John 18:29-32, Pilate

29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

Since the Jewish officials won’t come into his residence, Pilate goes out to enquire of the charge against Jesus. The Jews’ response is rather disrespectful and patronizing, as though dealing with Pilate is the last thing they want to do. Perhaps they had already discussed Jesus with Pilate and thought he would quickly go along with them rather than begin the interrogation of Jesus by interrogating them!

Pilate appears to want to have nothing to do with them and their justice—let the Jews judge him themselves. Most likely he is reminding them that Rome is in control and they must come to him, rubbing it in their face. Undeterred, their answer reveals what is really going on. The punishment to the crime of blaspheme, with which they are charging Jesus, is death by stoning. Under Roman rule, however, they are not allowed to carry out the death penalty, but the Romans do have a death sentence: crucifixion. A. N. Sherwin-White writes, “The capital power was the most jealously guarded of all the attributes of government.”

Yet there was a further reason Jesus was to be crucified and not stoned to death: prophecy. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 reads: “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God.” On the cross—the tree—Jesus would bear the curse for us. His body would not remain on the cross overnight. The time is tight, but it appears that behind all the parties in this evil collaboration is the hand of God, working his purposes out in accordance with his word.

Father, thank you that your Son became a curse for us, bearing our sins upon the cross. Amen.