1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. 2 The soldiers twisted thorns together to make a crown. They put it on Jesus’ head. Then they put a purple robe on him. 3 They went up to him again and again. They kept saying, “We honor you, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.
4 Once more Pilate came out. He said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing Jesus out to you. I want to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” 5 Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Then Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. I myself find no basis for a charge against him.”
7 The Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law. That law says he must die. He claimed to be the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard that, he was even more afraid. 9 He went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus. But Jesus did not answer him. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you understand? I have the power to set you free or to nail you to a cross.”
11 Jesus answered, “You were given power from heaven. If you weren’t, you would have no power over me. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free. But the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are not Caesar’s friend! Anyone who claims to be a king is against Caesar!”
13 When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out. Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat. It was at a place called the Stone Walkway. In the Aramaic language it was called Gabbatha. 14 It was about noon on Preparation Day in Passover Week.
“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
“Should I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
16 Finally, Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be nailed to a cross.
So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
Read John 19:1-16 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
During Jesus’ trial before Pilate, John draws our attention to some interesting wordplay that was used, and onto a startling declaration that the chief priests state. Following Jesus’ conversation with Pilate about where Pilate’s power over Jesus came from, Pilate knew Jesus was different and John tells us that from that point, “Pilate tried to set Jesus free.” (v. 12a)
However, John tells us that the Jewish leaders had one other trick up their sleeves to twist Pilate’s arm into sentencing Jesus to death. They respond to Pilate’s attempts to free Jesus by saying, “If you let this man go, you are not Caesar’s friend! Anyone who claims to be a king is against Caesar!” (v. 12b)
In a single statement, the Jewish leaders challenge Pilate on where his allegiance lies: Does Pilate side with the self-proclaimed King Jesus, or does he side with Caesar, the Roman emperor?
But Pilate does not seem fazed by their remark. Instead, John seems to say that their remark gives Pilate an idea. “When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out. Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat.” (v. 13)
Pilate is clearly Roman, and Jesus is clearly Jewish. So Pilate, seated on the judge’s seat, challenges the crowd by saying, “Here is your king!” (v. 14b)
But the people shouted back, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” (v. 15a)
Pilate responded by asking, “Should I crucify your king?” (v. 15b)
Then the chief priests give their most revealing response: “We have no king but Caesar.” (v. 15c)
The chief priests, who technically should have no king but God, directly state that Caesar has replaced the role of God in their lives. While they might claim to be following God, they have lowered God out of the role of king and instead placed Him in the box of their religion.
In this conversation between Pilate and the chief priests over the fate of Jesus, these Jewish leaders clearly ally with Rome over the Messiah who God had sent. While they may have not liked Rome, they choose Rome over God.
The choice these religious leaders had is the same choice each of us has. When we are prioritizing our lives, will we place God in the number one position, or will we place a human authority, system, or set of beliefs as first in our lives? Will the God who placed us ahead of Himself win our hearts, or will we choose something else instead?
The Jewish leaders chose to reject Jesus, but we don’t have to make the same decision.
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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