Today we read something disturbing in Luke 13:1-21 in the One Year Bible. We are told that Pilate killed a bunch of people who were worshiping at the Temple!
Most of the movies I've watched have portrayed Pilate as someone kind of caught in the middle between the religious leaders and Jesus. Someone who tried hard to release Jesus since He was clearly innocent, but the crowd wouldn't have it. Someone who genuinely wanted to know "What is truth?" Someone who finally gave in to the demands of the crowd and ordered Jesus's execution, but reluctantly and against his will... and so he washed his hands of the whole thing.
But this little insight into Pilate doesn't paint so flattering a picture. Pilate, according to Luke 13, killed many people who were worshiping at the Temple. And Jesus pointed out that they were no worse than anyone else.
So yes, we're told that Pilate did offer Jesus to be released, and he DID wash his hands of the whole affair. We also know that his wife told him not to "have anything to do with that man Jesus." But it wasn't exactly foreign to him to have religious people killed.
What does this have to do with us today? Well, Jesus brings it home (as He often does) by pointing out that the men who died at Pilate's hand were no worse sinners than we are. And Pilate wasn't either. We are all sinners, and deserve eternal separation from God.
But thanks be to God, He doesn't give up on us. He saves us from the sins that have ALREADY condemned us, and gives us the opportunity to spend eternity with Him.
God, thanks for teaching us about sin and what we deserve - and thanks for saving us from it.
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