The Criminal Charge Against Jesus

Pilate, the Roman Governor, had no reason to put Jesus to death. There was no legal charge to put against Him: and without a legal reason to execute Jesus, the Governor could be stripped of his office, or worse. The charge that the religious leaders brought was blasphemy (but that was not recognised in Roman law).
 
There was another charge against Jesus: sin against a holy God. However, that sin was not His but ours! As Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” The death of Christ was not a Roman mistake or a religious conspiracy alone; it was the will of God. Acts 2:23 reports Peter on the Day of Pentecost: “This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.”
 
As we approach Good Friday and Easter, we must remember that ‘it was for us He hung and suffered there’. Our response should be to be ashamed of our sin and also to be overwhelmingly glad about our salvation. We were the criminals, but He is the Saviour of all those who put their trust in Him. Are we grateful? We should be! Alas, we often revert to being the centre of our little worlds and push Jesus (and His cross) to the sidelines. That is a tragedy, and almost a blasphemy, to treat the death of God the Son as a small matter. His willingness to accept the wrath of Father God for all the sins, of all the people, of all the world, for all time … is the only reason why we can have peace with God. We should be so grateful that we should be willing do anything for Him.