# Qualifying for the Race
## This is in the Bible in [Luke 23:1-25](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2023%3A1-25&version=NIVUK)

Yesterday we heard about how we can not be good enough to qualify for the race with Jesus, but today we will see how Jesus makes it possible for us to run the race.
In Luke chapter 23 we are told that the religious leaders arrested Jesus & took him to Pilate.  He was the Roman boss of Jerusalem.
They accused Jesus of all sorts of wrong things, including saying he was the Christ, a king!
Pilate question Jesus and asked him if he was the king of the God’s people.  And Jesus said yes!
But Pilate knew Jesus had done nothing wrong.
The religious leaders don't like Jesus being their king.  They want to be in charge
Pilate sent Jesus to Herod who was king over one little bit of Israel.  He put a king’s robe on him & just laughed at Jesus and sent him back to Pilate
Pilate again & again said “This man is innocent!  He has done nothing wrong”
But the crowd said Jesus should die.
They shouted “Kill Jesus!  And let Barabbas go free.”
Barabbas was a man who had started a riot & then murdered someone.  
Pilate knew Jesus had done nothing wrong & he wanted him to go free. He tried to persuade them but the crowd shouted louder.
“Kill Jesus!  Kill Jesus!”
On & on they yelled until Pilate gave up.  And he let Barabbas, who had killed someone, go free & gave Jesus to the soldiers to be killed.  Even though he had done nothing wrong.	 
When Jesus was dying on the cross it suddenly went completely dark, the sun just stopped shining even though it was lunchtime.
God made this happen to show that Jesus was being separated from God.  God left him all alone.
God was showing us that we should be separated from God because of all the wrong things we have done, but Jesus loves us so much that he took the punishment we deserved and was separated instead of us.  
It was like he swapped places with us so we could go free.  Jesus is making sure you and I can qualify and run the race with Jesus as our king.  
I guess the question for us, is will we trust that Jesus has died, swapped places with us so we can live with Jesus as king, or will we continue to ignore Jesus?

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