November 1, 2023

 Seeing Through The Lies

(Some information may be too graphic for small children)

“So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, ‘Crucify, crucify!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.’ The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.’” John 19:6-7 (NASB)

            “Sören Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher and theologian, declared that in removing from Christianity its ability to shock, it is altogether destroyed. It becomes a superficial thing, incapable of inflicting deep wounds or of healing them.”[1]

            “… they cried out saying, ‘Crucify, crucify!” The word “Crucify” comes from the word stauroō; to fence with stakes.”[2] “It seems that the Persians invented or first used this mode of execution. They probably did so in order not to defile the earth, which was consecrated to Ormuzd (the good God and the Evil Spirit of Zoroastrianism), by the body of the person executed… In Rome, it was already a mode of executing slaves even in the days of the republic. In the imperial period, it was regarded as servile supplicium but was also used on aliens who were not Roman citizens. It could not be imposed on citizens, (Cic. Verr., II, 5, 62, 162–165). But autocratic governors ignored this. In the Roman provinces the penalty of crucifixion was one of the strongest means of maintaining order and security. Governors imposed this servile punishment esp. on freedom fighters who tried to break away from Roman rule… Crucifixion took place as follows. The condemned person carried the patibulum (cross-beam) to the place of execution—the stake was already erected. Then on the ground he was bound with outstretched arms to the beam by ropes, or else fixed to it by nails. The beam was then raised with the body and fastened to the upright post. About the middle of the post was a wooden block which supported the suspended body; there was no foot-rest in ancient accounts. The height of the cross varied; it was either rather more than a man’s height or even higher when the offender was to be held up for public display at a distance.14 On the way to execution a tablet was hung around the offender stating the causa poenae, and this was affixed to the cross after execution so that all could see.”[3] “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die…” Because the political accusation had failed the Jews, they resorted to religious accusations to secure Jesus’s death. Their accusations said Jesus was a threat to Roman authority had failed. Pilate saw through the lies. Their next accusation (or lie) was to make Pilate aware Jesus had violated Jewish law and therefore must face death. “We have a law…” By Jewish law, those who were a blasphemer of God, or a false prophet, must die. “So at last the truth comes out. It was false that Jesus had gone about in the land proclaiming himself a secular king; what he had done was to declare himself ‘God’s son.’”[4]

            Whatever the accusations were against Jesus, He knew the outcome. Therefore He didn’t need to argue His case. He didn’t even need to respond. He was in charge if they didn’t notice it.

[1] Jones, G. C. (1986). (p. 90). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

[2] Thomas, R. L. (1998). In Foundation Publications, Inc.

[3] Schneider, J. (1964–).. In G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 7, p. 573). Eerdmans.

[4] Lenski, R. C. H. (1961) (pp. 1257–1258). Augsburg Publishing House.