Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 23:13-25; John 19:1-16; Matthew 27:24-25 "ONE DESPERATE GAMBLE"
Day 316 – Luke 23
Text: Luke 23:13-25; John 19:1-16; Matthew 27:24-25
ONE DESPERATE GAMBLE
The Jews had played their trump card. Their words were carefully crafted. Hidden in those words was a threat to the political life and career of Pilate. If he allowed Jesus to be set free, then he would not have proven himself to be a friend of Caesar. The meaning was obvious. They would send delegations of people to Caesar and frame Pilate up. Pilate knew that he had lost the tussle with the hated and despicable Jews.
Pilate did not get to become governor by being a soft man. In an ugly and vicious mood, he hurled a question he knew that the Jews would choke on. He raised the question,
“Shall I crucify your King?”
John 19:15
The governor may have lost this battle with the Jews, but he was going to make them pay for using veiled threats against him. He knew that the Jews barely tolerated the presence of the Romans, let alone express loyalty to the Emperor of Rome.
The Jews didn’t care what they had to say. They had only one thing in mind. That mind was so hate-filled, that the chief priests blurted out,
“We have no king but Caesar.”
John 19:15
This was a tit-for tat game the Jews and Pilate played. The last thing Pilate wanted to do was for the Jews to force his hand. Yet they did.
On the other hand, the last thing the Jews wanted to do was to own Caesar as their king. They had been reluctant to pay Caesar taxes. The Jews had invented their own Temple money. The refused to accept the Roman coins which bore the image of Caesar. They forced people to exchange Roman money for the Temple money, which had no legal tender at all.
The chief priests must have felt that it was a small concession to declare that they owned Caesar as their king, and the score was now about even. The Jews had scored a point, and so did Pilate. Both must have hated each other bitterly!
PILATE WASHES HIS HANDS OFF JESUS
Matthew recorded that Pilate knew that if this “game” was played too long, he would have a riot on his hands.
“When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all,
but rather that a tumult was rising,
he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying,
‘I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.
You see to it.’ “
Matthew 27:24
Was Pilate really able to wash his guilt away so easily? In his mind, he might have thought that he had done his best. He did say that Jesus was innocent. He still maintained that Jesus was a “just Person”.
The reply of the Jews makes the hair stand on end! Is there no end to vile wickedness?
“And all the people answered and said,
‘His blood be on us and on our children.’ “
Matthew 27:25
Those were terrible words to utter! They were so filled with blind hatred that they were even willing to accept full responsibility of the blood of Jesus upon their heads, and even their children’s if necessary!
PASSING SENTENCE ON JESUS
Pilate had to bring the trial of Jesus to a close. Luke recorded the sentencing of Jesus, as did the other Gospel writers.
“So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.
And he released to them the one they had requested,
Who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison;
But he delivered Jesus to their will.”
Luke 23:24-25
Mark was even more candid about why Pilate released Jesus. He wrote,
“So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd,
released Barabbas to them; and he
delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him,
to be crucified.”
Mark 15:15 (Cf. John 19:16)
Mark wrote in greater detail concerning the scourging Pilate ordered.
“Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall
called the Praetorium, and they called together
the whole garrison.
And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted
A crown of thorns, put it on his head, and began to salute Him;
‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they struck Him on the head
with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee,
they worshipped Him. And when they had mocked Him,
they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him,
and led Him out to crucify Him”
Mark 15:16-20
The words of Scripture at this point need no explanation. The words of Mark are all too clear! Great evil was at work! “But we see Jesus…”