Pilate's Dilemma: The Cost of Indecision

Devotional

Sermon Summary

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips



The scene that introduces us once again to surely one of the most tortured individuals that ever confronted Christ, surely if we were to pick somebody out of all of the biblical record who had proximity to Jesus, who had access to him to be able to pose his questions and to seek his answers, and yet who on account of his own moral perversity and emotional weakness, found that despite the very closeness that he enjoyed, still he was to be separated from him in time and presumably in eternity. [00:01:48]

The idea that we could register as it were a no vote that we could abstain is actually to vote against Christ, and as we will see it is to follow the sorry pattern that is established for us by this man Pilate the Roman governor. Now at the end of chapter 18 we saw that Pilate had gone out to the Jews who were accusing Jesus and had said to him and said to them I find no basis for a charge against him. [00:03:53]

This flogging was referred to as the pre-death death. It was a horrible and brutal experience, the individual was taken their hands were tied behind their backs they were bent over they were attached off into a pole in the center of the praetorium and then those who were to administer the punishment would take short wooden poles to which were attached thongs with pieces either of lead or of brass or of bone which were attached to the end of the leather thongs and with the victim's back bared they would then unleash their Fury against him. [00:05:32]

The cruelty of verse 1 is more than matched as we see then by the mockery that follows in verses 2 and 3. This mock coronation with the soldiers taking a crown and with these Thorns crushing it onto his head taking presumably one of their purple or Scarlet robes which would have been worn by one of these Military Officers one of these men in high position and essentially they dress him up. [00:07:03]

Behold the man, yeah behold the mad, behold the embodiment of humanity, there was never a man like this in all of his perfection, this is not the man of Jesus Christ Superstar, this is the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief this is the son of man before whom men hid their faces and a sheep before its shearers is done so this man opened not his mouth. [00:11:24]

And so his fear is overwhelming, his wife had actually told him earlier in the day don't have anything to do with that innocent man for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him, so his wife had been tossing and turning the previous evening and when he gets his breakfast in the morning and he goes out to the day she says Pilate before you go in there today let me give you one word of caution whatever happens have nothing to do with that innocent man. [00:18:58]

And the monotonous refrain the ominous chant crucified crucify crucified crucified rings in his ears, says Leon Morris the commentator what we have in Pilate's response here in the second half of verse 6 is the sudden wild statement of a man who is goaded into speaking unreasonably, if you're not going to take any notice of me then crucify him yourselves if you want that's that's the response because he knows he's in a real predicament. [00:15:43]

And so they reject the one who was born to be king, and the gospel writer Matthew tells us that Pilate at this point had his hands washed, a symbol of his attempted evasion I'm innocent he says it's your responsibility, Matthew tells us that the response of the people was let his blood be upon us and on our children, and verse 16 finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. [00:35:19]

And if every man has his price, then here is Pilate, and finally he exceeds ignoring his superstitions ignoring the promptings that had been left to him at breakfast by his wife ignoring everything in the core of his being that said you know if I had any intestinal fortitude at all I would stand up and tell these Pharisees to go take a hike and I would send Jesus out on the road to Freedom. [00:32:49]

And notice how the gospel writer even pinpoints the time the way they do on the news even to this day, and so they will say for example and I can't remember the exact time but I can still hear rather's voice saying it on the news broadcast that came across and at 1002 at such and such a New York Hospital John Lennon tonight was pronounced dead, the time etched indelibly in the minds of everyone who cared and that's what John is doing it was the day of preparation of the Passover week and it was right around the sixth hour and Pilate stood up and said here is your king. [00:33:31]

And the people murmured let his blood be upon us and on our children, and verse 16 finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified, and the people murmured let his blood be upon us and on our children, and verse 16 finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified, and the people murmured let his blood be upon us and on our children. [00:35:42]

And so we conclude the final blow, you're no friend of Caesar, oh how he must have been annoyed enraged at their hypocrisy they didn't give a rap for loyalty they couldn't have cared less about Caesar, they simply were using this we'll tell Caesar that you condoned the Rebellion we'll tell Caesar that you're the one Pilate that released the king of Israel, they knew there was no Rebellion on the part of Christ. [00:31:54]

Ask a question about this sermon