The NIV 365 Day Devotional
Pontius Pilate: In Power But Not At Peace
Whenever local rulers failed to keep the colonies in line, Rome appointed its own rulers, called “procurators” or “governors.” Pilate served as Roman procurator of Judea, a regional ruler for the most powerful empire in the history of the planet up to that time. Yet, as Pilate discovered, having absolute power does not guarantee peace. The Jews hated Roman rule, and religious and nationalist emotions constantly flared up in Judea.
According to the first-century historian Josephus, Pilate marched Roman soldiers into Jerusalem, learning too late that Jews would die to keep Rome’s military emblems out. (They considered images of the emperor blasphemous.) When Pilate set out to build an aqueduct for Jerusalem, he caused a bloody riot by appropriating temple offerings to pay the bill. Pilate’s soldiers brutally put down many such disturbances.
When Pilate met Jesus, he mainly saw one more source of trouble. Pilate tried to pass the buck (to Herod). He even offered to set the prisoner free. But in the end Pilate was willing to sacrifice Jesus if that would buy order. Pilate’s most famous words were a cynical question, “What is truth?” (Jn 18:38). The answer was standing right in front of him, but Pilate didn’t really want to know.
Pilate must have considered Jesus’ execution a success (it didn’t start any riots), but his balancing act was upturned just a few years later. Some Samaritans—the mixed-race group whom Jews despised—heard a crazy report that Moses had buried treasures on Mount Gerizim. A crowd gathered to climb the mountain. Pilate, thinking these pilgrims might be dangerous, sent in troops. Soon he had a massacre on his hands. For his overreaction, he was relieved from command and sent back to Rome to stand trial.
Are there situations in your life where you would buy peace at any cost? What happens to the truth when you do so?
Taken from the NIV Starting Place Study Bible.