Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

November 11, 2019

by Pastor Hawtree

BIBLE READING: John 19

1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

Let me start with this this morning. I find it interesting in verse one that Pilate “scourged” Jesus, but Pilate says in verse four that he wanted everyone to know that he found no fault in Jesus. Then in verse two he allows them to place a crown of thorns on Jesus head, and then in verse three he allows them to ridicule Jesus, and to beat him physically. If Pilate found no fault in Jesus, then why treat him as if he did? You see, many of us think that if we say the right things, it doesn’t matter if we do the wrong things. We worry more about perception than principle. Just because we appear to be right, doesn’t mean we are right. Just because in public we give the right impression, that does not mean in private that we are free from the consequences of our actions.

“And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!”
Even though this was done to ridicule and mock Jesus, Pilate was not incorrect when he said this. Now my mind goes back a few chapters in the book of John:

* John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

As John, the forerunner of Jesus, announces our Savior, he says “behold the Lamb of God…”. Then all these chapters later, a lot of water under the bridge, a lot of miracles and religious criticism past, Pilate announces our Savior by saying “Behold the man”. They were both correct. Jesus was God and man.

In order for us to “Behold the lamb God”, and in order for Jesus to “taketh away the sin of the world”, He had to be presented as “Behold the man” and crucified for our sin. God had to become man for man to be saved. We were told that Jesus would be “God come down to man”. Jesus had to endure a crown of thorns, to be crowned King of kings and Lord of lords.

“The man”, who was also “the Lamb of God”, will one day in the words of Isaiah:
“ Isaiah 6:1 …. I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.”