Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” John 19:4-7

There seems to be a lot of going in and out in these scenes with Pilate. The Chief Priests, not wanting to be ceremonially unclean, cannot come inside the palace, so Pilate has to go in and out as he talks to them and talks to Jesus.

In this scene, Pilate appears on Jesus’ side and says he cannot find anything to charge against Jesus. However, his actions do make you question which side he actually is on: Jesus’? The side of the Sanhedrin? Of just his own self?

Because bringing Jesus out like this, dressed as He is, is public humiliation.

You really feel for Jesus at this point, because he’s being completely mocked. Wearing a robe and a crown; it’s like they’ve dressed him up in a kid’s costume and made him parade in front of a crowd that hates him.

It’s low.

As Jesus’ trial continues, things do seem to go lower and lower and become more and more childish.

Jesus becomes this hot potato that Pilate is trying to get off his hands. He can tell that Jesus is innocent and doesn’t deserve to die and tries to handball him across to the Sanhedrin.

But they handball him straight back to Pilate. They say that Jesus has broken a law of theirs and this means he must die.

Jesus is back in Pilate’s court. Literally. While he gets palmed back and forth, Jesus stands their silently dressed like a king.

Because He is one.

But those around Jesus don’t recognise this – or don’t want to – it goes straight over the top of their heads.

It shouldn’t though, because these are the chief priests. They are high up in the hierarchy. They coordinate the daily activities of the temple and its treasury.

They also interact with the Roman government to keep the peace, which could often look like maintaining their own status – which is exactly what they are doing here.

Jesus has come along and shaken up some feathers. Jesus has shown that the way things have been happening are not as God wants them to be, nor how they should be.

The chief priests are not interested in this. They don’t want to listen to Jesus. They just want glory.

The chief priests therefore are a good model to us all as to what not to do.

Jesus is the King that has come into the world to save us. This is amazing news but it also requires that we humble ourselves and admit that we really haven’t got things all worked out. Jesus isn’t just a nice addition in life, he is necessary.

We need to get over ourselves to meet with Jesus. He’s the King, isn’t he?

The chief priests want to be king instead. So there’s only one thing to do with this treachery to their system.

The irony is that it isn’t even their system. It’s God’s temple and Jesus is not only the King, He is God’s son.

Which is exactly what He claimed.

Easter asks us to humble ourselves. Or, as they say, to get over ourselves. To stop trying to bring glory upon ourselves but instead submit to Jesus’ kingship and humbly admit that we need Him.

Will we do that this Easter? Or will we just keep up the pretence that we have it all together?

Only those who know they are broken and in need of repair can come to Jesus to find healing.

Yours in need of repair,

Alison