With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!…” wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Luke 23:18,20-21)
The Jewish leaders held a mock trial and demanded that the Romans crucify Jesus. Herod and Pilate were both unconvinced of any crime that Jesus may have committed. Still, the crowds had turned on Jesus. In that day, many Jews were hoping the Messiah would come as a military leader to drive the Romans out of the land, and Jesus didn’t fit the bill. So they only thing left to do was to catch Him and kill.
Jesus doesn’t always fulfill our expectations either. If we always had our way, He would sometimes be holy, other times play.
Would you crucify Jesus if He didn’t do what you wanted Him to? Think about it. The Bible says it is even possible to crucify Jesus again in open shame if we choose to walk away from Him (Hebrews 6:6). True, that would be totally extreme. But the Bible says it’s possible all the same.
Also, whenever we hurt another person, we put a nail into His Hand. Whenever we hate and turn our back on someone needy, we yell “crucify Him!” again. How? By rejecting Jesus’ love and sacrifice for others, His work on the cross goes unnoticed by others.
R.I.O.T. ACT
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)
So, don’t yell, “Crucify Him” again and again. Instead, cry out, “I’m saved, I’m saved in Him!”
Excerpt permission granted by Albury Publishing
Carman Domenic Licciardello is an enigma in Christian music, often described as part evangelist, part Vegas Showman. His concerts were more like a rock and roll Billy Graham Crusade than a Christian music event. After all the singing, dancing, clapping, and preaching, crowds of people would stream down to the counseling area to accept Christ-many times as many as 5,000 in an evening.
Admission was usually free; a simple offering was taken, similar to 30,000 churches on Sunday mornings. And he filled the largest stadiums the world over. Carman held the record for the largest Christian concert ever in Dallas, Texas. But it even goes beyond that. Take the Mega Stadium acts that played the famed landmark such as Pink Floyd, U 2, Madonna, The Jackson Five, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and even Metallic. As the newspapers noted, you'll see that the one-act that drew the highest attendance in Texas Stadium was Carman, with 71,132.
Carman (1956-2021) was a popular contemporary Christian singer and songwriter.
Born Carman Licciardello, he began recording under his first name and released his debut album in 1980. Carman began charting contemporary Christian hits in 1984 with "Sunday's on the Way," reaching No. 1 with "The Champion" (1986) and "Radically Saved" (1988). His other hit songs include "Lord of All," "Jesus Is the Light," and "Satan, Bite the Dust!" Carman reportedly holds the world record for the largest audience at a Christian concert. His popularity was at its height in the 1980s and early '90s, but he continued releasing albums for years, including his most recent release, 2014's "No Plan B." In 2018, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
