PILATE’S DILEMMA

“Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked Him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’” (John 18:33, NIV).

Never had Pilate encountered a man like this. 

Although He was the prisoner, Jesus was clearly in charge. The leaders and the people had lost it, screaming and yelling like kindergarten kids while He stood calmly observing them. He could have walked free on a few words of self defence, but He refused to respond to their lying accusations. He knew who He was. Pilate was unnerved. “Don’t you realize I have the power either to free you or to crucify you?” he demanded. Lies! Jesus responded with the truth, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.”

Pilate was caught in this dilemma through no choice of his own. As governor of Judea, it was his responsibility to ratify the death sentence on those found guilty by the Jewish High Court. Jesus had been sent to him because the Sanhedrin had found Him guilty of blasphemy by claiming to be God. As a Roman, this was nothing to Pilate, so the Sanhedrin changed the charge to treason since Jesus also claimed to be king of the Jews.

“Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate demanded. It was a desperate question and on Jesus’ answer depended His fate.

“My kingdom is not of this world…You are right in saying that I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”(John 18:37, NIV). 

“What is truth?” Pilate spat back. He was not interested in the answer. Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel and walked away. Faced with the worst dilemma of his life, his mind reeled. The mob was yelling, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Inside, his mind was screaming, “Innocent, innocent.”  Even more disturbing was the warning he had received from his wife.

“Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of Him.” (Matthew 27:19b, NIV).

What was he to do with Him? Yield to the mob and save his skin or yield to the truth and save his life? He chose to save his skin and lose his life.

Every day we face the same dilemma…follow the lies of the world and save our skin or follow the truth and save our lives.

“What is truth?” asked Pilate. Peter declared, “God had made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36b, NIV).  

The apostle John wrote, in the thick of terrible persecution, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 4). We alone can make the choice to walk in this truth or take the consequences. Are you walking in the truth?