(Inspired by John 19: 1-16)
Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, stood before the chanting crowd and literally felt sick to his stomach. He knew that the chief priests had arrested Jesus the Nazarene out of pure jealousy. Their hatred of the teacher was so great that they were doing everything they could to force Pilate to kill him, but Pilate knew the Nazarene was innocent. The governor felt sure that he could appeal to the common people, who were supposed to like Jesus, and he would be able to release the teacher. That’s why he offered them a choice of releasing Jesus or Barabbas, a murderer and thief. To hear the people responding to the pressure of the chief priest by crying for the release of Barabbas over a guiltless man disgusted him.
The gloating smile on the face of Caiaphas, the chief priest, was almost more than the Roman governor could stand. He would try one last thing to release Jesus. He would force them to feel sorry for the Nazarene teacher. Spinning on his heal, Pilate gave the signal for the murderer to be set free, and then he walked up to Jesus.
“I’m sorry for what’s about to happen to you,” Pilate said just loud enough for Jesus to hear, “but I’m trying to save your life.”
Turning to the captain of the guard detail, the governor ordered, “Scourge him! And, Captain, do a thorough job!”
First the prisoner was stripped and beaten with rods. Only when his back was raw and tender did they bring out the flagellums. The Roman flagellum or scourge was a heavy device. Nine braided lashes extended from the end of a wooden handle. Woven into the braids were sharp pieces of metal and glass. Leave it to the Romans to create the perfect device for punishment. The scourge was intentionally designed to shred the victim’s back. Many condemned Roman prisoners were killed by the scourging and never made it to the cross.
As he was ordered, the captain made sure that Jesus’s scourging was thorough.
“I heard that this fellow is supposed to be the king of the Jews,” one of the Romans laughed as those in charge of the scourging were untying Jesus from the post.
“He don’t look much like a king,” one of the other guards answered.
“Well, we’re gonna fix that,” the first soldier laughed again and stepped in front of tortured prisoner. “Help me, guys,” he said as he lifted up a crown woven of long, sharp thorns. Carefully balancing the hideous circlet on the teacher’s head, two other guards used rods to shove the crown further onto Jesus’s head, forcing the long thorns deep into his brow. Just then another guard produced a purple robe and threw it roughly onto the Lord’s mutilated back.
“Hail, King of the Jews!” one of the guards standing in front of Jesus called out as he struck his own chest with his fist in a mock salute. He then backhanded Jesus across the face. As two soldiers supported the weak prisoner, others took turns saluting the Son of God with hard blows to the face.
When Pilate received word that his soldiers were through with the Nazarene, he ordered that Jesus be brought to him. Even the governor was shocked at the appearance of the Jewish teacher when his soldiers arrived with Him. “I’m bringing him back out to you,” Pilate declared loudly, “to let you all know that, even after all of this, I find no guilt in him.”
As the severely beaten prisoner was forced near to the chief priests and the crowd, the people drew back in shocked disgust. Many averted their eyes.
“LOOK AT THE MAN!” Pilate demanded fiercely. “Hasn’t he been through enough?”
“NO!” shouted Caiaphas viciously. “CRUCIFY HIM!”
The shout was quickly taken up by the Jewish leaders around the chief priests and then by the crowd as well.
The Roman governor was familiar with cruelty and injustice, but this was more hypocritical and vicious than anything he had seen. “I SAY HE’S INNOCENT!” Pilate yelled back in disgust. “DON’T MAKE ME A PART OF THIS MAN’S MURDER! IF YOU WANT HIM CRUCIFIED, THEN DO IT YOURSELVES!”
Caiaphas’ fury was almost uncontrollable. “We have a law,” the chief priest snarled venomously through clenched teeth, “and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself out to be the Son of God!”
In shock Pilate turned to stare at the prisoner. The son of a god? the governor questioned in his heart. Is that possible? What if he is a god’s son…and I had him beaten…LIKE THIS!
“Bring him!” the governor demanded and stormed back into the judgment hall.
When he and the guards were again alone with Jesus, Pilate confronted Him. “Is that what you meant when you said you weren’t from this world?”
When Jesus made no answer, Pilate shouted, “They say you claim to be some kind of a god. WHERE ARE YOU FROM?”
Again Jesus made no response.
“Now you won’t speak to me!” Pilate exclaimed, losing his patience. “I am the one who has authority to release you or have you crucified!”
Jesus lifted his blood-covered face and looked at the governor. “You would not have any authority over Me,” the Lord said with bold confidence, “except that in this instance it has been given to you from heaven.”
“From heaven?” Pilate gasped under his breath.
“You will bear your responsibility in all this,” Jesus continued looking into the governor’s eyes, “but he who delivered Me up to you has committed the greater sin.”
Pilate wanted a way out of this so badly. The fact that his wife had a terrible dream about this Nazarene and had begged him not to condemn this innocent man only made it worse. Determined to put a stop to it, the Roman leader stormed out of the barracks once again and declared to the Jews that he was releasing Jesus.
He had expected Caiaphas to start screaming and pitching one of his famous fits, but instead the chief priest gave the procurator a sly and devious look and said, “Anyone who makes himself out to be a king is an enemy of Caesar. If you release this man, YOU are no friend of Caesar, and I will make sure he knows.”
When he heard this, Pilate rocked back on his heels, sighed deeply, and dropped his head in defeat.
Caiaphas beamed with fiendish delight at seeing the governor’s response. He had won!
Anger, disgust, defeat, hatred, and fear…if you could combine all of those into one horrible emotion, that would be what Pilate experienced as he slowly made his way to Gabbatha, or The Pavement, which is what they called the judgment seat near the barracks’ steps. What a terrible day! Pilate thought to himself. There is much more evil to come, and it’s only six in the morning!
“BRING THE PRISONER TO ME FOR JUDGMENT!” he barked angrily to a centurion attending him.
As Jesus was dragged to The Pavement, the Roman governor shouted, “LOOK, ALL OF YOU! HERE COMES YOUR KING!”
“AWAY WITH HIM! AWAY WITH HIM!” many of the Jewish leaders shouted.
“CRUCIFY HIM! NAIL HIM TO A CROSS!” the worked-up crowd screamed.
“SHALL I CRUCIFY YOUR KING?” the governor sneered back tauntingly.
“We have no king but Caesar!” Caiaphas declared.
“Oh yeah,” Pilate scoffed sarcastically, “you are so loyal to Caesar.”
“Just do it!” the chief priest snarled, not bothering to conceal his hatred.
“What are your orders for the prisoner, Excellency?” the centurion enquired.
With a look of both anger and frustration, the governor finally commanded, “Crucify him!”
By Alan W. Harris
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