March
24, 2003
"I
FIND NO FAULT IN HIM"
"Pilate
then went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I am
bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no
fault in Him" (John 19:4, NKJV).
"Then
Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple
robe. And Pilate said to them, 'Behold the Man!'
"Therefore,
when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out,
saying, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him!'
"Pilate
said to them, 'You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no
fault in Him.'
"The
Jews answered him, 'We have a law, and according to our law
He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.'
"Therefore,
when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and
went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, 'Where
are You from?' But Jesus gave him no answer.
"Then
Pilate said to Him, 'Are You not speaking to me? Do You not
know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release
You?'
"Jesus
answered, 'You could have no power at
all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore
the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.'
"From
then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out,
saying, 'If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend.
Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.'
"When
Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and
sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The
Pavement, but in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the Preparation
Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said
to the Jews, 'Behold your King!'
"But
they cried out, 'Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!'
"Pilate
said to them, 'Shall I crucify your King?'
"The
chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar!'
"Then
he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus
and led Him away.
"And
He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place
of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they
crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side,
and Jesus in the center" (John 19:5-18).
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