no justice

The people didn’t care. Incited by the chief priests, they just wanted Jesus dead.

Pilate didn’t care. He just wanted peace; he was trying to avert a riot.

Here’s the story, in Mark 15; Pilate offers to release either Jesus or the murderer Barabas and the crowd chooses the murderer. Then this, from verses 12-15: 

“‘What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked them.

“‘Crucify him!’ they shouted.

“‘Why? What crime has he committed?’ asked Pilate.

“But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’

“Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.”

No crime, not the slightest shred of evidence. Just a day awash in hatred and rage. Justice would have seen Jesus released and Barabas executed. Justice would have recognized Jesus as the legitimate king of the Jews. But in that city at that time, there was no justice.

And the chief beneficiary was us. Because justice would have seen Jesus released and us executed.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!