It seems unusual and even shocking that when Pontius Pilate sent Christ down for the scourging that didn’t satisfy the crowd’s desire for his crucifixion. Pilate found no fault in Him after all, and hoped against hope that this would satisfy them. It didn’t.

When Jesus came forth wearing the crown of thorns, with blood dripping from his body from the whipping, Pilate presented him from the balcony to the crowd and said “Behold the Man.” This announcement had real meaning for Pilate as these same words would be pronounced by the Roman Emperor at the Olympic games when a gladiator had won 10 matches and was therefore granted his freedom. Christ was to have been freed. But Pilate was caught by his previous actions against the Jews.

“When the chief priests therefore and officers (Hebrew leaders of the Sanhedrin and Roman soldiers) saw him, they cried out, saying, crucify him, crucify him . . .” (John 19:6)

So Pilate allowed it. It was allowed that Christ be led to the hill of Golgotha and be crucified. But the greatest is yet to come!