After scourging Him, the soldiers weaved for Him a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and put on him a purple robe (John 19:1-3). Pilate brought Him out before the mob and cried out to them to “Behold, the Man” (John 19:5)! Pilate never would have guessed these words would be recorded in a book which would stand the test of time and yet these words were recorded and have just as much meaning today as it did then. Heed the words of Pilate, and “Behold, the Man”!
Take yourself back almost 2000 years and place yourself in the mob which is standing up around you shouting at the top of their lungs to “crucify, crucify!” the Man you know to be the Son of God (John 19:6). As they are shouting Pilate speaks those three words, telling you to, “Behold, the Man”! You take your eyes off the screaming crowd, away from the chief priests and the officers which were encouraging the mob, and turn your eyes to Jesus. As you look upon His face you see the dried blood which ran down his face from the crown of thorns and has ran down into His eyes.
As they parade Him around mocking Him to His face, your thoughts go back to the past 24 hours filled with betrayal, court cases, and suffering. As the Roman soldier scourged Jesus, you were there watching as with each hit upon His back, the flesh was from the bones of Jesus. It was more that just strips and scratches,as the muscle on Jesus’ back was lacerated, literally tearing and cutting apart the muscle fibers of His back. You can only imagine the excruciating pain that your Friend is in as you see the contusions and bruising upon His face from the blows He took to the face as He was mocked and spat upon. The humiliation of the perfect sinless One being treated as if He was the scum of the earth. You continue to “Behold, the Man” as the soldiers took nails and drove them into the hands and feet of Jesus nailing Him to the cross. 
Nearly 2000 years removed from these events and the phrase, “Behold, the Man” remains significant.
Each Lord’s day, saints all over the world take time to participate in a memorial which is sometimes called the Lord’s Supper or communion. When Jesus instituted this feast, He would give the instructions to “do this in remembrance of Me” (I Corinthians 11:24, 25). This Sunday, when you gather with the saints to observe the Lord’s Supper, remember the words of Pilate, and “Behold, the Man”. Remember the suffering and shame as they put our Savior on the cross naked and nailed Him to the cross. Jesus had the power to protect Himself from the cross, He had the power to keep Himself from suffering and dying, but out of love for you and me, Christ bore the cross and endured the wrath of God. Paul wrote, “for the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and as sinners, we all have a debt we cannot pay, but Jesus paid the price on the cross and “He purchased [the church] with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). This sacrifice gives us life as it purchased the church giving us a place in which we can be saved (Acts 2:36-47). Throughout the week read the Gospel accounts concerning the crucifixion of Jesus, read prophecies such as Isaiah 53, and be thankful for the sacrifice Jesus made each day and when you come together to partake of the Lord’s Supper this Sunday, remember this sacrifice, taking yourself back to the day Jesus died, and “Behold, the Man” who suffered and died to save your soul.
Travis White
(Picture from “The Wilsonian Institute”)
White Stone Weekly 