Joh 19:14 | KingComments | STEP | Pilate is inwardly convinced of Christ’s innocence and of the authority He possesses. Unfortunately, it only remains a rational conviction of His innocence. His conscience is addressed, but he does not bow down to his Prisoner. For that he loves his position and the approval of his boss in Rome too much. As a result, He remains a puppet of the Jews, who increase the pressure on Him. They threaten to send a message to Caesar that he is releasing Someone Who is a threat to the empire. The hypocrites! Never will they acknowledge the hated regime, but now that it suits them, they are hypocritically pledging allegiance to the emperor. Pilate succumbs to the pressure. He makes the decision that the Son of God must be put to death. Against all evidence of innocence, he chooses to have Him crucified. We might cry out: ‘Where is justice?’ However, here are powers at work that are not influenced by human reasoning, but by their own evil intent. Yet from the perspective of faith, an even greater power is present, and that is the power of God Who governs everything according to the counsel of His will. As has been said many times, this does not mean that Pilate is not fully responsible for his condemnation of the Lord Jesus. As the judiciary that must render a just judgment, he fails miserably. The cause is that he loves himself and the honor of his lord in Rome more than God. He does not even think about God at all. He leads the Lord Jesus out. To give his false decision the semblance of authority, he formally takes his seat on the judgment seat to confirm the judgment. The name of the place is given in both Greek and Hebrew. It emphasizes that the unjust condemnation of Christ is done by both Gentiles and Jews and that the whole world is guilty of the murder of the Son of God. All this takes place during the preparation of the Passover. In preparing the Passover, the Jews went through their homes to remove every bit of leaven from it ( ). Leaven is the picture of sin ( ). While they are scrupulous about getting rid of the slightest trace of literal leaven so that they can be outwardly clean for the Passover, they are defiling themselves in the grossest way: they are committing the greatest sin by killing the true Passover. They strain out a gnat and swallow a camel ( ). John again has an eye for the detail of the moment when Pilate pronounces judgment ( ). By Roman time standards, it is about six o’clock in the morning. They are early to execute the evil deeds on which they have unscrupulously reflected during the night shamelessly at the first light of day ( ). Pilate knows he has lost. Therefore, he sarcastically points out to the Jews their King once more. When he utters the words “behold, your King” with contempt, the Jews erupt in anger. They give way to all their hatred against the Lord Jesus. With the twofold exclamation “away with [Him]” they put their signature on the sentence. He must be put on the cross. Once more Pilate challenges them by speaking of their King and that He had to crucify Him. Then they speak those memorable words: “We have no king but Caesar.” With these words they pronounce their own condemnation. They deny their Messiah and with this fateful word call down the judgment of God on themselves. Under its miserable consequences they groan to this day. Barabbas and Caesar – for both these names they spoke out – sum up their whole history of misery of twenty centuries. They have suffered from gangs of robbers in the land (as Barabbas) and from enemies from outside the land (as Caesar of Rome). They have been crushed, as it were, between two millstones. The prophetic scope of their choice only comes to an end when the Jews will recognize in the Son of God their true King. Then Pilate hands Him over into the hands of the Jews to crucify Him, a crucifixion actually carried out by Pilate’s soldiers.

‏ John 19:14

Pilate Hands Over the Innocent

Pilate is inwardly convinced of Christ’s innocence and of the authority He possesses. Unfortunately, it only remains a rational conviction of His innocence. His conscience is addressed, but he does not bow down to his Prisoner. For that he loves his position and the approval of his boss in Rome too much. As a result, He remains a puppet of the Jews, who increase the pressure on Him. They threaten to send a message to Caesar that he is releasing Someone Who is a threat to the empire. The hypocrites! Never will they acknowledge the hated regime, but now that it suits them, they are hypocritically pledging allegiance to the emperor.

Pilate succumbs to the pressure. He makes the decision that the Son of God must be put to death. Against all evidence of innocence, he chooses to have Him crucified. We might cry out: ‘Where is justice?’ However, here are powers at work that are not influenced by human reasoning, but by their own evil intent. Yet from the perspective of faith, an even greater power is present, and that is the power of God Who governs everything according to the counsel of His will.

As has been said many times, this does not mean that Pilate is not fully responsible for his condemnation of the Lord Jesus. As the judiciary that must render a just judgment, he fails miserably. The cause is that he loves himself and the honor of his lord in Rome more than God. He does not even think about God at all.

He leads the Lord Jesus out. To give his false decision the semblance of authority, he formally takes his seat on the judgment seat to confirm the judgment. The name of the place is given in both Greek and Hebrew. It emphasizes that the unjust condemnation of Christ is done by both Gentiles and Jews and that the whole world is guilty of the murder of the Son of God.

All this takes place during the preparation of the Passover. In preparing the Passover, the Jews went through their homes to remove every bit of leaven from it (Exo 12:15). Leaven is the picture of sin (1Cor 5:6-8). While they are scrupulous about getting rid of the slightest trace of literal leaven so that they can be outwardly clean for the Passover, they are defiling themselves in the grossest way: they are committing the greatest sin by killing the true Passover. They strain out a gnat and swallow a camel (Mt 23:24).

John again has an eye for the detail of the moment when Pilate pronounces judgment (Jn 1:39 ; Jn 4:6 ; 52). By Roman time standards, it is about six o’clock in the morning. They are early to execute the evil deeds on which they have unscrupulously reflected during the night shamelessly at the first light of day (Hos 7:6-7). Pilate knows he has lost. Therefore, he sarcastically points out to the Jews their King once more. When he utters the words “behold, your King” with contempt, the Jews erupt in anger. They give way to all their hatred against the Lord Jesus. With the twofold exclamation “away with [Him]” they put their signature on the sentence. He must be put on the cross.

Once more Pilate challenges them by speaking of their King and that He had to crucify Him. Then they speak those memorable words: “We have no king but Caesar.” With these words they pronounce their own condemnation. They deny their Messiah and with this fateful word call down the judgment of God on themselves. Under its miserable consequences they groan to this day.

Barabbas and Caesar – for both these names they spoke out – sum up their whole history of misery of twenty centuries. They have suffered from gangs of robbers in the land (as Barabbas) and from enemies from outside the land (as Caesar of Rome). They have been crushed, as it were, between two millstones. The prophetic scope of their choice only comes to an end when the Jews will recognize in the Son of God their true King.

Then Pilate hands Him over into the hands of the Jews to crucify Him, a crucifixion actually carried out by Pilate’s soldiers.