ECCE HOMO is Latin for “Behold the Man“… These are the words that Pilate spoke to the Jewish leaders, after he had Jesus flogged.
The night before Passover, Jesus was betrayed by a disciple, Judas Iscariot; arrested and brought to the High Priest, where the Council of Elders questioned Him. When the Council asked Jesus, “Are you the Christ?” He answered “I am…“!
With that, the Council condemned Jesus for blasphemy; and sought to have Him put to death. But, they could not execute Him without a decree from the Roman authorities. So, Jesus was brought to Pilate, the Roman Governor. There, the Jewish leaders pressed for Pilate to have Jesus crucified! Pilate questioned Jesus, but found no basis worthy of execution. He actually attempted to have Jesus released. But, to appease the crowd, Pilate had him flogged and presented the bloodied Jesus to the crowd, saying “Ecce Homo” (Behold the Man). Unsatisfied, the crowd persisted with loud shouts to have Jesus executed. Unable to appease the crowd, Pilate caved to their demands; “washed his hands” of the matter; and turned Jesus over for crucifixion. (Luke 23:24)
Jesus once asked his Disciples… “Who do you say that I am?” It is one of the most pivotal questions in history! … WHAT DO YOU SAY? Who is this man, “Jesus”?
The Chapel is sized to closely match the Old Testament “Holy of Holies“, frequently measured as 20 cubits wide x 20 cubits long x 20 cubits tall. What is a “cubit”? The Bible says it is about 18″. Other ancient texts also describe a “Royal Cubit”, noting that dimension to be about 20.7 inches. Ecce Homo was built to nearly match the dimensions of Holy of Hollies. Just as in ancient times, it is a place to go “meet with God”. We hope you will find the same experience when you visit… and meet with God.
What is the “Holy of Holies”? The Bible, in Exodus 27 and Leviticus 16 talks about The Tabernacle, a Holy Place designed by God, and later constructed accordingly, under Moses direction. Within the Tabernacle was a smaller room called “The Most Holy Place” (or “Holy of Holies”). Separated from the Tabernacle by a veil, it was to be entered only once per year, on the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest would enter and offer a sacrifice for the Israelites before God. Later, Solomon’s Temple contained a similar room, also called the Holy of Holies, intended for the exact same purpose. Inside these sacred rooms, the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat were kept.
Another type of Tabernacle is mentioned in Exodus 33…. After God gave the Ten Commandments, Moses carried the tablets down to the people. There, at a distance from the Israelite camp, Moses pitched a Tent. He call it the “Tent of Meeting”, where he would go to meet with God face-to-face! When in the tent, God’s “Pillar of Cloud” would remain outside as a sign for the Israelites to stand outside their own tents until Moses appeared. Later in Exodus 24, Moses met again with God on Mt. Sinai, and upon return to the camp his face was glowing (radiant), which frightened the people. So Moses would put a veil over his face, until he returned to meet with God again. (These Exodus passages make an excellent “Meeting with God” Study.)