1Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip.2The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him.3“Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.
4Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.”5Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!”
6When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
“Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”
7The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”
8When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever.9He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer.10“Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”
11Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
Pilate declares Jesus innocent again and again. The role reversals in this passage are astounding. The priest should have been embracing Jesus but they were trying to kill him. Pilate, the servant of a worldly king should have been trying to eliminate Jesus as a rival king, but instead he is try to save him. Jesus should have been the conquering king of all power, but he is mocked and beaten and acknowledges that Pilate has power over him. God the Father should have been saving his innocent son, but he is obviously creating the situation that will cause his son’s death.
What do we learn from this? God is not like us. God is so often exactly the opposite of us. We cannot look at a situation and know how it will end but God can. We are not to look around us and live a life a desperation but we are to look within us to the Lord God and live a life a faith and humility.
Lord, help me to live a life of quiet faith and trust in You. Be my king. *obbs*
