WHEN JESUS COMES BEFORE PILATE, WHO’S FACING JUDGMENT? We are, according to the account in the Gospel of John (18:28-19:16). Here’s how.
John’s story of Jesus before Pilate reads as if it were an episode in a play. The episode has seven scenes, alternately taking place outside and inside the governor’s fortress in Jerusalem. Here’s a synopsis of the scenes:
1 – The Judeans bring Jesus to Pilate, who meets them outside. The Judeans tell him Jesus is a criminal they want crucified.
2 – Inside the fortress with Jesus, Pilate asks him, “Are you the king of the Judeans?” Jesus says he has come to proclaim the truth.
3 – Pilate goes outside and asks the Judeans whom he should release, their “king” or a “bandit” named Barabbas. They choose Barabbas.
4 – In the one scene without even an implicit question, Roman soldiers mock the “king.”
5 – Outside again, Pilate says he finds no case against Jesus. The Judeans insist he must be crucified because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God.
6 – Back inside, Pilate asks Jesus where he’s from. Jesus responds with silence, then asserts his higher authority.
7 – Apparently back outside, Pilate asks, “Shall I crucify your king?” The Judeans respond, “We have no king but Caesar!”
In John’s dramatic episode, a group of Judean leaders bring a prisoner to the Roman governor. The status and power of the quisling Judean leaders depends on their ability to curry favor with the Romans. Pilate, in turn, must maintain public order and enforce submission to Caesar.
Anyone in Roman Judea thought to be claiming the throne of Judea posed a threat to the peace and authority of Caesar, and the Romans were ruthless in response. They routinely arrested suspected claimants and their followers, then summarily crucified the rebels, making them terrifying examples of the futility in trying to resist Rome.
So, when John’s story has the Judeans ask Pilate to crucify Jesus, his crucifixion clearly tells us the Romans — not the “Jews” — executed Jesus as a political rebel. This is not a factual report, but a literary tale. It focuses our attention on the choices the Judeans make, and shows Pilate forcing them to make two difficult choices.
First, Pilate asks the Judeans to choose between Jesus, their so-called “king,” and Barabbas, a “bandit.” (Remember, this is storytelling, not history.) In other words, Pilate makes the Judeans choose between a nonviolent, messianic hope for liberation and a violent revolutionary. In John’s tale, the Judeans choose violent revolt.
Then, in the final scene of the episode, Pilate brings Jesus out, saying, “Behold your king!” When the Judeans demand his crucifixion, Pilate asks, “Shall I crucify your king?” Then the Judeans affirm their loyalty to Rome, shouting, “We have no king but Caesar!” What irony! As the Judean leaders betray their people, Pilate has them exactly where he wants them — explicitly submitting to Roman domination.
Do you see how John shows us three ways to respond to domination? Barabbas is on the path of violent insurrection. The Judean leaders walk the path of submission. Jesus offers us a third way, the path of nonviolent transformation.
John’s audience heard this story decades after a Judean revolt against Rome that ended with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. They knew violent revolt led to disaster. The Judean leaders in John’s tale make it clear that submission is betrayal. The resurrection of Jesus, on the other hand, vindicates the transformative path.
The Judeans in John’s drama rejected transformation, and faced judgment for their choices. We make our choices — and face judgment, too. Do we have the courage, the faith, to trust the path of transformation?
Starting on Thursday evening, April 15, I’ll be teaching a course called “Jesus and the Feminine in the Gospel of John.” Sponsored by Christ’s Episcopal Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, the course will be held on Zoom. It is open to all, but enrollment is limited. So, if you’re interested, please click here for details and registration.
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