Posted on 10/23/2023 10:13:11 AM PDT by DallasBiff
In the Gospel of John, Pontius Pilate poses a question to Jesus of Nazareth: “What is truth?”
It’s a question that could also be asked about Pilate’s own history. From the perspective of the New Testament of the Christian Bible, the Roman governor of Judea was a wavering judge who initially exonerated Jesus before bending to the will of the crowd and condemning him to death. By contrast, non-Biblical sources portray him as a barbarous leader who willfully defied the traditions of the Jewish people he oversaw. Which was the truth?
(Excerpt) Read more at history.com ...
I don’t want to sound all Marxist, but Matthew especially did not shy away from politics.
He outlines Jesus lineage, then immediately tells how Herod tried to have him killed. Then the Holy Family had to flee. Its not touchy-feely or counseling us to use aromatherapy and healing crystals.
And then Matthew gave us this banger:
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.
John 10
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
It was not in his hands to save him.
Even his wife told him to have nothing to do with this man.
It was predestined form the beginning of the world.................
Isaiah 53
Your's is the correct answer, but from a strictly human perspective - although I acknowledge that God rules all (Proverbs 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps) - I can understand Pilate's decision.
He knew that the Lord Jesus was innocent. Pilate wanted to release Him. Pilate's wife warned him not to harm Jesus (apparently she had some history of foresight - or else he would have ignored the warning).
BUT the Jewish leaders held the trump card. After Pilate seemed to renege on a previous arranged agreement (the Jewish leaders seemed genuinely surprised that Pilate wasn't going along with the plans to crucify Christ) they played the card. They'd 'rat' Trump out to Caesar. And as noted, Pilate had a bad history as the Judean governor. He was supposed to maintain peace, and there had been various violent outbreaks. And Pilate had dealt ruthlessly with the people. Pilate knew if the Jewish leaders sent the report to Rome that Pilate facilitated a rebellion by not following the leaders advice, Pilate would lose his head.
He was a coward, and didn't do what he knew was right ... but many of us would have failed this test. Do what is right, and lose your life, or do what is expedient, and live another day.
But you are correct. Jesus Christ came to save a lost people. He was going to bare our sins at Calvary's Cross, and He was going to take the wrath of God that we all deserved. Praise God!
Pilate and the Jewish leaders were just players in this great act of God - to save humans that all bore the sin of Adam.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For He [God] hath made Him [Christ] to be sin for us, who [Christ] knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him [Christ].
Pilate was in a vice.
His political career on one hand and things like his wife telling him not to have any thign to do with him, and Pilate himself knowing Jesus had done nothing wrong.
Political career vs. what’s right.
Same as it ever was.
“Therefore Pontius Pilate had no choice in the matter...”
That’s a mistake. God may have preordained Jesus to die but he didn’t preordain Pilate’s choices. Pilate still had free will.
I’d like to meet the character who I saw on the road some years ago.
He was driving a Honda Pilot.
The personalized license plate was: PONTIUS.
LOL.
And he washed his hands to illustrate that it was not being done of his own will.
“And as noted, Pilate had a bad history as the Judean governor. He was supposed to maintain peace, and there had been various violent outbreaks. And Pilate had dealt ruthlessly with the people.”
How little has changed in the past 2000 years. The Middle East is a cauldron of hate and violence. If they didn’t have oil they would be quarantined from the rest of the world
NISUS: Crucifixion?
MR. CHEEKY: Ah, no. Freedom.
JAILER: Hmm?
NISUS: What?
MR. CHEEKY: Eh, freedom for me. They said I hadn’t done anything, so I could go free and live on an island somewhere.
NISUS: Oh. Oh, well, that’s jolly good. Well, off you go, then.
MR. CHEEKY: Naa, I’m only pulling your leg. It’s crucifixion, really.
NISUS: Oh, ho ho.
MR. CHEEKY: Heh heh heh hehh.
NISUS: I see. Uh, very good. Very good. Well, out of the door. One—
MR. CHEEKY: Yeah. I know the way. Out of the door.
Why are some people having hard time accepting the Word of God on it’s face value?
The Scriptures have been proven to be very accurate and truthful!
Here, some authors of doubtful accuracy are given more or at least the same credit than the Scriptures!
And, BTW, the Gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke were all written well before the Jewish war of AD 70!
"Er, um... there's no Roderick, sir."
...Winner-winner chicken dinner!
>>>Best Answer<<<
I suggest you read the gospels. It's clear that Pilate initially wanted to release Jesus.
From the gospel of John chapters 18 & 19. "Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all. “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered (to Pilate), “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” But they (Jewish leaders) cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.
Mark 8:31-33
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
Matthew 16:21-23
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
Luke 9:21-22
And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
Yes, all of that is true. It’s also true that all of those individuals who persecuted Christ still had free will and freely chose to do those things. Those two facts are not contradictory.
“On a hill far away
stood an old rugged cross/the emblem of suffering and shame
And I love that old cross/where the dearest and best
For a world full of sinners was slain...’’
The political and social tumult in the era of Jesus, before His birth, during his physical presence, and after, was a continuous problem for Rome.
The eastern Mediterranean coast area (and inland, therefrom) was of interest to Rome, because of portions where some products provided income streams. “Rome” [investors] wanted some part of, and sometimes all of, such income steams.
And, “Rome” wanted regional stability, in order to secure income stream stability.
That affected the decisions made by Rome and “Rome.”
Re Pontius Pilate, his job was to consider the value of the various pieces of evidence (if any) along with what other information that he had as context . . . and land on the side of an issue that was most likely to cause an uproar / upset, to settle down.
One of the Roman methods used for influencing rest, was sometimes, to defer to some Jewish authorities.
That was a method, that Rome used a lot, because, if the locals could resolve a problem, then let them.
Over time, and especially after the passing [and we know, resurrection] of Jesus, because of increasing tumult, Rome became more involved at using force in order to subdue “the unrest” that would upset commerce and the peace.
BTW, the Jewish religious authorities knew well, that the above considerations and responsibilities weighed upon Pontius Pilate, and the Jewish authorities knew how to “work” Pilate toward what they wanted.
Pilate in turn, knew, that they knew.
In the end - re Jewish authorities v. Jesus - Pilate let them have their way and wish, and Jesus knew all of it from start to finish.
Matthew 12:17-19:
Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”
Judaism does not permit crucifixion, but Roman law does. Therefore Jesus, in order to have his prediction that he would be crucified come true, had to be convicted by the Romans, specifically by Pontius Pilate, who was the only authority that could mete out the punishment of crucifixion.
We can have this same discussion regarding Judas and his 'free will' betrayal of Jesus, which Jesus also predicted. Or we could have the same discussion regarding Jesus' prediction that Peter would exercise his 'free will' and deny him three times.
What happened had to happen so that we could receive forgiveness for our sins.
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