Suffered Under Pontius Pilate

Why Pick on Pilate?

It is interesting that the only human named in the Apostles' Creed, other than Jesus and his mother, Mary, is Pontius Pilate. It is almost as if he is being blamed for all the sufferings of Christ. When it is considered that the early Church has often been accused of being anti-Semitic, it is significant that in this early Creed there is no mention of the part which the Jews played in the sufferings and death of Jesus.

Why pick on Pilate? It was Herod the Great (neither a Jew nor a Roman) who sought to slay Jesus at his birth, resulting in the slaughter of the innocents. It was Herod's son, Antipas, who put to death Jesus' kinsman John and who, at the time of his trials had Jesus flogged and crowned with thorns. It was the Pharisees who sought to trap Jesus into unwise statements. It was the High Priest who arraigned him before Pilate charged with offences against Caesar. Pilate, we know, even tried to release Jesus and wanted nothing to do with Jesus' death. Yet it was Pilate's decision which had to count and Pilate put the safety of his own career before what he was convinced was just. Pilate was Caesar's representative. His was the final decision (humanly speaking) to take Jesus' life.

But Pilate is not simply mentioned here for that reason. Symbolically Pilate stands for all human authority just as, in Palestine he literally stood for Caesar's authority. Pilate stands for Herod, for the Pharisees, for the High Priestly Party, for secular and religious authorities that, throughout history, contribute to the sufferings of Christ whether those authorities be Dictators or Presidents, Ayatollahs or Gurus, Popes or Parliaments.

Christ's Sufferings did not Start on the Cross

Philipians 2:6-7 says that Jesus:

6 being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Jesus, who had dwelt in heaven in the glory of his godhood, made himself nothing. He left glory and came to live in the squalor of a world spoiled by sin.

He was born in poverty

In the khan at Bethlehem there was no room for yet another family caught up in the upheaval of the census. Tradition has it that Jesus was born in a stable, perhaps a cave behind the khan. It is equally likely that the manger was out in the courtyard and that the birth took place surrounded by other weary travellers and their horses, donkeys and camels. What a start for the new-born King of the Jews!

He became a refugee

In today's world it is worth remembering that the Saviour of the world spent his earliest childhood as a refugee after Mary and Joseph had fled to Egypt to escape Herod's wrath and the slaughter of the innocents. Even when they returned it was not considered safe for them to go to the South of the country because Herod's son, Archelaus, was every bit as bad as his father. (So bad, indeed, that the Romans deposed him and replaced him with procurators or prefects - of which Pilate was one.)

He earned his living as a village carpenter

We are not told anything in the gospels about this part of Jesus' life but it is referred to by the people of Nazareth.

"Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offence at him.
Mark 6:3

Jesus knew what it was to work hard, probably for little pay, making door and window frames, stools and tables, ploughs and yokes. It may even be that over the door of his workshop were the words:
"My yokes are easy"

An Unaccepted Prophet

He was rejected by the people of his own village. Those who recognised him as the carpenter could not accept him as a preacher, let alone as a Messiah.

Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honour."
He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.
Mark 6:4 - 6

Betrayed, Denied and Deserted

Although he knew beforehand that Judas would betray him, yet he still called Judas his friend. Jesus was never sarcastic. He must have meant the word.

Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.

Jesus was betrayed by a friend. He was denied by one of his "Inner Circle", Peter who, in the time of Jesus' greatest need, denied him three times. The third time Jesus was there to hear as Peter backed up his denial with foul language.

Peter was only there to deny Jesus because he was trying to avoid deserting him as the rest of the disciples had done.

An Unfair Trial

He was arrested at night and taken to a hearing before dawn. It was illegal to have this hearing at night time. False witnesses were called who had been primed to testify against him but they could not agree on their testimony. Jesus was forced to testify against himself which was also illegal.

Herod only bothered to hear the case because he wanted Jesus to do some miracles, like a conjurer doing magic tricks. He could not actually find any reason to condemn Jesus but had him flogged and returned to Pilate.

Pilate declared Jesus to be Not Guilty but had him crucified for fear of the Jewish authorities who had threatened to report him to Caesar.

A Slave's Death

Crucifixion was considered to be the worst possible death. It was reserved for the very lowest of criminals and for runaway slaves. Roman Citizens could not be crucified whatever their crime (hence the fact that Paul was beheaded as he was a Roman Citizen). For the Jews it was even worse, for Jewish scripture declared "Cursed is anyone who hangs upon a tree" and the Roman cross was seen as an extension of this law. (Deut. 21:23 "anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse.")

A Borrowed Tomb

Even after death "he had no place to lay his head" (Matt 8:20). Had Joseph of Arimathea not been prepared to donate his tomb it is possible that Jesus' body would have been burned on the municipal rubbish heap just outside the city - in the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna).

Jesus knew suffering from the beginning to the end of his life. Because he knew suffering we have a High Priest who understands our sufferings and knows how to intercede for us before the Father. (Heb. 4:15)

(All full biblical quotations in this article are taken from the New International Version and have been inserted into the text using "QuickVerse for Windows" from Parsons Technology.)