Good+Friday

3/25 Ecce Homo! Behold, the Man! INRI=Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum: Jesus of Nazareth King Of the Jews



Pontius Pilate ’s date of birth is unknown. He is believed to have hailed from the Samnium region of central Italy. Pontius Pilate served as the prefect of Judaea from 26 to 36 A.D. He convicted Jesus of treason and declared that Jesus thought himself King of the Jews, and had Jesus crucified.

As a Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate was granted the power of a supreme judge, which meant that he had the sole authority to order a criminal’s execution. His duties as a prefect included such mundane tasks as tax collection and managing construction projects. But, perhaps his most crucial responsibility was that of maintaining law and order. Pontius Pilate attempted to do so by any means necessary. What he couldn’t negotiate he is said to have accomplished through brute force.

Jesus's Crucifixion
As governor of Judaea, Pontius Pilate faced a conflict of interests between the Roman Empire and the Sanhedrin Jewish council. When Pontius asked Jesus if he was King of the Jews, he claimed that Jesus embraced the title, which he never did. This accusation was considered an act of treason by the Roman government. According to some sources, Pontius Pilate collaborated with Jewish leaders—who viewed Jesus's claim to power as a political threat—in prosecuting Jesus.

In the Gospel accounts of The Trial of Jesus, Philo and Joseph described Pontius Pilate as having been cruel and unfair. All four of the Gospels describe him as weakly succumbing to the Jewish authorities' pressure on him to execute Jesus. The Gospels indicate Pontius Pilate's indecision, citing that he conceded to letting Jesus go at one stage of the trial, but later rescinded the offer.

Of the Gospels, only Matthew 27:19 describes Pontius Pilate as refusing involvement in Jesus's crucifixion: //So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves."//