Pilate’s Addiction Revealed

Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. John 19:10-16

Steps: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10

Pilate, the Roman governor, has the responsibility to maintaining Roman law at Jerusalem. He knows that Jesus is innocent of the charges against Him but Pilate is a politician. He wants to curry favor and he knows that if he lets Jesus go he will have to deal with the political fall out from the Jewish leadership. Pilate looks for a way to let Jesus go but the Jews tell him that if he lets Jesus go he will be charged with the thought of not being Caesar’s friend. Pilate tries to get it turned around and he asks the Jews if they want their king crucified. The Jewish leadership is ready to fully sell out their kingdom to get Jesus killed and they say “We have no king but Caesar.” They officially went on record as saying that they do not want God to be their king but they have chosen their worst enemy Caesar to be their king. God honored their request. He allowed them to receive their king. Sadly in 70 AD their king destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. Pilate allows the Jews to choose Barabbas to be released unto them and then crucified Jesus, primarily to make the Jewish leadership happy.

Prayer for Today: God help us not to sell you out for political gain. Grant us an awareness of what needs to take place and help us to stand for truth no matter what the cost. Help us not to sell another human being out for political advantage. You know we are fully capable of selling others out but please grant us your grace so that we won’t do it again. Help us to trust that you won’t do it to us either. Help us to get into recovery and stay in recovery. We want full recovery, no half steps for us.