Sunday's Message - Beside(s) Jesus: The Roman governor, Pontus Pilate

As we approach Easter, Christians all over the world focus their attention on the cross and tomb. And because of this, the usual challenge to follow Jesus just doesn’t seem appropriate. I mean, let’s face it, we’re not Jesus, and we usually stop short of going all the way to the cross and tomb; therefore, using him as an example just doesn’t seem particularly helpful, not as we deal with issues much less dramatic than the crucifixion and the resurrection. But fortunately, Jesus wasn’t the only character in this story. In fact, there were some who just might provide examples that we should follow while there were others whose actions and attitudes we might want to avoid. And this will be our focus on each of the Sundays leading up to and including Easter. 

You see, using the Gospel of John, we’ll look at the following six men and women so that we might better understand who they were, what role they played in this story, and how we might use their examples in our own lives:

• March 16 – Philip
• March 23 – Peter
• March 30 – Caiaphas and Annas
• April 6 – Pilate
• April 13 – Nicodemus
• April 20 – Mary Magdalene 

On Sunday, April 6, we looked at the Roman governor, Pontus Pilate and discussed how we might deal with feeling overwhelmed. Below is the podcast and text of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

Well, we’ve just entered a brand new month. And even though it may be hard to believe, April is generally associated with showers, right? Of course, those showers are really important, because we all know what April showers bring...May flowers, right? And then May flowers bring...Pilgrims, of course.

But be that as it may, we’ve just entered a new month, which means that this morning we’ll be looking at another person who was involved in the last week of Jesus’s life. I mean, to this point, using the Gospel of John, we’ve talked about Philip and how he sort of connected folks with Christ. And then we looked at Peter and his impulsive lack of self-control. And then, last week, we discussed Caiaphas and Annas who established some priorities that they believed were both right and righteous but which actually lead them away from their fundamental beliefs. Now that’s what we’ve covered so far. And this morning we’re going to look at the Roman Governor of Judea, Pontus Pilate who, according to the Evangelist John, just seemed overwhelmed by what was going on right before the crucifixion.

And you know, I think we can all identify with this kind of feeling at least from time to time. As a matter of fact, for me personally, right now, I’m starting to feel as though the water is just below my nose. I mean, I don’t think there’s any time busier for a minister than those two weeks before Easter. And I’ll tell you, it’s actually a little worse this year. I mean, not only are both the deacons and session meeting this week, but taxes must be done by next Tuesday which is also my dad’s birthday, and since Maggie and her significant other, Colin, are coming on the twentieth, I really need to help Debbie get the house ready, and I’d bet a dollar to a donut that the grass will also need to be cut. And since I tend to be a worrier, that’s the reason I was lying in bed wide awake yesterday morning at 2:30. 

Of course, having said that, I recognize that what I’m describing is small potatoes compared with what Ellen and her family are going through or certainly the Priesters and the McNutts. Let’s just say that, with all the changes that are happening now-a-days, for a lot of folks, feeling overwhelmed may have become the new normal.

But you know, even though the reasons may be different, I think the symptoms are pretty much the same, aren’t they? I mean, when folks feel overloaded and heavy burdened, I believe it’s pretty natural to experience a weird combination of stress and panic on the inside. And to sort of protect themselves and marshal their strength often they pull away from the people around them, including those who are ready, willing and able to help them get through the storm. As a matter of fact, they might even put God on the back burner. Now I’m not saying they reject him, but instead they kind of sideline him, because let’s get real, knowing all the stuff he probably wants them to do isn’t going to turn the heat down. No, when folks feel like they’re about to drown, man, they really can’t risk one more straw, now can they? And I apologize for mixing my metaphors. 

But you know, that’s why talking about Pontus Pilate, that overwhelmed governor of Judea who was so important in John’s gospel, that’s why I believe he offers a wonderful example for us all this morning. But brace yourselves, there’ll be a little change in how we do that. Since there’s no mention of any Romans in John before Jesus’s arrest, we’ll only be answering two questions. First, what role did Pilate play in Jesus’s last week? And then second, how might we learn from his example? And hopefully, by the end of our time together, we’ll have a better handle on what we should do when we feel swamped and stressed. 

Of course, to understand the role Pilate played at the end of Jesus’s story, we need to spend just a little time talking about Pilate’s job and the problem he faced. And I’ll tell you, they’re related. You see, when you get right down to it, the Romans cared about one thing, money. And because of that, since Pilate was the Roman governor, he really had only one job, to make sure his territory sent to Rome what was due. That’s it. It was to make sure the Empire got its piece of the pie. And to do that, man, he had to keep the peace. You see, if people were running around acting crazy or if they’re really angry by what was going on, they were not going to pay their taxes. As a matter of fact, if things got too out of hand, Rome might have to send in an army to calm things down. And sending in armies, well, that costs money, something the Romans didn’t want to spend. But it was right here where Pilate faced a problem that had “overwhelming” written all over it, and I’m talking about the issue between the Jews and Jesus. You see, from his standpoint, this was just the kind of conflict that might keep a Roman governor up at night. Man, this guy was overwhelmed. 

And I’ll tell you, I think we can see that feeling come out as he tried to play politician and stand between the two parties. For example, according to the Evangelist John, this was how it started:

It was early in the morning when Jesus was taken from Caiaphas to the building where the Roman governor stayed. But the crowd waited outside. Any of them who had gone inside would have become unclean and would not be allowed to eat the Passover meal. 

Pilate came out and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

They answered, “He is a criminal! That's why we brought him to you.”

Pilate told them, “Take him and judge him by your own laws.”

The crowd replied, “We are not allowed to put anyone to death.” And so what Jesus said about his death would soon come true. [John 18:28-32, CEV]

Now remember, Pilate’s job was to keep the peace. And because the Jewish leaders didn’t seem to offer him any wiggle room, for the good of the nation and his own job, Pilate was probably going to bring the hammer down on Jesus.

Of course, it was right here that Pilate ran into a problem. Just listen:

Pilate then went back inside. He called Jesus over and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own or did someone tell you about me?”

“You know I'm not a Jew!” Pilate said. “Your own people and the chief priests brought you to me. What have you done?”

Jesus answered, “My kingdom doesn't belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to our leaders. No, my kingdom doesn't belong to this world.”

“So you are a king,” Pilate replied.

“You are saying that I am a king,” Jesus told him. “I was born into this world to tell about the truth. And everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice.”

Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” 

Pilate went back out and said, “I don't find this man guilty of anything! And since I usually set a prisoner free for you at Passover, would you like for me to set free the king of the Jews?”

They shouted, “No, not him! We want Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a terrorist. [John 18:33-40, CEV]

And so, there we have it; Pilate was between a rock and a hard place, wasn’t he? I mean, although he recognized that Jesus wasn’t guilty of any crime, the Jewish leaders wanted him gone. And because of that, Pilate had two options. He could either stand up for what he knew was right and risk a riot or he could back down and look like a wimp. 

But you know, maybe, just maybe there was another possibility. I mean, maybe, just maybe they could find a compromise. And for this stressed out civil servant, it must have been worth a shot. Just listen:

Pilate gave orders for Jesus to be beaten with a whip. The soldiers made a crown out of thorn branches and put it on Jesus. Then they put a purple robe on him. They came up to him and said, “Hey, you king of the Jews!” They also hit him with their fists.

Once again Pilate went out. This time he said, “I will have Jesus brought out to you again. Then you can see for yourselves that I have not found him guilty.”

Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said, “Here is the man!” 

When the chief priests and the temple police saw him, they yelled, “Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!”

Pilate told them, “You take him and nail him to a cross! I don't find him guilty of anything.”

The crowd replied, “He claimed to be the Son of God! Our law says that he must be put to death.” [John 19:1-7, CEV]

Obviously, compromise was not an option. He was going to have to do it their way or face a highway right back to Rome. You see, for Pilate to keep his job, there was only one thing he could do, but it was something he didn’t want to do. Again listen.

When Pilate heard this, he was terrified. He went back inside and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not answer.

“Why won't you answer my question?” Pilate asked. “Don't you know I have the power to let you go free or to nail you to a cross?”

Jesus replied, “If God had not given you the power, you couldn't do anything at all to me. But the one who handed me over to you did something even worse.”

Then Pilate wanted to set Jesus free. But the crowd again yelled, “If you set this man free, you are no friend of the Emperor! Anyone who claims to be a king is an enemy of the Emperor.”

When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out. Then he sat down on the judge's bench at the place known as “The Stone Pavement.” In Aramaic this pavement is called “Gabbatha.” It was about noon on the day before Passover, and Pilate said to the crowd, “Look at your king!”

“Kill him! Kill him!” they yelled. “Nail him to a cross!”

“So you want me to nail your king to a cross?” Pilate asked.

The chief priests replied, “The Emperor is our king!” Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be nailed to a cross. [John 19:8-16, CEV]

You see, because of the pressure, Pilate did what he felt he had to do, even though he knew it was wrong. Now that was Pilate’s role in Jesus’s story. And I’ll tell you, when we feel both swamped and stressed that same thing can happen to us.

And for that very reason, I think our second question is so important. You see, if we’re smart, we might want to do what’s necessary to avoid the example set by Pilate. And even though that may appear to be one of those “da” statements, how we can actually pull it off, man, that might be more challenging. But you know, right here, I believe we’re in luck because in the Gospel of John there’s another example that we might want to follow. And to make it even better, it’s one y’all already know, because we looked at it last week, and I’m talking about the story of the blind man. But unlike an illustration of the Jewish leaders and their priorities, right now we’re going to look at it from the perspective of the guy healed, because I think he illustrates three things we can do whenever we’re feeling overwhelmed.

You see, first, like him, we can focus on the issues. In other words, we can focus on what’s actually happening and not what we’re afraid might happen. For example, I may feel swamped because I seem to have more to do than time to do it. That’s the issue. Or I may feel stressed because I’m suddenly facing some major changes in my life, and I’m talking about the kind of changes that I sure didn’t choose and definitely don’t want. That’s the issue. You see, I can intentionally focus on the issue or issues that’s causing me to feel ridden hard and put away wet, rather than let it morph into something huge and uncontrollable. And you know, I think that’s exactly what that blind man did as he dealt with his healing. According to the Evangelist John, 

The man's neighbors and the people who had seen him begging wondered if he really could be the same man. Some of them said he was the same beggar, while others said he only looked like him. But he told them, “I am that man.”

“Then how can you see?” they asked.

He answered, “Someone named Jesus made some mud and smeared it on my eyes. He told me to go and wash it off in Siloam Pool. When I did, I could see.”

“Where is he now?” they asked.

“I don't know,” he answered. [John 9:8-12, CEV]

That guy intentionally focused on the issue. And when we feel overwhelmed, so can we. That’s one.

And second, just like him, we can also resist the distractions, you know, what I mean, all those side topics that can not only make the issue seem bigger than it actually is, but that can also cause us to miss answers that may be right in front of us. For example, if my primary focus is on tasks and time, it might be a good idea to avoid adding money issues to the pile. And if I’m feeling the stress today, maybe I should not be distracted by what I didn’t do yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. As a matter of fact, to maintain our focus, we might want to do everything in our power to ignore the distractions, which, by the way, was exactly what the former blind man did. Just listen:

The leaders called the man back and said, “Swear by God to tell the truth! We know that Jesus is a sinner.”

The man replied, “I don't know if he is a sinner or not. All I know is that I used to be blind, but now I can see!”

“What did he do to you?” they asked. “How did he heal your eyes?”

The man answered, “I have already told you once, and you refused to listen. Why do you want me to tell you again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”

The leaders insulted the man and said, “You are his follower! We are followers of Moses. We are sure God spoke to Moses, but we don't even know where Jesus comes from.”

“How strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don't know where he comes from. We know that God listens only to people who love and obey him. God doesn't listen to sinners. And this is the first time in history anyone has ever given sight to someone born blind. Jesus could not do anything unless he came from God.” [John 9:24-33, CEV]

You see, no matter how hard those leaders tried to get that guy to chase their rabbits, he wouldn’t do it. He resisted their distractions, and you know, we can do the same. And that’s two.

And finally, like him, we can simply trust the Lord. Now, I’m not going to stand up here and say that if we trust in God, all our stress will magically go away and all the swamp will be miraculously drained and all those horrible feelings of being overwhelmed will be instantly lifted from our shoulders. I’m not going to say that, because most of y’all have been around the block and know that would just be a bunch of baloney. Still, when we trust the Lord, not only can we see a light at the end of the tunnel, we might also experience a source of comfort and support as we trudge forward through the darkness. Trusting in the one who has power gives us confidence and trusting in the one who also loves us gives us hope. And I’ll tell you, that’s exactly what happened with the blind man at the end of his story.

When Jesus heard what had happened, he went and found the man. Then Jesus asked, “Do you have faith in the Son of Man?”

He replied, “Sir, if you will tell me who he is, I will put my faith in him.”

“You have already seen him,” Jesus answered, “and right now he is talking with you.”

The man said, “Lord, I put my faith in you!” Then he worshiped Jesus. [John 9:35-38, CEV]

In the end, he had faith. And you know, when we’re overwhelmed, we can too. And that’s three. 

Of course, like I said, this certainly doesn’t mean that we’re never going to feel that in the great rat race we call life, from time to time, the rats will seem to be winning. I mean, just like it was for that Roman governor, there will be days when we’ll feel both swamped and stressed, and that’s going to affect how we see ourselves and others and even God. But before we find ourselves totally submerged, let’s remember the example of the blind man and intentionally focus on the issues and resist the distractions and trust the Lord. And you know, maybe if we do, we’ll steer clear of Pilate’s example, and avoid being drowned in all those April showers.