VS. April 20, 2025 Easter Sunday Devotional
April 20, 2025
JOHN 18:37-38 | 37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”
JOHN 19:4 | 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.”
MATTHEW 27:24 | 24 So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”
Jesus was patient with Pilate and the Roman authorities. Matthew tells us that Pilate saw through the Jewish leader’s accusations to their jealously and that his wife believed Jesus to be innocent. He tried to leave the problem to Herod and three times pronounced there was “no bases for the charges.” Yet he took the route of expediency rather than justice, allowed the mob to take over his role as judge and then symbolically tried to “wash his hands” of the decision.
Passivity in the face of evil, especially when we have a designated role to defend justice and truth, as Pilate did, is itself evil, despite his ablutions. Rome was often cruel and cunning with subject peoples, preventing rebellion by force and its threat, but also by currying favor with crowds or local leaders. Jesus did not call for a heavenly legion or berate Pilate or offer an unshakable defense.
Sometimes unjust power must be confronted and sometimes endured. Do you agree?
Gracious God,
Grant me the courage to be patient when it is required and the courage to resist when justice demands it.
Amen.
