Well, as we've been working through the trial of Christ, every week seems to intensify. This week, no different. It began, as we saw, with Jesus being arrested in the garden. And we saw there that Jesus was in full and complete control, and that he is willingly giving himself up for when the Roman soldiers and the temple police and the chief priests come to arrest Jesus, a couple of hundred people at the minimum, And they say, we are seeking Jesus. And Jesus says, I am. They fall to the ground in involuntary. Worship, in a sense, and then we see Jesus in the trial before Annas and before Caiaphas, and it's not very long before we realize that they are actually the ones on trial as Jesus puts them on the spot. And then when Jesus is delivered to Pilate early in the morning on Friday as we saw last week, Pilate's main concern is does Jesus think of himself as a king who is going to lead a revolt against Rome? And it quickly becomes apparent to Pilate that this is not the case. He has nothing to fear from Jesus in that regard. And yet, through that account, John seems to painstakingly paint us a picture that Jesus is the King, not just of the Jews, but the King of all. The King of all of God's people, of all of creation. In fact, this seems to be the driving theme through the end of chapter 18. And then we see there that Jesus is the promised King that we saw in Psalm 2. He is the promised King that we saw in Psalm 72. He is the promised King that we saw in Revelation 19. Pilate sees Jesus as innocent. Remember, three times he says, I find no fault in this man. But the Jews demand the release of Barabbas, a known rebel against Rome. And through all of this, Pilate knows Jesus is innocent, because if Jesus was really trying to lead a revolt against Rome, the Jews would be all behind it. They wouldn't be delivering him up to Pilate. And this understanding is sealed in Pilate's mind when the Jews demand the release of Barabbas, who was known to be guilty of leading a revolt against Rome. That which they accused Jesus of doing. This then leads us to chapter 19 and the final stage of the trial of Jesus. And it is this stage of the trial that the suffering of Jesus begins in full force and it escalates. There has been minor suffering and minor abuse prior to this point. but it escalates at this point. And thus, as we enter into this very sobering text, I think that we need to do so in the context of Isaiah 53. Just a couple of verses here. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity or the sin of us all. So let's turn to John. Chapter 19, and we're going to begin in verse one, we're going to go through verse 16 this morning. So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on his head. And they put on him a purple robe. And then they said, Hail, the king of the Jews. And they struck him with their hands. 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. Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns. and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, Behold the man. Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw him, they cried out saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And 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 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 the power to crucify you and the 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. And 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. And then they took Jesus and led him away. There's several points I think we can see this morning, the first of it being Jesus, the faultless man. John writes with utter simplicity here when he says they took him and scorched him. As we will see, this is yet another attempt of Pilate to set Jesus free. We read in Luke 23, verses 14 through 16. I have found no fault, Pilate speaking here, I have found no fault in this man concerning those things of which you accuse him. And indeed, nothing deserving of death has been done by him. I will therefore chastise him and release him. He hopes that Jesus being beaten will appease the animosity they have against Jesus. Now it's unclear here in John's account whether this is the dreaded Roman flogging that was a preparation for crucifixion or if this was a different, lesser beating. If you read the accounts together, Matthew and Mark put the dreaded Roman flogging after Pilate's pronunciation of Jesus being guilty and sending him to be crucified. And thus I would lean towards the flogging or the scourging here in 19.1 as being a beating, not the dreaded Roman flogging. The Romans had three kinds of beatings or floggings that they would use. The first one being a beating with rods across the back of a common criminal. The last being the dreaded flogging that prepared one for crucifixion. Because at this point Pilate is still seeking to release Jesus and set him free, I think that what we see here is a beating with rods to punish a mild criminal. And so the Roman soldiers take Jesus and they beat him, but they go even farther mocking him. They twisted a crown of thorns and put it on his head. And they put on him a purple robe and they said, Hail, King of the Jews. And they struck him with their hands. We can almost picture the Romans as they mockingly bow down, throwing a punch into Jesus' face, and as they mockingly rise up, throwing yet another uppercut into his face. John wants us to see that, ironically, the soldiers, without knowing it, are over and over again speaking the truth in this particular situation. But I think that John also probably wants us to see Jesus stepping into the path of the curse against humanity and bearing it in our place. We read in Genesis 3, 17 through 18, cursed is the ground. For your sake in toil, you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you. The thorns that came in the curse now rest upon the brow of Christ, the son of God, as he bears the curse. These were not small thorns. These were long thorns that were sharp and painful. And we read from Matthew and Mark's account that after they had put this crown on Jesus's head, they then would hit him over the head with a rod, driving those thorns into his scalp as deep as they would go, going to the bone. would have left Jesus' face battered and bloody and swollen. I never had much of a context for this aspect of the trial of Christ until I went bow hunting in Kentucky for the first time. And I went by myself and I was walking. I had found this field and I was going to go stand in this little group of trees at the edge of the field and wait for the deer to pass through there. And it was dark and I could see the patch of timber and I was walking there and I was like, this is perfect. It's right before light. I'm just going to sleep. I slip into this nice little grove of trees and wait and as soon as I slipped in there, thorns began just jabbing into my face and in my head and my arms and my legs and I immediately started to pull out and the thorns were such that they just held me and grabbed me in and took my hat off. poked holes all over my clothes and my body, and I finally fought free, and I was like, I'm just gonna stand next to these trees now. I don't need to hide in them. And as it got light, I looked at those thorns, and they were two-inch thorns, just brutally needle-sharp. And my immediate thought was, those would have been on the crown of Jesus at the crucifixion. And it was the first time I had a context for something like that. We don't really have thorns like that here in Montana. These were brutal thorns and the damage they would have done to his head would have been significant. When the soldiers are done with Jesus, Pilate says, I'm bringing him out to you. He says that to the Jews and he leads Jesus out still with the robe and the crown on his head. And Pilate states for the second time, behold, I find no fault in him. Jesus's face would have been bloody and swollen at this point, his body aching from the beating with the rods. Behold, the man, Pilate says to them. Now, we often read what Pilate says as a mockery of Jesus, and I think that's actually probably not accurate. Jesus is not necessarily being mocked here by Pilate. Pilate is more mocking the Jews than he is Jesus. is essentially saying, you idiots, here's the man you think is so dangerous to Rome. Does he really look like a threat to Rome to you? Does it look like this is the man who's going to conquer the Roman Empire? The phrase literally meant, behold, this poor, weak man. And you're putting him saying he's a threat. Pilate's intent is more to show the foolishness of the Jews and to reveal to them the false witness that they truly are. And yet John wouldn't have us miss another irony. As we talked about last week, there's so many ironies that John draws out. Here is Jesus, the man. Pilate says, behold the man. And I think John would have us to see, behold the man, the word made flesh. It's how his book began. Chapter one, verse 14, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. Jesus didn't become a deistic man who was unlike us, who didn't get sick, who didn't get tired, who didn't get weak, who didn't bleed, he didn't suffer. He is not Captain America. No, Jesus became fully man, fully taking on flesh. And he stood here before the Jews, bleeding, aching, throbbing in his head. Pain coming from likely cracked ribs. His back on fire. The word became flesh. And as such, he could truly took take our place. He knows our suffering. He knows our shame. The glory of this reality is on full display here. And the irony that John wants us to see is Pilate unwittingly declares Jesus truly is the word made flesh as he stands there before them, bleeding and weak. But likewise, the hardness of the religious leaders hearts are on full display as they see the bleeding Jesus, and instead they shout, crucify him, crucify him. They shout it out with increasing urgency. There's no compassion, no thread of empathy, nor ounce or hint of remorse. They are consumed with hatred for Jesus. And we have to remember that this is the state of the human heart apart from Christ. Apart from God at work in our lives, this is us. And we want to say that we would never be like that. But this is us. This is humanity apart from God's grace. And right here, we see the wickedness of sinful man and must run from the popular claim today that mankind is basically good. Because the sinfulness of mankind is on display right here. Because Isaiah 53 said it. None does good. None goes after Christ aside from the grace of God. Richard Phillips makes this comment on this. He says, On the head destined to wear heaven's crown of glory, mankind presses a torturous crown of unbelieving contempt. Even Pilate seems to be disgusted with the Jews at this point. He scoffingly says, you take him and crucify him. And he says for the third time, I find no fault in him. This isn't Pilate giving them permission to kill Jesus. Rather, it is Pilate scolding them with sarcasm. You brought him to me for a verdict. I say he's not guilty. You won't listen to me. So go ahead, you take him and crucify him, and then you will have the full wrath of Rome fall upon you for doing something illegal. That's what Pilate is saying here. It's a taunt, essentially. You just go ahead and try to do it yourselves. So the Jews changed their tactic. What do they say in verse 7? We have a law. And according to our law, he ought to die because he made himself the son of God. Here they're referring to Leviticus 24, 16, and whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. They say that Jesus made himself to be the son of God. But we know that God himself declared Jesus to be the son of God. In Luke 3, 22, after the baptism of Christ, we read in the Holy Spirit descended and bodily form like a dove upon him. And a voice came from heaven, which said, You are my beloved son in you. I am well pleased. So here the true intent of the Jews are revealed. They want Jesus killed because they reject him as being the Messiah. And remember, as we saw last week, the Jews knew that the Messiah had to also be the king. They didn't accept Jesus as king, so therefore they did not accept him as Messiah either. Well, let's look at verse eight and see how Pilate responds to this. Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was 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 the 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. So the second thing we need to see here in this text is Jesus entrusts himself to God. When Jesus is declared by the Jews as making a claim to be the Son of God, it scares Pilate. You see, Pilate is certain Jesus is no earthly king. But the Son of God, well this is alarming. Especially since Pilate had just had Jesus beaten. You see, the Romans were known at this time to be superstitious and believed that at certain times deities would take on a human form for a time. And so Pilate, we've seen before, he's already marveled at Jesus. He's been amazed at Jesus. And in his head he's thinking, is the reason why I've been so amazed with this man because he actually is a deity who took on a human form. So Pilate's truly scared here. He has Jesus brought back into the Praetorium. and asks him where he is from. This is not a geographical question. Like, Jesus, where did you grow up? Where did you go to high school? No, this isn't what he's asking. It's a question with a hint of fear. It's a, who are you? In the near famous movie, The Princess Bride, I don't know, maybe I can say now that it's famous, I don't know. In that movie, there's a scene on a clifftop, and Amiga Montoya has trained his whole life in the art of fencing and swordsmanship. And he finds himself in this battle against a masked man who he's never heard of, and he doesn't know who he is. And he finds himself losing, and he's just shocked. How can this be happening? And he asks, he's like, who are you? And the man he is fighting says, no one of consequence. And Amigo says, I must know. And the masked man responds, get used to disappointment. That's the nature of Pilate's question here. Who are you? But as Wesley told Amigo, Pilate must get used to disappointment because Jesus will not answer his requests. Likely because there's no category in Pilate's mind for who Jesus is. How could he even begin to wrap his head around that? So Jesus stays silent, which infuriates Pilate. He bursts out, are you not speaking to me? In the Greek it's emphatic. It's actually arranged, to me, you won't speak? He goes on, don't you know, I have the power to crucify you and I have the power to release you. To this statement, Jesus now responds, you could have no power at all against me unless it had been given to you from above. Once again, Pilate seems to be on trial himself. He is shown to be the one actually not in control. Jesus is saying that Pilate's authority in this situation over Jesus arises not from Rome. But God himself. And if God hadn't given him authority over this situation, Pilate would have no authority at all. God had given to Pilate the trial of Jesus to oversee. And here we are reminded that every earthly ruler or authority only operates within the bounds of which God has ordained. No ruler or authority can operate outside of the bounds God has placed there. God is not just reacting to decisions of earthly rulers. He sovereignly reigns over all, every ruler and authority under his sovereign control. And while they take willful actions for which God holds them accountable for, because they made real decisions, they are also ordained by God to carry out his predetermined sovereign plan. We read this in Daniel 2 20. Daniel saying this blessed be the name of God forever and ever for wisdom and might are his and he changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and he raises up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. Likewise, in Isaiah 40 verse 23, we read God saying, or Isaiah saying of God, he brings princes to nothing. He makes the judges of the earth useless. In a fascinating passage in Acts 17, Paul is speaking to the Greeks. who worship the unknown God and he says God who made the world and everything in it since he is the Lord of heaven and earth does not dwell in temples made with hands nor is he worshipped with men's hands as though he needed anything since he gives to all life and breath and all things Now notice what Paul says next. And he has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on the face of the earth and has determined their pre appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings. I'm reading a book right now on Lewis and Clark and how Lewis and Clark were sent out to find a passageway across the United States and how at that time the United States was trying to establish their boundaries and have boundaries from sea to sea. But who established those, Paul says? God did. When will the United States fall? When God says it will. He is predetermined. There are pointed times and boundaries. Likewise, Paul writes in Romans 13, let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Paul doesn't say most authorities. There's a few that God accidentally let slip through the cracks. Those are really bad ones. No, that was a tough passage. The authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. Jesus knows these passages, and he knows these truths. And therefore, he fully entrusts himself to God the Father. He knows Pilate does not have the ultimate authority, God does. And no earthly ruler, pilot included, can act apart from God's permission. Friends, this is yet another reminder for us as we go into this tumultuous election season. God is sovereign over it all. And he is sovereign over who gets elected from the state of Montana to the presidency of the United States. And we need to remember whoever gets elected is not the ultimate power, is not who dictates whether our country or state rises and falls. They can only operate within the boundaries that God has ordained for them to operate in. according to his good and wise purposes. And just consider this, if Jesus can entrust himself to God under a wicked and cruel and violent and brutal weak man-like pilot, under a brutal Roman Empire that was in no way righteous, then we can entrust ourselves to God in our setting as well. But we should also see here that Jesus, there's another thing that we have to see. Jesus is more concerned about faithfulness to God and entrusting himself to God than he is about his supposed rights. This is important for us to see as we are immersed in a culture that I think is literally obsessed with rights. So much so we now make up rights. And that does not not affect us. We live in that culture. Jesus here is being wronged all over the place. That much is clear. Yet, he entrusts himself to God. And we were even told how Jesus acted here in this trial is to be a model for us when we are wronged. Peter writes of this. He says in 1 Peter 2, verse 21, for to this you are called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example. Okay, so as we're reading through how Jesus conducts himself in the trial, it's an example to us. that you should follow his steps, Peter says. Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. That's Jesus entrusting himself to God who does judge righteously. Knowing Pilate and the Jews do not judge righteously. Paul exhorted the Corinthians in 6-7 in a verse that I think we often read through and just like, boop, bop, over that one, keep going. He says this, why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? He's talking to the Corinthians who are obsessed with my rights. You infringed on my rights. And Paul says, why not rather let yourselves be cheated? Now, when things are illegal and when real sin is in place, we're to use those tools God's given us to use, but not cling to them and not cling to vindication. Even then, we're to entrust ourselves to God. Because like Jesus, our greater concern has to be faithfulness to him and living and trusting ourselves to him. Jesus then states that because of the reality of pilots power over the situation only being there because of God's. Power sovereignly allowing it pilot does not have the greater sin. He says, therefore, the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin. This most certainly is referring to Caiaphas. Caiaphas, the high priest, Caiaphas, the Jewish religious leader, the one who is supposed to be leading the people to God, the one who is supposed to be helping the people live faithfully to God, has instead delivered Jesus up to be crucified, the Messiah and the Son of God. Now, Jesus isn't saying, pilot your sin less, don't worry, you're going to heaven. No, Pilate is sinful too. But Jesus is speaking to the knowing rejection of God's revealed will. Pilate has no clue what's going on in the grand scheme. He does not have the law and the prophets. Caiaphas did. He had God's revelation. And he ignored it. Thus, Jesus says he has the greater sin. Well, hearing these words, Pilate just wants all the more now to release Jesus. He wants nothing to do with Jesus. Pilate, we read in verse 12, sought to release him, meaning he went back out to the Jews. And he tried to reason with them and and tried to push Jesus back out and away from him. And he's somewhat scared of Jesus now, too. But the blinded, bloodthirsty crowd would have no say in having this done at all, as far as Jesus is released. They, in a sense, pull out their ace in the hole. Really, a low-down, dirty card. It's a political card. If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. This is no empty threat. History records that there were times in Pilate's rule when the Jews went past him and complained to Caesar and Caesar responded to their complaints. So this is not an empty threat. The court of the Sanhedrin was the highest court in the region, in the land of Judea. And so if this court went to Caesar and said, we convicted a man who was trying to be king and overthrow Rome and Pilate let him go. Pilate knows he's in big trouble right there. would not go well for him. At the very least, it would lead to an investigation of him, which he had already been guilty of doing some pretty bad, evil things. He did not want an investigation. Not only that, but Caesar Tiberius was known for being extremely suspicious of those under him, and he frequently killed those under him because he thought they were a threat to him, or were perhaps allowing something treasonous to happen. And so Pilate's fear here is not unfounded. So he, John is pointing us to this fact, he is stuck. And his illusion of power that he had boldly claimed is shattered. In Pilate's mind, it's better to put to death an innocent man than risk getting in trouble with Caesar. And so Pilate here is revealed to be a fearful man and one who functions according to his fear. And we see a vivid example of what living in fear does to a person. It's ironic that Jesus is the one here with the most to fear. And yet his trust in God has resulted in him being the one most free here. Pilate, trusting in himself and the approval of others, is the one not free. He wanted to release Jesus, but he doesn't. He is, in a sense, bound by his fears. Arkennt Hughes observes this, he says, in this intimate conversation, it became apparent that only one free man was in that room, the suffering Jesus. And here we learn a lesson we would do well to take to heart. And it's this, freedom comes in trusting in God's sovereign control over all things and over our life. If you battle with fear and you battle with anxiety, this right here is the key. If we fear others, if we fear approval, if we fear what others might think of us, If we fear what could possibly happen, if we fear failing, and we could go on and on of all the things we fear. We will live in bondage. We will not be free. The path out of fear and anxiety is a healthy dependence upon a sovereign God who carries us, as Isaiah 40 says, in his strong right hand and is sovereign over all of the nations, sovereign over every event that happens, sovereign over every person in creation. You ever make the connection of Isaiah 40, how all through that text, he's talking of the sovereignty of God. God is sovereign over all things. And then it ends with even youth will grow weary. But those who wait on the Lord will rise up with eagles wings. They will run and not faint. They will walk and not grow weary. Why? Why does that verse stand there? Because of a sovereign God that is under them. You want freedom from fear. Cast yourselves upon God as Jesus does. Richard Phillips makes this observation, Christians can be delivered from the paralyzing fear of man by knowing that we are loved by a sovereign, omnipotent God who has promised to care for and protect us. You need to see the freedom of Jesus here despite his circumstances and see that it comes from him entrusting himself to God. And likewise, let's us entrust ourselves to God as well and live in the freedom that comes from entrusting ourselves to him. Peter writes in first Peter five, he says, therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him. Why? Because he cares for you. He wants us to cast our cares upon him. Well, let's look at verse 13. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, that's the saying, whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar, 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 a preparation day of the Passover in 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. And Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priest answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then he delivered them to be crucified, and they took Jesus and led him away. So here's Pilate bound by fear, bound by the fear of the Jews, bound by fear of Caesar, bound by fear of Jesus. And he has Jesus brought out once again before the Jews. Pilate sits in the judgment seat, meaning his decision has been made. He's going to pronounce his verdict. It is coming. And this is another irony John does not want us to miss. He emphasizes here judgment seat. Pilate sits in the judgment seat. over the one who is the eternal judge whom God has entrusted judgment to. John also tells us the time. It's the preparation day of the Passover. It's most likely Friday. And John says it's about the sixth hour. Now, just to help you in case you have somebody that comes along and says, the Bible's full of contradiction. Mark says that Jesus was crucified in the third hour. John says it was about the sixth hour. Well, they didn't have cell phones that told them the exact time back then. They told time by the sun. So third hour and sixth hour would overlap in that sense, in that they're both right. Jesus crucified in the third hour. John says about the sixth hour, which means it's probably late morning when Jesus is crucified. Then it would fall in the time frames that both Mark and John say. Once again, Jesus is presented by Pilate before the crowd. But this time, instead of saying, behold the man, he says, behold your king. Just as before, it's easy to think this is a mockery of Jesus, but I don't think it actually is. It's more a mockery of the Jews. Pilate is essentially saying, here's your king. This is the best king you will ever get. And you want me to crucify him. This poor man that's bleeding before you is the closest you're ever going to get to a king. He's mocking them. But Pilate seems fixated on Jesus being a king. He has it written on Jesus' cross as well, much to the irritation of the Jews who try to get him to change it. And he says, I've written what I've written. Once again, there's disheartening irony John wants us to see. Here's a Gentile ruler holding forth Jesus and saying, Behold your King. Though unintentionally, Pilate is right, and he's saying, This is your King, and you want me to crucify him. Noting this irony, D.A. Carson writes this, he says, This is really sobering when we think about the fact the Jews had been waiting centuries for Jesus. This is the last chance, it seems, these religious leaders will have to turn to Jesus, and these Jews will have to turn to Jesus. But instead they shout out, away with him! Away with him! Crucify him! They're blinded by Satan. They're blinded by their sin. And they cannot see that standing before them is the Messiah, the King they had been waiting for. It was right there. He was right in front of them. And they refused him. Friends, this happens every day. Jesus is right here before you right now. If you've not given your life to him and you've not trusted in him, this is your opportunity to do so right here. There's no guarantee that God is going to give you another time. Pilate even seems to be shocked at their hatred and hypocrisy. Shall I crucify your king? To this, the religious leaders responded, we have no king but Caesar. It's easy to read that and just kind of keep going, but this is a much more damning statement than we often realize. See, when they say this, they're actually abandoning their hope of a promised Messiah. Because they knew that the Messiah and King are one in the same. And so in rejecting Jesus as King and saying they have no King but Caesar, they're rejecting and abandoning their hope in a Messiah. And their hearts are revealed here. and their claim to have no king but Caesar. They are also denying that God is their king and they are denying his rule in their lives. And they are shown to be guilty themselves of blasphemy. Because they're not ruled by God and they say they are instead ruled by Caesar. You see, in their statement of this, they reveal that Caesar actually truly is their king. And we're reminded here that you're either going to have Jesus as king, or you'll have no king. There's no neutral stance with Jesus. You either trust him and turn to him and he's your king, or you turn to the world and hope there. But that just leads to eternal damnation. Which these Jews say. They just don't realize it. Matthew 27, 25, they shout out. All the people answered and said his blood be on us and our children. Indeed, they bore the eternal judgment of rejecting God's Messiah and King. Pilate then delivered Jesus to be crucified. Meaning Pilate gave Jesus over to the Roman soldiers to crucify Jesus on behalf of the Jews. Matthew and Mark record that this is when the brutal scourging of Jesus took place in preparation for crucifixion. This scourging was horrifying. as the whips used had multiple strands of leather in which that leather was woven bits of stone and rock and bone. It destroyed a victim's back, tearing away all of the flesh. History records accounts of people watching this. It revealed bones, ribs, and internal organs. Many died just from this beating. And the Romans did this to prepare a victim for crucifixion, not only to expedite the death on the cross, but also to ensure that death. Because after this beating, most would just die if left alone. We should note how this section begins and how it ends. Verse one, Pilate took Jesus. Verse 16, at the end. They took Jesus. Here is the king of kings and lord of lords taken. By the world. Abused by the world. And yet he's still the king. He's still the Lord. Because this was God's plan spoken 700 years before it ever happened. It was God's plan so that you and I could be saved. Let's return again to Isaiah 53. He is despised and rejected by men. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. and we hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and we did not esteem him. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him. And by his stripes, we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him. The iniquity of us all. Friends, your sin and my sin. Was laid upon that torn up and destroyed back. of Jesus, the King. And he went there willingly. Not only because he's our Messiah and Savior. He went there willingly because he's our king. Because only a king could say what Jesus said earlier in John 10, I laid down my life for the sheep. And I raise it back up. Only the king of the universe can say that. So as Pilate said, Behold your King. Let's pray. Lord God, these are sobering words to hear. It's hard. to read and examine this text. And see Jesus, our King. Beaten and abused. Not just as a hopeless victim. That would just be sad. But rather, we see him abused and beaten. Willingly. Purposefully going there. For us. And thus we are moved with sorrow. As we consider it was our sin that put him there. As Isaiah said, all of us. Have gone astray, all of us have gone our own way. And yet you. Laid upon your son. King of the universe, our sin. And Jesus willingly went there and took our sin. So that we could be cleansed from our sin. So that we could go free. It should have been us. Lashed to the pole. Receiving the lashes. But Jesus took our place and bore our curse for us. God, may our hearts be moved to joyful thankfulness. And may we take more seriously the charge that Paul gave us in 2 Corinthians 5. that He died for us, that we should no longer live for ourselves. We should instead live for our King, joyfully living for our King, who willingly suffered for us, who took our pain, He took our shame, He took all of our suffering and put it on His back. so that we might have the hope of eternal life. And the confident assurance that we will be with you, not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ did in our place. And because of that. We joyfully proclaim all glory be to you, O Lord, all glory be to Christ. Thank you for these truths, Lord. We ask that you'd help us to grow in our understanding of them. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.