A Fearful Friday

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” (John 19)
Pilate was the most powerful man in the region.  He knew that. So did everyone else, including the chief priests and officers of the Jewish Council. That's why Jesus was there, before him, under trial. But Pilate knew, deep down, that he had no authority to take Jesus' life; He was an innocent man. As cruel and harsh as the Roman government was, there still was a standard of justice.  The Jewish leaders throw out their "law", a twisting of God's Word about blasphemy, as if to say it trumped Roman law (which in Truth it does). Pilate was afraid - now more than ever. He was afraid of the possibility that this Man before him was the truth; he was afraid of a riot - word of which would get back to Rome - causing him loss of his job and maybe his life. He was afraid of people. He was afraid of the dreams of his wife. What was true? What should he do? To whom was he ultimately accountable.  He chose the way of most - denying responsibility. Fear does that.  How will we chose to face our fears today? With faith, or denial?