Tonite was reading from John’s gospel on Jesus’ trial before Pilate and how he ‘delivered’ him to be flogged by the soldiers, and then they actually made crown of thorns and ‘delivered’ strikes at him. While mocking him as King. Later on Pilate himself made a mockery of him in front of his people: “Behold the man!”. He ‘delivered’ him again to the chiefs of his people.
There was tension of sharing responsibilities between Pilate and the chief priests. Both were denying responsibility on this man Jesus. For Pilate sent him back to them to be judged by their law. But they refused to take matters into their own hands, rather they asked Pilate’s permission to carry out the death sentence.
Pilate got away by public declaration of cleansing his hands. While the chief priests got away through Pilate’s approval and provoked the crowd to demand Jesus’ death.
Was more like office’s situation to me. One person refused responsibility and passed to the other person, the other person also did the same and passed the responsibility to another person. At the end some low rank people who had to do the task. And bear the responsibilities. It’s interesting to note how this mentality carried Jesus’ trial and death sentence.
For the chief Priests asked Judas to betray Jesus…and Judas ‘delivered’ Jesus into their hands. Again they asked Pilate to ‘delivered’ the death sentence. And Pilate gave his permission. Again they asked the crowd to demand crucifixion sentence. And the crowd did for them. So they got all they wanted. And Jesus being ‘delivered’ by Judas, to Pilate, to the cross, and finally to death.
But Peter made this powerful statement in his first speech:
Acts 2 : 23
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
It’s definitely a very successful plan of man. They managed to crucified and killed Jesus by the hands of lawless men (Judas and Pilate, some soldiers maybe). However, behind the scene, it’s God’s plan and foreknowledge.
And the next sentence made my tears drop:
Acts 2 : 24
God raised him up, losing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it
It’s not possible for death to held him .
How powerful, magnificent, awesome that words.
For they delivered him through hands of lawless men, finally to death. And yet, even death was not able to hold him. No. Even death could not contain him. He’s risen. The language suggest like death a giant monster with long nails and strong pangs…..even that didn’t strong enough to make him stay.
The power, the victory, the overcoming over death. 
)