In the Gospel according to John, two men, John the Baptist, and Pilate, each one twice introduced the Saviour to the people. While one introduces Jesus at the start of His ministry as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), the latter presents Him during the time of His humiliation at the close of His ministry.
The Privilege of John the Baptist
“When Adam and Eve first heard the promise, [of the coming Deliverer] they looked for its speedy fulfillment. They joyfully welcomed their first-born son, hoping that he might be the Deliverer. But the fulfillment of the promise tarried. Those who first received it died without the sight. From the days of Enoch the promise was repeated through patriarchs and prophets, keeping alive the hope of His appearing, and yet He came not.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 31
“When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman.” Galatians 4:4. Prophets died without seeing the Messiah who came at the fullness of the time. There was, however, one, chosen by God, who was privileged to introduce to the world its Saviour. “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” Matthew 11:13. Born to prepare the people for that event, he was in charge of the transition from his ministry, to that of the Saviour’s. As a guest of honour is introduced at a special event, so John the Baptist was the chosen instrument to unveil to men the sacrifice that brought salvation to the lost world—Jesus Christ.
Before the grand task of introducing Jesus to the people, he must prepare the hearts of the people to accept the kingdom of grace. His was a message calling the people to repentance. In those days, the voice was heard in the wilderness of Judea: “saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2. While prophets had foretold the coming of the Messiah as one to take place in the distant future, his was a message saying, it is at hand. Thus the people were aroused. According to prophecy, he was to “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.” Malachi 4:6
“In the time of John the Baptist, greed for riches, and the love of luxury and display had become widespread. Sensuous pleasures, feasting and drinking, were causing physical disease and degeneracy, benumbing the spiritual perceptions, and lessening the sensibility to sin. . . . He saw his people deceived, self-satisfied, and asleep in their sins.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 100, 103
Amid such a crooked and depraved spiritual condition of his day, here is this righteous man, standing as a reformer, yearning to arouse his nation to a holier life! They must be startled from their lethargy and caused to tremble for their wickedness. “Before the seed of the gospel could find lodgment, the soil of the heart must be broken up. Before they would seek healing from Jesus, they must be awakened to their danger from the wounds of sin.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 104
Introducing the Saviour of Mankind
It was “in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing” (John 1:28), that “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (v. 29). John and Jesus were cousins, and much related by the circumstances of their birth, yet they had not seen each other before this day. “And I knew Him not:” John testifies, “but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon Whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” John1:33. “Providence had ordered this. No occasion was to be given for the charge that they had conspired together to support each other’s claims.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 109
“Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” John 1:35–36. Twice he gave an affirmative testimony that the Saviour had come indeed. He did all he could do that none be left ignorant. John’s work in directing men to Jesus was not without effect. “And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest Thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.” John 1:37–40
At some future time, as many left him, gathering themselves to Jesus, some of his disciples “came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to Him.” John 3:26. He could have sympathized with them, and tried to take measures to keep the people from following Jesus, to maintain his own ministry. Had he done so, he could have been destroying the very work he came to establish and Satan could have gladly welcomed the development. In an answer free from selfishness, contrary to what was expected, he told them that everything comes from above, that he was not the Christ but only going before Him. Giving the example of the relationship between the bride and the bridegroom, he presented himself as the friend of the bridegroom—full of joy (John 3:27–29). Then said he: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30. Such humility must be emulated by all those who profess to be children of God.
Thus, he had succeeded in his mission of pointing men to the Saviour who alone could heal their depravity, wounds, and spiritual maladies. It is because of this that it was said of him by Jesus, “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.” Matthew 11:11 (first part)
Yet, it is also said of John that, “he was not permitted to see the result of his own labors. It was not his privilege to be with Christ and witness the manifestation of divine power attending the greater light. It was not for him to see the blind restored to sight, the sick healed, and the dead raised to life. He did not behold the light that shone through every word of Christ, shedding glory upon the promises of prophecy. The least disciple who saw Christ’s mighty works and heard His words was in this sense more highly privileged than John the Baptist, and therefore is said to have been greater than he.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 220. “Notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:11 (last part)
Pilate Presents Jesus to the People
Like John the Baptist, Pilate also presented Jesus to the people, but in a very different scenario. This time, Christ is bound with fetters as a prisoner, condemned to death by the priests and rulers, demanding that Pilate, as the Roman authority, ratify their sentence.
When Pilate came in the early morning from his bedchamber to attend to the demands of the mob that brought Jesus to his judgment hall, he thought the accused, from the way they had treated Him and brought Him to the judgment hall, was just another worse offender, and that he would quickly deal with Him. He was astonished. “Never before had a man bearing marks of such goodness and nobility been brought before him. On His face, he saw no sign of guilt, no expression of fear, no boldness or defiance. He saw a man of calm and dignified bearing, whose
countenance bore not marks of a criminal but the signature of heaven.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 724
After a long trial, moving from Pilate to Herod and back to him, Pilate was convinced and constantly testified that Christ was pure and free from guilt. “I find in Him no fault.” John 18:38. “Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring Him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in Him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the Man!” John 19:4–5. Finally, Pilate brings before the people Jesus and Barabbas, side by side, and with a voice of solemn entreaty asks whom they would have him release. Now in this presentation of the two people by Pilate, “Barabbas, the robber and murderer, was the representative of Satan. Christ was the representative of God.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 738
Pilate was a wicked ruler. Yet he recognized in Jesus the King of heaven. In several encounters he saw Jesus as innocent. Yet the Jews were bent upon His death! The priests and rulers had rejected the testimony of the righteous man, John the Baptist, that Jesus was the Lamb of God. Now they had to be preached to by this evil man, Pilate. And here he stands, trying to make them see the person of Christ and convince them of His innocence, but their hearts are hardened. They cannot discern the purity of heaven in Him. Envy and jealousy have covered their hearts. During the trial, the face of Jesus constantly lighted up with the beams of light from heaven, divinity had flashed through humanity but the priests had made themselves insensitive to this. Now these last rays of light and conviction cannot be discerned.
They brought, “Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe.” John 19:5. This was the Lamb of God as described by Isaiah the prophet. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5. The second time Pilate said, “Behold your King!” (John 19:14) referring to Jesus. But the people said, away with Him, and chose Satan in the person of Barabbas. On which side are you placing yourself, dear reader?
Conclusion
In the words of Pilate—Behold the Man!—we see our justification and sanctification. In these words, we see One suffering for our sake, and that through faith in Him we are forgiven of our sins. In the words— Behold the Man!—we see a Purifier of our souls from both inherited and cultivated tendencies that are offensive to God. Can one be so benumbed that he cannot see the beauty of Christ being now introduced in this manner, His body marred with wounds for his sake? Can one still continue to practice known sins while his eyes behold the man Jesus Christ in this form here presented? “Through faith in Christ, every deficiency of character may be supplied, every defilement cleansed, every fault corrected, every excellence developed.” –Education, p. 257
As we behold the Man, we “are changed into the same image from glory to glory.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. Christ in the form here presented, stands as a rebuke to sin—not just from His innocent bearing, but from the condition of His suffering in which He is innocent. When we see Christ in His agony, sin appears horrible in its real nature. Then we see how much God has loved us to free us at such an infinite cost.
Let us now put aside every sin, lest we crucify the Son of God afresh, “and put Him to an open shame.” Hebrews 6:6. “In the time of trouble just before the coming of Christ, the righteous will be preserved through the ministration of heavenly angels; but there will be no security for the transgressors of God’s law. Angels cannot then protect those who are disregarding one of the divine precepts.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 256. Amen.
Joel Msiska,
Malawi