Daily Devotional - Growing In Grace - Week 14 - Day 93 - 4/3/26 - "You Can't Take What I Give"

Author: Evangelist Lisa Dalton

“You Can’t Take What I Give”
Scripture: Matthew 27:22, 46, 50–51

“Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”

Devotion:
Being in leadership can be a challenging position. You learn every team member’s personality. You try to make sure everyone has what they need. You quickly discover that it is impossible to please everyone and still get the best out of everyone. Someone will be disappointed, someone will be let down, and someone will be upset. Then there are those who don’t care one way or another—and the ones who are glad things went their way.

That’s what we see happening in this lesson. Pilate is trying to appease a crowd calling for the death of Jesus. They were influenced by the voices of the priests, and now they stand on the opposite side of justice. They want what everyone else wants—except for Pilate. Pilate knows Jesus is innocent, yet he still sides with the people. “I’ll go along to get along.”

Once the decision is made, we find Jesus hanging on the cross, crying out to His Father, asking why He has been forsaken. Jesus knew exactly what was happening, but the human side of Him felt the deep pain of separation—a son feeling the absence of His Father. He had taken on the full weight of sin, separation, and darkness. This is what the voice of the crowd produced: pain, distance, and brokenness.

Jesus then willingly gives up the ghost. This wasn’t defeat, but it was surrender. Not surrender to death, but surrender for us. He laid His life down willingly. No one took it from Him.

And then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Through that tear, we now have freedom and direct access to God. That tear declared:

• The distance is gone
• The barrier is broken
• Access is open
• We can come close to God now

What sin separated, Jesus restored.

Consider this:
Everyone must answer Pilate’s question: “What will I do with Jesus?”
Will I ignore Him?
Will I reject Him?
Will I keep Him at a distance?
Or will I receive the One who tore the veil so I could come near?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the cross, for Your cry, and for the torn veil. Help me never take lightly the sacrifice You made for me. Teach me to choose You daily—with my heart, my decisions, and my life. Draw me closer into the access You paid for. In Jesus’ name, Amen.