16th April 2025
Behold…
So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”
John 19:5 (ESV)
Jesus has been betrayed, arrested, put through an illegal trial, and delivered to Pilate in order to obtain his death. Pilate has seen through the machinations of the Jewish delegation but he finds himself cleverly trapped by having to either stand up for the principles of justice and be reported to the Roman authorities as disloyal, or give in to their demands. So Pilate is pressured into having Jesus executed.
As we know, any ethics he had went out the window and he has Jesus scourged prior to his crucifixion. Then John tells us: ‘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.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” ’ (John 19:4-5).
And Jesus is going to be crucified and killed on a Friday. The Friday we call Good. It is also the sixth day of the week. In Genesis we learn that mankind was created on the 6th day of the week; we read that ‘God saw all that he had made, and it was very good…’( Genesis 1:31 NIV).
But it all went wrong, as given our freedom to choose to believe God and trust him, or believe a lie and vote for our own independence and power, our ancestors chose the latter. Mankind’s relationship with God was broken and we all needed rescuing, something that only God in the flesh – Jesus – could do.
So here we are, on another 6th day of the week. Jesus stands there in front of the crowd and Pilate says: “Behold the man!” He doesn’t know what he is saying. It is The Man, with a capital T and a capital M. He stands alone there, in our place, representing all of us and taking on himself all our sins, and our rebellion against God. The second Adam is undoing the first Adam’s sin.
Prayer
Our great God and Saviour, we all stand before your throne in praise and gratitude for coming to our rescue, and taking on our sin, and all that is in us that stands against you.
In Jesus’s name, Amen.
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Study by: Hilary Buck About the author: |
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Local congregation:
Grace Communion in Lewes
The House of Friendship
208 High Street
Lewes BN7 2NS
Meeting time:
Sunday 11:00 am
Local congregational contact:
Hilary Buck
Email: lewes@gracecom.church
Like us on www.facebook.com/Grace Communion Lewes
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church