Every Time That Name…

Pilate—every time during these Passion weeks you hear his name. “Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified”—it sounds even every Sunday evening from the Apostolic Creed in Article 4 of the twelve. It is the second name of a human being mentioned in this summary of the core of the Scripture testimony. We can understand that the name “Mary,” the woman who gave life to the Saviour, is explicitly confessed time and again. Is it not too much honor to time and again mention the man who took His life? The “governor”—this is how our King James translation refers to Pilate—ruled Judea from A.D. 26 to 36. He is known to have been a man of inflexible character, self-willed, implacable, corrupt and violent. Beatings, atrocities, executions without prior judicial verdict and harsh indifference are charged against him. In the year 36—not so long, therefore, after his pronounced death sentence on Jesus— he proved untenable and was called back to Rome to answer for his practices.

Question 38 of our Book of Comfort emphatically asks this question about the constant mentioning of the name of this pagan lawbreaker: “Why did He suffer under the Pontius Pilate as judge?” Every time again that name sounds during our worship service. Why? There are several reasons for this. In the first place, the Church from ancient times wants to express with this that the suffering of the Saviour really happened. It can be dated because it took place at that time in history. On behalf of Emperor Tiberius, Pilate had legitimate authority as the procurator of Roman authority. Even though he abused it, he was officially a government person.

However, answer 38 of our Book of Comfort cites another reason. Our confession emphasizes that Pilate was a judge in the great Roman Empire. The Romans, with their high development and culture, insisted on just justice. Therefore, Roman law is to this day the best developed law in the world. Now, what does our confession say? That Zion’s Surety was innocently condemned to death by Pontius Pilate, who administered justice within this righteous legal system. Profoundly judging “by the grace of God,” he testified at least five times that he found no guilt in this “malefactor.” This is an official trial recorded in the annals of history. It was no misunderstanding, no coincidence that the Lamb of God, although holy and innocent, went to the cross, condemned to a criminal’s death.

Our Book of Comfort would not be a book of comfort if it did not at the same time make the application: “might thereby free us from the severe judgment of God to which we were exposed.” He was innocently condemned by right in order that His guilty-to-death Church might be equally delivered by right. So, Pilate, the law-breaker—in God’s incomprehensible order—has everything to do with God’s justice that had to run its course.

Have you come to love this justice? Have you, under the “righteous judgment of God,” already heartily bowed under

the first question of the part of deliverance (Lord’s Day 5, Question 12 ¹ )? May Article 4 of the Apostle’s Creed, ² along with this name Pilate, thus be comforting to you because you experientially know of the “severe judgment of God” upon you.

¹ “ Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserved temporal and eternal punishment, is there no way by which we may escape that punishment, and be again received into favor?”

² “ He suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell.”

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