Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. Luke 23:4
Psalm 130:3 asks the question, If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? Imagine for a moment that you are to stand before the throne of God, and God were to call on everybody involved in your life, asking them if they knew of any faults in you. Those who know and love you the most, including your parents, siblings, spouse, children, neighbours, and fellow workers, would have no problem building a list of flaws and sins. And even all these people would have an incomplete list, regardless how long. But then imagine God taking the list and filling in the blanks, extending that list to include every one of your faults. The longer you think about it, the longer you realize the list would be, and the greater would be your shame at its revelation. That is why we can be amazed at One Whose list before men was empty, and whose list before God did not exist!
Pilate’s declaration of Jesus’ innocence is repeated twice in this chapter (see verse 14), and is included in John’s Gospel as well. Both Matthew and Mark note that Pilate marvelled at Him. We know that the chief priests and scribes brought accusations against Him, but they were all lies begotten of envy, and Pilate knew it. He rejected their accusations altogether, and issued his official declaration: No fault! Although Pilate eventually bowed to political pressure and sent Jesus to Golgotha, he knew as well as the chief priests that he was sending an innocent Man to die. Pilate’s official declaration stands as the proof to mankind that Jesus Christ was without fault. We who are so easily able (and willing) to point out the faults of others must acknowledge that our Lord had none. And that is good, because we who are unable to atone for our faults can turn to Him and find in the faultless One the willing Taker of punishment for our faults.
Pilate’s declaration concerning Jesus is important, but not as important as God’s declaration. It is God Who knows our faults and Who knows the price required to atone for them. Throughout Jesus’ life we find declarations from Heaven as to the flawlessness of His character and the acceptableness of Him as our Sacrifice for sins. Isaiah reminds us that God could look on the travail of His soul and be satisfied (Isaiah 53:11), because of that acceptableness. Just as a lamb to be slain for the Passover must be faultless, so the Lamb of God must be as well.
Let us join with Pontius Pilate and God Almighty in declaring the faultlessness of Christ. When all of us had come short of the glory of God, He did not! – Jim MacIntosh