Choices. You and I have already made a number of choices this morning. We chose to get out of bed. We either chose to eat breakfast or we chose not to. We either chose to take a shower / bath or we chose not to. We chose what to wear this morning or we chose to wear what our wives told us to wear. Those choices are really not all that significant.
But sometimes, our choices are important. They reflect whether we love God supremely or not. God allows us to make those choices on our own. He does not force us to love Him because God loves us and love does not force decisions.
In the choices we make in life, we don’t always know or see the immediate consequences of those choices. But if, if, the choices are the right choices to make, then we know we ought to make those choices, even if we can’t immediately see the consequences of those choices.
In John 19, Jesus is taken from Caiaphas, the high priest, to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John mention Pontius Pilate fifty-two times. Let’s examine the choices Pilate made…
Jesus’ first interaction with Pontius Pilate is in 18:29. Once the police officers brought Jesus into the praetorium, Pilate appears and asks them what accusation they have against him. Notice in verse 30 that the Jews do not answer Pilate’s question. Since they didn’t answer Pilate’s question, Pilate initially does not give them what they want.
At the end of John 18, we have a dialogue between Jesus and Pilate (18:33-39). Don’t you know that Pilate’s head was spinning. I’m sure he had not studied the Old Testament and he was not the type of person, probably, who thought much about theology.
Choice #1 that Pilate makes: He chooses not to pursue biblical studies any further. He is more concerned about politics; he hears this discussion about “truth” and he really doesn’t care about spiritual matters, so he throws out that question, “What is truth?”, and then proceeds to walk away from The Truth, the embodiment of the truth sent from God.
Choice #2 that Pilate makes (18:38): He chooses to accept the fact that Jesus is not a revolutionary. He is not intent on overthrowing neither King Herod nor Emperor Tiberius. Jesus is not guilty of any crime against the Roman government that would require Pilate’s attention.
Pilate makes choice #3 in verse 39. It was Pilate’s custom to release a political prisoner at Passover, to try to keep peace with the Jews. He asks if they want him to release their “king:” Jesus. No, the Jewish people ask for a robber to be freed, an insurrectionist, an enemy of the state of Rome: Barabbas.
Chapter 19 begins with choice #4. Pilate chooses to scourge Jesus (19:1). He does so despite the fact that he had already declared that Jesus was not guilty of a crime! We should understand that, sometimes, because people have an agenda, it does not matter what the facts say, they are going to do what they want to do, even if it means killing or destroying a good man. There is true evil in the world.
Pilate allows (Choice #5) the soldiers to dress Jesus up as a king, probably in mockery, perhaps to stimulate some sympathy on the part of the Jews so that Pilate would not have to follow through with anything more serious (19:2-4).
Choice #6 of Pilate is recorded in 19:12: he made more efforts to persuade the Jews to back off their condemnation of death but then the Jews threaten Pilate with going over his head and reporting to either the Roman officer in Syria or even to Emperor Tiberius himself. Clearly, this was a political statement suggesting that if Pilate allowed Jesus to live, Pilate would be an accomplice in the rebellion among the Jews that would result.
The final choice we see from Pilate in this text begins in verse 13-16. The Jews claim to be followers of Caesar (19:15). In saying this, as a whole, they totally and completely reject the leadership of God. Of course, from Pilate’s perspective, bringing up Caesar again suggests that the Jews were willing to complain to Caesar if he did not play politics with them.
It was at this point that Pilate makes choice #7: He gives Jesus into the hands of the Jews to crucify Jesus, to put to death the sinless Son of God. The only crime for which the Jews could convict Jesus was for telling the truth. He was the Messiah. The Son of God. Pilate could not find a crime for which to convict Jesus but he chose to convict Him anyway.
If we wish to live a life of joy with Jesus, let us be careful as we live our lives from day to day that we make the right choices. The choices that put us on the side of Jesus, and Right, and Truth, and God. It might not turn out well for us in this life but if it is, in fact, the right thing to do, it will turn out well for us in the life to come.
Make the Right choices. Regardless of the circumstances or outcome.
Paul Holland