“ ‘What is truth?’ retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, ‘I find no basis for a charge against him’ ” (John 18:38).

Pilate was right! Jesus was an innocent man. Yet, Pilate had Jesus executed anyway. It is always disturbing when an innocent man is executed. When I was a child my dad took us to Tombstone, Arizona and we visited Boot Hill. Just past the entrance I saw a tombstone with a name and this disturbing inscription: “Hanged by mistake.” Jesus wasn’t executed by mistake. He was crucified on purpose, but it was His purpose not that of His enemies. He came to die for us.

Though Jesus’ death was undeserved, it wasn’t pointless. When He was crucified He paid the penalty for every sin we’ve ever committed. And our sins did deserve the death penalty. Jesus wasn’t “hanged by mistake.” He died for our sins so we can live without guilt and condemnation.

While Pilate and the hostile crowd seemed to create an act of colossal injustice, what they did released incomprehensible mercy. Jesus died in our place. It’s difficult to conceive of that but we can believe it and be thankful.