Questioning of a King Pt. 1
Introduction
Pontius Pilate was an important character in the passion narrative along with other biblical and historical accounts. We see glimpses of the cruelty that he possesses in Luke, “There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices” (Luke 13:1 ESV)[1]. While he is only mentioned briefly in Scripture, he plays an important role in the passion narrative and we are given brief insight to his character in other scripture. Due to the laws governing the country during this time he was the one with the power to authorize execution of a prisoner. However, in the narrative Pilate is shown struggling with executing Jesus. He is torn between doing what is right and keeping favor with the Sanhedrin (Matt. 27:24 ESV). Pilate would have been aware that a riot breaking out in Judea would have been devastating to his role in the Roman government. Not surprisingly, when his power was on the line, he sold out without a second thought. As quickly as Pilate appears on the pages of Scripture, he disappears after the crucifixion of Jesus.
The methodology used in the construction of this assignment is rather simple. One must take a long look at the Gospels and present the facts given there. Pilate is a tough character for this project because of the fact not much is mentioned about him. There is no real pedigree given for him in scripture, however looking at secular historians of the time will give insight to his life before and after the passion narrative. The Gospels do give a look in the personhood of Pilate and his thirst for power. One must also investigate the secular historians of the day. Pilate is found in both the writing of Josephus and Philo. Upon looking both in the Gospels and the secular writing, one can draw an understanding of the life of Pilate. Pilate is one of a few things that is presented in all four gospels. This indication alone shows his sheer importance. After reading about Pilate one must ask, due to his extreme lust for power and his position, did he really want to execute Jesus, or did he fear the Sanhedrin more? His action lead one to believe he didn’t want to execute Jesus, but his thirst for power and fear of what the Sanhedrin may do lead him to spill innocent blood. Bond says it this way “the general consensus amongst commentators is that John’s Pilate is a weak, vacillating figure, running between Jesus and the ‘the Jews’ in a vain attempt to release Jesus and finally capitulating before the threats of the people he is supposed to govern.”[2]
[1] Bibles, Crossway. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Wheaton, Ill, 2007, Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard Version.
[2] Bond, Helen K. Pontius Pilate in History and Interpretation. Cambridege: Cambridge University Press, 1998 p 174.
