CAVORTING WITH COWARDICE
MARK 15:1-15
TODAY WE CONTINUE WITH OUR SERIES LEADING UP TO EASTER BY LOOKING AT THE CHARACTER OF PILATE. JESUS’ ILLEGAL TRIAL HAS JUST BEEN COMPLETED, AND JESUS WAS FOUND GUILTY OF BLASPHEMY. JESUS REMAINED SILENT DURING THIS TRIAL MOST LIKELY BECAUSE FOR MANY REASONS, THE OUTCOME HAD BEEN DECIDED BEFORE THE TRIAL BEGAN, NOT BY THE SANHEDRIN, BUT BY GOD. JESUS PRAYED IN HIS HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER:
JOHN 17:1: AFTER JESUS SAID THIS, HE LOOKED TOWARD HEAVEN AND PRAYED: “FATHER, THE HOUR HAS COME. GLORIFY YOUR SON, THAT YOUR SON MAY GLORIFY YOU.
THE SANHEDRIN DID NOT HAVE THE POWER TO EXECUTE A DEATH SENTENCE BECAUSE JUDAH WAS OCCUPIED BY THE ROMANS SO IMPERIAL CHARGES HAD TO BE BROUGHT AGAINST JESUS FOR A DEATH SENTENCE TO BE IMPOSED. THIS BROUGHT JESUS FACE TO FACE WITH PILATE. THIS TRIAL WAS PROBABLY THE MOST HONEST THAT JESUS WOULD FACE IN THAT PILATE DISCOVERED THAT JESUS WAS IN FACT INNOCENT. THE ACTIONS HE TOOK WAS TO TRY TO APPEASE THE JEWS AND SAVE JESUS’ LIFE.
A TRANSFORMATION TOOK PLACE WHEN JESUS WAS BEFORE PILATE. IT WAS A TRANSFORMATION AS TO WHO WAS ACTUALLY ON TRIAL. AS JESUS SPOKE TO PILATE THE FOCUS CHANGED FROM JESUS SPEAKING OF HIS INNOCENCE, TO PILATE MAKING HIS DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT JESUS WAS WHO HE SAID HE WAS. IT WAS PILATE WHO HAD TO DETERMINE WHAT IS TRUTH.
JAMES STEWART A GREAT THEOLOGIAN WROTE:
“EVERYONE WHO STUDIES THE NARRATIVE HAS THE STRANGE FEELING THAT THE TABLES ARE BEING TURNED, BEFORE THEIR VERY EYES. WHAT THEY ARE SEEING IS NOT JESUS ON TRIAL BEFORE THE CROWD, BUT PILATE, ON TRIAL BEFORE JESUS. AS PILATE STANDS WITH THE SON OF GOD IN THOSE HOURS, IT IS AS IF JESUS’ SEARCHLIGHT IS PROBING HIS SOUL, REVEALING HIS TRUE CHARACTER FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE. EVERY SOUL STANDS WHERE PILATE STOOD AT SOMETIME IN THEIR LIFE…FACE TO FACE WITH JESUS IN THE PLACE OF DECISION.”
PILATE WAS NOT A GREAT GOVERNOR FOR ROME, AND HAD RECEIVED HIS POSITION THROUGH NEPOTISM AS HE MARRIED CLAUDIA PROCULA, WHO WAS A RELATIVE OF THE EMPEROR TIBERIUS. HE WOULD SERVE AS GOVERNOR FOR 10 YEARS, WITH JESUS’ TRIAL COMING IN THE FOURTH YEAR.
PILATE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THREE THINGS IN JUDAH:
1. FOR KEEPING LAW AND ORDER
2. HANDING OUT JUSTICE
3. COLLECTING TAXES
PILATE HAD DONE A NUMBER OF THINGS TO INFURIATE THE JEWS, AND EVENTUALLY WAS CALLED BEFORE TIBERIUS AND HAD HIS POSITION THREATENED IF HE CONTINUED HIS WAYS. IT ALLOWED THE JEWS LEVERAGE TO HAVE THEIR WAY WHEN JESUS WAS BROUGHT BEFORE HIM.
THE JEWS KNEW THAT THEIR CHARGE WOULD HAVE NO IMPACT ON PILATE. HE HATED THEM AS MUCH AS THEY HATED HIM. THEY NEEDED TO BRING DIFFERENT CHARGES AGAINST JESUS THAT HE COULD NOT IGNORE. THEY CAME UP WITH THREE:
1. NOT TO PAY TAXES TO ROME
2. CLAIMING TO BE A KING “THE KING OF THE JEWS”
3. STIRRING UP THE PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY
EACH OF THESE CHARGES IF FOUND GUILTY BROUGHT ABOUT THE DEATH PENALTY. THE ONLY CHARGE THAT CONCERNED PILATE WAS THE SECOND ONE, AS HE COULD CONTROL THE COLLECTION OF TAXES AND PUT DOWN REBELLIONS WITH FORCE IF NECESSARY.
PILATE WAS THE ONLY PERSON THAT JESUS HAS RECORDED CONVERSATION WITH DURING THE TIME OF JESUS TRIALS. THIS WAS NECESSARY TO CONFIRM THAT JESUS’ DEATH WAS IN FACT HIS SACRIFICE FOR US, AND ACCORDING TO THE PLAN OF GOD NOT MAN.
PILATE IS AMAZED THAT JESUS REMAINS SILENT AS THE JEWS BRING CHARGE AFTER CHARGE AGAINST HIM. HE ASKS JESUS BLUNTLY IF HE CLAIMS TO BE A KING. JESUS RESPONSE CONVINCES PILATE THAT JESUS IS NOT A THREAT TO THE ROMANS AS HE CLAIMS TO BE A “KING” OF A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM, AND DOES NOT ASPIRE TO GAIN A PHYSICAL KINGDOM.
PILATE THEN MUST BATTLE A SECOND QUESTION, ONE THAT YOU AND I BATTLE MANY TIMES, WHEN HE ASKS “WHAT IS TRUTH?” THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT PILATE KNEW WHAT TRUTH WAS, AS DO WE. THE REAL QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT HE WOULD RESPOND WITH COURAGE, OR BOW TO THE PRESSURE OF THE GREAT CROWD ASSEMBLED WHO WANTED JESUS EXECUTED.
PILATE WAS NOT TRYING TO DENY THE TRUTH, HE WAS TRYING TO HIDE THE TRUTH. TO KNOW WHAT IS TRUE AND NOT TO STAND FOR IT, IS AN ACT OF COWARDICE. THIS PILATE WOULD DO IN FIVE DIFFERENT WAYS:
FIRST: PILATE DECLARES THE TRIAL IRREVELENT.
LUKE AND JOHN TELL US THAT JESUS ADMITS TO PILATE THAT HE IS THE KING OF THE JEWS, BUT THAT HIS KINGDOM IS A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM AND NOT A PHYSICAL OR POLITICAL KINGDOM. THEREFORE HE IS NOT A DANGER TO ROME AS THE JEWS CHARGE. THIS DID NOT SATISFY THE CROWD AS THEY CLAIMED THAT HE WAS LEADING A REBELLION AGAINST ROME, BEGINNING IN GALILEE.
SECOND: PILATE TRIES TO CHANGE THE VENUE.
WHEN THE JEWS MENTIONED GALILEE HE SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO RID HIMSELF OF THE TRIAL BY DECLARING THAT IT WAS HEROD’S RESPONSIBILITY TO RULE NOT HIS.
LUKE 23:7: WHEN HE LEARNED THAT JESUS WAS UNDER HEROD’S JURISDICTION, HE SENT HIM TO HEROD, WHO WAS ALSO IN JERUSALEM AT THAT TIME.
HEROD WAS THE SAME TYRANT WHO BEHEADED JOHN THE BAPTIST, AND HAD NO LOVE LOST FOR THE JEWS. HE HOWEVER WAS CAUGHT WITH THE SAME DILEMMA AS PILATE. HE DID NOT WANT TO BE LOOKED NO NEGATIVELY BY ROME, NOR DID HE WANT TO START A RIOT IN JERUSALEM AS IT’S POPULATION WOULD SWELL AT PASSOVER TIME, AND ANY VIOLENCE WOULD GET BACK TO ROME. HE TAKES THE COWARDLY ACTION OF MOCKING JESUS TO LOOK GOOD IN THE EYES OF THE JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADERS, AND THEN PASSES THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR JESUS BACK TO PILATE.
4. PILATE THEN TRIES A PRISONER EXCHANGE.
IN PRISON AWAITING DEATH IS A PRISONER NAMED BARABBAS. HE WAS A ZEALOT WHO WAS GUILTY OF VIOLENT CRIMES INCLUDING MURDER. PILATE MUST HAVE FELT THAT THE PEOPLE WOULD NOT CHOOSE SUCH A VIOLENT MAN OVER THE PEACEFUL JESUS.
PILATE UNDERESTIMATED THE POWER OF THE CROWD AND THE MOB MENTALITY HAD TAKEN OVER. BARABAAS’ PRISON CELL WAS ONLY 300 YARDS AWAY FROM WHERE THE CROWD WAS. HE HEARD HIS NAME BUT NOT WHAT WAS SAID. A GUARD CAME AND TOLD HIM TO GET UP AND COME. HE MUST HAVE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO HIS DEATH. IMAGINE HIS SURPRISE TO HEAR THE GUARD SAY THAT HE WAS FREE.
IN SOME WAYS BARABAAS IS LIKE ALL OF US. WE ARE ALL GUILTY OF SIN, JUST AS BARABAAS WAS, AND JESUS WAS SACRIFICED IN OUR PLACE.
ISAIAH 53:5-6:
BUT HE WAS PIERCED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS CRUSHED FOR OUR INIQUITIES; THE PUNISHMENT THAT BROUGHT US PEACE WAS ON HIM, AND BY HIS WOUNDS WE ARE HEALED. 6 WE ALL, LIKE SHEEP, HAVE GONE ASTRAY, EACH OF US HAS TURNED TO OUR OWN WAY; AND THE LORD HAS LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.
4. PILATE NEXT TRIED NON-CAPTIAL PUNISHMENT.
PILATE FELT THIS WAS A CROWD THAT WANTED BLOOD, SO HE WOULD GIVE SOME BLOOD AND PAIN. HE HOPED THAT TORTURING JESUS WOULD SATISFY THE CROWD, SO HE ORDERED A WHIPPING FOR JESUS.
THIRTY-NINE TIMES THE CAT AND NINE TAILS WOULD COME DOWN ON JESUS BODY. BY THE TIME THIS WAS FINISHED, JESUS BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS BEATINGS WAS NOT EVEN RECOGNISABLE.
WHAT PILATE HADN’T CONSIDERED WAS THAT FLOGGING WAS A PRELUDE TO CRUCIFIXION. NO DOUBT THE CROWD THOUGHT THAT JESUS WAS ON HIS WAY TO GOLGOTTHA. THIS MOVE WOULD NOT APPEASE THE CROWD IT SENT THEM INTO A DEATH FRENCY. THEY KNEW WHAT WAS TO COME AND THEY WELCOMED IT.
5. LASTLY PILATE TRIED TO RESON WITH THE CROWD.
THIS NO DOUBT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WHAT PILATE TRIED FIRST. HE BRINGS JESUS BATTERED AND BLEEDING BEFORE THEM AND BASICALLY ASKS “ISN’T THIS ENOUGH. HE IS YOUR KING. SHOULD I CRUCIFY YOUR KING?”
PILATE WAS APPEALING TO THEIR SENSE OF OWNERSHIP. THE ROMANS HAD TAKEN SO MUCH FROM THE JEWS, AND SO HE WAS HOPING THEY WOULD SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND YOU WILL NOT TAKE THEIR KING FROM THEM, EVEN IF THEY HATED THIS CARPENTER, WHOM THEY DID NOT RECOGNIZE AS THE MESSIAH.
THE JEWS WERE LOOKING TO JESUS TO DECLARE HIMSELF A PHYSICAL KING WHO WOULD LEAD THEM AGAINST THE ROMANS AND RETURN THEIR KINGDOM TO THEM. WHEN HE DID NOT DO THIS HE WAS LESS THAN NOTHING TO THEM AND HIS DEATH THEY WELCOMED. THE KING THEY WELCOMED INTO JERUSALEM WITH PALMS THE WEEK BEFORE, THEY WERE NOW READY TO EXPELL FROM JERUSALEM TO BE KILLED. REASON WOULD NOT WORK.
PILATE IN AN ACT OF ULTIMATE COWARDICE, SINCE HE CANNOT HIDE THE TRUTH, GAVE IN TO THE PRESSURE OF THE CROWD BY DENYING THE TRUTH AND ALSO HIS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEATH OF JESUS.
BRINGING OUT THE BASIN OF WATER AND WASHING HIS HANDS OF THE MATTER, HE IS DECLARING AN INNOCENT VERDICT, BUT GIVING THE CROWD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMIT A LEGAL MURDER. IT WAS HIS ATTEMPT TO CLEANSE HIS OWN CONSCIENCE OF THE MATTER. THE DEATH OF ONE MAN WOULD APPEASE THE CROWD, PREVENT A RIOT, AND NOT SEND BAD REPORTS BACK TO ROME THAT COULD CAUSE HIM TO LOSE HIS POSITION.
WE KNOW MORE ABOUT PILATE THAN WE DO ABOUT ANYONE INVOLVED IN THE CRUFIXION. WHY? BECAUSE EACH TIME WE LOOK IN THE MIRROR WE SEE PILATE LOOKING BACK AT US. THE QUESTIONS HE WAS FORCED TO DEAL WITH ARE THE QUESTIONS WE ARE FORCED TO DEAL WITH. WHAT IS TRUTH TO YOU? IS JESUS YOUR KING?
1. IF WE MAKE JESUS OUR KING, THEN WE MUST ALSO SACRIFICE SELF. PILATE WAS MAKING A CHOICE BETWEEN HIS CAREER AND JESUS. IN THE WORLD AROUND US TODAY WE ARE GOING TO BE PLACED IN SITUATIONS WHERE WE MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN COMPROMISE WITH THE WORLD AS PILATE DID, AND SACRIFICE OUR STANDING IN THE WORLD AND CHOOSE CHRIST.
ROMANS 12:2: DO NOT CONFORM TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TEST AND APPROVE WHAT GOD’S WILL IS—HIS GOOD, PLEASING AND PERFECT WILL.
2. IF WE MAKE JESUS OUR KING, THEN WE MUST GIVE TOTAL ALLEGIANCE TO THE KING. PILATE COULDN’T PLEASE BOTH THE CROWD AND JESUS, AND NEITHER CAN WE. WE CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT IS RIGHT. EITHER THE BIBLE IS RIGHT OR THE WORLD IS, YOU CANNOT PICK AND CHOOSE.
LUKE 16:13: “NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS. EITHER YOU WILL HATE THE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER, OR YOU WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER. YOU CANNOT SERVE BOTH GOD AND MONEY.
3. IF WE MAKE JESUS OUR KING, OUR DECISION WILL BECOME A REWARD, A REWARD THAT ONLY THE COURAGEOUS WILL KNOW. A DECISION FOR CHRIST MEANS A FRESH START AND ETERNAL SATISFACTION.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17: THEREFORE, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, THE NEW CREATION HAS COME: THE OLD HAS GONE, THE NEW IS HERE!
PILATES FINAL VERDICT REGARDING JESUS CAME AT THE TIME OF THE CRUCIFIXION. HE FOLLOWED A COMMON TRADITION AND POSTED THE CRIME THE CONDEMNED MAN WAS FOUND GUILTY OF.
IN JESUS’ CASE THOUGH I SUGGEST IT WAS NOT THE CHARGE BUT HIS DECISION. HE KNEW THE TRUTH, AND HE POSTED THE TRUTH. THAT IS WHY WHEN THE JEWS ASKED HIM TO CHANGE THE WORDING HE DID NOT.
THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH. PILATE SHOWED YOU CAN’T HIDE IT, YOU CAN’T DENY IT AND YOU CAN’T CHANGE IT. THE TRUTH IS JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE JEWS. NOW YOU MUST DECIDE FOR YOURSELF, IS HE YOUR KING?
