42: Look, this is your king! “We have no king except Caesar!” (John 19:1 – 16)

Though Pilate tried to release Jesus, the Jewish leaders kept shouting, 'Crucify him!' 

👉 Read John 19: 1 - 16

Q1. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged (          ). The soldiers braided a crown of (        ) and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a (        ) robe. They came up to him (        ) and (        ) and said, “(                    )!” And they stuck him repeatedly in the (        ).

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged ( severely ). The soldiers braided a crown of ( thorns ) and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a ( purple ) robe. They came up to him ( again ) and ( again ) and said, “( Hail, king of the Jews )!” And they stuck him repeatedly in the ( face ).

The crown of thorns and the purple robe were to mock Jesus' title: the King of the Jews.

Though Pilate knew Jesus was without sin (4), he made him suffer this way. 

Please meditate on how John narrates what they did to Jesus. He endured because of our sins.

Q2. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent (verses    ,     ) and tried to release him (verse      ). Furthermore, when Pilate heard that they accused Jesus of claiming to be (            ), he was afraid because he revered divine beings. However, when he heard that if he released Jesus, he would not be a friend of (          ), he decided to crucify Jesus. 

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent ( 4, 6 ) and tried to release him ( 12 ). Furthermore, when Pilate heard that they accused Jesus of claiming to be ( the Son of God ), he was afraid because he revered divine beings. However, when he heard that if he released Jesus, he would not be a friend of ( Caesar ), he decided to crucify Jesus. 

He was humble enough to acknowledge the authority of the divinities, even though it came from the pagan myth. ( In Greek-Roman myths, a god often appears in a human form. ) However, when he was threatened, he succumbed to injustice. 

Q3. The Jewish leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy and seemed seeking God’s glory. However, when Pilate presented Jesus and said, "Look, (               )!" they shouted, “We have no king except (          )!” Despite they had the Law of God, their hatred blinded their eyes to murder the Son of God, even though the Pagan Pilate tried to release Jesus. Thus, Jesus said, “The one who handed me over to you is guilty of (             ).”   

The Jewish leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy and seemed seeking God’s glory. However, when Pilate presented Jesus and said, "Look, ( this is your king ) !" they shouted, “We have no king except ( Caesar )!” Despite they had the Law of God, their hatred blinded their eyes to murder the Son of God, even though the Pagan Pilate tried to release Jesus. Thus, Jesus said, “The one who handed me over to you is guilty of ( greater sin ).”

They refused Jesus to be their king in the name of serving God. Yet, they chose to submit to Caesar, using it as a pretext to have Jesus crucified. Consequently, they ended up forsaking God, their true King.  

Understandably, the Jewish leaders doubt Jesus’ identity because the Law says that God doesn’t have any form and that anyone who sees God will die. Thus, it was hard for them to accept that God became a man. Even though that is the case, their crucifying Jesus was a violation of the Law. 

What is the “greater sin”? The Jewish leaders vs Pilate. Can I say like this? ‘A heavier punishment would come for a sin from hatred than for a sin from fear.’

Fear makes us close our eyes to the truth, but hatred blinds our eyes. 

They rejected the King of Peace and chose the king of violence, Caesar. They shouted for Caesar to be their king to keep their religion and temple. However, it will be Caesar's army that will destroy the temple, not Jesus, as they had accused Him of.

When you seek money or fame, you will get them. But, you won't have peace, the very reason that you have wanted money.