City Life Starter

The Word

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. ² The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe ³ and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.

⁴ Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” ⁵ When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

Exegesis

Pilate did everything he could to shame Jesus and appease the Jews. He didn’t want to crucify Jesus, but only to please everyone without condemning an innocent man to death, and to do so on a Cross. You may say that Pilate was trying to govern to the best of his ability. He was given a tough task as many times the Jewish people try to break free from the Roman rule. Their ultimate demise did come 40 years later.

It would have been shameful enough for Jesus to even try to continue his preaching after being flogged by the Romans. They even mocked Him as the king of the Jews with a purple robe and a crown of thorns. He had been humiliated by the Romans and cast off by the Jews…His very own people.

Governing is one of the hardest tasks that a man can do. Pilate was given a very tough responsibility. He had to juggle many things, such as keeping the peace and be held to the responsibility by the Roman authorities over him. He, like many of us, try to do the right thing without standing up for what is right.

Pilate could’ve given his life for the cause of freeing an innocent man and stood for what was just, instead of taking the easy way out. He did what many of us would have done, try to push the line as far as you can without standing up for what is right.

Pilate did end up giving the Jews what they wanted in Jesus being put to death. So, not only was Jesus humiliated and shamed, he had to be crucified after all that. Jesus was the one who suffered the ultimate betrayal and loss.

Application

Pilate is an example of what we should not do in a position of authority. Standing up for what is right is taking the narrow path. It is very hard and not easy to do. Though, Jesus, knew that this would happen and understood that his mission included being shamed, betrayed, and ultimately be put to death for our sins.

Let us remember that we may live in an unjust society that times, but we will never experience what Jesus had to go through. We may seek positions of authority so we can promote justice, even if it may mean our loss. We have the ultimate judge in God, so we should be thankful that Jesus’ betrayal and death is the price needed to be paid for us to be freed.