Pontius Pilate: “God’s Son, Found Innocent”

Pontius Pilate: “God’s Son, Found Innocent”

Matthew 27:11-14; 24-26 T Lenten Midweek 2

INI

            Tonight – we continue looking at the confession of those present in Jesus’ life at His Passion. Who do they say Jesus is? The evidence suggests that people knew that Jesus was no mere man – but that He truly is the Son of God.

            Pontius Pilate is one who stands in the middle of it all. He’s one who’s forever remembered in our Creeds when we remember that “Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” We don’t necessarily remember Pilate for anything positive – or his contribution to the Gospel as a faithful witness. But His actions certainly do testify to something.

            To begin, let’s acknowledge the fact that Pilate was the Roman governor over Galilee, Samaria, Judea, and a few other territories to the north from 26 AD to 36 AD. But this appointment isn’t exactly the cream of the crop. If you served this region, the hope is that you’d be promoted to govern elsewhere as soon as possible. This was a hard region to control – because the Jewish people had such fierce opposition to Rome.

            Pilate’s time of public service had been nothing short of a tumultuous disaster. The Jews discontent lead to rioting and walking on eggshells. Some of it he was to blame. For example, he ordered to have the Roman Eagle mounted on the Temple – it took five days of rioting from the Jews before Pilate realized that was a bad idea, leading him to take it down. He had also ordered to have an aqueduct built to bring fresh water from the mountains to Jerusalem – which seemed like a good idea. But when he tried to use funds from the temple treasury, another riot broke out. He didn’t like the Jews. And the Jews didn’t like him.

            All this tension comes into play in the final hours of Jesus’ life. Normally, Pilate’s quarters off the Mediterranean coast. Not only was he near the cool breeze of the ocean, he was far away from daily life of the Jewish people. However, during the time of Passover, Pilate moved his quarters to Jerusalem to keep an eye on the people as they all gathered for the feast – which surely sparked Jewish nationalism and patriotism, and foreign opposition.

            At the week of the Jewish Passover around 29 AD, the Jewish crowds were stirring the morning hours. He was awakened by yet another Jewish riot. You could imagine Pilate’s reaction. Surely, he cursed the Jews under his breath for disturbing his sleep. Yet, they brought the man Jesus to him – bound in chains and shackles. Their presumption surely didn’t put him in a good mood – “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” But Pilate replied with “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” However, the Jews objected saying that they don’t have the right to execute anyone. They made an appeal to Pilate – calling Jesus a Roman dissenter who opposes taxes and calls HIMSELF a King.

            Pilate surely didn’t want anything to do with this case. He hated their hypocrisy and prejudgments. He knew all they wanted was his verdict and approval for execution. But his future hung in the balance. If word got back to Caesar that Pilate didn’t put to death a criminal who opposed him? Surely, Pilate’s own life would be threatened.

            So, Pilate questioned Jesus – “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus responded in the affirmative. He told Him that His kingdom is not of this world – and that Pilate would have no authority over him if it hadn’t been given to him by His Father. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. So, he tried in every way possible to buy off their thirst for blood.

            He tried to defer the trial to Herod. But Herod sent him back to Pilate after Jesus refused to perform miracles. He tried to give them a choice between freedom for the notorious criminal Barabbas, or Jesus. But they chose to free Barabbas. Then, Pilate tried to get them to pity Jesus. He ordered Jesus to receive lashes with leather whips with sharp metal pieces and bones tied to the end of them. They lashings left Jesus’ flesh torn apart – many victims of such punishment would eventually die. After the lashings they put the crown of thorns on his head – not only an excruciating punishment, but also a cruel form of mockery. Perhaps presenting Jesus in such a pitiful way would satisfy their blood thirst.

            But after continually pressing Pilate to put Him to death, Pilate washed his hands of any guilt over Jesus’ crucifixion, to which the Jews said “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” There was nothing left for Pilate to do to satisfy the crowds and save Jesus. He handed Jesus over to be crucified.

            It’s pretty sad. Pontius Pilate won’t be remembered for any good things he’s done. Rather, he’ll be remembered for the fact that Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate. He knew Jesus was the Son of God. He found him innocent. But he still did nothing? What kind of man who knows what’s right, yet violates his own conscience, even going contrary to the warning God gave his wife Claudia in her dream?

            But we have to realize, Pilate was a pragmatist. As such, he never really had a clarity on what’s right and wrong. All that matters for him is what works best in that situation. Being a politician, he sought peace at all costs – so that he could promoted out of the Israelites garbage heap. When that’s your mindset, you don’t operate under principles that are right or wrong. You do what works. You do what’s expedient.

            Caught in the middle, Pilate winds up a weak, cowardly, and compromising man who’s ready to sell his soul for the good of his career. But it didn’t even work out the way Pilate planned. The emperor had exiled Pilate for his abundant failures, and tragically, a church historian reported that he took his life into his own hands.

            Understandably, history hadn’t been favorable to Pilate. Though, two thousand years later, we shouldn’t throw stones. Isn’t Pilate’s pragmatism still alive in the world today? Don’t we still have our share of pragmatists who compromise what’s right for what works for our best benefit? Never mind the politicians or opportunists out there who’re known for that behavior, but what about us? Can we say that we’ve never compromised principles for the sake of expediency and selfish gain?

            We do this all the time. For example, when we hear friends or co-workers bad-mouthing other people unfairly, or are telling crude and inappropriate jokes, and instead of defending the person and their reputation as the 8^th commandment requires or even walking away, we either join in or stay silent so that we’d fit in with people we want to win the approval of. Or, when you’re asked to work on Sundays, but instead of prioritizing worship, you compromise it for the sake of making the boss happy? Or when it’s easier to give in to the demands of children instead of teaching them what’s right. Or when you skip devotions and prayer time as a family because it feels awkward to do or because it just seems people are too busy to rearrange their lives for God.

            As Christians out in the world, we must operate with the principles of honesty, fairness, decency, and integrity. Who of us is innocent of all weakness and compromise?

            If Pilate had believed that Jesus was laying down his life for the sins of the whole world, Pilate’s tragic end could’ve been avoided.

            But let that be the lesson to take from him. Because we DO know that all our wavering and weaknesses, our calculating and compromising, together with all our other acts of waywardness and wrongdoing are covered by cross of Christ. We are forgiven by the death Pilate gave approval to. Knowing that, and the power of Jesus’ resurrection, we find new strength to stand by our conscience and stick by our principles, so that more and more we become less like Pilate, and more like our Lord, who truly is the Son of God.

INI

Pastor Joshua Ralston