The True Meaning of Easter
Pilate washing his hands off Jesus' death. DeAgostini/Getty Images |
Jesus also said;
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ~ John 8.31-32
They dragged him before Pilate* to be tried for blasphemy—for claiming, they said, to be King of the Jews. And they pressured Pilate, the only one with power to impose a death sentence, to call for his crucifixion.
According to the Gospel of Mark, Pilate came to the defence of Jesus before yielding to the desire of the crowd.
*Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect (governor) of Judea, a subprovince of Syria, who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus. As prefect, Pilate commanded Roman military units, authorized construction projects, arranged for the collection of imperial taxes, and decided civil and criminal cases.
So what was it exactly that got Jesus nailed to the cross?
Apparently they say it is the words that he uttered or someone uttered that alluded to him being the King of the Jews.
The crowd including the Jews who gathered at his hearing before Pilate, instigated that he be crucified. Something the equivalent of a lynching mob that harassed Pilate into condemning the man to death.
Research reveals the real reason Jesus was crucified was because he committed an offence in Jewish law. The high priest regards Jesus' claim as blasphemous. For this reason Pilates wanted to release Jesus realising there is no substance to the chief priest's accusations.
He offers the crowd the choice between Jesus and Barabbas hoping to be able to set Jesus free. But his plan fails when the chief priests malevolently incites the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be freed and for Jesus to be crucified.
Pilate vainly continues his desperate struggle to save Jesus from an unjust fate by appealing to them; " Why? What evil has he done?"
But he is eventually forced to submit to the fanatical Jewish mob baying for Jesus' blood and reluctantly condemns Jesus to death by crucifixion.
The rest then is history.
Happy Easter all.
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