Lent Day 34: The Crowd and Me (John 19:4-6a)
Lent Day 34
The Crowd and Me
John 19:4-6a
4 Pilate came out again 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!”
6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
♢ Pilate had already informed the group of chief priests who had accused Jesus of his innocence (18:38), and he had hoped, by mentioning the Passover custom of releasing one prisoner, that they would ask for Jesus to be released. Instead, the crowd shouted for Barabbas. Flustered, Pilate went back inside and ordered Jesus to be flogged. The image of Jesus being struck with a whip embedded with sharp animal bones and metal hooks is unimaginably gruesome.
Pilate came out to the crowd again to reiterate Jesus' innocence and brought him out to the assembly of priests. Jesus appeared, his flesh torn from the flogging, his head bleeding under the crown of thorns, draped in a purple garment - a sight of utter devastation, beyond any semblance of normalcy, too horrific for eyes to witness.
Why did Pilate show such a Jesus to the crowd? Did he expect that they would feel compassion upon seeing Jesus and request his release instead of Barabbas? Was it to avoid executing an innocent man? Or was it to incite the already agitated crowd to call for Jesus' death even louder? Perhaps Pilate wanted to absolve himself of responsibility for Jesus' death by claiming it was the crowd who demanded the crucifixion?
Regardless, Pilate is cowardly. He hides behind the frenzied crowd, shifting the blame onto them. His cowardly and malicious plan seemed successful but ultimately failed. He tried to hide behind the excited crowd but couldn't. Instead, it is behind his name that the crowd hides. Every Christian knows the name of Pilate in the story of Jesus' suffering and crucifixion, but the names of the crowd are unknown. "Pilate" will forever be associated with the death of Jesus.
We, too, sometimes try to hide behind the crowd like Pilate did. We conceal ourselves and blend into the crowd's wrongdoings, even though we know they are not right, passing off responsibility as if we are not involved. We may fool the eyes of others, but we cannot escape the sight of God. God sees us with precision, like an eagle's eye.
Jesus desires those who dwell in truth, who can say "Yes" when they mean yes and "No" when they mean no, not those who hide themselves behind the crowd.
♧ Lord, help me to carry my cross and take each step forward just as You did. Holy Spirit, guide me in truth! Amen.
The Crowd and Me
John 19:4-6a
4 Pilate came out again 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!”
6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
♢ Pilate had already informed the group of chief priests who had accused Jesus of his innocence (18:38), and he had hoped, by mentioning the Passover custom of releasing one prisoner, that they would ask for Jesus to be released. Instead, the crowd shouted for Barabbas. Flustered, Pilate went back inside and ordered Jesus to be flogged. The image of Jesus being struck with a whip embedded with sharp animal bones and metal hooks is unimaginably gruesome.
Pilate came out to the crowd again to reiterate Jesus' innocence and brought him out to the assembly of priests. Jesus appeared, his flesh torn from the flogging, his head bleeding under the crown of thorns, draped in a purple garment - a sight of utter devastation, beyond any semblance of normalcy, too horrific for eyes to witness.
Why did Pilate show such a Jesus to the crowd? Did he expect that they would feel compassion upon seeing Jesus and request his release instead of Barabbas? Was it to avoid executing an innocent man? Or was it to incite the already agitated crowd to call for Jesus' death even louder? Perhaps Pilate wanted to absolve himself of responsibility for Jesus' death by claiming it was the crowd who demanded the crucifixion?
Regardless, Pilate is cowardly. He hides behind the frenzied crowd, shifting the blame onto them. His cowardly and malicious plan seemed successful but ultimately failed. He tried to hide behind the excited crowd but couldn't. Instead, it is behind his name that the crowd hides. Every Christian knows the name of Pilate in the story of Jesus' suffering and crucifixion, but the names of the crowd are unknown. "Pilate" will forever be associated with the death of Jesus.
We, too, sometimes try to hide behind the crowd like Pilate did. We conceal ourselves and blend into the crowd's wrongdoings, even though we know they are not right, passing off responsibility as if we are not involved. We may fool the eyes of others, but we cannot escape the sight of God. God sees us with precision, like an eagle's eye.
Jesus desires those who dwell in truth, who can say "Yes" when they mean yes and "No" when they mean no, not those who hide themselves behind the crowd.
♧ Lord, help me to carry my cross and take each step forward just as You did. Holy Spirit, guide me in truth! Amen.