Jesus Christ is falsely accused, arrested and brought before the Roman governor of Judea- Pontius Pilate- for the most famous trial in history. Pilate is no fool and knows that Jesus is innocent so he makes some effort to rule in Jesus’ favour. It is at this point that the Jewish leaders play their trump card- ‘if you let this man go, you are not Caesar’s friend’. The emperor at the time was a rather paranoid Tiberius who would execute even friends if their loyalty got suspect.
If what was probably at attempt to spite the Jews Pilate, pointing at Jesus says ‘behold your king’! The infuriated crowd respond’- we have no king but Caesar’- a truly astonishing statement to make for a people smarting under Roman rule.
At this point the ‘show trial’ is over as Pilate, knowing he can’t afford to take chances, hands Jesus over to the mob.
As we look at a bleeding, battered man being led away to be crucified- are we willing to own him as our King before a watching world? Are we willing to faithfully follow Jesus even when the mob demands that we do their will and tread Christ underfoot?
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