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 has tried several times to control the situation. His offer to release Jesus or a criminal has failed. His gambit to scourge Jesus and show that the man has been harshly punished has failed – and the people are demanding crucifixion: ‘We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God’ (Jn 19:7). 

Pilate retreats into the praetorium to question Jesus and asks ‘Where do you come from?’ (Jn 19:9).  Perhaps the exasperation has left the governor grasping for straws and that he himself does not know how to proceed.  He is now dealing with a religious charge beyond his understanding; but well within his fears.  When Jesus is silent to his questions, Pilate begins to bluster about his power.  It is evident that Pilate has lost Patience with the uncooperativeness of the man he is trying to protect.  Pilate’s previous efforts to find a middle way in the struggle between the truth and the world have been no more accommodating.  He is speaking to a Jesus who has consistently rebuffed even more serious overtures of friendship or approval when they fell short of faith (see Jn 2:23-25, 3:2-3, 4:45-48).

The core of the episode is Jesus’ statement about power or authority.  Pilate has spoken of his physical power over Jesus – he can take Jesus’ life away.  Jesus speaks to him on another level, the level of truth and of genuine power – ‘You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above.’ (Jn 19:11).  This saying must be understood in light of Jn 10:17-18: no one can take Jesus’ life from him; he alone has power to lay it down.  However, Jesus has voluntarily entered the “hour” appointed by his Father when he will lay his life down.  In the context of the “hour”, therefore, the Father has permitted men to have apparent power over Jesus’ life.  Although Pilate does not realize it, the power is his because God has assigned him a role in the “hour”.  Pilate has tried to use his power to free Jesus.  He will not be successful because he has not totally committed himself to the truth and has sought in vain to be neutral.

As the episode opened, Pilate had been moved by Jesus’ charge that he is guilty of misusing his God-given power; and so he tried again to effect Jesus’ release.  This prompts the Jewish leaders to renew their political blackmail by implicitly raising again the threat of denouncing him to Rome.  Now his loyalty to the emperor is openly challenged: ‘You are no Friend of Caesar.  Everyone who makes himself a King opposes Caesar.’ (Jn 19:12).  The Jews may be threatening to move to have the honorific, “Friend of Caesar”, taken away from Pilate by reporting to the emperor that Pilate has not dealt with the charge of lese majesty.  The governor who boasted to Jesus of his power is now deprived of a truly free exercise of that power.

If a charge of lese majesty is filed in Rome against Pilate for releasing a king who is a potential threat to the emperor, Pilate will be thoroughly examined, and all his shortcomings as governor will come to light. Possible disgrace is too great a price to pay for defending the truth.  Pilate yields to the Jewish leaders and sets the scene for passing judgment.  Seated on the judgment seat, with a final gesture of defiance and perhaps with a still half-hearted hope he can obtain clemency, Pilate shows Jesus to the Jews as their King –‘Behold your king’ (Jn 19:14).

When they persist in demanding crucifixion, Pilate takes his revenge by humiliating their nationalistic spirit – ‘Shall I crucify your king?’ (Jn 19:15).  In their quest to have Jesus condemned, the Jewish leadership has shown a touching loyalty to the emperor – does this mean they have given up their hope in the expected king?  No price is too great to pay in the world’s struggle against truth: the leaders utter the fatal words: ‘We have no king but Caesar.’ (Jn 19:15).  The real trial is over, for in the presence of Jesus, the leaders have judged themselves; they have spoken their own sentence.

Israel had proudly claimed Yahweh as its King (Judges 8:23; 1 Sam 8:7).  From the time of Nathan’s promise to David (2 Sam 7:11-16), according to the theology of Jerusalem, God’s kingship was made visible in the rule of the Davidic king whom He took as His son (Ps 2:7).  In post-exilic times a mystique had grown up around the unique anointed king of the House of David, the future Messiah, who was to come and establish God’s rule on earth.  But now hundreds of years of waiting had been cast aside: the leadership had proclaimed the Emperor of the Roman empire to be their king.  Israel has renounced their status as God’s people.  Here during Passover, the traditional time for God’s judgment of the world (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:2), they have judged themselves by condemning the one whom God has sent into the world, not to judge it but to save it (Jn 3:17).

Pilate sees no further means of bargaining.  Unwilling to recognize the truth, he washes his hands of the incident saying ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood.  Look to it yourselves.'(Mt 27:24), an action that would have been seen by the Jews as a protestation of innocence (Dt 21:6-9): ‘the elders…shall wash their hands…and shall declare, “Our hands did not shed this blood..”…let not the guilt of innocent blood remain in the midst of your people.  Thus they shall be absolved from the guilt of bloodshed.’  The people answer: ‘His blood be upon us and our children’ (Mt 27:25).  Thus the guilt of innocent blood remained in the midst of the people; people who do not seek absolution.  With that Pilate releases Jesus to crucifixion.

And the Kingdom of God comes one step closer as the divine plan continues to unfold.

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