John 19:1-16

There is no turning back, the die is cast now and whatever Pilate tries the priests and temple guard are going to make sure Jesus does not get out of this situation alive. The flogging is a way to bring shame on a person, and alongside the humiliation and ridiculing of the soldiers they seek to crush his spirit.

Pilate clearly knows that Jesus has done nothing wrong and seems to want to let him go. The information that he had called himself the Son of God is troubling to Pilate, John says it frightened him. Still Jesus will not defend himself and stays totally in control of himself knowing his life is not in Pilates hands, as he says, it is Caiaphas who handed Jesus over who bears the greatest sin. As Pilate once again tries to release Jesus it brings this extraordinary declaration from the Jews that they have no king but Caesar. Israel only had one king, the Lord God almighty, (Is. 26:13) so they deny God the Father and reject his Son, their Messiah. Jesus has been left alone and rejected by his own people (Jn. 1:11). Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering servant (ch53) is coming to pass.

Pilate has run out of options and hands Jesus over, but clearly he knows that Jesus is innocent and so he has complete contempt for the Jewish leaders.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.