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The Gospel of John, The Period of Consummation, Part X, John 19:4-8 - Lesson 187
Read Verses John 19:1-3 for review, Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
John 19:4,5, 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!
Pilate brought Jesus out to the Jews.
Now look at this man!
Can you seriously think of this man as worthy of death?
Can you think of him as a threat to Caesar? Behold!
Take all this in.
He is bloodied with a crown of thorns and a mock purple robe.
His back is bleeding from the flogging.
Is this your king?
Certainly you cannot be serious in wanting this man to die.
Look at him!
Hasn't he suffered enough?
Behold the man!
Think seriously of what you are wanting.
Look steady at him and think.
Pilate hoped that this spectacle would lead them to release Jesus out of pity.
His private interview with Christ reinforced his belief that he was not worthy of death.
I bring him forth to you means that Pilate was to leave the fate of Christ up to the conspirators.
It is interesting to note that all of those who knew Christ or interviewed Christ at this time found him to be guiltless.
Judas declared that he had betrayed innocent blood.
Pilate found no fault in him.
Herod found nothing worthy of death is done unto him.
Pilate's wife warned her husband to have nothing to do with this just man.
And yet the crowd, prompted by the religious authorities, desired the blood of Christ.
Little did they know that the precious blood of Christ was to be shed for the very sin that caused them to shout, crucify him.
Little did they know that in centuries to come this was to be a Good Friday because their wrath was turned to good for those who trust this man!
Psa 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
John 19:6, 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.
Note who was in the foreground of the cries for his crucifixion.
The chief priests were not going to let Pilate's scheme to release Jesus Christ be successful.
Perhaps some in the crowd were ready to do so but the chief priests and officers, (personal followers and servants of the priests) cried out the loudest for the death of Christ.
They were the cheerleaders to spur on the mob.
Pilate taunted the mob with the command to take him if you dare and crucify him yourself.
Defy Roman law and take him if you want him to die.
.....Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.
He was teasing the Jews for he knew that the Jews did not crucify.
John 19:7,8, 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;
The Jews knew that Pilate's offer was not a serious offer and they pressed him the more that he ought to support their law if he was so interested in justice.
The Jews saw that the charge of sedition was getting nowhere so they changed their tactics and brought in their law.
They knew that the governors of Judea not only were to enforce Roman law, they were to respect and where necessary enforce Jewish law.
They said: We have a law as well as you have a law and by our law he ought to die.
They were referring to: Lev 24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.
You have dared us to defy the Roman law, we now dare you to refuse to maintain the Jewish law.
But the Jewish law was never broken by Jesus Christ in blaspheming the name of the LORD!
He did not make himself the Son of God he is the Son of God.
So they appealed on a fraudulent basis, but Pilate without faith could not tell.
But When Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
This means he was more afraid than ever.
His fear increased at the thought of these words.
Perhaps this man who looked through his soul, this man who had endured scourging and scoffing with such dignity, such calm, so silent, so unafraid was connected with the gods in some way.
His Roman superstition was coming into play.
This was exactly the impression that Pilate had as he continued to talk to Jesus Christ.
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