And Such Were Some of YouShembull

The Cowardly Governor

Claudia sat straight up in bed and brushed her sweat-drenched hair away from her face. She remembered her dream. She dreamed that her husband Pilate was presiding over cases in the Praetorium like he always did, but this time, Jesus of Nazareth stood before him. Everything about the dream unnerved her. If Pilate judged this man wrongly, that might provoke the anger of the gods and end his career. Where was Pilate anyway? She had better get word to him to have nothing to do with that just man!

When Claudia wakes up from her dream, Pilate is already living out his worst nightmare. In the case of the Jewish leaders vs. Jesus of Nazareth, Pilate was presiding, and he was in a no-win situation. If he released Jesus, the religious leaders would appeal to Caesar, and he might lose his position. But if he condemned Jesus, the people might revolt, and Roman justice would be viewed as a joke.

The more Pilate questioned Jesus, the more convinced he became of his innocence. Every effort to get rid of him boomeranged back. He tried to permit the Jews to kill Jesus themselves, but they refused. He tried sending him to Herod, but Herod sent him back. He tried to release Jesus, but the crowd demanded Barabbas instead. Finally, he tried to wash his hands of the whole thing as if it would absolve him from guilt.

Pilate, who knew the truth about Jesus, threw his hands up in defeat and cynically replied, “What is truth?” Then, he handed Jesus over to be crucified.

We don’t know what Pilate’s wife, Claudia, dreamed the night before the crucifixion. But he tried to heed her warning to “have nothing to do with that righteous man.” Unfortunately, for Pilate and every other human who’s ever lived, it’s not that easy to wash your hands of Jesus.

Pilate asked the crowd when he offered them the choice of Jesus or Barabbas. “What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?” That’s a question we all must answer. The crowds called for his crucifixion, and Pilate, knowing the truth, put him to death.

What are you doing with Jesus? Just like Pilate, we all have to wrestle with who he is and who he claims to be. Every person must give an account of what they did with Jesus. Will you respond to the truth of his Lordship, or will you try to wash your hands of him?