“John 18:28-19:15”

Friday, June 26, 2020

“Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this Man?’ They answered and said to him, ‘If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.’ So Pilate said to them, ‘Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.’ The Jews said to him, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death,’ to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die. Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?’ Pilate answered, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.’ Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’ And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, ‘I find no guilt in Him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?’ So they cried out again, saying, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas.’ Now Barabbas was a robber. Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; and they began to come up to Him and say, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ and to give Him slaps in the face. Pilate came out again and said to them, ‘Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.’ Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ‘Behold, the Man!’ So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, ‘Crucify, crucify!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.’ The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.’ Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, ‘Where are You from?’ But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, ‘You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?’ Jesus answered, ‘You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.’ As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, ‘If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.’ Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, ‘Behold, your King!’ So they cried out, ‘Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

“So that they might not be defiled” (18:28). These council members and religious “leaders” paid a bribe to Judas, arrested Jesus in the dark of night, “tried” Him without counsel on trumped up charges, sought false witnesses against Him, and delivered Him over to be killed without committing a crime; yet these hypocrites didn’t want to be “defiled” before they ate the Passover. These blind leaders were so hardened by sin that they couldn’t possibly understand the true meaning of the Passover.

“My kingdom is not of this world” (18:36). Jesus posed no threat to Pilate or Caesar or any other earthly ruler (19:12). He did not come to mount an insurrection and overthrow any worldly governing authorities. Jesus came to overthrow death, establish a spiritual kingdom and to rule in the hearts of people (Luke 17:21; Romans 14:17). After Jesus was killed and arose from the dead, He ascended to the right hand of the throne of God where He now rules over His church kingdom (Ephesians 1:20-23). His royal subjects are those who know and love and obey the truth (18:37).

“Behold the Man” (19:5). Pilate repeatedly said that he found no guilt in Jesus. And yet he had Him beaten, allowed the soldiers to mock Him, place a crown of thorns on Him, slap Him in the face and spit on Him. He then brought our wounded and wearied Savior out before the bloodthirsty mob and said “Behold, the Man!” Just look at Him! He is a pitiful and harmless person! He poses no threat to you! Pilate did this in an effort to release Jesus (Luke 23:16, 22). But if the governor was trying to make this enraged mob feel guilty for their actions or pity for Jesus, he was barking up the wrong tree.

Behold the Man! Behold our Savior! Behold the love that He has for the rebellious people He created! Only the greatest, most selfless kind of love would have willingly endured such blasphemous cruelty!

Please read John 19:16-30 for tomorrow – Jesus is crucified.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

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