The question is was his claim true. It is here that the Jews refused to believe the evidence before them, which was so great that their blindness and prejudice seems incredible. The Old Testament in many places told them that their Messiah, when he came, would be God himself come to save them. In the prophecy concerning the birth of the Messiah in Isaiah 9, the child to be born is called 'Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace'. Jesus made it plain that he claimed to be their Messiah, but he was not the sort of the Messiah the Jews in their worldly aspirations wanted, and so they refused to believe the evidence before their eyes.

The teaching which Jesus gave caused marvel to the Jewish doctors of the law because it was so amazingly profound. His life was plainly remarkable for his holiness and love. His miracles showed a power which was none other than divine. Jesus did things which only God can do. He showed himself by his acts to be the creator, with power over his creation. Jesus raised the dead, which was evident to all. Life is in the hands of God alone. The proof of Jesus' claim was there, but the Jews would not accept it. What we can take for our assurance and comfort is this fact that Jesus did claim to be the Son of God, for the Jews brought this accusation. What we can do also is to believe the evidence, and not be like the Jews, and reject the one who came to save us and love us. It is the tragedy of the world that so many are like the Jews here, and refuse to accept the wonderful truth that Jesus is God come among us to save us, and so like the Jews miss eternal life.

Pilate finds he can't shrug off such an extraordinary claim. From all that he has heard, and from his observation of Jesus as he stands before him, Pilate feels this claim to be the Son of God may be true. He seeks to find out whether it could be true, or at least find some evidence to refute it.

Pilate asks Jesus where he comes from. Jesus remains silent. When Jesus refuses to answer, Pilate resorts to threats and cajoling. He tells Jesus he should answer as he, Pilate, has complete power over life and death.

Jesus then gives a wonderful and incredible reply. Jesus says, "You would have no power over me if it were not given your from above". Two things stand out wonderfully plainly in this reply.

Firstly, Jesus tells Pilate that God is sovereign over all, and even though Pilate may have temporal power, that power is given him from God, from above, and he holds power in trust from God. Pilate could not harm Jesus unless God allowed him to have that power. This is a truth concerning all authority, good and evil, in the world. It might seem strange that God allows some actions of power in the world which are gross, vile and evil, but this truth is still undeniable. God reigns over all, as evil rulers will have to own to their cost when Christ comes to judge the earth. No ruler on earth can put off the fact of death and accountability.

Secondly, Jesus plainly indicates that his trial and death was according to the purpose of God, even though the Jews and Pilate were acting in an unjust and evil manner, and were responsible for their action. Jesus tells Pilate he will be accountable, though his sin would not be classed as so great as that of the Jews.

Jesus was fulfilling the purpose of God in grace and love for the world. Jesus was giving himself as a ransom for sin, because it was the will of God that he should do so. Jesus was executing the predetermined plan of God in Trinity, before the foundation of the world, to redeem sinners by the Son of God giving his life to redeem them. Here is the wonder of the wisdom and love of God. God so loved the world he gave his Son to death that we might have life. Only the wisdom of God could have conceived such a solution to the problem of how sinners could justly be forgiven and saved from death, which is the just reward for sin.

This truth is hard to get our minds around. It presents all sorts of difficulties to the mind, but it is the wonderful truth. This was the reason Jesus passively allowed himself to be taken, falsely accused, and crucified on the cross. Peter in his celebrated sermon on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:23 states the truth - "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you (the Jews), with the help of wicked men (Pilate and the Romans) put him to death by nailing him to the cross."

Let us glory in the truth revealed here. Jesus could have saved himself from both Jews and Pilate, but because he was obeying the loving purposes of God for the salvation of sinners, he gave himself into the power of wicked men, and gave himself to death, in order to bear our sin in his body of the cross. Oh! what wonderful love. Oh! what gracious redemption which saved a wretch like me.