21 JESUS is PRESENTED-Pilate then presented the bleeding Jesus with a crown of thorns and a mock purple robe to the crowd as their king. He hoped that this spectacle would lead them to release Jesus out of pity.

He also offered the crowd of hypocrites, loyal to the insincere Jewish Leaders, a choice between Jesus and a dangerous criminal to be set free from prison. To Pilate's surprise the crowd chanted for the untrustworthy Barabbas' release and chanted crucifixion for Jesus. A rebel murderer and a radical revolutionary, who would have died instead of Jesus that day was released.

Three times Pilate tried to release Jesus. It was unexpected by Roman Rule that Pilate eventually allowed himself to be forced by a group of Jewish Religious Leaders into executing Jesus. An explanation is that he already felt his position in the Roman Empire to be in threat as he did not have any personal inclination to put Jesus to death.

Pilate had previously consulted with his wife concerning Jesus. Far from some unseemly intrusion by her into official affairs of state, Roman women usually shared the responsibilities of husbands serving as professional diplomats. They often were the husband's best and truest advisor. Pilate’s wife, grand-daughter of the Emperor Augustus, was know to pay serious attention to the Jewish Religion and very concerned about Jesus whom she believed to be a just and righteous man. She had sent word to her husband that he should not have anything to do with the whole affair of the condemnation of Jesus.

This incident was another testimony to the sinlessness of Jesus. The Chief Priest and Religious Leaders knew this to be true also, but thought it better that one man die for Israel than all of Israel to suffer because of local radicals and rebellions.

Pontus Pilate too, believed Jesus to be innocent of any criminal charge that warranted the death penalty and after symbolically washing his hands of the entire affair, shirking the serious duty of his authoritative position; he did carry out the order for crucifixion. He sinned against his own ethics, his own sense of right and wrong. He was also afraid.

He presented Jesus to the Jewish Officials as their king who immediately claimed that they had no king except Caesar. They had rejected any suggestion that they were rebellious against Roman Rule and they exposed their true spiritual condition.

He also ordered that the notice of crime identifying Jesus as King of the Jews be attached to His cross. This was written in three languages, Aramaic, Latin and Greek so all who passed by would recognise the crime for which Jesus was killed. These incidents fulfilled the prophecies of Numbers 21:9, Isaiah 53:7, John 3:14,15, 8:28, 12:32.

The True Good Shepherd was the 'worthless shepherd' to be set upon by the Roman weapon, the instrument of death. The Lord God commanded the death of His Messiah, which is conclusive that Jesus death was not an accident, or by chance but by a divinely arranged appointment. It was essential to God's Divine Plan that Jesus should die, not by stoning, but 'by being lifted up from the earth', a death that could only be executed by crucifixion. In the wilderness, with Moses, the Israelites had to look upon a raised up bronze replica of a serpent, the symbol of evil, to live, so it was with Jesus. Jesus spoke of His death as 'being lifted up', and all who look to Him will have Eternal Life.

All the disciples were eventually dispersed because of fear of retaliation from the traditional Jews and then they themselves were widely separated throughout the nations by the Roman Army in 70 A.D.

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