Today’s Reading: Mark 15:12-15,Luke 23:20-25, John 19:1-16
Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.
Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!” – John 19:1-5
NOT GUILTY
Pilate had talked with Jesus and could honestly say he found no reason to crucify him. He argued with the Jewish leaders but the crowd kept yelling for Jesus to be crucified. He went back inside and talked to Jesus again. John 19:8 says that Pilate was frightened by the response of the crowd, and Luke 23:20 says that Pilate wanted to release Jesus. He seemed to be looking for a way out of this situation.
“Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”
Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.” – John 19:10-12
Jesus was giving his life in order to bear the penalty of sin, and yet the people continued to deny him and cry out for his death. He was the Son of God and he was the King of Kings, but he was rejected by those he had come to save. He had healed them when they were sick, delivered them from their bondage, and fed the multitudes, and yet there would be no justice for him. Jesus, who was the truth, was not given the protection of the truth.
For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished. – Luke 23:22-25
Unjustly condemned, he was led away. – Isaiah 53:8a
But Pilate seemed to know who he was handing over to be crucified. It didn’t matter to him that the people and the Jewish leaders were rejecting Jesus, he knew who Jesus was and he was determined to make it known. As was the custom, he had a sign made to hang over each man being crucified. Over Jesus the sign read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The soldiers mocked Jesus, placing a crown of thorns on his head and purple robe on his back – “Hail! King of the Jews!”
Once more the leading priests, men appointed by God to lead His people in sacrificial worship of Him, led the people in their rejection of the promised Messiah saying, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am the King of the Jews.’” Pilate stubbornly refused, “No, what I have written, I have written” (John 19:19-22).
God’s people stubbornly refused to acknowledge His Son as their King at the same time that Pilate stubbornly refused to acknowledge Him as anything but the King of the Jews. Just as they rejected God as their King, demanding an earthly king instead, they were now rejecting His Son, the Messiah.
“Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.” – 1 Samuel 8:5-7
Later Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet before the Lord at Mizpah. And he said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has declared: I brought you from Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all the nations that were oppressing you. But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, you have rejected your God today and have said, ‘No, we want a king instead!’” – 1 Samuel 10:17-19a
LORD WITH A CAPITAL L
According to Webster, a synonym for “king” is “lord” – one having power or authority over others (https://www.merriam-webster.com). Again, when capitalized, the word “Lord” means God or Christ. So, I have to ask myself again — how good of a job am I doing capitalizing God in my life? I can say God is King of my life but am I truly letting go of control and letting him rule my life? If I am going to claim Jesus as Lord of my life, his power and authority must be evidenced in the decisions I make, the words I say, and the impact of my life.
As we study the passion of Christ this week, may God do something new in each of our hearts. May our understanding increase, and may we be brought closer in our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gets to be in charge, He is the authority, and this morning we bow in reverence to His majesty.