King

 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"

John 19:14 ESV


Little did Jesus's murderers know that they were preparing the Passover Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Near the start of John's gospel, John the Baptist declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God. Now, near the end of John's gospel, pagan Pilate mockingly declares Jesus the King of the Jews.


People often seem to try and paint a sympathetic portrait of Pilate, but I see little room for that in Scripture. This is a man who had already massacred Galileans come to worship in Jerusalem (Luke 13). Now he was going to murder the King of the Jews.


Pilate might have tried to abdicate responsibility, and pass off Jesus's crucifixion as the doing of the Jews, but ultimately he had the authority to condemn Jesus, and he did. His death squads had already mercilessly flogged Jesus, digging furrows in His back, and mockingly rammed a crown of thorns upon His brow.


If all we see is the passion of the Christ, like the film depicted His murder, we might simply conclude that the crucifixion was an epic miscarriage of justice. But if we see Jesus as the Passover Lamb for the world, we see how we can justifiably be delivered from the condemnation we deserve for our slavish devotion to sin. Ultimately, we have a choice: will we devote ourselves to sin, and destruction; or to the Lamb who was slain for us, and resurrection?


'Heavenly Father, we praise You for sending Your Son, not to condemn us as we deserve, but to save us, through His sacrifice on our behalf. For Your honour and glory, amen'

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