PONTIUS PILATE
(This is the fourth in a four-part series. To read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3, click here, click here and click here.)
I want to continue 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.
PILATE’S FATAL FLAW
And we finally come to his fatal flaw in John 18:39-40 and then I want you also to see John 19:1…
“I find no guilt in Him (Pilate says first of all. And then he goes on in v. 39) But you (Jews) have a custom, that I should release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?” Therefore they cried out again, saying (and so it’s been more than once that they say), “Not this Man, but Barabbas.” (And the verse concludes) Now Barabbas was a robber. (And finally John 19:1 says) Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him (had Christ whipped with a cat-o-nine-tails to the brink of death). (John 18:39-40, 19:1)
And it’s because Pilate’s controlled by the crowd and not by conscience that he allows it.
It’s Pilate’s fatal flaw!
ROOTS OF PILATE’S FATAL FLAW
And Pilate’s fatal flaw has its roots in his struggle with absolutes highlighted in the first blog post in this series – where he believes right and wrong are left up for grabs to the individual to decide – to the majority (crowd) in this case.
How many of you understand that the majority isn’t always right and especially, I was thinking, if it is a majority of unbelievers?
And Pilate’s fatal flaw also has its roots in the give and take as regards Pilate between sticking it to the Jews and keeping the emperor happy so he wouldn’t lose his job which would lead Pilate to stop short and appease the Jews at times – he did it in the past, too, prior to this passage we just read! And when it was convenient for Pilate to keep his job to do so and worked in his best interests, he would give in!
Each of these things come into play at the climax of this episode with Christ where we discover Pilate’s fatal flaw.
Again, he’s controlled by the crowd and not by conscience.
And as our Lord appeared before Pilate as a picture of his conscience trying to get through to him earlier and then his wife’s dream and her message was one last ditch effort as a picture of Pilate’s conscience trying to get through to him one last time.
Yet Pilate would have none of it.
He’d given in to convenience and the crowd too many times before.
CULTURE OF RELATIVISM
And we can fall into the same trap as people who live in a culture of relativism (the idea that human beings can make up / “spin” the truth as they go because there is no standard but themselves).
And we can fall into the same trap and ignore conscience – God speaking! – and listen to the crowd when it’s in our best interests to do so.
And even though it goes against what we know is the right thing to do, we can fall into the same trap and ignore conscience.
What are you controlled by in your life?
Take my job.
Tell the emperor I’m an irritation to the masses (in a good way – for my faith).
Ostracize me from the community.
It doesn’t matter.
I’m going to serve conscience above the crowd.
I’m going to serve Christ.
(“Behold the Man” by Antonio Ciseri picture file above is in the public domain: click here.)
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