Day 1200: The judgement seat - John 19 vs 1 - 13

1-3 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4-5 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!” 6-7 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”

8-10 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” 12-13 From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgement seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic, Gabbatha. John 19:1-13 English Standard Version

The last reading ended with the crowd demanding that Barabbas be released instead of Jesus. Today we read that Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. The prophet Isaiah told of this when speaking of God's servant who would suffer so much. He said: “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

And so Christ was treated with scorn by the soldiers who pressed a crown of thorns upon His head, mocked Him, and struck Him with their hands. But how did Jesus respond to what they were doing? Isaiah tells us. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7) Jesus silently bore their cruel treatment.

But even then the leaders had not had enough! When the chief priests and officers saw Jesus in the purple robe, and with his crown of thorns, they cried out: “Crucify him, crucify him!” But it was what they said next that filled Pilate with more fear. “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate questioned Jesus further on this, we read that Jesus gave him no answer. The apostle Peter would later write: “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:22-23)

There's a great irony in the last portion of today's reading. The one doing the judging must be judged himself. Pilate spoke of his worldly authority when he said: “Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” But Jesus replied:“You would have no authority over me at all - unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” How every King and President who ever lived needs to hear that! And regarding the one who handed Him over, Jesus was likely referring, not to Judas, but to the Jewish leaders.

So Pilate sat down on the judgement seat called 'The Stone Pavement'. But he did so from the fear of man. Caesar could indeed kill his body. But one day Pilate must appear before the judgement seat of Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28) That's something which we all need to prepare for.