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Deep Thoughts -
Deep Thoughts
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Written by Jonathan Hsieh
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Friday, 05 March 2010 23:58 |
19:12 From this point on, Pilate tried to release him. But the Jewish leaders shouted out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar! Everyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar!” 19:13 When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat in the place called “The Stone Pavement” (Gabbatha in Aramaic).
19:12 From this point on, Pilate tried to release him. But the Jewish leaders shouted out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar! Everyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar!”
So the Pilate really does not want to crucify Jesus. Something about Jesus doesn't sit right with him and he wants to get rid of Jesus. In response the Jewish leaders give Pilate the ultimate argument. Since Jesus says He's a king, He has to be put to death. Anyone who says they're the king that's not Caesar opposes Caesar. Therefore if Pilate releases Jesus, he's putting his own life at risk and could get in serious trouble.
19:13 When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat in the place called “The Stone Pavement” (Gabbatha in Aramaic).
Pilate's been forced into a corner. He's got no other choice. He takes Jesus outside and sits on the judgment seat, known as the bema. Borchert describes it: "A Bema was a raised platform in a public place where the governor would be elevated above the masses and would render his verdict in the open before the gods and in the presence of his subjects." Paul experienced judgment before a judgment seat. Also Jesus, ultimately, will sit at a judgment seat to judge the rewards of the saints (2 Corinthians 5:10).
So Pilate is in an impossible situation for himself. If he releases Jesus, he's releasing an innocent man, but then he may be accused of defying Rome or not seeking out the best of Rome's interest. On the other hand, if he executes Jesus, he'll be executing an innocent man. Notice, ironically, that the religious leaders are using this as a last effort. They are playing to Pilate's required loyalty to Rome. The priests and Sanhedrin didn't care about Rome or Caesar. They just wanted Jesus dead, no matter what. For them the ends justified the means. Having Jesus killed made it OK to use underhanded tactics.
But for us as Christians we need to make sure our ends and means are in step with God. We need to make sure what we work for and towards matches how we do it.
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Last Updated on Saturday, 06 March 2010 21:59 |
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Deep Thoughts -
Deep Thoughts
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Written by Jonathan Hsieh
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Thursday, 04 March 2010 23:57 |
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19:8 When Pilate heard what they said, he was more afraid than ever, 19:9 and he went back into the governor’s residence and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 19:10 So Pilate said, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority to release you, and to crucify you?” 19:11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”
19:8 When Pilate heard what they said, he was more afraid than ever,
Somehow realizing the true reason why Jesus was there (claiming to be the Son of God) spooks Pilate. He becomes more afraid. Perhaps his superstitions and pantheistic beliefs may have made him think there was actually something to Jesus?
19:9 and he went back into the governor’s residence and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus gave him no answer
Pilate goes back inside, now scared, and wants to know what is Jesus' deal. The religious leaders rush with Jesus to Pilate, filled with bloodlust, wanting to have Jesus executed. They'd rather have this man executed than rebel who might end up bringing down the angry retribution of Rome. And now Pilate realizes they came under a false pretense to have Jesus executed. Something is going on. Where is this guy from? But Jesus doesn't respond.
19:10 So Pilate said, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority to release you, and to crucify you?”
Pilate doesn't like Jesus' silence. He gives Jesus pretty much a "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" line. "Do you know who I am? I can have you killed if I wanted!"
19:11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”
Jesus tells Pilate something totally unexpected. Pilate isn't anyone special. He only has this power because someone higher has given it to Him. Jesus has some connection with someone way above Pilate. Pilate isn't the biggest fish that will fry. Instead, the one that handed Jesus over is guiltier. Scholars debate exactly who is the one that handed Jesus over. Judas only handed Jesus over to the religious leaders. It was the high priest and Sanhedrin that directly gave Jesus over to Pilate. Perhaps it was Caiaphas, who wanted Jesus dead, that is guilty. We don't exactly know. But no doubt it was someone who should have been worshipping Jesus instead of having Him killed.
All Christians could use a wake-up call like Pilate. A lot of times we sort've feel like we have to show people who we are. We have to say "Excuse me. Do you know who I am? Because I don't think you know who I am." As if we are inherently special. But we aren't. Our specialness is only given by God. It's dependent on God's mercies and not on our own ability or attributes. Let's never forget that. Thinking we are special on our own leads to pride. Let's be humble and acknowledge God's grace and mercy, allowing us to be someone. |
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Deep Thoughts -
Deep Thoughts
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Written by Jonathan Hsieh
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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 21:40 |
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19:4 Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish leaders, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation against him.” 19:5 So Jesus came outside, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Look, here is the man!” 19:6 When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said, “You take him and crucify him! Certainly I find no reason for an accusation against him!” 19:7 The Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!”
19:4 Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish leaders, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation against him.” 19:5 So Jesus came outside, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Look, here is the man!”
After Pilate had his men thoroughly beat and humiliate Jesus and give Him a purple cloak and a crown of thorns, he presents Jesus to the crowd. He hopes that they will see what Jesus has been through and think that He's had enough and so release Him. Pilate has not found any reason to have Jesus crucified, so he doesn't want to execute Jesus. Pilate presents Jesus with the famous words "Look, here is the man!" The Latin for this is "Ecce homo". There is even an arch named the Ecce Homo Arch, located at the Antonia Fortress on the Via Dolorosa, where tradition holds that this happened at. As mentioned previously, these events more likely occurred at Herod's palace.
19:6 When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said, “You take him and crucify him! Certainly I find no reason for an accusation against him!”
They see Jesus and Pilate's plan totally fails. They still want to crucify Jesus. They want Him dead. He was about to let them do it, because Pilate couldn't crucify Jesus with a clean conscious. Again Pilate states that he finds Jesus totally innocent. Pilate can't find a reason to have Him executed.
19:7 The Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!”
The Jews respond with the real reason they want Jesus executed. Their main concern is not in Him causing a rebellion, but that they believe Jesus was blaspheming, calling Himself the Son of God.
Again this shows Jesus' humility in amazing form. Here is Jesus Christ, who made these people and is God. Jesus had come to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17). It is this very Word of God that these religious leaders were trying to use against Jesus. If I were in that situation (thankfully, I was not) it would've been almost impossible for me to not call down an army to teach these rats a lesson they'll never forget. But Jesus stood His ground. Pilate repeatedly declared Him innocent for crucifixion, but the Jews didn't care. They just wanted Him dead.
Just as Jesus was falsely accused and attacked, although being innocent, Christians will be persecuted. As Peter writes (1 Peter 3:17), it's better to be persecuted for doing good than for doing evil. If we are persecuted, let's hope it's for doing good, what we should be doing, instead of evil. |
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Deep Thoughts -
Deep Thoughts
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Written by Jonathan Hsieh
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Tuesday, 02 March 2010 21:21 |
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19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely. 19:2 The soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe. 19:3 They came up to him again and again and said, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him repeatedly in the face.
19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely.
Pilate does something that at first seems strange. Generally the Jews became very angry with the Romans when they treated Jews harshly. Pilate's plan was to whip and physically abuse Jesus and then release Him. In Luke 23:16 Pilate says this is his plan. So Pilate would thoroughly hurt Jesus as punishment for whatever it is that He did. Then he would release a beaten Jesus, thinking this would be enough punishment and so be able to let Him go.
19:2 The soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe.
The guards enjoy their attack on Jesus. It let them blow off some of the steam that came with guarding a city like Jerusalem. There were a type of people called "sicarii" which were knife-wielding assassins. They would approach Romans and Roman sympathizers to jab them in the back with their knives. No doubt that put a lot of stress on those soldiers and ill-will against Jews.
To add insult to injury they placed a crown of thorns upon Jesus' head. This crown was probably made with the thorns of the date palm which would easily have punctured His skin. From a distance these thorns would probably look like shining radiance, while doing the exact opposite to the wearer. The robe that was put on Jesus was to be mock Him. Together with the crown they would have made Jesus look like a king-wannabe.
19:3 They came up to him again and again and said, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him repeatedly in the face.
To top off the mockery, instead of declaring the usual "Hail, Caesar", the soldiers give a "Hail, King of the Jews" to Jesus. And instead of bowing or kneeling as to a real king, they instead struck Him in the face. Jesus was thoroughly mocked and abused by these men.
It is amazing to see how much abuse and mockery that Jesus Christ went through. Truly it took ridiculous amounts of humility on His part to go through with all of this. Although He was fully divine, He also had a physical body and everything that comes with it, including the ability to feel pain. Jesus showed the ultimate example of humility that we must follow. He was the ultimate example, so we can never complain that God doesn't know what it's like to suffer. In all likelihood the vast majority of us will never go through the amount of pain and suffering Jesus went through. Let's take Jesus' example and be humble as well.
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Deep Thoughts -
Deep Thoughts
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Written by Jonathan Hsieh
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Monday, 01 March 2010 17:03 |
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18:38b When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish leaders and announced, “I find no basis for an accusation against him. 18:39 But it is your custom that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” 18:40 Then they shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.)
18:38b When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish leaders and announced, “I find no basis for an accusation against him.
So Pilate is finished with his interrogation. Whatever Jesus is, Pilate believes He's not a threat to Rome or a cause for concern. Jesus isn't a rebel against the Romans and so Pilate doesn't have any reason to charge Jesus with anything. He goes out and tells the priests and other religious leaders just that.
18:39 But it is your custom that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?”
Pilate had some sort of practice where during Passover he would release someone under Roman custody back to the Jews. This was probably done to appease them and to get them to like him better. Pilate doesn't want to deal with Jesus, so he gives them the option of choosing Jesus as the one they can release. Jesus was popular with the common people, so if the religious leaders wanted to make them happy they would choose Jesus.
18:40 Then they shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.)
So they yell back that they don't want Jesus released. Instead they want a man named Barabbas released. Barabbas is Aramaic for "Son of the Father". It is highly ironic that they wanted to release someone who was merely called "Son of the Father" while wanting to execute the true Son of the Father. John includes the note that Barabbas was a revolutionary. The original Greek word could also mean robber, which the NASB and KJV have taken. This word, however, was frequently used by Josephus and other texts in that era to refer to guerilla fighters and revolutionaries. This adds yet another level of irony, in which someone who is actually fighting against the Roman government is freed while someone who is not will be executed.
It is amazing how deep the Bible goes. In John, just in this passage, we can see a complex interplay of events. A man guilt of everything Jesus was wrongly accused of was released, while Jesus, the actual innocent one, was executed. This man was also named "Son of the Father", which is Jesus' true designation. We can see how God worked through so much to provide such a picture of injustice toward His Son. Jesus was so wronged. But Jesus stuck through with the plan He was given. Despite all of these injustices He went through with everything. That's serious determination, sticking to His mission. I hope that I will be able to stick with whatever mission(s) God gives to me, despite any injustices and unfairness. |
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