How to Avoid a "Pilate"

I am writing this Good Friday, March 29, 2024.  Six trials, three religious in which Jesus was found guilty, and three Roman in which He was found innocent, lead to His crucifixion over 2000 years ago today.

The Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead so found Him guilty of blasphemy since He claimed that He was the son of God.  The Roman leaders, Herod and Pontius Pilate agreed with each other that Jesus did not deserve death.  Luke 23:13-15 Now Pilate summoned to himself the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, and he said to them, "You brought this Man to me on the ground that He is inciting the people to revolt; and behold, after examining Him before you, I have found no basis at all in the case of this Man for the charges which you are bringing against Him.  No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him.  Therefore I will punish Him and release Him."  Both Herod and Pilate were ruthless men who seemed to bond over Jesus' persecution by the Jews.   Luke 23:11-12  And Herod, together with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, dressing Him in a brightly shining robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.  And so Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for previously, they had been enemies toward each other.  They both hoped that by humiliating and "roughing him up" the nuisance Jewish leaders would be happy enough and go away.

But that was not God's plan.  

It is not specifically stated, but I would guess that disciple John was at the last trial Jesus had in front of Pilate as he provided some very specific dialogue between Pilate and Jesus.  John 18:33-38  Therefore Pilate entered the Praetorium again, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, "You are the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on you own or did others tell you about Me?"  Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I?  Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me; what have You done"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."  Therefore, Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?"  Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king.  For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world:  to testify to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice."  Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And after saying this, he came out again to the Jews and said to them, "I find no grounds at all for charges in His case. 

Every human being faces the exact choices Pilate faced when confonting Jesus.

1.  Are you going to choose to ask questions of Jesus so that you know what He says and means? (For us 2000 years later - Are you going to read and study the Bible?)

2.  Are you going to listen to Jesus' answers? (For us 2000 years later -Are you going to call on the Holy Spirit for understanding?)

3.  Are you going to learn from what He says? (For us 2000 years later -Are you going to call on the Holy Spirit for wisdom?)

4.  Are you going to trust Him as the truth? 

5.  And finally.....are you going to believe Him and who He says He is? (Ironically Pilate thought he was judging Jesus when actually he was determining his own final judgement.)

Pilate appeared to at least half heartedly do 1-3.  He asked 5 questions:  You are King of the Jews?  I am not a Jew am I?  What have you done?  So you are a King?  What is truth?  He listened and learned enough to ask the next question.  But His questions seem more "gotcha", not probing for understanding.  He was going through the motions of his job, checking off the boxes, not seeking to understand Jesus' position.  Did Pilate get that Jesus claimed to be the son of God, sent by God the Father to offer salvation and eternal life?  This is what had the Jewish leaders all fired up!

Jesus did not even answer Pilate's last question, "What is truth?", as it was evident that Pilate was not interested in pursuing the truth. He seemed to literally wash his hands of the problem in Matthew 27:24-26  Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; you yourselves shall see." And all the people replied, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!"  Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified. 

This was God's plan. Jesus was a willing sacrifice for our sins offered by God.  The hardened hearts of the Jewish leaders and Pilate were the human instruments used to accomplish this.  God did not do this hardening. He allowed each of them to make the choice to harden on their own at either the asking, listening or learning stages.

Jesus, "the truth", was literally standing in front of him, yet Pilate did not recognize it, overwhelmed by the pressures of keeping order.  We have bills to pay, difficult relationships to maintain, health issues and so many other uncertainties.  Ask, listen, learn, trust and believe in Jesus.  When we have more God presence in our lives, we are not as likely to do "a Pilate" and succumb to the pressures of life itself.