Thoughts on the Gospel of John (192) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

Now it was the preparation day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, behold your King! But they cried out, away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, we have no king but Caesar! Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.
John 19:14–16

Thoughts on the Gospel of John (192)
The trial is heading towards its climax: Pilate has sat down on the judgment seat and now wants to pronounce the sentence. It is precisely here that John the Evangelist interrupts the account to tell us the time and hour. The “preparation day of the Passover” is the day before the great Sabbath, that is, Friday, when the lambs are slaughtered in the afternoon. It begins on Thursday evening and ends 24 hours later. Within these 24 hours the most terrible events of all time, or indeed of eternity, took place.

It is early in the morning when Pilate’s investigation comes to an end. He makes two more attempts to dissuade the hateful chief priests and servants by pointing them to their King – but in vain. Completely unrestrained, they cry out, “Away with Him!” or “Take Him away!” They have no thought or feeling, no word or intention in common with Jesus. They would rather prefer a murderer.

The fact that the chief priests regard the emperor as their king makes one sit up and take notice. Politically, their statement is true. But that the supremacy of the Romans over the people of the Jews is a punishment from God they do not realise, because they fail to see their own guilt. In any case, they prefer the Emperor of Rome to Jesus, the King of the Jews.

(to be continued next Sunday)

Today’s reading: Genesis 44:18-34 · Psalms 31:18-24