Day 21
John 19: 5-7
5So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!" 6When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him." 7The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God."
'Behold the Man' (John 19: 5-7)
There are many different things hidden in this phrase. In classical Greek it could imply that the man was a poor creature. Therefore it could be an expression of Pilate’s contempt and his dismissal of the charges against Jesus: ‘Look at him! Could he ever be confused with a revolutionary?’ John could be saying it ironically: ‘Here is the man; here is perfect manhood. In spite of the mockery, surely you can see that?’ But nothing can change the attitude of the Jews; they still look at him and cry ‘Crucify him, crucify him!’ (verse 6).
It is very difficult to understand Pilate. He knew that what the Jewish leaders were saying about Jesus wasn’t true and he seems to have regarded him as being innocent. He was obviously an able civil servant who was used to taking decisions. As a province, Palestine bristled with problems and anyone appointed would be expected to govern with a firm, strong and wise hand. Pilate’s career seems to have ended in failure. Just after Jesus was crucified there was a revolt in Samaria. It was not regarded as desperately serious, but Pilate put it down with sadistic ferocity and a great list of executions. The Samaritans were always known to be loyal to Rome. The legate of Syria was called in to mediate and eventually Caesar Tiberius called Pilate back to Rome. While Pilate was travelling, Tiberius died. It is not known if Pilate had to face the next emperor, but from that moment Pilate vanishes from history. The lesson that even lesser mortals must learn from Pilate is that if we know the truth, we must state it and do it.
Think: Jesus ‘claimed to be the Son of God’ (verse 7). Some people claim that he was only a very good man. Why is it important for us to know what we believe about this question?
