Daily Archives: May 26, 2014

Robed And Crowned As King

Bible Study, ,

ROBED AND CROWNED AS KING 

“Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head. They clothed Him in a purple robe and went up to Him again and again, saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ And they slapped Him in the face.

“Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, ‘Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.’ When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!'” John 19:1-5 NIV.

What! Is this the man you said was not guilty of any crime, Pilate? Are you sure it’s the same man? He looks as though He’s been through a mincing machine. Is this the way you treat an innocent man?

“…His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being, and His form beyond human likeness…” Isaiah 52:14b NIV.

What did Pilate hope to gain by having an innocent man flogged — beaten with a whip made of leather thongs interlaced with lead and bits of bone which ripped the flesh out of the prisoner’s body until his bones were exposed? Flogging was so brutal that many prisoners died under the whip. Did he think that the sight of Jesus beaten beyond recognition would change His accusers’ minds? Perhaps they would back off when they saw what their hatred had done.

It seems that there was no control over the soldiers’ abusive bullying. Why were they permitted to brutalise a prisoner before he was sentenced? Who was in control of them and why was he indifferent to their behaviour? Was this normal practice or was Jesus singled out because He did not retaliate?

“When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” 1 Peter 2:23 NIV.

Even after the brutal flogging, Jesus stood before the crowd, dressed in purple, crowned with thorns and drenched in His own blood, regal and silent. He did not weep in agony or plead for His life. Through the blood and sweat that ran down His face and into His eyes, He looked His accusers in the eye, calm and unflinching.

“As soon as the chief priests and officials saw Him, they shouted, ‘Crucify! Crucify!'” John 19:6a NIV.

There’s something about a person who refuses to cringe under cruelty that enrages his tormentors. Instead of remorse for what they had done, the religious leaders began to yell, inciting the crowd, ‘Kill Him! Kill Him!’ They were not satisfied with blood. They wanted death, and the crueler the better. Stoning was their method of execution but it was relatively quick. Crucifixion was the Roman method and it suited them just find. They could watch Him die a slow, agonising death, perhaps lasting many hours or even days, with great satisfaction because they believed He deserved it.

But there’s another side to the story. These religious rulers had delegated authority which they used against the one who gave it to them. The day would come when they would give an account of the stewardship of that authority. They would stand before the one who stood before them on that Passover day, but He would no longer be wearing a borrowed robe and a thorny crown.

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God.” Revelation 19:11-13 NIV.

Jesus had to die. He had to bear the worst that human beings could throw at Him without reacting. It was the only way to conquer sin, death and hell and to reverse all the effects of Adam’s sin both in humans and in the entire created universe. Pilate brought Him out to the people like a masterpiece on show. “Here is the man!” he declared. What are you going to do with Him?

Pilate’s Dilemma

Bible Study, , ,

PILATE’S DILEMMA 

“But Pilate answered, ‘You take Him and crucify Him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against Him.’ The Jewish leaders insisted, ‘We have a law and, according to that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God.’

“When Pilate heard this he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. ‘Where do you come from?’ he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.” John 19:6b-9 NIV.

What a horrible position to be in!

Inside Pilate’s head was a raging conscience; outside the palace was a raging mob led by a persistent, insistent religious hierarchy who were beginning to show their true colours. Although they presented Him to Pilate as a rabble-rousing, trouble-making challenge to Caesar, that was not the real issue. This was a smoke screen for a religious conflict between men who felt threatened because Jesus had exposed their wicked hearts and a man who challenged them examine the evidence, which they refused to do.

It was easier to charge Him with blasphemy and get rid of Him than to be honest enough to check out His credentials against the Scriptures to find out the truth. It was not their religion as much as it was their position and power over the people that was at stake. Jesus had made God too nice, and that did not suit them because they wanted to retain their hold over the people by their rigid insistence on obedience to their rules.

Pilate’s close encounter with Jesus had unnerved him. He was honest enough to admit that he could find no reason to charge Him with any criminal activity. Treason? Rabble-rousing? Inciting the mob to violence? Jesus didn’t even have any supporters heckling Pilate. He stood there alone and unresisting and Pilate did not know what to make of Him. Questioning Him got him nowhere. Jesus admitted to being a king, but He did not act like a typical usurper nor did He lay claim to the throne of Israel. He said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’ What was Pilate supposed to make of that?

Now he was faced with another even more frightening possibility. Two charges Pilate did not understand. He was a pagan Roman. What did he know about these Jews and their strange and complicated religion? King, but not of this world? Son of God? Pilate would rather have been a million miles away, even on another planet if that were possible, rather than have to deal with this man and His howling accusers. He was scared. Jesus was a hot potato but the buck stopped with him. He had to make a decision.

Back he went into the palace to face Jesus again. Desperate to get to the bottom of this matter, he questioned Him again. ‘Who are you? Where do you come from? Come on, Jesus, give me some answers. I’m trying my best to save your skin.’ But Jesus said nothing. It was almost as though He wanted to die. That was even more unnerving and Pilate was thoroughly shaken by his encounter with this unusual man.

What were Pilate’s options? Condemn an innocent man to death to appease a fanatical crowd and live with an accusing conscience, or release Him and risk a Jewish uprising and the inevitable bloodshed that would follow? These Jews were volatile. He knew what would happen if he insisted on releasing Jesus. They would probably lynch Him before He got beyond the palace grounds. He would have to face Rome no matter what his choice.

Pilate was a cruel and ruthless governor. He was guilty of having Galilean worshippers murdered while they were offering sacrifices at the temple (Luke 13:1). He was recalled to Rome after brutally quelling a Samaritan up rising. Tradition had it that he was exiled to Pontus and finally took his own life.

Pilate was caught up in circumstances that were not of his own making. Can we judge him? What would we have done?