Perfect Storm

I never like reading about the crucifixion. However, today it struck me that Jesus crucifixion was a culmination of religious and political events coming together in the 'perfect storm.'

The Jews wanted Jesus dead. Caiaphas, the High Priest, led the charge against Him. The Bible says Pilate, the Roman governor, recognized their envy against Jesus but went along with them anyway.

It seemed all too obvious to me today that Pilate was mocking the Jews as much as He was mocking Jesus. The Jews were under Roman rule and it seemed to be a great amusement to the Romans to dress Jesus in royal robes and put a crown of thorns on His head. Why? Well, of course to mock Jesus, but also to mock their foolish Jewish subjects!

As much as Pilate would like to have released Jesus, he was still responsible for keeping the Jewish community in line with Roman law. Reluctantly crucifying Jesus would help accomplish that. However, it wouldn't have been necessary for all the mocking and ridiculing Jesus to do so. No, Pilate seems to me to have been rubbing it in the Jews' face that their "king" would serve as a great demonstration that the Jews remained under Roman control. The Romans mocked Jesus to prove to the Jews that their "king" was as worthless as a criminal in Roman eyes.

But the Jews didn't get it. They were so enraged with envy and hatred that they failed to see that not only was their "king" being mocked and ridiculed, but in the eyes of the Romans, they, the Jews, were being mocked and ridiculed.

The Jews ignorantly signaled their own servitude to the Roman government in willingly giving their "king" to be crucified. Pilate and all the Roman government must have mused over the Jews' outright stupidity. And that is exactly what they did by dressing Jesus in royal robes, putting the crown of thorns on His head and beating Him senseless.

It was no secret that the Jews (under Roman rule) were anticipating a Redeemer King. I am sure the Romans were not ignorant of that fact.

The thing is, Pilate was so close to releasing Jesus. So, rather than allowing it to cause a riot, he proceeded with the crucifixion, but made sure to drive home the point to the Jewish people that any notion of a Jewish king would meet a terrible fate. Jesus would be the perfect example.

Father, help me to understand more about the religious and political climate surrounding Jesus' crucifixion.