Matthew 27:11-26
Jesus Before Pilate
11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.
“Barabbas,” they answered.
22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
Jesus is taken to Pilate...Pilate questions Him...Pilate asks Jesus if He is King of the Jews, and Jesus says, "it is as you say"...Jesus acknowledges that He is a King to Pilate...Pilate asks Jesus if He has heard the testimony against Him...For some reason, Jesus does not answer this question...He gives no reply to even one of the charges against Him...This amazed Pilate...
This is the time of the Feast, and during this time it was the custom for the governor to release a prisoner...Pilate turns to the crowd and asks them if they want him to release the notorious prisoner, Barabbas or to release Jesus...The crowd chooses to release Barabbas...
Pilate's wife had a dream, and dreamed that Jesus was an innocent man...But the chief priests and the elders convinced Pilate to have Jesus executed...Pilate does not listen to his wife...Pilate then releases Barabbas, and has Jesus flogged, and then hands Him over to be crucified...
Pilate washes his hands thinking he can become innocent of the decision he has just made...Pilate says I am innocent of this Man's blood, it is your responsibility (referring to the chief priests, the elders, and the crowd)...Washing one's hands does not take off the guilt of our decisions...Washing your hands does not take away one's sins...If it could I would be washing my hands over and over and time after time...Judas started the betrayal, and the chief priests and elders continue this, and the final betrayal is Pilate...Their decisions are the one's who physically put Jesus on the cross...They have sinned against Jesus, but are not the only sinners, associated with His death...
Pilate was the judge and jury for Jesus...Pilate could have released Jesus...But Pilate does what we do throughout our own lives...We choose the easy path...We choose to associate ourselves with the popular crowd, we follow the herd...It seems we like to follow the winner, we follow the most popular person in a political party...This is the easy thing to do...When we make many of our decisions are we really looking for the truth...Did Pilate make the right decision, why did he make the decision he did?...When we make our daily and decisions in life, are we searching for the truth and the true facts, or we making a decision that is easy and popular?...Are we making our decision or is someone really making it for us?...
In a way, St. Matthew's account of Jesus before Pilate, the gospel writer is putting Pilate on trial...Pilate is not searching for the Truth...Truth was standing right in front of Him, and Pilate could not see it...When Pilate washed his hands, that did not clean him of his sins...The One who could make him innocent of sins was also standing in front of him...But we too, are guilty...And even though Judas, the chief priests, and elders had Jesus executed, it is our sins too, that He dies for on the cross...