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For some, it may seem shocking for one ever to be done with Jesus. When Jesus becomes the center of your life, your Savior, your Lord, and your faithful friend, it is hard to imagine tossing that aside. Yet I suspect we could all name examples of someone we know who once followed Jesus but due to wounds inflicted by the world, by family, and even by other believers, chose to be done with Jesus.

Many of the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees had determined to be done with Jesus. His presence, his teaching, his miracles, were all a threat to their beliefs, their power, and their control of their community. But the fame of Jesus continued to grow. In a final act of desperation, they chose to have Jesus killed, thinking they would finally be done with Jesus.

Pilate saw through their motives and eventually gave in to their hatred. But after his wife warned him about Jesus because of a dream she’d had, he tried to find a way not to give in to the demands of the mob who called for the death of Jesus. In fatigue and desperation, he finally submitted to the wishes of the angry crowds and handed Jesus over to be crucified. He then literally washed his hands of any responsibility for the death of Jesus.

The season of Lent, and Passion Week in particular, helps us remember that all of us have sinned, all of us have failed to live completely for Jesus. We also realize that at times of temptation or struggle, we have sought solutions besides Jesus to ease our pain and solve our problems. We may have never gotten a bowl of water and literally washed ourselves of connection to him, but we have decided we have better solutions than to trust Jesus.

If it weren’t for Resurrection Sunday, it would be easy and even natural for us to be done with Jesus. In fact, if it weren’t for Easter Sunday it is likely we may have never heard of Jesus.

Since you are reading this devotional, you likely are not one who is done with Jesus. In fact, you are likely one who wants more of Jesus, not less. I suspect you share my grief over many we may know and love who have decided to distance themselves from Jesus. Some seek pleasure, philosophy, or psychology to guide them. Some may seek some ism or political ideology to order their lives by. In the end, though, what they will discover is an end and nothing more. To be done with Jesus will lead to ultimate sadness.

So what do we do? Instead of washing our hands of Jesus, we allow ourselves to be washed by him. We choose to go deeper in his Word, to model our lives on his life, and to love like he loved. When we lean into Jesus and allow his Spirit to guide us, we will see that our lives can and will cause others to reconsider Jesus.