When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” [John 19:5 NIV]
What was Pilate trying to achieve by this stunt? It is difficult to work out Pilate's motives. He was reluctant to have Jesus crucified and was trying to persuade the Jewish religious leaders to allow Jesus to go free. He offered them a choice. It was a custom that the Romans released a prisoner at the Feast of Passover as a gesture of good will. He gave them the choice of Barabbas or Jesus of Nazareth. Clearly, Pilate ex
ected them to decide on Jesus the peace loving miracle worker from Galilee. He was far less a threat to the stability of the Roman empire than Barabbas who had been trying to commit an insurrection against the Romans and he was, in all probability, the ring-leader. His two accomplices were crucified but not Barabbas. The people chose him instead of the Son of God and Barabbas was set free and Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion.
In verse 5 of chapter 19, John shows that Pilate was apparently trying to appeal to their pity. This was a pathetic sight. There was nothing outwardly attractive by the sight of a thirty three year old man who has been subjected to Roman torture and then dressed up in a purple robe, the symbol of wealth and privilege. Pilate used two Latin words to make his point. "Ecce homo" or "Behold the man!" My Latin teacher used to impress me with the dramatic quality of the ancient Latin language. It is able to sum up so much meaning in a few words. Pilate uses two Latin words to convey his message to them. He is saying that they should take a good look at this man. He has already suffered enough. He has not deserved any punishment but, to pacify the Jews, Pilate had allowed his soldiers to torture him mainly by scourging or lashing him repeatedly with a leather whip on his bare back and legs. The metal or bone inserts into the whip had brutally torn his flesh. He is wearing a garland of sharp thorns pushed into his scalp. His face is bruised so badly that he is unrecognisable - he no longer looks human according to Isaiah 52.
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—
[Isaiah 52:14 NIV]
Here is Eugene Peterson's interpretation of this graphic description of the Lord Jesus written hundreds of years before his birth.
He didn’t even look human— a ruined face, disfigured past recognition. [Isaiah 52:14 MSG]
Pilate was not a follower of Jesus and he was a heathen who worshipped the Roman gods and goddesses such as Apollo, the god of the sun, or Diana the goddess of wild animals and hunting or Mars, the god of war. Was he impressed with Jesus of Nazareth? I am sure that this trial of the Son of God made some sort of impression on him. He had never before had to decide the fate of anyone like Jesus. He was so different from the usual criminal who was brought before Pilate to be tried for murder or robbery or insurrection etc. Pilate was convinced that Jesus was innocent. And yet he allowed himself to be persuaded to sentence Jesus to be crucified. He was afraid of Caesar - the powerful Roman emperor. The Jews played on Pilate's fear and suggested that if he allowed Jesus to go free he was committing treason. As far as Pilate was concerned, that was enough for him to settle the fate of this innocent man.
I like to apply these words to us all in the 21st century. "Ecce homo." Behold or gaze upon the man. This was the Son of God in human flesh but he was an object of derision and pity. He was so badly battered and bruised by the vicious treatment from the Roman soldiers. This is an object lesson for us on the subject of God's grace. God loved the world of lost and helpless sinners so much that he allowed his Son to suffer in this way. And this is only part of this suffering. I think that this is a lesson for this world today which has thrown Jesus out of their reckoning. He loved you as much as that. The Creator of the World was prepared to allow his creatures - the people who had been created by him - to abuse him like this. He was prepared to suffer everything because of his great love for the world of helpless human beings. It is good for Christians to be reminded of the cross. Here is a quote from William Barclay
"There is more than a little to be said for the Roman Catholic custom of carrying a crucifix, in order that we may never forget the Man upon the Cross, and how on the Cross he suffered for us men and for our salvation" [Barclay used the word 'men' which is a bit sexist and dated]. I'm not sure that we all need to carry a crucifix but we need to take steps to remember the cross as we live our comfortable lives and forget about the One who paid the great price for us to be saved.
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