Jesus Suffered the Debate of the Wicked and the Weak

What Did Jesus Do?

…they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!”
Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him,
for I find no guilt in him.”
John 19.6

It wasn’t the first time that Jesus had been the center of a debate. In the midst of his ministry, a debate of sorts had raged over just who Jesus was. Peter had settled that question for all time with his confession, “Thou art the Christ!” (See Matthew 16.13-16) While the Lord was well pleased with Peter’s answer, he suffered the masses to continue their speculation about him, going so far as to charge his disciples with keeping the Messianic secret (Matthew 16.17-20). But now, Jesus was the subject of a different debate, one with far more serious immediate consequences, yet again he permitted the debate to go on. But this time, with his life hanging in the balance, Jesus suffered the debate of the wicked and the weak.

Before I am accused of pointing fingers, let me confess that I am not immune either to weakness or wickedness. Had I been present in Jerusalem two thousand years ago I rather expect I would not have comported myself any better than the actual actors in the divine drama of Christ’s Passion. Jesus had already suffered his disciples, his best friends, to betray, to desert, and to deny. Now it was the turn of the chief priests and Pharisees, and the Roman Empire’s most infamous governor, to play their parts.

The irony was thick, though I’m not sure anyone besides Jesus would have noticed, and he kept strictly silent on the matter, when the chief priests and officers presented the Lord to Pilate claiming that Jesus had been “doing evil.” (John 18.30) There was great evil astir on that night, but it was all directed against the Lord, not initiated by him. An illegal court proceeding, complete with false witnesses, had convened at the high priest’s residence for the purpose of imposing a pre-determined verdict and sentence. What better adjective to describe such a vicious, even blood-thirsty, throng, than wicked? Feigning respect for the law, the mob all but demanded Pilate execute the Nazarene, his patent innocence notwithstanding.

The wicked had sought out the weak to carry out their murderous wrath. Now, governors invested with the power of imperial Rome might more appropriately have been characterized as local strongmen, backed as they were with the force of veteran legions. Yet what else, but weak, can we call Governor Pilate, who, though he was convinced of Christ’s innocence, yielded to the demands of the wicked, and surrendered Jesus into the hands of those who would be satisfied with nothing short of his death?

Still, it is evident, even as Jesus suffered the debate to go on, he was not impressed nor intimidated by Pilate’s claims of authority; neither did the great sin of those who had delivered him over to Pilate escape Jesus (John 19.11) . But, seemingly in the hands of the wicked and the weak, Jesus was precisely where he needed to be. In truth, an unseen hand controlled all that transpired. Though Pilate sought to release the man whom the Jews had accused of making himself the Son of God (John 19.7; 12), he was too weak to stand up to the wickedness that confronted him. When the Jews rejected all other kings but Caesar (John 19.15), an implicit rejection of Yahweh, all argument came to a close, and Jesus, having suffered the debate of the wicked and the weak, was led forth to suffer the cross.

We know, of course, that the Lord’s suffering was not at all in vain, but in fact redemptive, even to the point of gaining forgiveness and mercy for those who confess their wickedness and weakness, and surrender to Jesus. On this let there be no debate!

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4