"Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto Him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done?" (John 18:33-35)
Pilate was not a Jew and cared nothing for the Jewish religion. He had no interest in a promised Messiah and no knowledge about the predictions of His coming found in the Old Testament. The accusations against Jesus of Nazareth had been brought by the highest judicial court of the Jews. Pilate assumed they knew their religious laws. After all, these men were highly respected as pious teachers. They were the ones who raised the charges against Jesus and brought Him to his tribunal. Pilate's question amounted to, "since I am not acquainted with you or your religion, tell me in plain words, what is it that you have done to provoke the wrath of these men?" I want to borrow Pilate's question and answer it.
1. "What hast Thou done?" Christ has satisfied the purpose of God in the salvation of His people. In the covenant of grace the Son of God stood as Surety of a chosen race and pledged to save, redeem and bring safely home to glory all those entrusted to Him by the Father (Hebrews 7:22).
2. "What hast Thou done?" "Done" could be translated as fulfilled. "What hast Thou fulfilled?" He has fulfilled the promises, types and prophecies concerning Messiah. The Old Testament scriptures tailor-made a garment which fits only one man, the God-Man, Christ Jesus the Lord, Luke 24:44.
3. "What hast Thou done?" He has honored all the demands of the law by His life and satisfied the penalty of the law in His death, Matthew 5:17.
4. "What hast Thou done? He has finished the work of redemption the Father gave Him to do. He has reconciled us to God. "Done" also means caused or performed. "What has Thou caused?" He has caused our sins to be put away by His bloody sacrifice. He has caused the justice of God to be silenced forever against any of those for whom He suffered divine wrath. "What hast Thou produced?" He has produced a perfect righteousness by His exact obedience to the Father's will, which righteousness is imputed to every redeemed sinner.
5. "What hast thou done?" Yet again, "done" can be rendered as made. "What hast Thou made? He made an end of sins, reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in everlasting righteousness (Daniel 9:24).
6. "What hast thou done?" He has purged our sins and separated them from us as far as the east is from the west. He has done that which He came to do, "save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
7. "What hast Thou done?" "Done" might also be interpreted as built. "What hast Thou built?" He has built a sure foundation of salvation and He is building His church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).