Here is your King!
Pilate says it, but he will crucify Him anyway.
The Soldiers say it – “Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.
The people shouted – If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.
The chief priests say - We have no king but Caesar.
How terrible to be on the wrong side of history. All these people rejected King Jesus and participated in His death.
Pilate tried one stratagem to save Jesus. He crowned Jesus with thorns and presented Him to the mob, not as a king, but as a mere man.
When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, Here is the man!
This didn’t satisfy the crowd. They shouted – crucify Him, crucify Him!
Jesus was a man, but His dramatic claims never allow those who take him seriously – whether friend or foe – to let Him pass by as a mere man. His life and teaching lay claim to the title – King.
It is easy to explain the desire of the religious leaders to be rid of Jesus. As Jesus’ popularity increased, their power diminished.
Even Pilate’s motives are clear. Above all – even more than justice – he wants peace in the province Rome has commissioned him to rule.
But the people? Can anyone fully explain the dramatic reversal in their thinking about Jesus? Just a few days earlier they met Him at the entrance of Jerusalem with shouts of adoration. The King had arrived.
Finally Pilate yields to the capricious will of the mob. He hands Him over to them to be crucified.
I wonder in other conversations how often the Chief Priests would so boldly stand up for Caesar!
ReplyDeleteSeems like they make the statement only when it benefits their cause.
Do we stand up for Jesus, if it may be detrimental to our causes? To mention him at work might not be looked at so well. To bring up discussions among friends - we're not supposed to talk about religion or politics.
How often do we boldly stand up for the Savior?