John 19:4-5

‘And Pilate went out again and says to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you so that you may know that I find no crime in him.” Jesus therefore came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And Pilate says to them, “Behold, the man”.'

The battle of wills continued. Pilate did not like the Jewish authorities and he clearly objected to being railroaded by them. They had brought Jesus for Pilate to judge and in his view it was all a pretence. Their charges were ludicrous. Why then should he do what they wanted and be in line to take the blame? Why didn't they deal with Him themselves?

Furthermore there was an underlying superstition within him that this man may have been more than He seemed. His wife had sent him a warning about continuous nightmares she had had about Him (Matthew 27:19) and this fitted in with the man's own talk about a kingdom in another world. He did not like the situation at all.

So he again told them that he found the man innocent of any specific crime. This was the nub. They did not seem to be able to bring any evidence whatsoever. Why then should he take the risk of executing Him? He was after all accountable for his judgments.

So he brought Jesus out and said, ‘Look at him'. Standing there weakly with blood streaming from His wounds and dressed grotesquely He did not appear to be much of a danger to anyone. Surely they were not afraid of Him? What could such a person possibly do?

He had in fact no comprehension of the thoughts and bitterness filling their minds at this man who had so flouted their teachings and had shown them up before the people, bitterness that had been built up over the years as He had constantly shown them to be in the wrong. To them He had power, for He had the power of words and popularity. And they had had enough of it. They would never forgive Him.

Furthermore they knew that Pilate was wavering. He had not been firm in his judgment, appealing to them rather than overriding them; he had offered to release Jesus according to a custom, as though He had been guilty; and he had subjected Jesus to the dreadful scourge, a pointer to guilt.

‘Behold, the man.' While Pilate simply means ‘look at the fellow', and considered Him innocent, and the soldiers looked at Him and considered Him a loser, and the Judaisers looked at Him and saw in Him their bitter enemy, John saw a deeper significance in the word ‘Man'. Here was the One Who represented mankind, the second Man (Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:47), the One Who as Man would, through His own death, redeem mankind, being the bruiser of the Serpent's head (Genesis 3:15). He represented Man, bruised but triumphant.