The Trial Continued
19:1-16
Having failed at getting the Jews to choose Jesus as the person to be released from custody during Passover week, Pilate continued to look for ways to release Jesus without antagonizing the Jews. So, he had Jesus flogged, hoping it would satisfy them.
The Romans had different kinds of flogging. There was a moderate flogging for less serious offenses and a longer, more severe flogging for one who was condemned to death. It was designed both as punishment and to weaken the person severely so that he he would die more quickly during crucifixion. John did not specify which type of flogging this was.
It would make sense for Pilate to have the more moderate flogging administered since he had not yet condemned Jesus to death. In addition, he let his soldiers mock Jesus by putting a crown of thorns on his head and a purple robe. They had heard the claim that he was King of the Jews. They could not conceive how a small and powerless nation like Israel could produce a king, so they reveled in the fact that they appeared more powerful than he. They even struck him with with their hands.
After this torture, Pilate brought Jesus out to display him to the Jews. Pilate pointed to Jesus and said “Behold the man”. (5) Jesus would have been bruised and bloody and exhausted. Wearing the robe and crown of thorns in that condition would make him look pitiful and ridiculous. Pilate was hoping the Jews would see him in this debased condition and decide that it was enough. Pilate reiterated that he found no guilt in Jesus, hinting that he could let Jesus go by his own judgment whether the Jews approved or not.
But the display did not assuage the Jewish leaders. They cried our for crucifixion. (6) Pilate appears to have been exasperated and angry. He yelled back at the Jews to the to crucify Jesus themselves because he found no guilt in him. (7) Pilate knew that the Jews could not execute Jesus, but was hitting back at them for putting him in this position.
Pilate’s sarcasm had no effect. The Jews replied that they had a law that said Jesus must die because he made himself to be the Son of God. (7) This is the theological reason for the Jews to kill Jesus. They understood that his claim to be the Son of God was a claim of deity, a claim to be God. Since they did not believe his claim, they decided it was blasphemy.
The law they refer to may be Leviticus 24:16, which says “Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall put to death.”
Verse 8 says that when Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid. But John did not explain why. One explanation is that the Romans believed there were certain men who were considered “divine men”, who received some divine powers. The term Son of God would mean such a man to a Roman.
Pilate took Jesus back inside his headquarters and asked him where he was from, trying to alleviate his fear as to what kind of man Jesus was. However, that did not work because Jesus did not answer Pilate.
Jesus failure to answer angered Pilate, so he reminded Jesus that he had the authority to release him or crucify him. That did not work to make Jesus afraid. Instead, Jesus instructed Pilate that he had no authority over Jesus except that given to him from above, from the Father. (11)
This statement is one of the themes of John’s presentation of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus: God was in control, Jesus was in control, although obedient to the Father, and the events that occurred were part of the will and plan of the Father. Pilate was just a player; God wrote the script.
You might call this “Biblical compatibilism”. God is in control of what happens, he is sovereign, but people are still responsible for their actions.
So, Pilate is guilty of his sin before God. But the greater sin belongs to Caiaphas, the one who sent Jesus to Pilate. Caiaphas, who, as High Priest, was charged to lead the people to worship and obey God, initiated the proceedings and drove them. Pilate’s role was more passive; he had this dumped on him and tried to release Jesus before giving in to pressure. Indeed, verse 12 says Pilate continued to try and release Jesus.
But the Jewish leaders prevented the lease by striking at the heart of Pilate’s weakened authority. His previous troubles with the Jews had brought his leadership issues before the emperor (Tiberias Caesar). So, the Jews said that if Pilate released Jesus, he was not Caesar’s friend. (12)
Jesus’ claim to be a king, if taken literally, put him at odds with Caesar. Pilate could not afford for the charge to be made to the emperor that he tolerated rebellion. He might not only lose his position, but suffer great punishment. Ironically, the Jews claimed to be more loyal to Caesar than Pilate.
So Pilate gave in. He brought Jesus out of the headquarters to stand before him as he sat on the judgment seat. (13) Pilate called out to the Jews again to behold their king. The crowd chanted “crucify him!”. They even declared that they had no king but Caesar, despite the fact that they despised the Romans and their rule over them.
They denied their true and long awaited king to preserve their power, position, and authority. In effect, these Jewish leaders, especially the chief priests, also denied the kingdom of God, which is tied to the idea of the Messiah. He had come to his own, as John said in the Prologue, and his own people did not receive him. (1:11)
Having made the Jews declare themselves and demand crucifixion, Pilate turned Jesus over to be crucified. (16)
We must all decide how to respond to Jesus. We may reject him and suffer the consequences of eternal punishment. Or we may believe in him and receive him as our savior. If so, we will receive eternal life! Believe in him today!
No comments:
Post a Comment