John chapter 19

vs 11

Two sections here. Firstly, Jesus scorns the power of Pilate over him, because God gives all authorities their power, and Pilate would be nothing without God giving him the power over Jesus. You get the feeling that Jesus could have taken that power away anytime he wants.

Secondly, a "greater sin" has been committed than Pilate's eventual crucifixion of Jesus. Does this absolve Pilate? Hell no. A greater sin by someone else just means this he is still sinning. But the religious leaders are the ones who are really in deep, because they handed their own Messiah over to a foreign authority to kill.

vs 12

Pilate has Jesus on the one side, claiming to be the Son of God, and the Jews on the other, claiming he will be a traitor if he doesn't crucify him because Jesus claims to be a king. Let me point out, at this point, that there are plenty of kings under Caesar. So the Jews are full of crap. Of course, Jesus was a king of kings, and therefore was more powerful than Caesar, but he also claimed that his kingdom was not worldly.

vs 13

Interesting thing to translate into Aramaic. My guess is that John does this so that people who have heard of Gabbatha will know what it is if they don't speak Aramaic. Pilate has taken the decision to judge over Jesus.

vs 14

Pilate has taken his judgey seat, and so now he's going for the looking and doing things officially style. He pronounces Jesus as their king. Does he really believe that? Is he saying it mockingly? Did Jesus have an air of royalty?

vs 15

Now riddle me this - you are the governor of a province, who is under the authority of Caesar. The people who you rule over are prepared to kill their king and are swearing allegiance to you. Does this make you uncomfortable? I mean, they swear fealty to you one minute - but then, may be just as likely to crucify you next. People who change their allegiances easily are not all that trustworthy.

vs 16

However, if there's thousands of the buggers, you don't get a choice. It's placate them, or cause another huge bloodbath. Even at this stage, Pilate is prepared to sacrifice an innocent man - for him, it saves Judea from another bloody rebellion.

vs 17

Again, repeated in Aramaic in case you've heard the name, so you know what it means.

vs 18

And then they crucify him. Can I point out at this point that the passion narrative of John does not include all the beatings, the lashings, the pain and anguish. It's very quick. Well, relatively quick. It mostly involves arguing instead of beating the snot out of Jesus.

vs 19

You've got to wonder why Pilate would do that. I mean, I think they displayed charges against all criminals, so something was going to go up there. But he's stirring. He knows that it's going to upset the Jews. But I think he's reaffirming his place in leadership over them. You want someone dead? Fine. But I'm going to make it clear that I killed your king, so that you really are under Caesar's rulership.

vs 20

Lots of people read that sign. Lots of people saw Jesus hanging there. And if they couldn't recognise him from the beating he'd taken, they would at least know what the sign said.