KING REJECTED BY THE JEWS
John chapter 18: 39 to 19:16
Pilate, as a Roman magistrate, had judged the Lord Jesus, and found Him innocent. There was no justification in holding him a prisoner any longer. In spite of this, Pilate did not have the courage to cross the leaders of the nation of the Jews. He thought he might come to a compromise.
The multitude outside had already been crying aloud, asking Pilate to release a prisoner for them, as was the custom at Passover. So Pilate craftily came upon a "brilliant" solution: to appease the religious leaders of the Jews he might accept that this Man was guilty, but on the other hand he would propose to the multitude the choice between Him and a notorious insurrectionist called Barabbas (son of a father), guilty of murder with his companions (Mark 15:6-8).
He must have thought it obvious that the multitude would choose Jesus, for He had been very popular among them. His own conscience would be appeased, and he would avoid releasing a convict. He asked the crowd to choose, calling the Lord the King of the Jews, because this was the offence of which He had been accused.
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to choose Barabbas (Mark 15:11) and Pilate, bewildered and wishing to release Jesus, then asked them what they wanted him to do with Jesus who is called Christ, whom they called the King of the Jews. The crowd shouted "Crucify Him, crucify Him! Let Him be crucified!" Pilate insisted, saying for the third time, "Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go." But they cried out, all the more "Crucify Him - let Him be crucified."
Pilate saw that he wasn't getting anywhere with this crowd, but rather that a tumult was rising, so he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, as a common symbol of cleanliness saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it." The Jews used this symbol of washing hands for innocence (Deuteronomy 21:6; Psalm 26:6; 73:13).
But it was not that easy. He had to make a decision, for he was the highest authority in the land. His authority could not be abdicated, so the blood of Christ was on his hands no matter how much he washed them. The crowd answered his passing of the responsibility to them by saying "His blood be on us and on our children" (Matthew 27:24,25).
Because of this answer, a great injustice has been done to the Jewish people through the centuries: Catholicism, including both the Roman and the Orthodox branches, has called them the "Christ-killers," and this has been the basis for anti-Semitism in Europe, with massacres, torture and death at the Inquisition, culminating with the so-called "Holocaust" at the hands of Hitler, who was schooled by Jesuits. They have been wickedly blamed for the crime committed by Annas, Caiaphas, and Pilate, though no more responsible than the Gentiles are. In the final analysis, we all are responsible for His death. He died for the sins of the world. There should be no pointing of the finger at any race or group of people.
So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released to them the one they requested, Barabbas, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison, and delivered Jesus to be scourged and then crucified: the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.
They stripped Him and put a scarlet/purple robe on Him, then they twisted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. They bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.
Pilate watched all this, then went out again, and said to the people: "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him." Then Jesus was made to come out on the balcony, before all the people, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"
When the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Pilate told them to take and crucify Him, for he found Him innocent! This was as much as to say "I'm not doing it, you do it!" In this strange judicial decision, the judge declared the accused innocent, then handed Him over to be punished by the false accusers.
Trying to justify themselves, the Jews retorted that they had a law, and according to their law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God. At last the chief priests had blurted out the real ground for their hatred, which had started soon after He began His ministry (John 5:18), and on which basis the Sanhedrin had voted for His condemnation (Matthew 27:23-66; Mark 14:61-64).
Pilate was already afraid because of his wife's message (Matthew 27:19), but now this claim to deity by his Prisoner made him more afraid, because it added to his superstitious fears. So he went again into the Praetorium, and asked the Prisoner where He came from: Pilate already knew He was from Galilee (Luke 23:6) but he was wondering if there was something supernatural about His origin.
Receiving no answer, the irritated Pilate warned Him that he had power of life and death over Him. The Lord calmly told him that he could have no power at all against Him unless it had been given him from above, and therefore the one who had delivered Him to Pilate had the greater sin.
The supreme power was God, and in reality Pilate could only do what the Son of God allowed him to do. Pilate was guilty of mismanagement of justice, but those who took the Lord to Pilate to secure His death had the greater sin because He had proved that He was their Messiah, and they hated and rejected Him.
From then on Pilate sought to release Him. But the Jews began to shout that his own loyalty to Caesar was to be jeopardised if he declared innocent a man who made himself a king. When Pilate heard them, he brought Jesus out again and sat down in the judgement seat placed on the pavement of stones. Pilate had to make a final decision now and he was still not sure which was the safest for himself (justice apart): to set this righteous Man free and face political disaster, or to satisfy the Jewish leaders by crucifying Him and facing unknown consequences because He was obviously no ordinary person.
He must have thought he was in a desperate position. It was the Preparation Day (eve of the Passover Sabbath), and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, perhaps still hoping for a change in their attitude "Behold your King!" But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"
The dignity of the Lord Jesus through all this was impressive. In fact, He was not the one on trial. Both Pilate and the religious leaders were forced to a choice: either Jesus Christ or Caesar. They made their dreadful choice, "We have no king but Caesar." The chief priests were Sadducees, who had no Messianic hope like that of the Pharisees. To condemn Jesus, they now even renounced the sovereignty of God (1 Samuel 12:12).
Today every person must make his choice about Jesus Christ, and He says, "He that is not with me is against me . . ." (Matthew 12:30). A decision against Christ, is a decision for "Caesar" and eternal punishment. One day, still in the future, this unbelieving world will have to make another choice: Jesus Christ or the Antichrist? Giving up at last all hope of changing their mind, Pilate delivered Him over to them to be crucified. So they took the robe off and put His own clothes on Him again, and led Him away to His death.
R David Jones
Chapter 18
39 "But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
40 Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.
Chapter 19
1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.
2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.
3 Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands.
4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him."
5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"
6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him."
7 The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God."
8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid,
9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?"
11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."
12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar."
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgement seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"
15 But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"
16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.