Decide (Mark 15:1-15)

Things are not always as they appear. The Sanhedrin tied Jesus up and led Him away, and handed Jesus over to Pilate. Why? They had judged Him guilty of blasphemy and they wanted Pilate to judge Jesus deserving of death. Pilate looked at the man standing before him. He was bound, with fresh bruising on his spit-stained face, and Pilate asked, “Are You the King of the Jews” (Mark 15:2)? 

What does it mean to judge? To judge is to decide. Jesus now stood before Pilate, and he had to decide what to do with this man. When Jesus stood before the high priest and claimed to be the Son of Blessed One, the high priest had judged Jesus to be deserving of death. Pilate didn’t seem to be as anxious to put Jesus to death. When the crowd pressured him to crucify Jesus he asked, “Why? What has He done wrong” (Mark 15:14)?

I believe that we are all in the position of Pilate. We must all make a decision about what we are going to do with Jesus Christ. At some point in our lives we must all judge the claims of Jesus. We know from the book of John that Jesus told Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world. Jesus even told Pilate that He was born for the purpose of the kingdom. When Jesus had begun His ministry, He had proclaimed that the kingdom of God was near. Pilate tried to wash his hands of this judgment. He didn’t want to make the decision about what to do with Jesus Christ.

In not making a decision he made a decision. Why do we even know the name of Pontius Pilate? He would have been an insignificant blip in history except for his encounter with Jesus Christ. He is memorialized in the Nicene Creed when it says, “He suffered under Pontius Pilate.” Jesus told Pilate, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37). The truth was and is on trial. No one can escape judgment.

Pontius Pilate saw a man standing before him waiting for judgment. In truth it was Pontius Pilate standing before the Judge. Everyone will one day give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. Pilate tried to escape judgment by turning his back on Jesus and asking, “What is truth” (John 18:38)? But, when he turned his back on Jesus, he made his decision.