John 19:1-16 The Worst Sinner

Pilate probably despised the Jewish leadership, who were trying to rule the Jewish citizenry with what little power Rome allowed them, despite Roman occupation of the land.  At first, their bringing Jesus to him seemed an inconvenience.  There had been no sedition or rebellion by Jesus and His followers, and Pilate could see this.  Yet this “inconvenient” demanding of a trial by the Jewish leadership on the eve of the Jews’ own high holy day could certainly result in a reprimand from Rome if not handled expeditiously.

My commentary said Pilate first tried sympathy.  Surely when the crowd saw a man barely alive from a scourging, they’d cry, “Enough!!”  But they instead cried, “Crucify Him!!”  Three times, Pilate had announced that he’d found no fault in Jesus.  The Jewish leadership had already run all their traps and knew what their response would be to every excuse Pilate could come up with.  This time, they said, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because He said He is the Son of God.”

(I don’t know what they’d have ever done if someone had come along, splitting the sky as Jesus will one day do.  Their very words disallowed the thought of anyone in human form claiming to be divine!)

In fact, Jesus told Pilate that the man who turned Him over to Pilate was guilty of a greater sin.  My commentary said that would have been Caiaphas, the high priest!  “He knew the Scriptures and had been given every opportunity to examine the evidence.  He had willfully closed his eyes and hardened his heart.  He had seen to it that Jesus was not given a fair trial … Caiaphas was a Jew who had a knowledge of Scripture.  Therefore, it was Caiaphas, not Pilate, who had the greater sin.”

Despite all this, the fact remains that Jesus died on the cross for one reason, and it wasn’t because of Caiaphas’ maneuverings.  It was for my sin.  God had a plan to bring me back to Him, and it involved the death of His only Son in my place, to pay the price for my sin.  Caiaphas and Pilate were merely facilitators.

Father, Your mercy and grace and love for me, sinner that I am, are all too astounding.  Thank You for giving up Your wonderful Son in such a hideous way for me.  Help me to understand fully the magnitude of what You’ve done.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford