Scene 13: Jesus is Condemned to Death (Station 1)

Here is your king.

We now start the Way of the Cross.
Up to this point has been the Passion of Our Lord bringing him to now where he is finally condemned to death as he foretold to his disciples.
We have a scene for each of the 14 Stations of the Cross you see in every Church. These began in early days, but once the Holy Land was blocked by the Muslims, churches began to have them inside and by the 16th to 18th centuries settled on the standard 14 we have here. Read more about the Stations of the Cross here.

I find nothing wrong with him.

I wash my hands of this matter!

Jesus, scourged and abused, was returned to Pilate. Hoping the sight of Jesus punished would placate the crowd Pilate once again addressed them.

"Behold! The man!"
"See, I am bringing him out to you, to show that I cannot find any fault in him."
But the crowd yelled, "Crucify him, crucify him!"
Pilate appealed to them, "Take him yourselves and try him by your own law. I cannot find any fault in him."
Caiaphas replied,"We have our own law, and by our law he ought to die for pretending to be the Son of God."

Pilate turned to Jesus and asked, "From where have you come?"
But Jesus made no reply.
Pilate was annoyed at Jesus as he knew that death was on the line, "You refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that only I have the power to release you or to have you crucified?"
Jesus looked at Pilate and replied, "You have no power over me but that which is given to you from above. That is why the man who handed me over to you has the greater guilt."

After this Pilate is all for releasing Jesus, but the crowd kept crying out, getting more unruly. The guards were told to strengthen their positions and keep the crowd calm, but the unruliness continued.

Caiaphas looked up at Pilate and said sweetly, "You are no friend of Caesar if you release him. The man who pretends to be a king is Caesar’s rival."

When Pilate heard them speak like this he sat down on the judgement seat and pondered his situation. It was now about Noon on the eve of the Paschal feast.

Pilate stood up and pointed at Jesus and made another attempt to just release him, "See? Here is your King!"
The crowd yelled, "Away with him! Crucify him!"
Pilate was surprised and asked, "What? Shall I crucify your king?"

Caiaphas then stepped up, reminding Pilate of the official Roman position. He certainly didn't accept Caesar as his king, but neither he didn't recognise Jesus as king. This claim was to remind Pilate that if Jesus was released he would effectively be backing a rival to Caesar which was exactly what Pilate was in his position to stop.
Caiaphas said, "We have no king but Caesar."
The crowd reinforced Caiaphas and shouted, "Caesar! Caesar!"

Pilate, finding his good attempts counted for nothing and the uproar only became worse, sent for water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd.
"I am innocent of this man’s blood, it is your concern."
The crowd was now fully enthusiastic and yelled, "His blood be upon us and upon our children."

Shaking his head, Pilate beckoned to Longinus, "Centurion, do as they ask."