John 18:38b-40
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, ‘I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?’ They shouted in reply, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was a bandit.
After his exchange with Jesus, Pilate returns to the patio outside his headquarters where the religious authorities await his decision. His reply is frank, even blunt. Not guilty. Pilate can find no meaningful charge against Jesus.
Which, of course, doesn’t solve anything. The religious authorities brought Jesus to Pilate claiming he was a criminal and asking Pilate to punish him. But Pilate has found no cause. Which means he either punishes an innocent man or risks being accused of not enforcing the law. He was, after all, governor, and tasked with enforcing the law against all criminals, whether brought by his Roman legionnaires or the local authorities. So Pilate is in a bind.
A shrewd politician as well as a brutal soldier, Pilate seeks a loophole, a way out. There was apparently a custom by which the governor could release one Jewish criminal at the time of Passover. Perhaps he could use this device to both recognize the charges the religious authorities brought against Jesus by conceding he was a criminal, but also avoid punishing a man he found blameless.
The religious authorities, however, are not interested in merely branding Jesus a criminal, they want him dead. And so rather than simply reject Pilate’s offer – surely a dangerous thing to do – they suggest an alternative: release Barabbas, a bandit.
And so Jesus’ fate is set. He falls victim to a combination of religious malice, political expediency, and moral cowardice. He told Pilate that he came to bear witness to the truth. And right now the light of truth his life shines on this scene is reminiscent of his earlier words to Nicodemus: “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (Jn. 3:19).
Prayer: Dear God, Jesus came to bear witness to the truth, both the truth of our failings and the even greater truth of your grace and mercy. Let us not hide from the former or fail to embrace the latter. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Post image: “Christ Before Pilate,” Jacopo Pontormo, 1525.
You write that Jesus fell victim to “a combination of religious malice, political expediency, and moral cowardice.” These are accurate, repeating descriptions of world history playing itself out with intermittent lulls of peace. World history has not really changed since Jesus’ fate except that each day we grow closer to his return. Therein is hope.