by David Scott Robertson
(John 19:19 NIV) Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
(John 19:20 NIV) Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
(John 19:21 NIV) The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."
(John 19:22 NIV) Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."
Well, Pilate, you did it.
You finally stood up to them.
You didn’t cave in (again) to the righteously indignant chief priests of the Jews who demanded that you edit the sign “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”.
When the religious leaders objected, you replied “what I have written, I have written.”
Good for you.
While I appreciate you locating your spine and finally doing your job to combat corruption, sadly, it was a case of too little authority, too late.
Pilate, providence afforded you one, brief appearance on center stage standing next to history’s most outstanding citizen, Jesus Christ, nevertheless in your finest hour, the best your brand of leadership could produce was to preserve and protect a wooden sign.
Pilate, you actually had within your grasp one extraordinary opportunity to pull something off so significant that parents today may be naming their children after you.
You had the opportunity to stand for truth in its most literal sense.
But the best line you could muster as you looked Jesus Christ in the face was one of history’s most ironic lines: “What is truth?”
You didn’t recognize Truth when it was staring you in the face.
You exercised too little wisdom too late.
While it is true that Jesus of Nazareth would have ultimately went on to fulfill His destiny which had been spoken of by the prophets, that is, to die on a crude Roman cross as the Lamb of God to reconcile a lost race back to God, nonetheless it could have been mediated at the hands of someone else other than you, Pilate.
You played right into the hypocritical hands of the Jewish leaders.
You betrayed innocent blood.
And although you washed your hands publicly to absolve your responsibility,
By offering too little remorse, too late
You by default joined the ranks of those who cried out
"…Let his blood be on us and on our children!" (Matthew 27:25)
Pilate, you had your chance to stand for Truth.
It might have cost you your popularity, your career, maybe even your life.
Nevertheless you had your chance and you squandered it.
You spent all your valor and might and position and power to protect a wooden sign that published Jesus’ “crime” over His head on the cross.
A pitifully shameful example of too little guts, too late.
I don’t know who popularized the following statement,
But a wise person once remarked that “the opportunity of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity.”
Pilate, you had your opportunity, your day of visitation came and went and you frittered it away. You displayed too little authority, wisdom, remorse, and guts too late.
How about us?
In our hour of opportunity when suddenly and unexpectedly we are thrust center stage in a drama in real life, how will we respond?
Will we rise to the occasion and let it be our finest hour and defend Truth
Or will we fall in line with the politically correct crowd?
Will our response be to do the right thing at the right time for the cause of Truth
Or will we demonstrate too little authority, wisdom, remorse, and guts too late?
DSR
5/26/03