Tag: Pilate

Our Lord Jesus Christ Brought Before Pilate

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person:  see ye to it.  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.  Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.  (Matt. 27: 24-26)

The “tumult” made by inciting the mob to demand that our Lord be crucified and Barabbas released was what caused the breakdown of Pilate’s morale.  It may have been vain for Pilate to wash his hands but the Jews perfectly understood the symbolism of this act by which he claimed to establish his own innocency in what was to become the greatest crime in human history.  The Jews’ response, “His blood be on us, and on our children”, has proved to be the costliest statement that ever fell from human lips; and the history of the Jews ever since has been one of ceaseless blood-flowing and suffering – a historical fact which it is impossible to dissociate from the terrible events we are tracing in the Scriptures.

After the release of Barabbas the scourging of our Lord Jesus Christ by the soldiers of Pilate, as the customary preliminary to crucifixion, took place.  This scourging of our Lord, which was done in public after He had been stripped and tied to a stake, is so terrible to contemplate that one is bowed with shame to think that human beings could so act towards One Who had come down from Heaven and taken a body of flesh and blood in order that He might as Man – sinless Man – redeem us from all iniquity.  How deep the mystery that man’s sin must reach its greatest height in his hatred and violence toward the One Who was now about to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.  How important, therefore, for all who own allegiance to Him to remember that our Lord’s scourging was a part of His redemptive Sacrifice.  Isaiah foresaw this and declared:

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities:  the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed (Isa. 53:5)

Though Pilate had released Barabbas and had now allowed Jesus to be cruelly scourged, he had not yet handed Him over to be crucified.  It is from John’s Gospel that we learn the precise details of what transpired and the scourging – though Matthew and Mark add certain details.  It is quite clear that Pilate yet hoped to turn the Jewish rulers away from their determination to kill Jesus, and this fact the following passage from John’s Gospel establishes:

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.  Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring Him forth to you, that ye may know that I find on fault in Him.  Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe.  And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

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.  The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God (Jonh 19: 2-7)

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Despised, Rejected and Forsaken

“The word despise implies a strong emotional response toward that which one overlooks down with contempt, scorn, disdain. Scorn is to feel indignation toward or deep contempt for; disdain implies a haughty or arrogant attitude for what one considers beneath his dignity; condemn implies a vehement disapproval of a person or thing as vile, despicable” (Webster’s dictionary).

The word despise is a word within a word translating sentiment of hate toward others. When Israel looked at her Messiah disfigured by the wounds he suffered, and covered with His blood, they despised Him. Their emotion toward Him was one of contempt, scorn and disdain. That’s what the word despise ultimately translates to. In their scorn, they expressed indignation and disapproval, considering Him as a despicable person; in their disdain toward YAHSHUA, they showed their arrogance for Him as they considered Him beneath their dignity. Despising Him, they rejected Him. They considered Him worthless, and useless, and ultimately, sentenced Him the cruel death with a curse – death on the cross. That happened when they gave Him up to the Romans to execute the death penalty on Him- death by crucifixion according to their demand. Men’s reaction to His sufferings was one of accusation against Him. We read in Luke 23: 18-23, But they all together raised a deep cry saying, away with this man … upon Pilate concluding that He had not found offense in Him worth of death, they insistently demanded He should be crucified with loud cries… and their voices prevailed.

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Pilate’s Power, Not of His Own

(John 19: 11)

In the midst of YAHSHUA’S trials there was a dialogue between Him and Pilate, since the Jews did not enter the Praetorium not to defile themselves in preparation for the Passover.  Pilate, the governor of Judea, a heathen and worshipper of the Roman gods, was now at a crossroad while presiding at the trial of YAHSHUA.  Filled with pompous pride, he warned YAHSHUA of his power to free Him or crucify Him, when YAHSHUA would not respond to his question. But Pilate was a weak man; he would not stand for what he knew was right and true, afraid of the Jewish mob. We come to this conclusion after reading the accounts of YAHSHUA’S trials, although, not knowing the complete story found in other books, as in The Archeological Writings of the Sanhedrim and Talmud of the Jews. In this book we learn that Pilate met with YAHSHUA before His trial and crucifixion.  This book includes Pilate’s report to Caesar of the arrest, trial and crucifixion and resurrection of YAHSHUA. In his report, Pilate mentions the month of YAHSHUA’S crucifixion-March; the name of his Centurion, Manlius, who after witnessing what had happened, uttered the words, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Pilate also describes the earthquake in detail at the time of YAHSHUA’S death.  His emotions, he described as “sad and pensive.”

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