This coming Sunday is the Solemnity of Christ the King. The gospel reading for this year is the scene of Jesus on trial before Pontius Pilate during which the nature of Jesus’ kingship and kingdom is revealed. Pilate, attempting to avoid a decision about Jesus attempts to foist the “problem” on King Herod. Since Jesus is Galilean and Herod has jurisdiction over Galilee, it is only proper that this is Herod’s problem.

After Jesus is returned, Pilate makes another attempt to appease the crowds.  He addresses the chief priests, elders and scribes:

‘You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt.  I have conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of the charges that you have brought against him, not did Herod, for he sent him back to us.  So no capital crime has been committed by him.’ (Lk 23:13-15).

Pilate refuses to issue a death warrant, but he must sense the animosity of the crowd or have some weakening resolve.  Realizing Jesus was politically harmless and seeking to put an end to the trial, Pilate raises the custom of privilegium paschale whereby one prisoner is released during the festival. (Note: In Mark, the crowd raises the issue. This custom is not attested outside of Scripture.)  Pilate asks, ‘Which do you want me to release to you, [Jesus] Barabbas or Jesus called Messiah.’ (Mt 27:17).  The Aramaic name Barabbas means “son of the father”; the irony of the choice – to select the “son of the father” or the true Son of the Father.

The Jewish leadership has presented Jesus as a revolutionary, a would-be-king; but now they would prefer the release of one who is truly a revolutionary.  John captures the irony of the situation with the simple statement, ‘And Barabbas was a bandit’ (Jn 18:40).  There would seem to be an implicit contrast with Jn 10:1-10. There we have a contrast between the model shepherd whose sheep hears his voice and the bandit who enters the sheepfold surreptitiously.  Here we have a contrast between Jesus, ‘Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ (Jn 18:37) and the bandit/revolutionary.

At the same time, we see the futility of Pilate’s attempt to avoid a decision between the truth and the world.  The world represented by the Jewish leaders is not interested in a compromise: truth must be exterminated.  Ironically, by failing to give Jesus justice and to release him after declaring his innocence, Pilate is forced to make a travesty of justice by releasing one who is guilty.  By not protecting Jesus’ interest, Pilate now finds himself compelled to act against his own interests.  Pilate did not accept the challenge to listen to the voice of Jesus.  Pilate does not listen to the voice of his own wife who tells him of her dream that he should release this righteous man (Mt 27:19).  Now he must listen to the voices of the Jewish leaders as they demand the release of a bandit.  Weakened by his failure to decide, Pilate is reduced from a position where he could have commanded the freeing of Jesus to a position where he must bargain for it.

Image credit: “Christ before Pilate” by Duccio di Buoninsegna | Museo dell’Opera metropolitana del Duomo, Siena | PD-US