Finding no guilt in Jesus, Pilate sought some means of appeasing the Jewish accusers. Assuming that in accordance with the Passover custom this unruly religious crowd would welcome the opportunity to receive back their king, Pilate offered to pardon and release Jesus. But to his surprise the call was for the freedom of another – one named Barabbas. The fervor of the situation was intensifying – another uprising occurring in Pilate’s domain which would not be well received in Rome. In hopes of achieving judicial satisfaction, Pilate ordered that Jesus be scourged. His soldiers took liberty to mock this King of the Jews, adding to the excruciating pain the administration of a crown of thorns and a robe. Again, Pilate presented Jesus to the chief priests but the calls for death rang out – “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate demanded that the accusers carry out their own capital punishment as he found no justification for such a penalty.
The Jews countered with new evidence to support the call for Jesus’ death. A blasphemous declaration in violation of Jewish law, He claimed to be the Son of God. Fear filled this Roman governor, the warning from his wife reverberating in his mind. Entering again into the Praetorium, Pilate slowly approached Jesus observing the blood running down his face from the crown of mockery. “Where are you from?” Pilate demanded. The silence that ensued fueled Pilate’s intensifying fury. “Do you not know that I have the authority to release you, and I have the authority to crucify you?”
Had time permitted, Pilate could have ordered a background inquiry which would have reported that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, and was the son of Joseph and Mary (so it seemed), and a carpenter by trade. But before him stood one beaten, bruised, and mocked for claiming to be a king from another realm whose purpose was to testify to the truth – now further accused of claiming deity. Pilate’s desire to know more of this man was denied. This Jewish mob had him cornered with the shocking claim of loyalty to Caesar as their only king. Approving crucifixion would ultimately be Pilate’s choice – an authority that Jesus assured him was providentially sanctioned.
Profiting from 2000 years of hindsight and the full gospel accounts at our disposal, we have no excuse for failing to fully respond to Pilate’s passionate inquiry of origin. Jesus came from the Father, entering the world to accomplish the work given – the great sacrifice as the unblemished lamb. Having satisfied the Father’s righteous demands, bearing the full fury of His wrath against sin, Christ rose again to the Father receiving back the glory He had with the Father before the world existed. The message of salvation is clear – that there is but one path to the Father and that is through the Son. Yes, we know where Jesus was from. We know why Jesus came into this world. We know of His kingdom existing in another realm to which all who believe in Christ are called through faith. With all this knowledge, how do we turn away from the One who stood before Pilate fulfilling the will of the Father to give the gift of eternal life through selfless sacrifice? At one point, Jesus questioned His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ.” How can we not declare loyalty to the Christ, the King, the Son of God.
Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate *said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”
John 19:8-10
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