“Ecco Homo”– “Behold the man”, Wikipedia. Painting by Antonio Ciseri

Behold, the Man!!

By Helen Jesze, 29^th March 2024

“Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him … Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!”

John 19: 1+5 KJV

In this beautiful painting we see the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, presenting the scourged Jesus to the crowd in Jerusalem. It is perhaps Pilate’s wife on the right side, who has come to her husband, begging him not to hurt Jesus. “When he was set down on the judgement seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.” Matt. 27:19 KJV.

Nevertheless, Pilate gave in to the demands of the Jewish priests and although he had said he found no fault in him, Jesus was led away to be crucified. We are now at | Easter or Passover. This is the most important time of the Christian’s year. We make much of Christmas when we celebrate Jesus’ coming to Earth as a baby. Yet he came for the sole purpose of dying, God’s Paschal Lamb, to bear our sin and fulfil God’s demand that a sinless One must die to redeem us.

After three days, Jesus rose again, and each of us who will trust in him as our Saviour, can become a child of God. His sinless blood will wash away our sin and take out the root of sin; he then plants eternal life in our spirits. Jesus was not a martyr who died for a good cause. No, he laid down his life, willingly, to set us free, the Good Shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep.

Recently this has been ringing in my spirit: Behold the Man! Although we know the story so well, let’s go a bit deeper and see what there is to ‘behold’ in this ‘Man’.

Behold, the Son of God

“And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22

Behold, our Hope

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Pet. 1:3

Behold, our Comfort

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3

Behold, our Friend

“You are my friends if you do what I command you.” John 15:14.

Behold, the One who broke the Curse

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.” Galatians 3:13

Behold, the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit

“And I knew him not: 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.” John 1:33

Behold, Lord over demons and disease

“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases.” Luke 9:1

Behold, the Bread of Life

“I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven…” John 6:48

Behold, the compassionate Saviour

“And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd…” Matthew 9:36

Behold, the Peace-bringer

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27.

Behold, the Joy-bringer

“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24

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And so the “Behold” list could go on! For indeed, Jesus is all that we will ever need. I would encourage you today to look yourself, in the Bible and find some more attributes of this Jesus. Let’s “BEHOLD” him this Passover time, as never before.

And if you have not yet got to know this Jesus, this wonderful ‘Man’, I would invite you, I would urge you, to ask him into your life today, “for whom to know is Life eternal”! I asked Jesus to become my Saviour when I was nine years old, and I have never regretted it!

“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.” John 3: 16+17 Amplified Bible

“He is not here; He has risen, as He said…”

Matthew 28:6a

So to all my friends, a very happy, blessed Easter and Passover, filled with the joy of our risen Lord!