Who is Jesus? Chapter 49 Jesus is Delivered to Pilate

Who is Jesus? Chapter 49 Jesus is Delivered to Pilate 

Today's happening is mentioned in each of the four Gospels and is re-told here so that you might believe that Jesus Christ is your Messiah. 

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away from the Chief Priests house and delivered him over to Pilate the governor. So, Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 

They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 

Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, Judas departed, and he went and hanged himself.   

But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So, they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore, that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.” 

So, Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose, I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”  

Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But Jesus gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 

Now at the feast, the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner they would choose. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas who was a thief and murderer. So Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas the criminal, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For Pilot knew that it was out of envy that the religious leaders had delivered him up. Besides, while Pilate 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.”  

The governor again said to the crowd, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.  And they all with one accord shouted, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”  So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 

Then Pilate released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Research in history reveals: “It is fairly clear that Pilate tried to save Jesus by offering the crowd an unattractive alternative, Barabbas, but as we know, his plan failed.  Now he tried another. He had Jesus savagely flogged, and then paraded before the crowd in an attempt to gain pity. It was clear to him, and he reasoned it should be clear to the crowd, that this pitiable object before them could not be taken seriously as a king. 

Scourging was a brutal punishment, but it was standard practice before a crucifixion. The whip, the flagellum, had several thongs, each one of which had pieces of bone or metal attached. It made a bloody pulp of a man's body.  The person to be whipped was stripped of his clothing, tied to a post or pillar, and beaten until his flesh hung in shreds.  There was no maximum number of strokes: the whipping could go on as long as the soldier administering it wished. Men frequently collapsed and died as the result of a flogging.” 

And so the death of Jesus was being played out in steps to fulfill the prophesies told long ago that a savior would come and be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. By His stripes on his back; we are healed first in our spirits or inner person, then in our souls which is our mind, emotions and will, and we are healed in our bodies. 

Jesus paid the price for our total salvation, and the flogging was only the beginning of his journey to the cross. You may wonder why Jesus would volunteer to go through all this? He looked forward in time, and He saw you, and me and Jesus was willing to suffer and die so that we could be given eternal life and be saved. If you have not received Jesus into your life, today is a good day to do so.

Simply invite Jesus to come into your heart (your life) and tell Him that you will follow him all the days of your life.