Daily Devotions
John
John 19:1-16 "GREAT FEAR IN PILATE'S HEART"
Day 294 – John 19
GREAT FEAR IN PILATE’S HEART
The Jews thought that if they were to explain the “real reason” why they wanted Jesus destroyed, Pilate would then be more understanding and sympathetic to their cause. The people who stood before him were “chief priests and officers” (John 19:6). Surely, they must know what they were talking about! Pilate would not have full theological comprehension, but could he not trust these Jewish theologians? Had they not investigated and concluded that Jesus had committed the worst possible spiritual sin – that of blaspheming God’s Name, by calling Himself “The Son of God”?
The crash course in Jewish theology went down the wrong way! Instead of appreciating the theological acumen of the chief priests, Pilate found his heart strangely afraid. Perhaps this was the same kind of nameless dread that had gripped the heart of his wife (Matthew 27:19).
John noted how this sense of dread and fear affected Pilate.
“Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying,
he was the more afraid …”
John 19:8a
ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO INTERROGATE JESUS
Once again, Pilate sought to interrogate Jesus further. This time round however, he was motivated by another concern, a more personal one. What if his wife’s “dreams” were really from a divine source, and she was indeed warning him of grave danger if he went ahead and convicted Jesus of crimes that he did not commit? What if the reports that he heard were true – that Jesus did indeed perform many mighty miracles? What if all that Jesus had spoken to him earlier, about the kingdom of God, about Truth – they were all TRUE?
Anxiously, Pilate queried Jesus once again. John recorded this very well.
“Pilate … went again into the Praetorium, and
said to Jesus ‘Where are You from?’ But Jesus
gave him no answer.”
John 19:8-9
Pilate knew where Jesus came from, for the Jews had mentioned that Jesus came from the Galilean region. Knowing that Herod Antipas was in Jerusalem that week, Pilate had sent Jesus to him, for he was tetrarch of Galilee. His question put to Jesus, concerning His origin, was not aimed at discovering more about the physical origin of Jesus. It would appear that Pilate was concerned about the possible divine origin of Jesus! If Jesus were Deity, as the term “Son of God” implied, according to the Jewish theologians, then Pilate must take special care!
Pilate seemed to think that it was one thing to condemn a human being, but to pass judgment on Deity was another thing. To pass judgment on a human being may be understood as human error. However to condemn a person who was called “Son of God” was an entirely different thing! The sense of fear and dread in him was very real.
UNDERSTANDING THE FEAR OF PILATE
Pilate may or may not have been a religious man, but even the most brazen would hesitate when he sensed that his circumstances appear to involve Divine Presence. In the Book of Daniel, we have an example of King Nebuchadnezzar expressing his fear after he was given a message from God, by means of a dream.
“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house,
and flourishing in my palace. I saw a dream
which made me afraid, and the thoughts on
my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.”
Daniel 4:4-5
Could this “fear” come from God? Possibly! Two portions of Scripture come to mind. We are reminded of what the Lord Himself promised Israel, as they prepared themselves to enter into the land of Canaan.
“The Lord your God will put the dread of you
and the fear of you upon all the land where
you tread, just as He has said to you.”
Deuteronomy 11:25
When Joshua sent out two spies to check out the land, they met up with Rahab who said,
“And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts
melted; neither did there remain any more courage
in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God,
He is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath.”
Joshua 2:11
God was in control. He had made His Presence felt. Jesus, being close and sensitive to His Father’s Presence was kept calm and trusting. The fear of Pilate was obvious to Jesus. In that fear, He must have recognized that His Father who had been working always, was even in the Praetorium bearing witness concerning His beloved Son, in whom He was well pleased!
No matter how man may pretend to have great influence and power in life, the fact still remains that he is but a mere mortal in God’s sight! Yes, God can make His Presence known by allowing dreams to come to Pilate’s wife, and also fear to be felt deep in Pilate’s heart!
THE SILENCE OF JESUS
What stunned Pilate even more was the fact that this time round, Jesus did not respond to his questions. Just a while ago, Jesus spoke about His life’s ministry. Suddenly, Jesus became silent. Pilate was even more perplexed by this sudden change. How should he interpret the silence of Jesus?