Station 5: Jesus Judged by Pilate
Painting By: Antonio Ciseri
In this station, we see that the question about what do with Jesus has moved from the religious Sanhedrin to the desk of the region’s political leader Pilate. It should then come as no surprise that Pilate’s question for Jesus is a political one. Pilate asks Jesus: “Are you the King of the Jews.” Jesus then gives to Pilate the same answer that he gave to the Sanhedrin: “if you say so.”
There is then a whole sequence that is skipped in the reading below where Pilate attempts to grant Jesus a way out through the custom of letting a prisoner go. The crowd, however, shouts down this idea. They want instead a man named Barabbas, who was a murderer and revolutionary, to be released and for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate, again making a political calculation in the face of an angry crowd, agrees to release Barabbas and hands, Jesus, over to be crucified. Read the scene below.
The chief priests with the elders and the scribes, that is, the whole Sanhedrin, held a council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate questioned him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He said to him in reply, "You say so." The chief priests accused him of many things. Again Pilate questioned him, "Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of." Jesus gave him no further answer so that Pilate was amazed... Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barrabas... [and] handed [Jesus] over to be crucified.
(Mark 15: 1-5, 15)
After you finished reading take a minute to pray, ask God to reveal to you the times that you traded something great for something bad. Invite God to forgive you for those moments and to give you the courage in the future to avoid such trades. Thank God for his immense love for us even in our failures. Once you have done this finish with the prayer below.
Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on us. Show us the mercy that failed to show you. Forgive us for the times that we traded you for lesser things. Help us to draw ever closer to you today as we continue to walk through these stations of the cross. Amen.
