“Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, ‘What accusation do you bring against this Man (Jesus)?’ They answered and said to him, ‘If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.’ So Pilate said to them, ‘Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.’ The Jews said to him, ‘We are not permitted to put anyone to death,’ to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.'” (John 18:29-32)
PONTIUS PILATE
(This is the first in a four-part series.)
I want to talk to you about a Roman procurator (governor) of Judea at the time of Christ (A.D. 26-36).
His name is Pontius Pilate.
And I wonder if we never really think about it. I wonder if we overlook it with everything else that takes place surrounding the Gospel story and leading up to the crucifixion and death of Jesus.
GOD IS TRYING TO REACH PILATE
But Pontius Pilate is the object of the Lord’s affection and reaching out.
God is trying to reach him, a man in need of forgiveness just like every other man (and woman) that has ever lived. God is trying to reach Pilate.
And despite the murder he may have committed earlier in his life that the German legend speaks of and despite the numerous irritations between Pilate and God’s people that have taken place (Luke 13:1 being one example). God is trying – wanting desperately – to reach Pilate.
I want you to get a sense of God’s heart for this man.
2 Peter 3:9 reads…
The Lord is … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9; KJV)
And it applies to Pilate as well.
JESUS APPEARS BEFORE PILATE
We see it, first of all, in the fact that Jesus Himself appears before him. The very Christ of glory visits Pilate personally.
Oh sure, the circumstances surrounding our Lord’s appearance are unfortunate. But nevertheless, I believe it’s an appearance in the hopes that Pilate will turn from darkness to light.
John 18:28 says…
They led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Praetorium (it’s the governor’s official residence, the Praetorium is, where Pilate was staying and where Christ reaches out to Pilate – how many of you know that’s what Jesus was all about? – our Lord never once missed an opportunity to reach out to a lost sinner – His interaction with the thief on the cross and how Christ declared to him there, “‘[T]oday you [will] be with Me in Paradise,'” (Luke 23:43) is testimony to the fact that our Lord never once missed an opportunity to reach out to a lost sinner – and He reaches out to Pilate, also, I’m convinced!). (John 18:28a)
And so now here Jesus is with Pilate in the Praetorium.
PILATE HAS HEARD OF JESUS
And I was thinking, surely Pilate has heard about Jesus prior to this meeting.
I mean, after all he’s the governor. And here’s this Jesus. And He’s traveling about in his jurisdiction. And the news is spreading like wildfire about Him healing lepers and giving sight to the blind and feeding five thousand out of a sack lunch.
Surely, Pilate has heard about Jesus and prior to this meeting with Him in the Praetorium.
And then there are the claims of Christ – what Jesus said. “He’s – He’s.” I was thinking, “How might Pilate have put it?” “He’s – Jesus – He’s just so … absolute. He’s just so black and white.”
And to say things like, “‘You are of your father the devil,'” (John 8:44) to non-believing Jews and, “‘[U]nless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins,'” (John 8:24) and, “‘I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me'” – to say things like that to His disciples (John 14:6) – “Jesus is just so black and white” – I think that’s how Pilate might have put it.
And when you understand Pilate’s mindset, you’ll agree with me, “All truth is relative.” It’s how Pilate thinks. “All truth is relative.” “What’s right and wrong is, well, it’s up for grabs. It’s something that each individual decides.” It’s how Pilate sees things.
(Relativism: “[t]he theory that truth is an ethical relative to the individual or group that holds it” is how the dictionary has it.)
PILATE STRUGGLES WITH ABSOLUTES
And so Jesus appears before Pilate.
And he knows that Pilate struggles with absolutes.
And so He confronts him on this very issue – isn’t it interesting? – in John 8:37-38…
Pilate therefore said to Him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth (do you see that word, “truth” there?). (John 8:37a)
(And Christ goes further in v. 37) Everyone who is of the truth (there it is again!) hears My voice.” (It’s a confrontation as regards absolutes that’s taking place here.) (John 8:37b)
(And now we have Pilate’s response in v. 38 which reveals his relativistic thinking – his “it’s up for grabs what’s right and wrong” mindset – in v. 38) Pilate said to Him (Jesus – notice), “What is truth?” (John 18:38)
Pilate is much like some people in our day who believe there are no absolutes – like it’s somehow left to be questioned, “What it truth?”
THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES?
And you’ve probably heard it before, the conversation between two ladies. The one lady said, “I don’t believe in absolutes. No way. There’s no such thing as absolutes. I don’t believe in absolutes.” And then the other lady responded, “Are you absolutely sure?”
And there are absolutes is the bottom line, my friends. No matter who you are or how you feel or what century you’re living in, if you step in front of a car going eighty miles an hour, you’ll die. There are absolutes.
And in the realm of the spirit there are absolutes, also.
GOD IS TRYING TO REACH PILATE!
And we’re back now and turning away from Jesus confronting Pilate on the issue of absolutes – and it’ll come into play later – but for now we’re back to how Pilate is the object of the Lord’s affection and reaching out.
And we’ve seen it, first of all, in the fact that Jesus Himself appears before Pilate.
And now we see it in a second way.
(To read Part 2, click here.)
(Christ and Pilate picture file in the public domain: click here.)
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