Crucify Him or Crown Him?

Today we come to the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, mainly His trial before Pilate in John 19. Pilate told the people that he could find no fault in Jesus (v.4). But the crowd yelled, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Throughout life we all face this timeless challenge and respond one way or the other. We either cry "Crucify Him" or "Crown Him" as my Lord, Savior and King. There is no middle ground, as Pilate soon found out. The nation Israel, as a whole, soon found this out as well. Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome in AD 70 and became a nation no more. What did they say? "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!...We have no king but Caesar!" --v.15. Well, Caesar it would be. When Israel asked to have a king, and God allowed them to have Saul, the nation rejected God the Father (1 Sam.8). When they asked for Barabbas, they rejected God the Son. Finally, in Acts 7, they resisted the Holy Spirit and stoned Stephen to death. Rejecting the Father in the Old Testament, rejecting the Son in the Gospels, and resisting the Spirit in the Book of Acts caused the collapse of the people of Israel. But God is faithful. The promise of Romans 9-11 is that even though Israel has rejected the Father, rejected the Son, and resisted the Holy Spirit--God will restore His people, and all of Israel will be saved. They will see their King, believe and be saved (Zech.12:10-11: Matt.24:30; Rev.1:7).
Both the nation and Pilate were on trial that day, and both failed miserably. What about you? Will you crucify Him or CROWN HIM as Lord, Savior and King of your life? May we not fail!