Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Scripture Lesson just read, from Matthew 27. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- In our text we see the man, Pontius Pilate, caught and stuck in a terrible circumstance, a horrible conundrum. He did not request the circumstances that he found himself in. Yes, he was obviously ambitious – one does not rise to such a position without ambition and talent.
- Still, Pilate seems a decent sort of man. He accurately judged Jesus to be innocent. He likely didn’t like Jesus. He saw Jesus as a religious dreamer. Pilate was much more concerned with practical matters. But now, Jesus was charged in front of Pilate, and Pilate had a decision to make.
- It was Jesus, I suppose, whom Pilate blamed for this trouble. But he also the blamed the Jewish leaders. Pilate knew that Jesus was not guilty of any legal violations of Roman law. Our text states that Pilate knew that it was out of envy that the Jewish leaders had delivered Jesus to him, for condemnation and crucifixion. Pilate must also have known that this was a despicable motive for demanding a man’s life, especially by crucifixion!
- Still, Pilate was looking for a way out. He didn’t want to crucify an innocent man. But it was a favor that important and powerful people were asking of him. Jesus was a problem for them. So, according to our text:
I. Pilate Was In A Tight Spot But Had A Scheme To Avoid Unjustly Crucifying Jesus
Text: “ Now at that feast the governor was accustomed to release to the people a prisoner, whomever they desired. And they then had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom do you desire that I release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus Who is called Christ? For he knew they had delivered Him because of envy.”
Statement: Pilate couldn’t have imagined any circumstance under which the people, or any sane person, would have opted for Barabbas rather than Jesus. After all, Barabbas was a thief, an insurrectionist, and a murderer. How could any envy or rivalry be so powerful as to remove the repugnance of Barabbas and consider Jesus to be worse? Pilate was fairly certain that he had found an ingenious solution to his problem.
Application: To us, this presents a very difficult thing to contemplate. How could people have such hatred of Jesus? How is it possible for human beings, any human beings, to consider Barabbas a better choice than Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. But with each decision to sin, each negative reaction to the Word of God, we are confronted with this same “insane” judgment – and it is within ourselves. The decision to sin – and we all have some say in every instance of our sin – is in fact to declare sin better than God, to declare sin the preferable option than God. And so our sin is in a very real sense, also a decision of “death to God,” a stated desire that God be done away with.
Transition: But as Pilate was awaiting answer from the people, as to their decision about Jesus, and about God, he was interrupted by a remarkable message:
II. Pilate’s Wife Provided Him With Warning And Advice – Have Nothing To Do With Jesus
A. She Confirmed That Jesus Was A Just And Righteous Man
Text: “But as he was sitting down on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that just man.'”
B. In Fact, She Related That She Had Suffered Much In A Dream In Regard To Jesus
Text: “For today because of Him I have suffered many things in a dream.”
Statement: This happening creates a great deal of questioning in our own minds. Why was Pilate’s wife chosen for this “premonition”? Why did it occur in a dream? Why was she taking a nap in the morning? What was it in her mind, that she knew about Jesus, that caused this dream? Why would the dream have been the cause of “suffering” for her?
Application: There are other questions. Could Pilate have trusted his wife’s advice – was it true? We know it was true, and Pilate also did. Why did Pilate ignore this warning? Why would God have provided it to him, knowing that he would ignore it anyway? What does this say about God’s regard even for Pilate and his wife?
There is mercy and goodness in the dream that God caused Pilate’s wife to suffer. As is typical with God, the outcome of His goodness and mercy does not dictate His decision to provide it. It is the same with Jesus! Regardless of the unbelief of the people present at His trial, and the general response of unbelief, ingratitude, and continued hatred toward Him, Jesus submitted to Pilate’s judgement, God’s judgment for our benefit, for our redemption and salvation – and He submitted to crucifixion. For:
III. In Spite Of The Warning, And Better Judgment, Pilate Ultimately Succumbed To The Expediency Of Injustice – And Submitted Jesus For Crucifixion
Text: “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said to them, Which of the two do you desire that I release to you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate said to them, What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? They all said to him, Let Him be crucified. And the governor said, Why? What evil has He done? But they cried out the more, saying, let Him be crucified! But when Pilate saw that it gained nothing, but rather that a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person. You see to it. Then all the people answered and said, Let His blood be on us and on our children. Then he released Barabbas to them. And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.”
A. Pilate Washed His Hands, Declaring Jesus’ Innocence – And So Also Acknowledging His Own Guilt In Acquiescing To The Mob
B. And So Pilate Capitulated To This Great Evil
Text: “When he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.”
Statement: What is to be said of such a decision and such an outcome? Obviously it is tragic, a grave miscarriage of justice, and epic failure of a person in authority! The rage and hatred of the crowd is seemingly inexplicable as well. We can certainly produce no cogent or worthy excuses for any of these people.
Application: But again, we might want to take care not to feign incredulity in all of this. For the fact is that we often fail in the discharge of our responsibilities as well. Even in our own lives we do not allow the just condemnation of our sin to prevail, and we often do not turn away from our sin but allow it to prevail in our decisions.
If we understand correctly, then we acknowledge that it was our sins, our own affirmations of sin and our own condemnations of what is good and right, that Christ died for. Yes, our own sinful disposition also condemned Him, and demanded His crucifixion.
Christ knew this. He suffered – for this was the only way to atone for human sin, all human sin, and to take away our guilt. In so doing, He has also taken away all cause for our animosity against God, all cause for us to continue affirming sin and evil.
Conclusion: So it is interesting. We are in many respects in the same conundrum as Pilate, many times each day – determining and deciding which way we will go in judging and deciding our actions, in judging and deciding about people we interact with.
We surely have crowds all around us – crying out and demanding that we conform to their common sense, to their judgments – about good and evil, about God. We also have an “Advisor,” the Holy Spirit of God, and the Word of God. He may not come to us in dreams, visions, or other bizarre ways – but He surely comes to us through God’s Word, the Scriptures, which we have been exposed to.
Let us heed Him, and know the truth! And especially, when all is said and done, at the end of each day, let us remember what Jesus died for, and the blessedness that is ours because of Him! And let us thank God for His forgiveness, His continuous love, and His ongoing blessings.
Then what Jesus came for, and what He suffered and died for, will come to fruition in us – our hearts, and lives, and very being. This is God’s gracious and loving will for each of us. Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.