One cold December morning in Sunday School, a child was busy drawing a picture of the Nativity. He drew 4 people next to a truck getting ready to board an airplane. His teacher was curious and asked him about it. The child explained that he was drawing the flight to Egypt, when the holy family had to escape Herod’s wrath. The teacher was puzzled and asked, “OK, I see Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, but who’s the 4th person, next to the plane?” The child answered, “That’s Pontius Pilate.”
Who killed Jesus? Was it Judas, Caiaphas, or the Jews in general? The Apostles Creed says “He was crucified under Pontius Pilate,” no one else. If we’re looking for someone to blame, it seems that Rome is a prime suspect. But what about the Jews? A special interest group, the Sanhedrin, assembled a mob, and put political pressure on a weak politician, who caved in to their demands. The religious leaders wanted Jesus to be put to death for blasphemy, which wasn’t a capital offense under Roman Law; so, they pressured Pilate to charge Jesus with political insurrection, which he insisted was a bogus charge. Pilate had authority to execute anyone for doing anything contrary to the interests of Rome…and he had the authority to spare anyone he chose to show mercy to. Jesus didn’t have many executioners; He had one.
Jesus was no stranger to Pilate. For seven years they shared the same region. Pilate heard reports of Jesus teaching and healing. He surely was told about Palm Sunday, the public demonstration in Jerusalem. Yet Jesus did not look the part of an insurrectionist. Standing before Pilate, Jesus does not ask for mercy, nor does He plead His case. Pilate is annoyed and he tells Jesus (v 10), “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus tells Pilate he is serving under an Authority higher than Rome. Pilate is intimidated by Jesus, who clearly is not afraid of him, nor of death. Pilate is afraid to execute Jesus, and afraid to release him, for several reasons:
• A possible riot in the streets either way;
• Rome won’t be pleased if he releases a man who claims to be king, or if he executes an innocent man, harming the empire’s reputation;
• His wife had a troubling dream about Jesus (Mt 27:19);
• He feared the religious leaders’ retaliation;
• Most of all, he feared that Jesus was Who he claimed to be.
It was probably Pilate who suggested Jesus be arrested at night, to avoid a public outcry. Temple guards and Roman soldiers both were at the arrest. Pilate knew the illegitimate Sanhedrin “trial” was a farce. The religious leaders could not come to Pilate’s palace (or any Gentile building) without being defiled, so he had to submit to the indignity of going to them.
Pilate was likely agnostic, a skeptic. He dismissively asks “What is truth?” while staring Truth in the face. He believed in nothing but the power of Rome. But what if Jesus is the Messiah? Pilate is in a no-win situation. He should have had the backbone to not be pressured to give in to the religious leaders. Historians say that Pilate accepted a bribe to appoint Caiaphas as High Priest and relied on him to keep the public in line. Caiaphas in turn had some political clout with Rome.
As a former career Army officer, I can tell you that there are some coveted assignments officers get because of their connections. They cultivate friendships with people in power and are awarded. Then there are the officers who have a bad reputation or who have not distinguished themselves, who get the undesirable assignments. Israel was not a favored tour of duty. You can be sure Pilate wasn’t happy being stationed there.
Pilate was trapped. The religious leaders warn, “If you don’t do this, you’re not Caesar’s friend,” vs 16. To be “Caesar’s friend” was a sign of loyalty; and there is a clear, implicit threat in these words. “Comply or you’ll be in hot water.” The Roman Emperor awarded the privileged title “Friend of Caesar” to loyal subjects; a status that can be granted--and taken away. If Pilate did not appease the religious leaders, he would be in serious trouble with Rome.
Pontius Pilate is the epitome of inept and corrupt politicians. Like many Romans, he was antisemitic. He dismissed the Jews as “people born to be slaves.” While he may have admired Jesus, he felt insulted by their conversation, and with outrage said “Am I a Jew?” Pilate’s job was to secure tax revenues, keep the peace, and establish trade with Rome. He was instructed to tolerate the local culture, not get involve in social concerns, and not offend the people. Long before the arrest of Jesus he made a series of blunders:
• He angered the Jews by bringing soldiers into Jerusalem bearing military standards with pagan images that were seen as idolatrous.
• He had a statue of Tiberius Caesar Augustus set up in the Jewish Temple. Previous rulers had such offensive symbols removed. Note: Jerusalem was the only city in the Roman Empire where people did not bow in the public squares before the image of Caesar. Pilate wanted to show the Jews who was in charge.
• He further outraged the people by misappropriating sacred Temple funds to finance the construction of an aqueduct, which was considered sacrilege and caused a riot.
• Then came the massacre of a group of Samaritans atop Mount Gerizim. Because they were armed, Pilate’s soldiers assumed they were a threat. So many were killed that a formal complaint was filed to Pilate’s superior, the governor of Syria.
Pilate’s legacy was marred by poor decisions, culminating in his condemning to death the Son of Glory. During Passover, Jewish patriotism was at a fever pitch, and Pilate was on alert to suppress any sign of rebellion; yet he clearly did not regard Jesus as a threat. Pilate bears the bulk of responsibility--he had absolute authority and leeway in dealing with Jesus. Some things you can’t “wash your hands” of. His gesture, a Jewish ritual, was a futile attempt to distance himself from an unwise and unjust judgment.
Antisemites like to point out the cry of a lone Jew in the crowd before Pilate, who yelled, “Let His blood be on us and our people!” Ever since, some have accepted this anonymous nobody as speaking in behalf of all Jews. He was probably in league with the Sanhedrin. God doesn’t take orders from anyone. Yet as the Christian church became less and less Jewish, Christians began blaming the Jews exclusively for Jesus’ death.
We can debate who is to blame, but ultimately it was our sins that led Jesus to the Cross. We’re all responsible for His death. To accomplish His plan of salvation, God used the spiritual blindness of Pilate, who had no idea that Jesus was our sin-substitute and sacrifice. Crucifixions were common to Pilate, but not this one. It provided the means for our forgiveness. In an honor and shame-driven culture the cross was a particularly cruel, humiliating, and very public means of death.
To claim to be divine was no crime under Roman law, and Pilate told the religious leaders to handle the matter themselves. They involved Pilate because they had no authority to crucify Jesus. So, they made the matter appear a civil case, by using Jesus’ claim to be King a matter of treason against the empire. Jesus made clear that His Kingdom was spiritual, but by then Pilate knew he was on an irreversible path that would lead Jesus to Calvary.
Pilate has Jesus publicly flogged to appease the mob and gain sympathy for Him. “See, hasn’t he suffered enough?” Pilate considered flogging a comparatively humane alternative to crucifixion. He makes two pronouncements:
• “Behold the man!” vs 5, to arouse sympathy and pity for Jesus; “Just look at this poor, innocent man; here is the man you find so dangerous; he is harmless!”
• And later, after the mob rejected Pilate’s plea for clemency: “Behold your king!” vs 14. He was mocking the Jews. “What a pathetic bunch you are, if this is your king!”
Pilate gave away his authority by offering the crowd a choice to release Jesus or Barabbas. He must have been stunned by their response. They chose a murderer. And to declare they have no king but Caesar was to shift allegiances and abandon their messianic hope.
What became of Pilate? Some historical accounts say that he was eventually recalled to Rome and stripped of his authority; some claim he was banished to Gaul; some say he committed suicide. Some say he had a habit of impulsively washing his hands. The Coptic Church maintains that Pilate became a Christian and they count him and his wife as saint and martyrs. They claim that Pilate’s wife was among the women who came to the tomb to pray, and that her husband years later returned to Jerusalem and at the empty tomb of Jesus he made a profession of repentance. If Pilate is a saint, he must be the patron saint of corrupt politicians! Leadership matters. “I’m just here to give you what you want” can hardly be called leadership.
Jesus left the splendor of His heavenly glory for a world where He was misunderstood, hated, abused, tortured and horrifically executed. In Heaven He had been the object of worship. On earth He was the object of contempt and scorn. The Creator placed Himself in the hands of His creation. Jesus chose to free us from the penalty of sin by His sacrifice. We want proof that God loves us, and Jesus is that proof. The pain of nails and the pain of rejection--He felt it all. And He suffered freely, for us. Jesus wasn’t forced to the Cross by Pilate or anyone; His love led and kept Him there. Amen.
