Day 98: The Way Of The Warrior

Recently we looked at Jesus’ first trial before Pilate.  Pilate had no charges against Jesus, no verdict, he withheld Jesus’ right to question his accusers, then he had Jesus flogged: Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. (John 19:1).  The Jews: …began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” (Lk. 23:2).

Forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar… was a blatant lie. Earlier Jesus said… “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”  (Mk. 12:17). What’s: misleading our nation?  That is so amorphous as be to legally ridiculous. Yet, Jesus was brutally punished with flogging, without fault or merit.  Remember Pilate: knew that it was out of envy that they [Jews] had delivered him up. (Matt. 27:18).  Everyone just put a thin veneer of legalese to make these trials look valid – it didn’t work.

SEVEN CHARGES OR ACCUSATIONS AGAINST CHRIST

1. Threatened to destroy the Temple – Matthew 26:61 and said, “This fellow said, `I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'”
2. Being a malefactor (an evil-doer) — John 18:30 They answered him, “If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him over.”
3. Perverting the nation — Luke 23:2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting our nation…”
4. Forbidding to give tribute to Caesar – Luke 23:2 and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar…”
5. Being a King – Luke 23:2 “…and saying that he himself is Christ a king.”
6. Stirring up all the people – Luke 23:5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”
7. Making himself the Son of God — John 19:7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God.”

Before Pilate had Jesus flogged, he tried to get rid of him by sending Jesus to Herod. When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man [Jesus] was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod. (Lk. 23:6, 7).  Let’s see if Herod was a righteous judge, rather than the others who had Jesus in trials.

When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. (Lk. 23:8).  Herod was not a serious, civil servant.  He had status and power but little character. So he questioned him at some length, but he [Jesus] made no answer. (Lk. 23:9). Without charges, testimony, indictments, witnesses, all this was illegal.  So how will Herod and his advisors act?

And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.  (Lk. 23:11). That was when Pilate had Jesus punished with flogging.  After he was brutalized with that: And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. (Jn. 19:2).

Roman soldiers were often just thuggish brutes.  Thorns pierced his skin on his head.  This was to deepen his physical pain.  But they didn’t stop there: They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. (19:3). They didn’t stop there: And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. (Mk. 15:19).  They pounded the thorns into his skull.  These people were savages in dealing with one so good, who was without fault.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. (Matt. 27:27).  That’s 600 men beating on Jesus.  They didn’t care, he was 95% dead already.  Isaiah the prophet over 700 years earlier, stated: As many were astonished at you– his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind– (Isa. 52:14).

Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” (Lk. 22:63, 64).  The word ‘beat’ means to thrash.  They would make barbarians look good.

With a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. (Micah 5:1). Amazing prophecy!

Why a crown of thorns?  Do you know that because of Adam and Even sinned the earth was cursed also – though the earth had done nothing wrong? Adam’s judgment was thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. (Gen. 3:18).  All of Creation was impacted by mankind’s sin: For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. (Rom. 8:22).

Christ came to reverse the curse of sin, freeing man and nature.  With the crown of thorns Jesus took on himself the curse of nature.  That is why when he returns, nature will thrive, it will reach the potential for what it was designed.  Just as mankind will flourish in the era after Armageddon, in Christ’s reign. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. (Rev. 22:3).

After the cruelty of his soldiers: 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.” (Jn. 19:4).  That was the second time he said Jesus was innocent. (18:38).  This was Pilate’s attempt to get the Jews to have sympathy for Jesus. Surely, now they would have compassion. This battered ruined Jesus, was totally degraded and humiliated.  Pilate tried to placate the Jews.

So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” (Jn. 19:5).  This was now theatre, not justice.  Pilate’s wife had warned him about Jesus: Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” (Matt. 27:19).  That’s very odd.  A Gentile Roman woman knew Jesus was righteous. Yet her husband, nor Jewish leaders did not see what was in front of their eyes.  How blind!  Pilate’s wife saw spiritual truth, in a dream.  Jesus’ accusers could not see the same truth, in the flesh!  They even ignored it.  Do not be like them.

Will Pilate slither out of this situation?  Will he free Jesus?  He’s been severely beaten, without charges, without an indictment, without cross-examination.  Pilate can set Jesus free.  We know Pilate didn’t.  Why not?  Pilate would not be breaking any laws letting Jesus go.  Why was Pilate unable to release Jesus?  Because Jesus died instead of you.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (Isa. 53:5)

By Nathan Werner