John 19:6 NKJV
“Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.'”
The LORD instructed Moses on many things that the Israelites were to do and to keep away from. One such strict instruction had to do with the animal brought for sacrifice (Lev 22). The priests had to examine the animal thoroughly to ensure that it strictly had no defects such as blindness, lameness, bruises, or disease. Any slight defect was enough to disqualify the animal, and thus, the one who brought it would not receive the blessing or forgiveness therein. Indeed, to leave no gray areas regarding this matter, the LORD made it categorically clear that the animal for sacrifice “…must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it” (Lev 22:21 NKJV).
When Jesus Christ, Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, was about to be offered, He was literally examined: Upon His arrest, Jesus was “led…away to Annas” (Joh 18:13 NKJV), then to “Caiaphas the high priest” (Joh 18:24 NKJV), and finally to Pilate who sentenced Him, saying, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find NO FAULT in Him”, as in our text. Wait a second! Why then “crucify Him” who has “no fault”? Isn’t that a contradiction? Well, recall God’s instruction to Moses about the required sacrifice: it had to be “perfect to be accepted.” Every examination found that the Lamb of God (Jesus Christ) was without defect (faultless), thus totally worthy of acceptance before God the Father. Hallelujah!
The perfection—thus acceptance—of Christ’s sacrifice before God is what gives us (who believe in Him) the total assurance that we are also “accepted [before God] in the Beloved [Son Jesus]” (Eph 1:6 NKJV). Hallelujah! Driving home the truth about that blessed assurance, Peter would say to believers in Christ, “For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life handed down by your ancestors. It was not something that can be destroyed, such as silver or gold; it was the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or flaw” (1 Pet 1:18-19 GNT). Hallelujah! Praise God that “…we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb 10:10 NKJV)!
Pst. Emmanuel