Bible Story Deep Dive: The Condemnation of Christ

Photo Credit: Kelly Sikkema

The story of Christ, the ultimate paradox, is much too big and deep to dive all the way into for just one post. Rather, this will be focusing on one important moment — His trial by Pontius Pilate. It's dark and tragic, but necessary to the story of Christ. 

To begin with, Pilate questions Jesus with intriguing results. The men handing Jesus over to Pilate give a very poor reason for turning him in: “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.’” (John 18:29-30 ESV) Court of law today most likely would not have accepted this answer. Rather than naming an offense, they asked Pilate to just trust their judgement. 

Nevertheless, Pilate questioned Jesus. He didn’t seem to fully understand Jesus’s answers, yet they were enough to intrigue and even frighten him. He quickly began to desire for Jesus to be set free from the hands of his accusers. Pilate attempted to persuade the Jews to release Jesus, finding a perfect excuse in His custom to release a man at Passover. (see John 18:39) His attempts to release Jesus were of no avail. The crowd was stirred up by the chief priests (see Mark 15:11) and they called for the release of Barabbas instead.

Now, Barabbas was “a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder.” (Luke 23:19) The Jews wanted to release him instead of Jesus — their Messiah, the Creator of Life, who had come to bring them eternal life. They wanted to free a murderer, a man who had destroyed life and joined in a violent uprising against the government. Interestingly enough, this is the kind of person that some of the Jews — the Zealots especially — thought that their Messiah would be. They wanted a man of war who would wipe out the Romans and free them from their governmental oppression, but this is not who Jesus was ever foretold to be. Yes, he was promised to avenge all their foes, but the Jews had lost sight of who their foes really were. Their real foes were the people who hated and turned away from God. The Gentiles were not their enemies. The Romans were not their enemies. God had planned from the beginning to bring peace and life to all nations — not just Israel. (see Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; Malachi 1:11) The Messiah was coming for the whole world. The Jews were too proud to see that. They wanted to kill Jesus because He wasn’t the way they had wanted. He had not fulfilled their sinful desires. 

As Pilate asked again and again, why they wouldn’t release Jesus, the Jews cried out for Him to not only be killed, but crucified — one of the most gruesome and painfully slow ways to die. Pilate caved into the crowd, afraid for his position and his life. He flogged Jesus, the Holy Lamb of God. He gave Him a crown of thorns and clothed Him in purple. The men mocked Him. Pilate brought him before the crowds again and said, “Behold the Man.” (John 19:5b) Jesus was the Man of God, the Sacrificial Lamb to be slain. The crowd shouted out again for Him to be crucified. 

Pilate tried to wash his hands of the matter, but the Jews answered saying, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” (John 19:7) This terrified Pontius Pilate, he asked Jesus where He was from, but was given no answer. Again he begged for an 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?’ 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.’ ” (John 19:10-11) 

This entire time, Jesus was in control of the situation. He knew what had to take place to save His people. He loved us enough to sacrifice Himself, slowly and patiently, letting everything play out as it was foretold. Pilate became desperate, trying to release Jesus, but fear of losing the favor of Caesar and his office conquered him. He delivered Jesus over to be crucified.

This is not the end of the story. There is more. A brighter day came. Hope and eternal life have been brought to the people of God. All because of Jesus Christ, the Font of Eternal Life who died in the place of a murder, so that His people might have His unconditional love forever. This is the paradox — beautiful, heartbreaking, joy-filling, complete, and incomprehensible.