Easter From Pilate
Notes
Transcript
Easter from Pilate
Catch-22
March 9, 2025
Mark 15:1-15
Does anyone know what a “catch-22” is? It is a dilemma or difficult circumstance where there is no escape because there is no way of winning no matter the choice. Do you remember a time when you were in a catch-22?
I have been in catch-22s a lot. Usually, it is all my fault. I would be reluctant to have a confrontational conversation, and put it off, hoping that the problem would go away or that the other person would “get the hint” only making the problem bigger with no good outcomes. I think we have all been in situations like this.
By the time the problem comes to a head, it’s a massive issue. When, if I had just manned up in the beginning, made the decision, and had the conversation, it would have been much better and kept me from further pain.
Pontius Pilate (the Roman governor who sentenced Christ to the cross) is a household name in the Christian world. He is remembered for being indecisive, a suppressor of the truth, and compromising with crowd rule. But if I asked you, do you really know who he was, many long-time Christians would not understand how he played such an important part of Easter.
Today’s sermon will be heavy on backstory, and then we will see the application come together in the end. First, we need to know how he fits into God’s plan for our salvation. The content for much of this information came from the reference on the back of your sermon guide. Mark Smith’s book is a great resource and I would recommend it for getting your feet wet in history.
The promised land during Pilate’s time is confusing. We have Pilate, Herod, Caesar, Rome, Temple Guards, High Priests, Sanhedrin and you name it. With all of these figureheads and leaders, it is no wonder we get lost as to who did what.
Let’s start before Jesus. To understand Pilate, we need to understand the conditions that got Pilate to his position. We do not need to go too far back to understand how Pilate got here but we will need to go back to about 4BC.
During the time of Christ, Rome occupied and controlled almost all the known world. They owned all of this.
And was ruled by Caesar Augustus (the first ruler of ancient Rome) who later died and left Rome to Tiberius Caesar the second ruler of Rome.
But Rome was smart. Caesar knew that he could not keep it all together so it used local governments to manage the people. It allowed governors or “prefects” (chief officers or magistrates to govern their homeland so long as it fell under Roman rule. Governors, or prefect is the same title for a local ruler like Pilate. Where do you think we get our pattern of government from? Much like Gov Little for the state of Idaho.
But, for difficult-to-manage places or hot spots, Caesar would personally oversee an area. The worst was the holy land. During 4 BC Caesar relied on Herod the Great to rule with an iron fist over the holy land.
The region during the birth of Jesus was ruled by Herod the Great.
Herod was a friend to Caesar. He ruled all of the areas we see here with the orange border and ruled it with a heavy but effective hand. He is known as the butcher who slaughtered the babies in an effort to kill the Christ child. But, if he had his preference he would probably like to be known for how he unified and led the Jewish people and being a master builder.
After his death, he had three sons (Herod Philip, Herod Antipas and Herod Archelaus) and all three ran to Rome to petition Caesar for their father’s kingdom. Instead of uniting them under one ruler, Caesar split it up into three regions for the three sons. (REFERENCE MAP)
Rome’s intent was peace. The policy was called “Pax Augusta” or “Roman Peace” through power. This is key to keeping the local leaders from going too crazy. And that is what ends up happening. The three sons did well, for about a decade but then it all came crashing down for Herod Archelaus.
In AD 6, he got himself in a lot of trouble. In frustration, he slaughtered 3,000 Jews during Passover and was called to Rome to answer for his decision and because of a riot or loss of control.
Tiberius Caesar (the second in the line of many Caesars) was ruling in Rome at the time. The original Caesar was none other than Julius Caesar. The second Caesar was Tiberius and was the one who called Herod Achelous to Rome, stripped him of his position, tried him as a criminal and punished him for his cruelty.
In our minds, we see Rome as a cruel overlord that was oppressive. But, in most of it’s ruled land, Rome was appreciated and people appreciated them. However, for the Jews, it was not appreciated. The Jewish people were a hard people to rule. And because of their singular God and religious extremes, Rome struggled to rule this part of the world. So, Caesar himself watched it closely.
After Herod Archelaus was fired, Caesar changed the name of the ruler from king to “governor”, and “procurator” or “perfect” (same title). In the coming years, Caesar went through 5 governors before Pilate was sent to this position.
So, when Pilate received word in late 25AD that Tiberius Caesar had appointed him as the fifth prefect of Judaea, he knew it was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, this was a senior administrative post and a significant step forward in his career. On the other hand, the prefect of Judaea was surely the worst governmental position in the entire Roman Empire.
This was not going to be easy and he knew it. Although he knew that the Jews were hard to manage, he was not prepared for what was coming his way. It is thought that he did not do enough homework to know what caused the previous 5 governors to fail so badly.
Now look close at what He was in charge of, where Herod was in comparison.
We know that Pilate was real not just because his name is in the Word of God, but because artifacts have been found proving his existence. For example:
Coins were even found with his inscription dating that fits with the NT accounts. This should reassure us that the Word of God is trustworthy and 100% accurate. We don’t need to doubt the record of these events.
To rule the Jews, it was going to be a difficult task. Something that he failed at. Before his interaction with Jesus, it is very important to get the back story of this man. If you look at his track record of leadership of the Jews, it looked pretty bad. Three failures put him in catch-22 situation with Jesus.
The first fail was right when he rolled into town. He used flags and banners (guidons) like this one but large enough to be seen in battle for his soldiers with pagan gods on them to show the Jews his power and force. (Show Guidon)
He knew enough not to march them through town so at midnight he marched them into town and had them set up for the morning. The Jews freaked out.
In a six-day riot Pilate loses his cool and in a show of force, orders his soldiers to draw their swords to kill the rioters. Instead of fighting back, the Jews kneeled down and uncovered their necks for Pilate to kill them. Pilate knew that he couldn’t do that, so he caved and took the flags down. The Jews knew that they had him for any future conflicts. They now knew that he was not the one in charge, the Jews were.
The second failure was the aqueduct that Jesus was asked about. Pilate took money from the temple to pay for a water system. It really made the Jews angry. It is thought that he got permission from the Priests and when the people found out about it, the Priests blamed Pilate.
The second mistake was around shields he made to try and get Caesar to stop being angry with him over the first two failures. But, when the Jews learned that Pilate put the images of Caesar on a shield and stored them in his house, it was a graven image and the Jews lost their minds.
Herod Antipas learned about the shields and went to Caesar with the problem. Nothing like being told on by your competitor. Caesar was so angry and had to step in on the final fail showing Pilate that his power was quickly becoming nothing more than a puppet position. The real leaders were the obstinate and hard to rule jews. This is very important for what is coming next.
All of these points contribute to understanding who Pilate was and where his mind was for the events leading to Easter. The last thing I want all of us to see is a timeline for the holy week because we have so many moving parts.
Time line of the trials:
When we read the Gospels, it is easy to get lost on who is going where and doing what. What I really want you to look at is the night before we are introduced to Pilate. Jesus is thought to be arrested around midnight. Through the night, the Jews conduct three mock trials, one with Caiaphas (current high priest) then Ananias (previous high priest) and then back to Caiaphas and other Jewish leaders.
Then at 6 AM, Jesus is taken to Pilate. It was a long night. Remember, this is Passover. There are thought to be 2 million Jews in Jerusalem, including Pilate AND Herod Antipas (Herod and Pilate hated each other because Herod told on Pilate, until Jesus). In the chaos of Jesus’s trial, two mortal enemies become unlikely friends.
As Pilate woke up, he was walking into a powder keg of trouble.
READ TEXT Mark 15:1-15
During the exchange with Jesus, we see the final blunder of Pilate that leads to the worst mistake of the man’s life. If you could go back in time and meet with Pilate at 5:50 AM and warn him that because of this next mistake, you will be remembered for this next failure, he would never have believed that the impact of this choice would be eternal.
When we look at Easter this season, we can learn a lot from the failed choices of Pilate. There is an immediate application for us as we look closely at how Pilate viewed and treated Jesus the Lord.
1. Pilate was indecisive with the truth.
Let’s go back to the timeline and I’ll leave that up for a bit.
The journey of Jesus’s trial shows us just how reluctant Pilate was to make a decision. He knew that he was in a no-win situation. If He turned Jesus over for execution, he is murdering a widely popular and innocent man. Doing so would put him in a dangerous spot with his boss, Caesar. If he did not, a riot was sure to break out and he would be blamed for that.
Vs. 2-5 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so
Remember, the Jews have been trying to orchestrate this entire trial ahead of time. By the time they get Jesus to Pilate, their tone is, “We have decided He should die and you better just do it.” John 18:30 “They answered him, “if this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.”
This account is recorded in Matthew 27, here in Mark, and Luke 23:1-5 we hear the charges that the Jews worked all night to build:
“And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”[2]
John goes so far as to record that the Jews would only come into the courtyard (see picture) so that they would not defile themselves by going into Pilate’s inner court so that they could eat the Passover on Sunday. It is a despicable act on the side of the Jews to be willing to kill an innocent man while unwilling to defile themselves ceremonially speaking. Instead, they just screamed their demands to Pilate.
Pilate is in a really tight spot. You see in all four Gospels him going back and forth. He questions Jesus, goes back to the crowd, goes back to Jesus and then, he thinks he has an answer, Herod is in town for the Passover, I’ll send Jesus to him.
The problem was that Herod was only curious about Jesus and it is thought that Herod wanted to have nothing to do with this mess. Given their relationship, it would be better for Herod if Pilate messed this up so, Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate. Talk about a real catch-22.
Vs 6-9 records that he offers to release Barabbas in exchange hoping that this would get him out of the bind. Still, he could tell that the priests made sure that the crowd chose the release of Barabbas, not Jesus.
Pilate’s next decision marks his indecisive heart and spiritual indifference. He knew that the religious leaders wanted Jesus dead and so he approached this problem with spiritual indifference. He knew the right decision and did not make it.
Look down at 14 “And Pilate said to them Why? What evil has he done?” Again he says in Luke 23:4 and John 18:38 that he found no guilt in Jesus. Three times he says that Jesus is innocent and three times the crowd screams for the murder of Christ.
Envy is a powerful force in anyone’s heart. Even believers struggle here. In a normal crowd and in normal situations, envy is kept quiet and suppressed. But, in crowd rule, it can turn quickly into murderous cries. Pilate knew that envy was the driving force for this trial.
Vs 10 “For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.”
He knew the right decision and did not make it. Given the backstory I went over, we are on safe ground to assume some of Pilate’s thoughts. “I don't want to deal with this, I want this to go away, I am afraid of the Jews. I just want out of this situation; I’ll work any deal I can to get out of it. I don’t understand this hatred and envy for a guy from the country.”
These are some similar feelings we hear when talking to people confronted with eternity. They avoid, run from, and pass off the crisis of coming in contact with the real Jesus. People unwilling to make a solid decision are so quick to deflect.
Church, we have all been in moral crises like this. We get into moral decisions and struggle with the same thoughts. Here is our application. We cannot live a life of indecisiveness when it comes to Jesus.
Sooner or later, you will be bumped off the fence and will have to make the call. You will need to be sold out for Christ, or sold out to self. To not make a decision on who Jesus is, is making a decision for self, and it is one that will cost you heaven or hell. To choose self is a decision for hell.
Just like Pilate, you will have to make the decision, what am I going to do with Christ, the LORD? This goes for both the believer and the non-believer. Not knowing Christ right has eternal consequences.
In order to get out of this catch-22, he was going to have to do what we have all done in bad situations, suppress the truth.
2. Pilate suppressed the truth.
If you read all four Gospel accounts, it records that Pilate knew He was innocent. His own wife tells him in Matthew 27:19 “While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “have nothing to do with that righteous man…” In all four Gospels, the writers want the readers to understand how innocent Jesus was. And yet, Pilate was still going to have to move forward.
There is an immediate lesson for us here. You see, we cannot be indifferent to this! You can’t wash your hands of this situation. In an act that will be known for eternity, Pilate in Matthew 27:24 says that he could tell that he was getting nowhere with the crowd. So, he says, “I am innocent of this man’s blood and “washes his hands before the crowd.”
Church, this is God painting our souls into the corner. No more fence sitting! At some point in your life, we will have to come to the final understanding of who Jesus Christ is. God will sooner or later require an answer. Jesus is either LORD or He is not. Getting it wrong will cost eternity in hell. Getting it right will call your soul to the foot of the cross in humble understanding that He is the One who God sent to be the salvation of the world.
When you get pushed, you will land on one side or the other. What side of the fence do you plan to land on? You have been given enough for your decision on this. Pilate had enough to make the decision and yet, he decides to suppress the truth.
Romans 1:18 says “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”
Like Pilate, all men will have to accept the truth or suppress it. No less than three times, he says Jesus is innocent. And, by his own admission, is guilty of the murder of the Son of God admitting three times that his decision was going to be the wrong one.
Vs 15 should have been etched on his tombstone. It is his legacy. “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd…”
3. Pilate compromised the truth.
Pilate had a history of trying to please a crowd that was unpleasant. No matter his efforts, these people were impossible. Three times we see him try and three times he had failed to do the right thing. The flags, the aqueduct, the shields and now Jesus. It should not surprise us knowing the back story on him that he was going to cave to their desires.
Pilate will forever be known for his compromise. His convictions gave way to the prevailing forces that dictated his reality.
Vs 15: “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.”
Please listen to that verse.
a. Wishing to satisfy the crowd- He compromised with wrong to protect himself.
b. Had Jesus scourged??? Why do that? Why not just send Him to the cross? It was a punishment for the worst of the worst. Why do that? To satisfy the crowd.
c. Delivered Him to be crucified
All of these actions were to compromise truth for the sake of public opinion. Look how dark and violent Pilate went. He went from “He is innocent” to issuing the worst punishment that Rome had to offer. Wow that was fast!
I want you to look over the course of your life, when was the last time that you compromised truth or the conviction of truth out of fear of what someone would think or act?
This Easter season, I want to ask you something. If you are a believer, what Biblical truth are you compromising? Can I give you one verse that will help you?
Galatians 1:10 10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.[3]
Parents listen to me. Sometimes we are guilty of pleasing man. We want the little men/women in our houses to “have fun” at Easter. Our kids may be the ones we try to please the most. It is not just those who are outside our homes that we are guilty of trying to please.
My point is simple. We all come to a point when we do care about what people think but does it affect our behavior?
4. Public influence misses Easter.
A world that is indecisive to truth, suppresses the truth, and compromises the truth will always kill the Truth at all costs. Even the cost of their own souls.
Public opinion misses the entire point of Easter. The crowd, world, or culture twists Easter into bunny rabbits, eggs, and chocolate. Now, I know that I am touching a nerve but when it comes to Biblical truth, may I ask, how does that verse read?
“Am I seeking the approval of man?” Does the cross go with the bunny rabbit? Look believer, are you being indecisive for the sake of “fun”? Are you suppressing truth for the sake of watching the kids enjoying the “holiday”? Are you compromising with the crowd because it is easier?
Compromising truth is missing the point of Easter. Missing Easter puts you in a position like Pilate. Sin places you in a position that you are physically locked in a no win situation if you don’t recognize Jesus for who He is. When you compromise truth from the start, it is a down hill slide. You will have a harder time taking a stand when you are already standing in a position of compromise.
Unbeliever:
Ever wonder why Pilate did what he did? Why did he execute Jesus? Why did he give into the crowd? Why the scourging? Why the proclamation by Pilate that he was innocent?
It was because it was according to the plan of God from the day that the Earth was created. Every action by Pilate was already known, foretold and planned by God. Jesus was sent on order from the Father, to come and suffer for you and me. A completely innocent life for a completely sinful life.
God, being merciful to you, chose to use a sinful man, Pilate, to execute Jesus for your sin. You can say, well that’s not nice all you want. But to God, your sin necessitated it.
Now, I am going to paint you into the same corner that Pilate was in. What are you going to do with Jesus? Are you going to recognize Him for who He was or are you going to decide to stay on the fence? My challenge to you is to stop being on the fence!
