2:36; 1 Pet. 3:18).
Their sin is my sin.
Actually, their sin is our sin.
Think about it.
“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike
INCARNATE 