What Jesus' Death by Pontius Pilate Means for You!

October 22, 2024

Jason Bonnicksen

What Jesus’ Death by Pontius Pilate Means for You!

The Profound Nature of Christ

The following statement might sound and seem simple, but consider its profound nature: Without Christ, there would be no Christianity; and without the cross, there would have been no Christ. Jesus’ crucifixion and death on the cross is one of two, conjoined events that are the centrality of our entire belief. Our faith hinges on the events contained within three days spanning all of human history, beginning with the day Pilate ordered Jesus’ death.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who came down out of heaven for our benefit, exchanged his life so that we may inherit eternal life. He didn’t go to the cross for his own sake, but specifically for ours—for the whole world. One of the most quoted scriptures in the whole of the bible supports the church father’s claim. The Apostle John wrote:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

John 3:16–17, ESV

If you’re old enough to remember, in the mid 1980’s, Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson wrote a song, sung by a chorus of musicians to bring awareness to the starvation epidemic in Africa. The song was called, “We Are the World.” (Now I have ya singing it, hahaha).

Now, I realize that song has little to nothing to do with the centrality of the cross, but consider a few of the lyrics. Richie and Jackson wrote: “We are the world; We are the children… We’re all a part of God’s great big family.” We are all part of the world, indeed. But to reconcile us to God, Jesus Christ our Lord chose to be tortured, to suffer death and to be buried. Consider the Apostle Paul’s words to the Christians in Rome: Read Romans 5: (1-5) 6–11

Paul was insinuating that most people aren’t willing to die for other people, unless those people are truly righteous. Of course, there’s exceptions (soldiers are known to protect one another and “take a bullet” for each other. First responders are willing to put their lives on the line to save others. But these are the exceptions, not the norm. Moreover, not many people would be willing to die for the ungodly. But Jesus did.

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What are your thoughts about what Paul wrote, contrasting verses 7 and 8?

Beyond the historicity and validity of the Holy Christian scriptures, historians have proven that Jesus was a real man who was sentenced to death by crucifixion under the governorship of Pontius Pilate. Supposedly, even Pilate himself wrote of his encounter with Jesus.

Consider for a minute or two the writings of historians, such as Flavius Josephus, Tacitus, and Pilate himself. About Jesus, Jewish Josephus wrote:

Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works—a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”

— Flavius Josephus, Antiquities 18.63–64

Writing about the rise of Christianity, Tacitus – who lived during the reigns of Nero, Titus, Vespatian, Domitian and few others wrote this:

Christus [Jesus Christ], from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.

— Tacitus, Roman historian

Reportedly, Pontius Pilate wrote of his inner, spiritual turmoil for having sentenced Jesus to die. From the writings, it can be deduced Pilate held Jesus in high esteem. Whether Pilate wrote this account, these words are attributed to him, we can only speculate. However, the early Church father, apologist, and philosopher, Justin Martyr attributed the writing to Pilate himself in 160 AD). Here these words that Justin Martyr himself believed Pilate to write:

Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar the emperor, greeting. Upon Jesus Christ, whose case I had dearly set forth to thee in my last, at length by the will of the people a bitter punishment has been inflicted, myself being in a sort unwilling and rather afraid. A man, by Hercules, so pious and strict, no age has ever had nor will have. But wonderful were the efforts of the people themselves, and the unanimity of all the scribes and chief men and elders, to crucify this ambassador of truth, notwithstanding that their own prophets, and after our manner the sibyls, warned them against it: and supernatural signs appeared while he was hanging, and, in the opinion of philosophers, threatened destruction to the whole world. His disciples are flourishing, in their work and the regulation of their lives not belying their master; yea, in his name most beneficent. Had I not been afraid of the rising of a sedition among the people, who were just on the point of breaking out, perhaps this man would still have been alive to us; although, urged more by fidelity to thy dignity than induced by my own wishes, I did not according to my strength resist that innocent blood free from the whole charge brought against it, but unjustly, through the malignity of men, should be sold and suffer, yet, as the Scriptures signify, to their own destruction. Farewell, 28th March

— Pontius Pilate, The Anaphora Pilati

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What stands out to you about Pilate’s letter to Emperor Tiberius?

The cross was brutal for all men, but especially Jesus. Notwithstanding the cross (which, should be enough), Jesus suffered not only death, but suffered prior to death. Consider the sequence of events that happened to Jesus on that fateful day.

Jesus slapped & mocked by guards: Luke 22:63–65; John 18:22–23
He was scourged with a Roman flagrum: Matthew 27:26; John 19:1–3
Jesus, beaten and mocked by the Roman battalion: Matthew 27:27–31
Suffered Crucifixion, the propitiation for sin: 1 John 2:2
Jesus was buried: John 19:38–42

Jesus said three words we read in English, just prior to giving up his life: “It is finished.”

Understanding Jesus meant: the propitiation for our sins, TALK ABOUT how you internalize what it means that Jesus suffered and died on your behalf so that you would be made righteous with God: