Pilate’s Puzzlements

After King Herod died, Archelaus became the ruler of Jerusalem and Judea. Rome wouldn’t give him the title “the king,” as his father was. Instead, it appointed him as “the ethnarch,” the ruler of a people group (ethne “people group” + arche“ruler”). Archelaus was bloodthirsty like his father. Within the first few years of his rule, he killed over six hundred Pharisees. Jesus’s dad, Joseph, was afraid to return to Bethlehem of Judea and settle in Nazareth of Galilee. The people begged Rome for freedom, and it banished Archelaus to Vienna after ruling for nine years and made Judea a Roman Province ruled by Roman prefects and procurators.

Pontius Pilate was the fifth prefect (equivalent to a governor). Pilate was an Italian and of the equestrian order, a middle rank of the Roman nobility. He was a good friend of Sejanus, the head of the Praetorium Guard that guarded the emperors, which was how he received his post in Judea. He started ruling Judea in CE 26, four years before John and Jesus began their ministries.

Early in the morning, after Jesus’s capture and trials, the high priests, elders, scribes, and Sanhedrin took the bound Jesus and left him with Pontius Pilate (Mark 15:1). It was no longer a religious but a political matter – Jesus had claimed he was the son of the highest, the title of the king of the Israelites (14:62–63). He was, in theory, overthrowing Rome’s rule. Pilate asked Jesus,

“Are you the king of the Judeans?” (15:2a)

Jesus replied,

“You, you say,” meaning yes. (15:2b)

Jesus couldn’t lie; he was Israel’s king, the son of the highest, and the Davidic king.

Pilate wasn’t peeved or annoyed. Prefects like him ruled Roman provinces until the citizens found an excellent local replacement, an ethnarch. In Pilate’s mind, Jesus might have been that ethnarch, ruler of his people.

The religious leaders were, however, relentless. They brought several accusations against Jesus, to which he never responded (15:3–4). This puzzled Pilate. Usually, an accused found ways to defend himself/herself, allowing Pilate to act as a judge and evaluate the situation. But not so Jesus; he quietly endured all accusations against him, true or false.

Pilate moved to a second strategy. During festivals, he released a political prisoner free (15:6). He wondered if they wanted Jesus to be that political prisoner freed. Instead, they chose Barabbas, an insurrectionist that caused an uproar with murders (15:7–8). This again puzzled Pilate because earlier, they had asked him to capture and imprison Barabbas (15:9). Now, they wanted that evil man released instead of Jesus, who seemed innocent. Pilate wasn’t fooled; he knew they were being mean (15:10–11). But Pilate released Barabbas, wishing to do what the crowd wanted (15:15).

Pilate chose a third strategy and asked them what they wanted him to do with Jesus, “the king of the Judeans” (15:12). They replied:

“Crucify him.” (15:13)

Pilate was puzzled again and asked,

“What evil has he done that I crucify him?” (15:14)

To claim to be a king wasn’t a political crime. That’s what nations were meant to do – appoint their kings and wait for the emperor in Rome to authenticate it. If Rome rejected one’s claim to kingship, a perfect like him acted. Until then, he waited.

Pilate strategies didn’t work. The religious leaders wanted him dead, and eventually, Pilate agreed because he was afraid of the people.

Fear can make us do things contrary to our faith. We take strength from God to face our fears.