Jesus Stands Before the Governor
(Matthew 27:1-2, 11-26)

Early in the morning, as the sun began to rise over Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered together. They had spent the night plotting against Jesus, and now their plan was set in motion. They bound Jesus with ropes and led him away from the high priest's house. Their destination was the Praetorium, the grand residence of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea.

The religious leaders could not put Jesus to death themselves. Under Roman rule, only the governor had the authority to sentence a person to execution by crucifixion. So they brought Jesus before Pilate, hoping to persuade the Roman official to do their dirty work. They believed that if they could convince Pilate that Jesus was a threat to Rome, the governor would have no choice but to order his death.

Pilate came out to meet them and looked at the man standing before him. Jesus was calm, his face peaceful despite the long night of accusations and beatings. Pilate asked him a direct question: "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered simply, "You have said so." Then the chief priests and the elders began to pour out accusation after accusation against Jesus. They said he was stirring up the people, forbidding them to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be a king. But Jesus did not answer back. He stood silent before all their angry words. Pilate was amazed at how quiet Jesus remained in the face of such hostility.

Now Pilate knew that the religious leaders had handed Jesus over because they were jealous of him. Jesus was beloved by the people, and the priests and elders could not stand it. So Pilate looked for a way to release him.

It was the custom during the Passover festival for the governor to release one prisoner to the crowd. The people could choose who they wanted to be set free. Pilate thought this was the perfect opportunity. He would offer the crowd a choice between Jesus and a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. Surely, Pilate reasoned, the people would choose Jesus.

Barabbas was a well-known criminal. He had been imprisoned for robbery and for leading a rebellion against Rome. He was guilty of many serious crimes and was a dangerous man. But the crowd had already been worked up by the chief priests and the elders. They had been telling the people to ask for Barabbas instead of Jesus.

While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, a servant brought him an urgent message from his wife. She said, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I have suffered much today in a dream because of him." Pilate must have felt a chill run down his spine. Even his wife had been warned about Jesus.

Pilate asked the crowd, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" The crowd shouted back with one voice, "Barabbas!" Pilate was surprised and troubled. He asked them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" And all of them shouted together, "Let him be crucified!"

Pilate tried to reason with them. He asked, "Why? What evil has he done?" But the crowd only shouted louder and louder, "Let him be crucified! Let him be crucified!" The noise grew so loud that Pilate could see a riot was about to break out.

Pilate called for a basin of water. In front of the entire crowd, he washed his hands and declared, "I am innocent of this man's blood. See to it yourselves." By this symbolic act, Pilate was trying to say that he was not responsible for what was about to happen. But the people answered back, "His blood be on us and on our children!"

Then Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified. The Son of God, the innocent King of the Jews, was led away to die on a cross. But even in this dark moment, God was working out his perfect plan to save his people from their sins. The Lamb of God was being led to the slaughter, just as the prophets had foretold.