In the morning the Chief Priests, and Elders, and Scribes, bound Jesus and delivered Him to Pilate. Pilate asked Jesus if He was King of the Jews. Jesus answered in the affirmative. Other than this Jesus said little or nothing at all, despite the rampant accusations from the Council. Verses 4 and 5 say: "And Pilate asked Him again, saying, Answerest Thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against You." "But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled." Pilate is recognizing something different about Jesus, or He would not marvel at Him. Do we also marvel at Christ and all that He has done and will do for us in this life and the next?
Pilate releases a Jewish prisoner unto the people every year after the feast of Passover. Whoever they desire. Verse 7 says: "And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them who had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection." And the people cried out to release a man unto them, as had been the custom established. But who do the people want released? Verse 9 says: "But Pilate answered them, saying, Will you that I release unto you the King of the Jews?" Pilate offers up Jesus Christ as the freed prisoner because He could see that the Chief Priests had delivered Jesus to Him in their envy. Even Pilate could see that they did not have a case against Jesus. So, He tries to give Jesus an out. For the very people He came to save, first and foremost, to save Him. The Chief Priests had gotten to the people first and they chose Barabbas and shouted Crucify Him, towards Jesus. Pilate asked them why for he still did not have a good reason. And the people do NOT give him one, just continue shouting "Crucify Him!". So Pilate released Barabbas unto the people. He scourged Jesus to be Crucified. How much pain Christ must have felt. He first gets shunned by His people and then gets physically broken by Pilate. A mere mortal could have died at the weight of all of this. Jesus persevered. Do you have the wherewithal to be like Christ and suffer the things of this world? Are you destined to be like the people and doom the King of the Jews? This group of Verse always hurts me to read.
Jesus was taken into the Praetorium and the soldiers gathered together. They set a crown of thorns on Jesus's head and beat it in with a reed. After the abuse by the religious leaders, then from Pilate, and now this Jesus was beginning to lose His physical strength. Most men would already have succumbed to death. The soldiers mocked Him and bowed to Him as an insult. These men did not understand what they did. They were Roman soldiers and just continued what they had seen done already. It does not make their actions any less vile. How can they have no compassion for another man and beat thorns into His head. The only compassion they offer is to make Simon, a stranger to the country, carry the Cross for Jesus. Simon was not involved at this point in the story at all and just happened to be in the right, or wrong, place at the right time. Are we vile to our fellow man? Do we settle into following the behaviors of others, even if they are not acceptable by the Lord. Don't give in to the weakness of our natural heart. Overcome the evils of this world through prayer.
Simon carried the cross for Jesus all the way to Golgotha. Verse 23 says: "And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but He received it not." After suffering all He had already, Jesus denied a concoction to ease His pain on the Cross. He would bear OUR SINS in full consciousness. This causes me to feel shame for the many sins I have committed. I am part of the reason for Christ's suffering, as are you. The blame does not fall to any one of us, it belongs to the entire world. Jesus's sacrifice for us is for the entire world. Do not suffer the shame of your sins, rejoice in the fact that we are forgiven through Christ's sacrifice. Verse 26 says: "And the superscription on His accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS." His punishment was cruel, yet it was necessary for the man who should have been the King of the Jews. Because of their denial of Him, He would die for the world and the Jews would be last. As Gentiles are we grateful for being first? Do we give Jesus the due He deserves for the things He has done for us?
He was crucified with 2 thieves, one on each side of Him. Verse 28 says: "And the Scripture was fulfilled, which said, And He was numbered with the transgressors." Jesus continues, even at His death bed, to fulfill the Scripture. How do you fail to hold up Scripture in your life? in Verses 29-32, the religious leaders taunted Christ with the destruction of the Temple that would be raised in three days and saving Himself. These men knew not that the Temple was His body. It had to be broken for us to be free from sin. He could save Himself, but the Will of God is much more important than the will of man. How blind these men were to true meaning of Christ and the cards He held for you and for me. Has He handed you the cards of Salvation?
In the sixth hour there was darkness that covered the land until the ninth hour. Verse 34 says: "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried in a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani? which being interpreted, My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" Verse 37 says: "And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost." He rejected all help, feint or otherwise until the time for him to leave this world would come. God had to leave Jesus for He could not watch His Son carry the weight of the world’s sin. Could you do this with your son or daughter? I am not strong enough. Jesus was not killed, He gave up His life. The Ultimate Sacrifice completed. Upon His death the Veil of the Temple was rent in two from top to bottom. This exposed the Holy of Holies. Allowing all to see it and therefore showing that we are free to partake of the miracle of Jesus and the Love of God. He opened the Veil! Verse 39 says: "And when the centurion which stood over against Him saw that He so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God." The first Gentile to recognize who Jesus was is a centurion who is by Christ at His death. How fitting that Christ effects those nearest to Him. How close are you trying to get to Jesus? Will He find you, or are you trying to find Him?
Verse 43 says: "Joseph of Arimathaea, an honorable counselor, which also waited for the Kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus." A member of the Sanhedrin was not affected by the greed and with the self as the rest were. Jesus had died in 6 hours, usually the Cross takes days. To confirm what Joseph had asked for, Pilate asked the centurion if this was true. The centurion confirms that Jesus has perished. Pilate gave the body to Joseph. Verse 46 says: "And he bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen and laid Him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre." A faithful man completely and utterly cared for Jesus's body all by himself. Where are the Disciples? Shouldn't they be here to do this as well? They should be, but it could to be so. Are we like Joseph, prepared to take care of the King? Or are we like the Jews, insulting and taunting the King in spite of ourselves? What shoes do you want on your feet?