top of page

April 14 -- John 19:1-16

“The Jewish leaders insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.’ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid…” –John 19:7-8 (NIV)

Though Pilate could find nothing illegal in anything Jesus had done, he sent Jesus to be flogged. A Roman flogging could kill a person. The flesh was stripped from Jesus’ back, and He lost a lot of blood. The soldiers who flogged Him made a crown of thorns for His head, draped Him in a purple robe, and mocked Him.

Pilate thought this brutal flogging would appease the Jewish leaders. To show them how badly Jesus had been punished, Pilate brought Him before them and once again said that he found no basis for executing Jesus. But as soon as the leaders saw Jesus, they shouted for His crucifixion.

For the fourth time, Pilate told them he found no reason to execute Jesus and insisted the Jewish leaders execute Jesus themselves if they felt that strongly about it. This was when one of the leaders finally told Pilate the whole story—that Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God.

Verse 8 says Pilate became “even more afraid” upon hearing this. Why would a Roman governor be “afraid” to begin with? And why would this assertion make him “more afraid” when he didn’t even practice the same religion?

Matthew 27:19 tells us Pilate’s wife had sent him a message just before the crowd called for the release of Barabbas. Her message was, “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of Him.”

Most Romans took dreams very seriously. Augustus Caesar (63 BC-14 AD) even made a law that anyone who dreamed about the Roman commonwealth was required to proclaim the dream in the marketplace, and Plutarch (46-120 AD) argued that the gods could speak to anyone (not just priests) in dreams. So, this message from his wife, followed shortly by the revelation that Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God, must have shaken Pilate. If you add to this the impression Jesus Himself must have made on Pilate, it is little wonder this Roman governor was afraid. On top of all of this, Pilate could find no good legal reason to crucify Jesus.

Pilate took Jesus for another private interview, asking where He was from. Jesus refused to answer. Now, Jesus’ hometown was public knowledge that Pilate already knew (see John 19:19). Pilate wanted to know if Jesus was divine. (The Romans believed that some men were sons of gods.)

Pilate tried to intimidate Jesus into answering by threatening Him with death, but Jesus simply stated that Pilate would have no power if it were not given to him. In other words, Jesus was saying, “Pilate, you’re just a pawn in a bigger game than you realize.” This seemed to frighten Pilate even more. He returned to the Jewish leaders and renewed his efforts to free Jesus. The leaders continued to argue that Jesus had claimed to be king, which would mean He opposed Caesar.

Still conflicted, Pilate brought Jesus before the crowd a second time, sat down in the judge’s seat, and declared that Jesus was King of the Jews. The crowd again shouted for Jesus’ crucifixion, and the leaders insisted they had no king but Caesar. In the end, Pilate gave in and ordered Jesus’ crucifixion. He was already on shaky ground with Caesar (see yesterday’s reading), and he probably felt that he couldn’t risk the Jewish leaders accusing him of being soft on a threat to Caesar’s authority.

Pilate was a cruel despot who had oppressed the Jewish people for years, yet in Jesus’ Presence, his fear and vulnerability were revealed, proving Jesus’ power even when He appeared weak. No earthly power is greater than Jesus.

Spend time in Jesus’ Presence today, relying on His strength to carry you in your weakness and knowing that He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

7 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


Author

My name is Melissa Anderson. I'm a spiritual director and ordained pastor who loves God, people, and words. You can read more about me by clicking the button below.

Searches & Certainties

Posts Archive

Let's seek God together.

Thanks for subscribing!

© 2021 by Melissa Anderson. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page