“28 Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this man?’ 30 They answered, ‘If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.’ 31 Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.’ The Jews replied, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death.’ 32 (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)
33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ 34 Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ 35 Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ 36 Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ 37 Pilate asked Him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ 38 Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no case against him. 39 But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ 40 They shouted in reply, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a bandit’” John 18:28-40.
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. 3 They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.”
8 Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. 9 He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Pilate therefore said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 12 From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.” 13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” 16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified”
John 19:1-16.
The trial of Jesus before Pilate is arranged in seven scenes, alternating Outside (O) and Inside (I) the headquarters (the praetorium) of Pilate:
O - Jews demand death (18:28-32)
I - Pilate questions Jesus’ kingship (18:33-38)
O - Jesus’ innocence (18:38-40)
I - Mocking of Jesus (19:1-3)
O - Jesus’ innocence (19:4-8)
I - Pilate questions Jesus’ power (19:9-12)
O - Jews obtain death (19:12-16)
Today we look at Scenes Four, Five, Six, and Seven in John 19:1—16.
Scene 4: I — Mocking of Jesus (19:1-3)
This is the scourging and mocking scene to which John gives a central place in the trial. Usually the scourging is given as part of the crucifixion punishment in order to weaken the prisoner and guarantee a quick death on the cross, but here it appears that Pilate wishes to have Jesus scrounged to satiate the crowd’s desire for crucifixion. How ironic that the gentiles acclaimed Jesus as king when long before they did this without mockery and a desire for his crucifixion.
Scene 5: O — Jesus’ Innocence (19:4-8)
Pilate’s second declaration of “not guilty” follows the mocking. In the hope of gaining sympathy, Pilate presents the Man of Sorrows. But the Jews reject Him, not as a man, but because He has made Himself the Son of God. To their double cry for crucifixion, Pilate returns his third “not guilty”.
Openly, now, the real issue is religious, not political.
Scene 6: I — Pilate questions Jesus’ power (19:9-12)
Frightened by His talk about the Son of God, Pilate interrogates Jesus on His origin. Certain to be misunderstood, Jesus is silent. Before Pilate’s claim of power, Jesus shows He is still master, for Pilate’s power depends on the Father’s will. The ultimate iniquity is not Pilate’s but the really traitor’s — Satan’s. Notice how Jesus puts Pilate on the defensive.
Scene 7, The Final Scene: O — Jews Obtain Death (19:12-16)
In this last scene John shows clearly why Pilate yielded to the crowd — he feared the threat of Caesar. So mounting his judgement-seat, as was necessary for capital sentencing, Pilate proclaims the kingship of Jesus, which of course is filled with irony. In their rejection of Jesus, the people who once claimed god as their king are forced to accept Caesar as their king. The meaning of the trial is now clear: the presence of Jesus has provoked a judgement whereby the Chosen people have abandoned their birthright. To emphasize the really guilty, John says that Pilate handed Jesus over “to them” — to the chief priests — to be crucified, although. obviously it was the Roman soldiers who took charge. The time of this fatal hour in Israel’s history is noon, the very moment when the priests have begun the slaughter of the paschal lambs in the Temple: “14 Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon” John 19:14.
Dear friends, there is much to ponder in this trial of Jesus. I am struck by the number of times Pilate and the Jews had to abandon all that God had given them in their lives in oder to crucify Jesus. It is the same for you and me. When we sin we must abandon all that God has given us in our lives. Pray for forgiveness and turn back to Jesus.
Oh dear Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner. Forgive me for abandoning You when I choose sin over Your love. bring me back to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
From the Bible:
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:38-39.
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” Mathew 27:46.
"Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him” 1 John 2:4.
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you”
Joshua 1:5.
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