Crucify Him: What Palm Sunday Reveals About Our Choices

You know, during mass today, I had all kinds of thoughts flooding my mind and heart and spirit thinking, man, I have to do a show on this, and maybe I'll weave it into today's show. Well, I decided to make it today's show. Usually let's fade that music out. Let's get into business. Usually, folks, these podcasts hit a little bit harder.

They are a little bit louder. But today, I'm changing gears, maybe appropriately so. Boy, do I have a story for you. Well, maybe not much of a story for you, but believe me, it's a story. It goes a little something like this.

So I'm about to go live today. And what I'm telling you is not new for me, but it's it's something that's always new and always something that's always happened, and yet it feels always new. So I'm about to go live, got everything ready to go, got my notes ready to roll, got my outline and rundown. All of a sudden camera one stops working, and it completely resets. All of my color settings gone, my power settings, everything that makes that camera do what it has to do specifically for podcasting stopped working.

Just stopped working. Okay. So I get it down to the bare minimum. I mean, this is I'm going somewhere with this. I get it down to the bare minimum of what it needs to do to do a podcast. My monitor stops working. Just turns off. Okay. So I troubleshoot the living hell out of the monitor. Everything is the way it's supposed to be.

Reboot everything. Reset everything you can think of and more because I have a tech background, so I know this stuff very well. So I'm doing troubleshooting stuff that you've probably never even heard about. On top of what you're you're right now thinking, well, you should try this. You should try this. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I tried all that and more. Nothing. And just out of nowhere, it just turns back on. Okay. And it's not an old monitor either. Okay. Now here's the scoop.

Every week when I do lie a live podcast, every single week, something major goes wrong. Something major goes wrong absolutely every time. And folks, understand, I'm not working with a nineteen eighties speak and spell here. Okay? I have a pretty sophisticated setup, pretty sophisticated rig. One of the things that's that makes each component sophisticated is it always works. There's no nonsense. There's no workarounds. It just always works. I mean, this is broadcast level stuff.

Always work. Nope. Not when you're in Catholic podcasting. It doesn't always work. Every freaking week something goes wrong. I have seen this in Catholic broadcasting before. You might be thinking, Tee, why don't you just say a prayer? Say a rosary. Do the prayer to Saint Michael. Try holy water.

Try miraculous medal. Do you know why I know that litany of solutions? Because I've heard it all before, because I've had this problem before, and because I've done it before. When these things happen, and it's every week, there's at least one major thing that stops working. This week, it's the worst though.

I've never seen it like this before, at least not in a long time. But whenever something goes wrong, now I enter the show, I enter the field a little bit haywire interiorly. I'm angry, I'm frustrated, my brain is scrambled because now it's in a different mode. I was just going to say, I I just can't do this broadcast today because even if I can get this stuff working, I'm in no shape now to do you really have to be wired tight to do a broadcast if you're doing it well, you know, or if you're doing it at the level that I do it. And I thought, you know what?

And this is maybe this is why all God allowed all of this stuff to go wrong today. I said, you know what? I'm gonna scrap the whole show, and I'm only going to talk about the readings. Take that, Satan. That's what I'm going to do today.

I'm not going to do the show that I had planned. You like how old school I go? I'm starting to feel like Barry Manilow having to hold a having a microphone as I weave in and out of frame because I anyway. So I decided I'm just gonna do the readings today. It's not generally what I do.

Usually, I try to do something more punchy and then maybe roll into a reflection or something. In past other podcasts that I've done, like Stoking the Embers, Catholic Experiment, you know, things that I don't podcasts I don't do anymore, that's what those podcasts were. They were just reflections. They were just theological. Fire Branded is a little bit different, which is why it's called Fire Branded.

Today though, I'm just gonna do the reflection. Alright? Chime in in the chat room. This is a serious question. How many of you enjoy the narrative readings today where you actually have to participate from the pews, you know, and say, you know, let him be crucified and all that?

I'm not gonna wait. I'm just gonna keep talking. But as I'm talking, I wanna see how many of you like that, Because I have to tell you the truth, I hate that. I hate having to say crucify him and this and that, but you know what's funny and it happens every single year. I remember the first time I noticed this, was maybe 13 or 14 where I first noticed it.

And now every year I look for it and every year there it is. There are always people who get really into the reading. They think they're on Broadway. They think they're putting on a show, and they get really into delivering those lines. He deserves to die. And they get real into, what should we do with Jesus, who you call king of the Jews? You should crucify him. That's what I would do, they get so get so into it. You know what? Why don't you release Barabbas?

We don't want this Jesus character, release Barabbas! I'm not even kidding. There's always a couple of people who take it real, real seriously, and they dig deep into those lines. Me, I try to say them quiet. I try to say them quietly because I don't I feel so uncomfortable saying them.

But here's the thing, man. I think that's why the church has it that way. I think that's why the church has it that way, because we're supposed to be reminded that it's the sins of man, including yours and mine, that put Jesus on that cross. Maybe that's why maybe that's why we feel a little awkward or uncomfortable saying those lines. Let me go around the chat room.

See let me see if anybody's saying yeah. Erwin is on YouTube is saying he's not a fan. Hopefully, he's not talking about the show. Hopefully, he's talking about the readings. Mark said, hey. Don't feel like Barry Manilow. Of all the people to call out. Right? Barry Manilow once followed me on Twitter on x. Did you know this? Oh my god. I was bragging about it everywhere. I said this a couple years ago. I said, oh my god. Barry Manilow just followed me on x.

And then I said, Barry Manilow? Why is Barry Manilow I don't think he still does, though, but but he had been. Maybe that's why he's got he's kind of in the gulliver because of that time. I don't know. Oh, you like that?

Chris of Saint Patrick says I did a great impression for Elise Bratis. I'm gonna have to listen back to it now. Sometimes I'll kick a funny voice on that I've never done before, and I'm like, oh, That was a funny voice. How do I do that voice again? But now that it's a part of the recording, I'll go back and listen to it, and I'll rehearse it and make it even tighter so I'll be able to repeat it.

Okay. So only one or two people are saying they're not a fan of doing those participatory readings from the pews. I really hate it, but every single year, there's somebody really getting in there, man, really getting into it. They're auditioning for an Off Broadway production or something. But I think that's why the church has us do that.

You know, think it's part of the wisdom of the church is to bring us into you see, we are intimately involved with what's happening at the Praetorium. We really are, not in the same time, but in the same spiritual space. We're involved intimately in what's going on in the questioning of Jesus, in the sentencing to death of Jesus. We're intimately involved in crucify him, crucify him, because we do it all the time when we sin. We do it all the time when we sin.

We're saying crucify him, crucify him. I'm sorry. I'm getting now I got the image of that lady when I was 13 in my head. Re she was really into it. But we're in we're intimately involved there even though we're separated from time and in in time and in space.

You understand? I got some other thoughts about that, but instead of doing this randomly, let me go through the reading. Okay? Let's go right to the gospel. One of the 12 who was called Judas went to the chief priests and said, what are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?

This is something that we say every time we consider sinning. What are you willing what am I getting out of this? Is it really worth it? Do I deserve it yet? Have I suffered without it enough that now I deserve it to commit this sin?

It doesn't matter what the sin is. That's something that we negotiate with ourselves every time we're prompted with some kind of a temptation. Right? I haven't, and this is one I know very well, I haven't gossiped in a long time, and this person really has it coming. God will God will understand.

I I mean, I've kicked that one to the curb mostly. Thanks be to God. But anyway, just saying it's it it has to do with every sin, every prompt, every temptation. Now Jesus stood before the governor, Pilate, and Pilate questioned him. Are you the king of the Jews? And Jesus said, you say so. That's kind of mysterious. Are you the king of the Jews? You say so. And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he made no answer.

Then Pilate said to him, do not do you not hear the many things they are testifying against you? But again, Jesus did not answer one word. So the governor was greatly amazed. That's important. The governor was greatly amazed.

Here in this moment, Pontius Pilate is staring truth in the face, and slowly, gradually, he begins to recognize it. What is truth? But slowly, gradually, Pontius Pilate is coming to recognize it. He's not just amazed. He's not just impressed at the fortitude of this human being.

He's amazed because he re recognizes there's something more to this. Now on the occasion of the feast, the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time, they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when he had assembled when they had assembled, Pilate said to them, which one do you want me to release to you? Barabbas or Jesus called the Christ?

Isn't it interesting that you know they had more than one prisoner because three were crucified? Okay? So there were at least those two who were crucified with Jesus, Jesus himself, and then Barabbas. But what option does Pilate put before them? The worst of all of them and the best of all of them.

Very intentional on the part of Punch's pilot. Very intentional. Which would you rather which one would you rather me release? Out of at least four, we know there's at least four, He offers one. And from that one, he gives you the choice of two.

Or from two from four, he gives you the choice of one out of two. And the people all all shouted, release, we we spoke about this. They all shouted release Barabbas. And some of the people in the church shouted it like they meant it. Which one would you want me to release to you?

Release Barabbas. Try to think back to when you first came to understand this scripture. You might have been young, or it might have been yesterday or last year. But try to remember when you remember back to when you first realized what was going on here, that they chose to release a murderer instead of Jesus Christ. Is that shocking to you?

We still do it today. Oh, there are a lot of Catholics shouting. And I don't mean because it's in the readings on Palm Sunday. There are a lot of Catholics shouting release Barabbas. But what would you have me do with Jesus Christ? Crucify him. He's saying something we don't like. There is something in apostolic tradition we don't like. Crucify it. There is something in the teaching of the church that we don't like.

Crucify it. Release Barabbas. We choose death over life. In Deuteronomy, the Jews were given the same option. I place before you life. Right? A blessing or a curse, Moses said. I choose before you a blessing or a curse. Life or death. And if you don't know, let me tie it in. He's placing before them fidelity to the law or rejecting and violating the law. I place before you a blessing or a curse. You choose. Release Barabbas. We do that in the Catholic church even today.

I put before you the path to the truth or the path to damnation. Which do you choose? Release Barabbas. We do it in the church even today. Not if it's shocking to you, you should spend a year in Catholic evangelization. Nothing will shock you after one year. Just one year. And I'm being very serious. We do that in the church. We release Barabbas. Well, what about what Christ has taught? Don't wanna hear it. Crucify him. Release Barabbas. Moving on.

Which one would you want me to release to you, Barabbas or Jesus called the Christ? In a second, I'm gonna take a break from this reflection, and I'm going to go to your questions or comments in the chat room, literally in like a second, like after these next couple of lines. Okay? So if you have anything to say, anything to ask, drop it like it's hot, I will get to it like the firebrand only could. Barabbas, or Jesus called the Christ, for he knew, Pilate knew, that it was out of envy that they handed him over.

So they thought this would be Pilate thought this would be an easy one. He knew it was out of envy, and he thought they can't possibly be so corrupt that they would choose their that they would choose a murderer over their own envy. Joke's on you, Jack. While he was still seated on the bench, listen to this part, and then I'm gonna take a pause and go to your questions. While he was still seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message.

Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I suffered much in a dream today because of him. While he had still his position of power and authority seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message. That's pretty urgent. Right?

That's pretty urgent. It's not like she sent him a message while he was eating lunch and said, have nothing to do with that righteous man. So the wife of Pontius Pilate is drawing that line in the sand. She doesn't say don't have nothing to do with this, have nothing to do with him or with his condemnation. Very specific in scripture.

Have nothing to do with that righteous man drawing a line in the sand, righteousness. Because what's on the other side of righteousness is corruption. So we're spotlighting the tension that's going on here. It's not the Jews against Jesus with Pilate in the middle. It's corruption.

It's the tension between corruption and righteousness. So what we're seeing here is a lot more fierce, a lot more intense than what we're just reading in the words. You have to read between the lines to really get a sense of what's going on here. The tension was high. The tension was very high, and the intensity was thick in the atmosphere what was going on here.

I suffered much in a dream because of him. Alright. A little traveling music as I go around the room, see who's saying what. For those of you catching me late in case you've never seen or heard of me before, I am TJ Haynes, Catholic Fire Branded, the undisputed technician of the truth, and this is the Fire Branded podcast. And, oh, I've got a little bit of news I wanna share with you.

Don't let me forget. Tap me on the shoulder if it looks like I'm gonna forget. It's very important news. It's important to me. It's something that I wanna share with you, something that I want you to participate in. Okay? Let's go to the chat room, see what's going on in the scroll, darling. Let's start with YouTube. That's the most populated room so far. He did such a great impression of release Bravus.

Thank you. I'm gonna practice that one so I can lay it on you thick next time. It's only my second oh, that's right. Chris of Saint Patrick is a new Catholic. It's only his second Palm Sunday, and last year, he didn't get to receive communion. That's right. But he says, I'm getting flashbacks of the anticipation I felt awaiting Easter and reconciliation. That's powerful, man. Somebody else, Irwin, also said it's his second Palm Sunday as well. Welcome to the Catholic church, new Catholics.

This is your second birthday, or we're approaching your second birthday. Muzin and my family are into some really wild stuff and say I'm crazy to be to be Catholic. Listen, man. I'm gonna give you some advice, Irwin, and all of you listening or watching this. Those of you who are Catholic, those of you who are lapsed, maybe you're baptized Catholic, but you haven't been practicing for a while, and those of you who are maybe considering it, I'm gonna tell you something nobody else is gonna tell you.

Okay? This is the kind of stuff you're only gonna get from the Fire Brand. Check it out. You have to become comfortable with being dangerous. That's just the bottom line. You have to become comfortable with being dangerous to be because to be Catholic is to be dangerous. Dangerous to what? I'm a peace loving person. Yeah. Well, that's dangerous.

To be holy is to be dangerous. It's to be dangerous to the fallen order of the world. It's to be dangerous to secularism and the secularist. Some of them, some of those secularists are in the Catholic pews every Sunday, some of them every single day. You have to be comfortable with being dangerous to the desires of the enemy, the diabolic enemy, the ancient enemy of the human race.

You have to become dangerous. Dangerous. That doesn't mean you become violent. It means you become dangerous to the will and plan and desires of the enemy, dangerous to the fallen world. I mean, Jesus Christ was dangerous.

Right? The light came into the world, and they crucified him. The light came into the world, but the people chose darkness because their deeds are evil, because they're wicked and their deeds are evil. And so Jesus Christ was dangerous to the people who preferred to live in the dark, and that's you. You are the light of the world.

It's Jesus Christ, but it's the light of Jesus Christ coming through in you more hopefully more and more and more, right, progressively. That means that in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of his cross and by the power of the gospel, you become dangerous, very, very dangerous. And that should make you very proud because it's not you who's dangerous of by yourself. You become dangerous in a fallen world because you become more and more like Jesus Christ. So sometimes your family is going to consider you to be little dangerous.

The world will see you as dangerous, someone to silence, someone to restrict, someone to hide away. Dangerous. I've been saying this for years and years. You have to become comfortable with being dangerous. Not just dangerous in the world, but dangerous to the enemy.

And part of that being dangerous to the enemy means you have to go to war with yourself because the enemy sort of lives there. Not that you're possessed, but the enemy sort of because sin lives in us. Right? The scripture says that that Jesus Christ took sin onto his own body, and it was crucified. I'm paraphrasing there, or I'm I'm synthesizing what what is in the scripture, but it that's almost exactly what it says.

Right? So we have sin in us. Therefore, in a sense, the enemy is in us. Not that we're possessed, but the enemy is in us. We have fallen will, fallen desires, and we have to go to war with them every single day. Every single day. It's tiring. Right? Every single day, ask the Lord to rejuvenate and revitalize you. So you even have to become dangerous to yourself.

So get used to it. Even learn to love it because that is the path to sainthood. You gotta be dangerous, my friend. You gotta be dangerous, and be comfortable with it, because that's the warrior's way, and it's the way to holiness. So before I get back to the reflection, let me share this news with you.

Some of you may already be aware of this. Last week, I soft launched the new website for the podcast. It is firebranded.fm. Can I tell you my friends? Firebranded.fm is my dream platform. Firebranded.fm. Ta da. It's my dream platform in that it's exactly what I've been wanting to build for you. Features what I do with it. This I just dropped today.

Why women can't be priests? The podcasts go the podcasts are still going up on the forge. The Fire Branded podcast is still the flagship podcast at the forge, but there's things that I wanna do that are that are broadcast y, podcast y, things that you that I like to do, like mini casts and really quick articles and responses to things. Anyway, I don't wanna flood the forge with that. So this is what I have built for that.

If for no other reason, you should go there because this is a paid article at the forge. I'm making it available here at firebranded.fm for free. You can give that a read. But anyway, subscribing is free, and it gets you into my inner circle. The inner circle is stuff that and this is the truth. This is this is not a gimmick. This is not a gimmick. This is very deliberate. Everything on this site is very deliberate. The wrong camera, stupid.

The inner circle is stuff that I want to share, but I don't wanna share it with everybody. I wanna share it with people who understand my work, who are into what I'm doing, and who understand me as the broadcaster. Not like, you know, I'm special, but you get me. You understand my lingo, my heart. You just understand me.

Right? It's just like you. There are things that you will only share with your inner circle because they get you, and you get them. Right? And then there are things it doesn't it doesn't mean that it's scandalous or or salacious or anything, but they're just things you don't share with just anybody.

Subscribing to firebranded.fm puts you for free in my inner circle. I got a bunch of stuff here for the inner circle. This is just stuff that I wanna keep close just with the crew, just with my inner circle, stuff that I share backstage because it doesn't belong on the public stage. That's what the inner circle is, and it's totally free. It's totally free.

Okay? All you have to do is you go to firebranded.fm, throw your email in there or anywhere else that you're invited to do so, and you're in the crew. You are in my inner circle. Firebranded.fm. I really want you to come on with it. Put your email in there. I don't spam you. Those of you following me for a while, you already know this. I don't spam you. I don't send gimmicky things.

I don't share the list with anybody. This is just because family keeps it tight, and I want you to be part of my crew. Join my inner circle. Drop your email in there. It's as simple as that. Give it a think. In fact, don't give it a think, man. Just go. Fire Branded dot f m and be part of my inner circle. Now let's get back down to these readings.

Okay. I suffered much. We're going back to the praetorium. Okay? The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask to ask for Barabbas to destroy Jesus. Interesting interesting dramatic words there. Asked to release Barabbas to destroy Jesus. Destroy him. The governor said to them in reply, which of the two do you want me to release to you? They answered Barabbas.

Release Barabbas, they said in the church. Pilate said to them, then what shall I do with Jesus called the Christ? And they all said, let him be crucified. It's always uncomfortable saying that. For for me, some people have no and I'm not saying you have to have a reaction.

I'm not saying that. But for me, I don't like saying that. So sometimes I'll just say it very quietly, and some people just talking talking it, and then some people are, like, really shouting it. They're all into it. Somebody's got a megaphone. It's like, release forever. Focus on your head. It's crazy. Why would you bring a megaphone to a church? But and sometimes I'll whisper it or I'll just mouth the words so that people don't think I'm, like, not saying it.

It always makes us uncomfortable, And that is where you need to pause. Not just at the readings, but even now or later, pause. If that makes you uncomfortable, if you have a reaction to that, ask yourself why. Why? Because you're not swinging the hammer that's driving the nails through his hands. Are you? You're not literally there gathered with the people shouting with all your might, crucify him, and release Brabbas instead. You're not there shouting. Wait. Are you?

You really need to give that one a think. If you have a reaction to that, or even if you don't, think about it. If you're not literally there doing that, if you're not literally there saying that, why does it make you uncomfortable? And when you analyze your heart and mind, there are things that will come up. You may never find the answer, but in the searching for the answer, you're going to find some things get kind of dredged and exposed to yourself.

Why does do you have a reaction to that? Why does shouting crucify him bother you? Right? Analyze that. Ask the holy spirit to help you. Because that is going to give you a map to how you can overcome your sins. It may not be the major ones at first. It might be the minor ones. But I've got a secret to tell you, my friend. If I were to ask you, point out one sin that's a real problem for you, all of you are going to have one.

Right? I got a secret for you. That's not the one. That's not the one. The real the real one that you need to worry about is hiding. It's not even hiding behind that one that you call out. It's hiding five doors away behind that one that you call out. It's going to be something that seems so small and so subtle until you start to attack it and you see just how strong it really is. What's your one sin? Rage, lust, gluttony?

Whatever that one that you call out that you think that's the one I gotta beat, that's not the one. The one you have to beat is hiding. Ask yourself, why do I not feel comfortable shouting, crucify him, crucify him? Take time to really reflect on that. Maybe reflect on it after rereading the gospel.

Why do I feel uncomfortable saying that? The wisdom you the wisdom you come upon in in your reflection is going to help you to see the sin that's hiding. The one that the devil is hoping he hides so well that you'll never figure it out, and if you ever did, you'd never overcome it. So for instance, why let let me give you a little bit more help here. Okay?

Why do I feel uncomfortable saying, crucify him, crucify him? Well, because I don't want them to crucify him. But he has to be crucified because of sin, because I sin, because the cross of Christ takes away my sins, and yet I sin again. What is the sin that keeps putting Christ on that cross? It's whatever.

Whatever. Why do I do that sin? And why do I do that sin? Eventually, you're going to and you're going to know you're not going to discover it instantly, but when you discover it, you're gonna instantly know that's the one. There's a sin that's hiding, and that is your sin that put Jesus that puts Jesus on that cross.

That is your sin that gets you to say, crucify him, crucify him. The sin that you think you need to overcome, that's not it. But that sin that's hiding is why you do that sin that you think you need to overcome. Oh, my word for it, brothers and sisters. That sin that's hiding is the reason why you do the sin that you think you need to overcome, like the one main sin you think you need to overcome, and a bunch of other sins along the path.

You understand? But that's that's what I can pass on to you. Analyze yourself. Ask yourself if you have a reaction to that, why does it make you feel uncomfortable to say, crucify him, crucify him. Let's continue. And they answered, release Barabbas. Again, people in the Catholic church, like the faithful and and some clerics shout release Barabbas all the time. That is not new. I can't believe the Jews said release Barabbas. Oh, I can believe it.

I can absolutely believe it, because Catholics are saying it every day. And I say this with love to my Catholic brothers and sisters. I I hate to sound like I'm always bashing, you know, my fellow Catholics over the head. May may may maybe I should be a little bit more tempered in in in my criticism, my constructive criticism of my brother and sister Catholics. But I have to tell you, there is a lot of release Barabbas going on in the church.

There is a lot of crucify him, crucify him going on in the church. And if you're not seeing it, you are not paying attention. In fact, check this out. If you're not seeing it, it's one of two two things. You're not paying attention, which is fine.

Maybe it's not something you have to see. But either you're not paying attention, or you're the one saying, crucify him, crucify him. My friends, this is why you listen to Fire Branded, because the Fire Brand is the guy who says those sorts of things, because those sorts of things just need to be said. Moving on. Pilate said to them, what shall I do with Jesus Christ?

They all answered, crucify him. But he said, why? What evil has he done? They only shouted all the louder, let him be crucified. They all got into it and said, let him be crucified.

When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, check this, when Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water, washed his hands in the side of the crowd saying, I am innocent of this man's blood. Do you know why I'm pointing this out? Pilate knew he was staring truth in the face. He knew he recognized the truth, but he did not have the courage to defend it. How often do we do that?

How often are we Pilate? Man, this guy's something else. First, he's telling me I'm a crucifying Jew. Now he's telling me I'm Pontius Pilate. How often are we Pontius Pilate knowing the truth, but not having the backbone to defend it?

Now you have to be cunning as serpents. Right? Sometimes it's not prudent to defend the truth for whatever reason, whatever reason. That's for you to judge. But you'll know deep down when there are moments in your life, in your day, whatever, where this is a truth that should be stood up for, and I can stand up for it. It would be inconvenient, but it wouldn't destroy me. I can stand up for it, but I just won't. How often are you Pontius Pilot? And I'm including myself in the mix. I'm saying we.

I'm only saying you now to really drive it home. How often are you Pontius Pilate? Maybe not often, but how often. Right? Something to think about as we enter Holy Week.

Okay. So Pilate sees he's not this last part is the home run, and then bring the show to a close. When Pilate so Pilate sees he's not succeeding. He washes his hands of them, and he says, I am innocent of this man's blood. Pay attention.

And the whole first of all, it's interesting the way this is formatted in the gospel, because Pilate said and the people said. Pilate said and the people with one voice said. Pilate said and the people responded with one voice and they said. Do you un are you seeing the illusion there? That's a liturgical format.

That is a liturgical format. Maybe it didn't I mean, everything here is the truth, but maybe the gospel writers put it in this format for this specific reason. That's a liturgical form. Moses said, and the people responded, we will obey everything that the Lord our God has commanded us. And then Moses said, I put before you a blessing and a curse, and you have to choose.

We choose the Lord our God. I think that's what they said, but you get the the point. That's a liturgical format. It's why we do that at mass. The Lord be with you and with your spirit, and so on. This is why the the voice and response is the way it is. It's a liturgical format. It's something we do in liturgy. It comes from Jewish liturgy. We're seeing that same format here.

Check it. I am innocent of this man's blood, Pilate said. Look to it yourselves. You do the sacrificial offering. It's almost like Pilate, without knowing it, refused to be the priest to offer this sacrifice to whatever gods those Jews worshipped.

Not literally. That's not literally the theology. I'm just saying it it almost looks like that when you think of this in a in a quasi liturgical setting. Of course, the high priest was the one being crucified, Jesus Christ, but moving on. And the whole people said in reply, remember I said this is almost like a liturgical format, Pilate said, I'm innocent of this man's blood, look to it yourselves, and the whole people said in reply, let his blood be upon us and on our children.

And then he released Barabbas to them. Do you know why that's a home run and why I'm pointing that out? Sprinkling the Jews, the Hebrew, the Israelite people with the lamb's blood was something that comes from the Old Testament. Right? It signified the cleansing of sin, to sprinkle them with with the lamb's blood.

I think it was the lamb's blood. Let his blood be upon us and upon our children. We have a double meaning there, don't we? I strong I'm confident that that's an allusion allusion to the Old Testament. Because with the blood of the lamb being sprinkled by the blood of the lamb, for for the Jews in the Old Testament, it was a foreshadowing.

But it was a foreshadowing of being washed in the blood of the lamb, our our sins being forgiven by the blood of the lamb. Now the Jews are saying, let the blood of this lamb be upon us and upon our children. They were offered a blessing, and they chose a curse. Because that's really what they're saying. That's really what they're saying.

If this is wrong, we'll own it, but it's not wrong. That's that's kind of what they're saying. Let his blood be upon us and upon our children. But was his blood upon them the blood of the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? Well, the Jews had blood on their hands.

Did they have the mercy of God as well? Well, probably, but now you have to wonder, did they accept it? Let his blood be upon us and upon our children. It's a reference to the sprinkling of the Jews with lamb's blood, a foreshadowing of what's happening here and what's happening here. Now who is it who's asking for the blood of the lamb to be upon them and their children?

Chat room. Pay attention. Now who is it who asks for the blood of the lamb to be upon them and upon their children? Well, if you haven't figured it out, I'll I guess I'll just tell you. It's us. The ones who say crucify him, crucify him are also the ones saying, let the blood of the sacra let the blood of the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world be upon us. Please, Lord Jesus. We say the same thing, but for a different reason. Our sins put you on that cross. Crucify him.

Crucify him. Because if he is not crucified, how will we ever be reconciled with God? It's impossible. What do you want me to do with him? Crucify him. Otherwise, we're all damned. Well, what should I do with Barabbas? Or, so I'll release Barabbas. What shall I do with Jesus? Crucify him. Well, what about Barabbas? Release Barabbas. Release Barabbas from our own, I guess, clutches. Right? It's we who want to release Barabbas, the sinfulness, our sinful nature.

You know, when you apologize to God for your sins, do you ever apologize also for your sinfulness? I'm sorry that I'm the kind of person who does these sins. I'm sorry that I have spiritually fed the troll that does these sins. Don't you wanna say, my God, release Barabbas, this sinfulness that's in me, this sinful nature of me, grab ahold of it and release it, Fire it into space. Drown it. I don't care what you do with it. Just release it. And please, crucify him. Crucify him. Isn't that weird?

Because if we don't crucify if he is not crucified now this is not what the Jews were saying. I'm just bringing it to us. This is not what the Jews meant. If he's not crucified, how will we ever be reconciled to God? Crucify him, crucify him.

Let the blood of the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world be upon us and upon our children. Please, Lord Jesus, and thank you. Man, that's what I got for you. I think after I bring this show to a close, may hang around for a little while, see if anybody's got anything to ask, anything to say. Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for being patient with me for this weird rig and this different kind of an episode of fire branded, but I hope you really enjoyed it because I'm really working hard for you.

And I want you to check out firebranded.fm, especially if you're particularly a podcast fan and most especially if you're a fan of the fire brand, baby. You're gonna have to be a member of my inner circle. Go to Catholic I'm sorry. Go to firebranded.fm. Firebranded.fm. And come on with it. Be in my inner circle. I'm waiting for you. Come into my world, man. Step inside.

This has been fire branded. I have been your host, the undisputed technician of the truth. TJ Hanes, follow me everywhere at real TJ Hanes on socials. God bless you, ladies and gentlemen. God be with you all. I'm signing out of here as that music comes to a fade. Bye bye.