The gospel of John chapter 19 follows the Jews choosing the criminal Barabbas as the person to be released as per the Roman custom of releasing a prisoner at the passover. This chapter shows man's cruelty to Jesus.
V1-5 "Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns and put it onto his head, and they put on him a purple robe. And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man."
It makes no sense at all that Pilate had Jesus scourged when he could find no fault in him. But perhaps this was a compromise to the Jews. Perhaps if they could see the cruel punishment that had been done to Jesus, they would have pity and let him go. The scourge was no ordinary whip. Not to go into any details, but the scourging left Jesus so weak that another man named Simon was compelled to carry his cross, because Jesus was so weakened by the scourging. The soldiers mocked Jesus by making him a crown of thorns which would have pierced his skin, and they put on him a purple robe, the color of royalty. In another gospel we are also told that they plucked out his beard. They said "hail King of the Jews" not realizing that Jesus really is King. After the soldiers had finished their cruel acts, Pilate brought Jesus forth again saying he found no fault in him. Pilate did not want any part in putting Jesus to death. But Jesus was still wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and this incited the Jews even further.
V6-11 "When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out saying Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; and went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin."
Upon seeing Jesus wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe the Jews cried all the more, Crucify him! The Romans meant to mock Jesus with the crown and the robe, but all the Jews could see was the crown and robe as something a King would wear, albeit not a crown of thorns. Pilate tries again not to have anything to do with the death of Jesus, and tells the Jews to take him away because he (again) finds no fault in him. But it is then that the Jews tell Pilate that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, and this made Pilate all the more fearful. Enough to take Jesus back into the judgment hall and ask him where he came from. When Jesus did not answer him, Pilate threatened him saying that he had the power to crucify him or let him ago. But Jesus' answer would have shaken Pilate: You could have no power at all against me except it were given you from above, from God the Father. But the ones who delivered Jesus to Pilate have the greater sin. But again, it is good to remember that all this was being unfolded according to the will of God the Father, and Jesus was fulfilling the reason why he came to this earth. To redeem sinners.
V12-16 "And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.....and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? ...Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away."
After Jesus' statement that Pilate would have no power over him except it be given him from above, Pilate sought all the more to release him, but the Jews threatened Pilate by saying that if he let Jesus go, he was not the friend of Caesar. And Pilate was caught by this. So he brought Jesus forth, sat in the judgment seat and gave over Jesus to be delivered to be crucified. He chose to give in to the demands of the Jews even though he thought Jesus to be innocent, rather then have his governorship and his life in peril for letting go one who said he was a King.
The next post will be the crucifixion, what Pilate did, what Jesus said regarding Mary, the one who bore him, and his death.
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vcg
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