Free «Pilate Innocence on Christs Crucifixion» Essay Sample

Pontius Pilate, from the bible was a roman administrator who was the one who gave the last command to Jesus crucifixion. From the four gospels, of the bible, he believed that Jesus, the savior, was innocent, and he tried to save him. However, the Jewish religious leaders forced Pilate to order for the death of Jesus. Pilate was appointed in Judea during the 26 AD and stayed in power for ten years. His title was the governor, and he had two duties: first to maintain order in that country, and secondly to ensure that the taxes were collected and taken to Rome. Being one of governors of the Roman Empire, the Jews were supposed to borrow permission from the Pilate before his crucifixion (Thomas pp94).

The Jewish leaders wanted eliminate Jesus from Judea since a lot of people believed that he was the messiah, and it made him declared a threat by the religious authority. Since they did not want people know that they are responsible of Jesus’ death, they took Jesus to Pilate accusing him to claim to be a king. According to the roman rules and regulation this crime was equal to a person rebelling against the emperor, a crime that was punished by death.

From Luke23:1-5, the multitude brought Jesus to the Pontius Pilate, and they started accusing him saying that Jesus misguided the nation and telling them not to pay tribute to Caesar and claimed that he called himself king. Pilate in return said to the people and the chief priests that he do not find Jesus guilty. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, and he tried to prevent Jesus from being sentenced to death by saying he will have him beaten and then released. Pilate was in fact interested in Jesus mission and he wanted to see him performing miracles. He disagrees with peoples’ idea of crucifying him since he did not find any guilt with him performing miracles. This shows how Pilate was innocent, and he is not the cause of Jesus’ death since he fights for Jesus right since he was not guilty (Adam pp132).

Pilate for the second time tried to defend Jesus who was innocent by using the Jews’ custom that allowed one of the people imprisoned to be released during the time of the feast. Since it was the time of the feast of Passover, he asked the crowd whom they will release for the necessity of the feast. The crowd however, chose the Barabbas, but Pilate who was unwilling to sentence Jesus to death he asked the crowd the same question again, but the answer was the same. This implies that Pilate was not the cause of Jesus’ death, and so he was innocent.

Pilate tried for the third time by asking the crowd what Jesus had done to deserve death sentence. He told the crowd and the chief priest that he founds Jesus innocent, and he will punish him and then release him. Pilate then punished Jesus by permitting him to be scourged and whipped hopping that the crowd will see Jesus’ bloodied body and be contented, but the crowd shouted for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate shows how he had fought for Jesus release, but his efforts did not bear fruits. This shows how he used his power to fight for Jesus, but the crowd was determined to have Jesus sentenced to death (Pentecost pp473).

Jewish leaders imposed threats to report Pilate to the emperor because he did not enforce the laws against revolt. When Pilate saw that he could not overcome the crowd he cleared his guilty conscience by taking water and cleansed his hands before the crowd saying that he is innocent of the blood of Jesus since he is innocent. This shows that Pilate was separating himself from that situation. He later released Jesus to the crowd to be killed by being crucified to death.

In the gospels, it shows that Pilate was forced to agree on what was against his will since he had the power to stop the crowd from killing Jesus. This decision was influenced by some factors. The first factor was that Pilate as a person of upper-class roman; he would have not put value on Jesus who was a low-class. He also feared to lose his political position in Judea. Due to riots and uprisings, the Pilate had to take action on anyone who could cause the instability of his country. Pilate would have thought Jesus, who had many people following him, could have caused threats to the country. Pilate could have followed the decision of sentencing Jesus to death in order to collaborate with the Jewish leaders so as to stay in good terms.

Herod who sent Jesus to the Pirate should be considered guilty, because he believed the crowd and gave him the robe since he claimed to be the messiah. The crowd is also guilty since they cried for Jesus crucifixion instead of the Barabbas, who was the murders, even when the pirate tried to fight for him. Judas Iscariot is also guilty of Jesus crucifixion since he betrayed Jesus and paid for him to be killed.

In conclusion, it clear that Pontius Pilate was an innocent man during Jesus crucifixion, since he tried all his means to protect Jesus from being sentenced to death. He uses the custom of the Jews that a prisoner to be released during the feast, he decides to punish him and then release him and finally declares Jesus innocent before the crowd.