Jesus is Wrongly Convicted

Jesus began his life a victim of the Roman government, and he ended his life this way. Most readers know well that Jesus was executed on the cross, but several things are worth pointing out. First, he was convicted even though Pilate, who had the legal responsibility to try him, explicitly says, “I find no basis for a charge against this man” (Luke 23:4). Pilate sent Jesus to Herod for a second opinion, and Herod also found “no basis for [Pilate’s] charges against him” (23:13). Yet, Jesus was executed nonetheless. From the divine perspective, we know well that this was God’s plan, that by the suffering of the innocent one, those guilty of sin may be forgiven. However, from a human perspective we must also be struck by the fact that Jesus was wrongly convicted, though he committed no crime. In its historical context, this conviction probably depended upon the fact that Jesus was not a Roman citizen. Such citizens had the right to a fair trial before Roman authorities, could not be punished unless guilty, and had the right to appeal, even to Caesar himself (Acts 22:22-29). Jesus, however, did not possess these rights in this imbalanced legal system, and so he was executed though innocent. Here again, Christ is a victim, this time of an unjust legal system.

Jesus was a victim wrongly convicted. He was also God in the flesh, Lord, and Savior.