John 19:6-7, Crucify Him!

6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”

It is a difficult scene to consider, but an awfully beaten, nearly dead Jesus is standing before the Jewish leadership. The man who said that God prefers mercy rather than sacrifice, receives no mercy from the people of God. Instead they demand Pilate crucify him. Pilate responds for the third time that he finds no guilt in him. Pilate half-heartedly tries to put the onus on the Jews to kill Jesus, but they retort that he deserves for Pilate to put him to death. Jesus has broken the law, specifically Leviticus 24:16: “ Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.” By claiming to be the Son of God, Jesus has blasphemed the name of the Lord according to Jewish leadership.

According to Roman law, the Jews could not crucify Jesus, so they had the Romans do it. According to Jewish law, if Jesus were indeed guilty, he should be stoned to death. Because the Jews were under Roman authority, they were not allowed to carry out the death penalty. Therefore, it appears the leaders riled up the crowd to demand the crucifixion of Jesus.

Thou whose eternal love for our weak and struggling race was most perfectly shown forth in the blessed life and death of Jesus Christ our Lord, enable me now so to meditate upon my Lord’s passion that, having fellowship with him in his sorrow, I may also learn the secret of his strength and peace.

John Baillie, 1886-1969