- Joined
- Oct 26, 2007
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Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away. John 19:16 NLT
Besides Jesus, no other man is spoken of more often in millions of churches around the world every Sunday than Pontius Pilate. After all, Pilate is mentioned by name in the Apostles’ Creed. But why all the attention?
History portrays Pilate as a rash, capricious, and ultimately ineffective Roman provincial governor. At his greatest hour of testing, Pilate failed miserably by condemning the world’s only innocent man—God’s Son, Jesus Christ—to death by crucifixion.
Each of the Gospel writers records this trial at length. Ironically, they almost make it sound as if Pilate is on trial, not Jesus. And for good reason. If Pilate committed one more blunder, he knew Caesar might throw him forcefully out of office, disgraced. Yet when the pressure was on, Pilate listened to everyone—except the one person telling him the truth!
Despite his better judgment and the urgent warning of his wife (Matthew 27:19), Pilate rejected the Lordship of Jesus and bowed to the political will of the chief priests.
In a futile attempt to save his own neck, Pilate washed his hands of the truth and effectively signed his own death warrant.
Prayer: Lord, may I never make Pilate’s fatal mistakes. Instead may I repeatedly and frequently embrace Your truth with my whole heart.
Besides Jesus, no other man is spoken of more often in millions of churches around the world every Sunday than Pontius Pilate. After all, Pilate is mentioned by name in the Apostles’ Creed. But why all the attention?
History portrays Pilate as a rash, capricious, and ultimately ineffective Roman provincial governor. At his greatest hour of testing, Pilate failed miserably by condemning the world’s only innocent man—God’s Son, Jesus Christ—to death by crucifixion.
Each of the Gospel writers records this trial at length. Ironically, they almost make it sound as if Pilate is on trial, not Jesus. And for good reason. If Pilate committed one more blunder, he knew Caesar might throw him forcefully out of office, disgraced. Yet when the pressure was on, Pilate listened to everyone—except the one person telling him the truth!
Despite his better judgment and the urgent warning of his wife (Matthew 27:19), Pilate rejected the Lordship of Jesus and bowed to the political will of the chief priests.
In a futile attempt to save his own neck, Pilate washed his hands of the truth and effectively signed his own death warrant.
Prayer: Lord, may I never make Pilate’s fatal mistakes. Instead may I repeatedly and frequently embrace Your truth with my whole heart.
