During this Lent I am going to look at different characters from the Stations of the Cross.
This first week let’s look at Pontius Pilate. He is forever remembered for being the one who officially condemns our Lord. He washes his hand of the matter, yet he still gave into the pressures of the time.
Who was Pontius Pilate?
Pontius Pilate was the prefect of Judea during the reign of emperor Tiberius Caesar. He was the fifth Roman appointed to govern Judea and held that office for the second-longest time: 26-36 AD. This was the same time during which John the Baptist and Jesus would have been alive and killed. As prefect, he was responsible for serving Emperor Tiberius, collecting taxes, and maintaining order.
Where did Pontius Pilate live?
During his time as prefect of Judea, Pilate’s headquarters were located at Caesaria Maritima on the ocean coast. You can visit ruins at the location. They even have an engraving marking Pilate’s name. There was a military force at Caesaria of about 3,000 soldiers. These soldiers came up to Jerusalem at the time of big religious feasts, such as Passover, when the city was full of strangers, and there was greater danger of disturbances. Pilate had come to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover, which became our Lord’s Crucifixion.
What did Pontius Pilate do?
Information about Pilate comes from the writings of Philo Judaeus and Flavius Josephus (Jewish historians). Neither has positive things to say about him: he is described as insensitive, cruel, ready to use brutal force to keep order, and incompetent. Because he kept his post for 10 years, it’s unlikely that he was incompetent. Brutality was, however, the norm for people in his position. When he massacred a group of Samaritans at Mount Gerizim, Pilate was called to Rome to answer for being “overly” violent.
Why was Pontius Pilate important?
Hardly anyone cares much about what Pontius Pilate actually did in Judea. Today, his importance is tied completely to the Gospel stories about Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. Pilate was in charge of whether Jesus would be condemned or set free. Because of his official Roman position he makes the events of Jesus’ life historical. It was important in the early church to place Jesus in history. This is why the Gospel of Luke starts with "In the days of King Herod of Judea," LK 1:5, and begins the story of Jesus ministry as "In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was ruler of Galilee..." Lk 3:1. It is also why Pilate is mentioned in the Creed- Profession of Faith.