Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect of Judea at the time Jesus was crucified. Jesus is brought before Pilate by the Jewish Council. As Roman ruler, Pilate must pass judgment on Jesus. Pilate gives the people a choice. They can choose: Jesus freed or Barabbas the murderer. The people choose Barabbas and want Jesus to be crucified. Pilate washes his hands in a bowl of water. A symbolic act that absolves him of guilt in the death of Jesus. He has Jesus flogged and then Jesus is nailed to the cross.
The life of Pontius Pilate
Not much is known about the life of Pontius Pilate. The New Testament is an important source of information about him. In addition, two Jewish writers from the first century mention his name. They are Philo of Alexandria and Josephus of Flavius. The latter writes about Pilate in the ‘Jewish war’ and the ‘Antiquities of the Jews’. In 1961, an inscription containing his name was discovered in Caesarea and a number of coins bearing his name have also been found.
Pilate the Roman prefect or governor
Pilate was the Roman governor or prefect. He held the position of governor of the Roman province of Judea. A prefect was originally a military job. Pilate was governor of Judea between 26 and 36 AD. Judea also included the regions of Samaria and Idumea. Pilate was prefect during the reign of Emperor Tiberius (14 to 37 AD). As governor, Pilate represented Roman rule and interests in the province of Judea. He exercised his power in favor of Rome’s ruling elites. He was often at odds with local Jewish leaders. Philo of Alexandria and Josephus’ accounts of Pilate reveal his insensitivity to Jewish religious customs. He had little or no respect for that.
A wealthy lineage The fact that Pilate was appointed prefect shows that he came from a wealthy, powerful family. He belonged to the elite. His family was probably well known to Emperor Tiberius. Pontius Pilate would have had previous military and administrative experience before becoming prefect of Judea.
Pilate in the Gospels
After being captured, Jesus is interrogated at night by the Jewish council. Early in the morning they take him to the Roman prefect Pilate. He must pass judgment on Jesus. Is Jesus so guilty that he should be crucified? Every one of the evangelists talks about Pontius Pilate. Each evangelist describes Pilate in his own way.
Matthew and Pilate’s wife
Matthew describes that as Pilate sat on the judgment seat, a message was brought to him from his wife: Do not associate with that righteous man! Because of him I suffered many things last night in a dream (Matthew 27:19). Pilate’s wife informs him that she believes Jesus is innocent. She warns her husband not to interfere with this Jesus. Matthew is the only evangelist who mentions this. Matthew probably does this to show that there are non-Jews who do listen to God and believe in the innocence of Jesus.
Pilate talking to Jesus according to the Gospel of John
In the story as John describes it, Pilate talks to Jesus. Pilate wants to know who he is dealing with. The conversation has a somewhat philosophical content: ‘What is truth?’ (John 18:38). During the process, Pilate goes up and down seven times, from outside to inside. Outside are the people chanting that Jesus should be crucified. Inside, the conversations between Pilate and Jesus take place. In John’s Gospel, Pilate declares Jesus innocent three times (John 18:38, 19:4, 6). The use of repetitions of three and seven has a symbolic charge. Pilate keeps trying to get Jesus released, but is overwhelmed by the shouts of the Judeans. John also reports that Pilate had hung a text above the cross of Jesus in several languages: king of the Jews. The Jewish leaders asked Pilate to change this text to mean that Jesus had said that he was the king of the Jews. However, Pilate refused to change the text: “What I have written, I have written” (John 19:22).
He washes his hands in innocence
Pilate washes his hands in a bowl of water. That was a symbolic act that cannot be misunderstood. Pilate shifts responsibility. He is innocent of the death of Jesus, he wants to say. While he knew that Jesus was a righteous man (Matthew 27:24). He washes his hands in innocence is an expression we use that refers to the symbolic action of Pontius Pilate.
The Confession of Faith
Pontius Pilate is mentioned by name in the church’s major creeds. Pontius Pilate is mentioned in the Creed precisely to emphasize that the condemnation of Jesus is a real historical event. Pilate is also mentioned by sources outside the Bible. Jesus became human as the son of God. He walked the earth. He was sentenced to death by a Roman official, a historical figure. The Creed mentions Pontius Pilate in order to confirm the historicity of religious beliefs.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;
and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried […](The Apostles’ Creed)
Hocus pocus Pilate only Pilate is the only person besides Mary mentioned in the confession of faith. Popularly, Pilate still appears in the statement: ‘Hocus pocus Pilatus pass’. This comes from the Confession of Faith. ‘suffered under Pontius Pilate’ in Latin is ‘Pontio Pilato, passus’ . The ‘ Pilato passus ‘ resonates in the magical spell ‘Pilate pass’.
Pontius Pilate and Church Tradition
Church traditions have assessed Pilate in very different ways. They did not only rely on what is written about him in the Bible. There were also all kinds of imaginative stories about Pilate. Christianity’s views on him can be roughly divided into three groups: the wrong Pilate, the holy Pilate and Pilate the martyr.
The Wrong Pilate
Many Christians see Pilate as a person who made wrong decisions. In that view, he is a bad person who did not do what he was supposed to do, namely to administer justice. He allowed himself to be persuaded by the people and sent Jesus to his death. He is responsible for the martyrdom of the son of God. Within this tradition there are stories about his well-deserved end of life. He might have drowned or committed suicide.
Saint Pilate
Pilate was a link in what had to be done. The son of God had to die on the cross. The prophets foretold it. Pilate had no choice. Pilate gained insight through the conversations with Jesus during his interrogation. Jesus spoke the truth. He is the son of God. The risen Jesus is said to have appeared to Pilate. The Ethiopian Church even canonized Pilate. Saint Pilate’s saint’s day is June 19.
Pilate the martyr
Some say Pontius Pilate is a martyr. He was executed by Emperor Tiberius. The emperor called Pilate to account for the miscarriage of justice in the conviction of Jesus. Emperor Tiberius does not want to understand that Pilate did God’s will to have Jesus crucified. Pilate was therefore sentenced to death by Tiberius. Thus Pilate became a martyr.
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