Lent: Day 35

Pilate’s soldiers stripped Jesus, and put a scarlet robe on him. They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they knelt down before him, and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spit on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. They took him out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment, and Pilate said to the crowd, “Behold, the man!”

When the chief priests and officers saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and crucify him. I find no basis for a charge against him.”

The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.”

When Pilate heard this, he was more afraid. He entered into the Praetorium again, and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “Aren’t you speaking to me? Don’t you know that I have power to release you or to crucify you?”

Jesus answered, “You would have no power at all against me, unless it were given to you from above. Therefore he who delivered me to you has greater sin.”

At this, Pilate was seeking to release him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you release this man, you aren’t Caesar’s friend! Everyone who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar!”

When Pilate therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called “The Pavement”, but in Hebrew, “Gabbatha.” Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, at about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold, your king!”

They 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!”

Reflection

Pilate didn’t believe Jesus was the Christ, but still he didn’t want to be responsible for the death of what he considered an extraordinary man. His power was limited, though, by fear the Jews would report him to Rome as weak if he didn’t have Jesus crucified. Have you ever felt pressured into a decision you didn’t want to make? What was the nature of the fear you felt?  

Prayer: Give me the courage I need, Lord, when I’m feeling pressure to do something I know isn’t right.