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Author: Stephen Weller
941 words, 5 minutes read time

The Drama Continues To Unfold

Scripture: Matthew 27:24-25; Luke 23:23; John 19:4-5, 7-11

In the previous lesson the main event was the flogging of Jesus. In this lesson we will see Pilate yielding to the wishes of the people to prevent a riot.

^{Jn 19:4} Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” ⁵ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, ^{Lk 23:23} But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. ^{Mk 27:24} So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”

After abusing Jesus, the soldiers brought him back to Pilate who brings him before the people and again tells them that he finds no guilt in him. Jesus stands before them wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, mocking him as a king and Pilate says to them, “Behold the man.”

Immediately, the focus shifts to the chief priest and the officers who urgently demanded that Jesus be crucified. They are joined by the people who continue to demand that Jesus be crucified. In the face of this, Pilate realized he was gaining nothing and that the crowd was getting out of hand and on the verge of a riot, he takes water and washed his hands before the crowd and said that he was innocent of this man’s blood. This act of washing his hands was not an attempt to remove his sin but a public demonstration that he finds Jesus innocent of charges against him and that he does not deserve to die. If the people insist that Jesus be crucified and it is carried out, then the sin belongs with the people, he claims.

^{Jn 19:7} The 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. ^{Mt 27:25} His blood be on us and on our children!”  ^{Jn 19:8} When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. ⁹ He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” ¹¹ Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

The Jews then spoke up again and pointed out that they have a law, and according to that law “Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death” (Leviticus 24:16 ESV). They say that Jesus is guilty of blasphemy and thus must die and that they as a nation will be held responsible. Their law required stoning, but Jesus must be crucified and only the Roman officials can do that.

The statement of “His blood be on us and on our children” is a way of saying that they are assuming the responsibility of such an act. However, their sin cannot be passed on to their children for that would be unjust (Deuteronomy 24:16). Paul spoke of this in Acts 18:6 (ESV) when he was being opposed and reviled for his witness. “He shook out his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’”

Hearing what the Jews said about Jesus claiming to be the Son of God causes Pilate to became even more afraid and he went to speak to Jesus about this claim, but Jesus gave him no answer. Frustrated, Pilate applies pressure to Jesus and tells him that he has authority to either release him or have him crucified, to which Jesus replies by saying, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

Pilate is not the one in control here. God is and he is going to allow Pilate to continue to yield to the demands of the people and allow Jesus to be crucified. As to who has the greater sin in this matter, Jesus said it belonged to the one who delivered him over which probably refers to Caiaphas.

Conclusion

The devil wants Jesus dead as do the Jews, the people and God, but for different reasons. With Jesus dead the devil thinks he will be in charge. The Jews want him dead because Jesus has opposed and shamed them again and again. The people want him dead because they see him as a false messiah. God requires that Jesus die on a cross to purchase our salvation. The problem is that Jesus has kept the law perfectly and does not deserve death. The solution is for God to allow the devil and evil men have their way and in the process accomplish God’s will concerning our salvation.