The Exorcist Files - Jesus and Pilate: Lent Series, Ep 1

Episode Date: February 18, 2026

Fr. Martins shares a reflection on one of the most significant exchanges in human history: between the man who asked, “What is truth?” and the Truth Himself. Join us for part 1 of a multi episodic Lenten retreat. Thank you to our sponsors who helped make this episode and all of the others possible!Hallow.com/exfiles- sign up today for Prayer40: The Return. Prayer changes things. DO IT. Get 25% Off Cowboy Colostrum with code EXFILES at https://www.cowboycolostrum.com/EXFILES.Remi- Go to shopremi.com/EXFILES and use code EXFILES  at checkout for 50% off.Wake up with clearer skin, smoother hair, and cooler sleep. Use code EXFILES for an extra 30% off at blissy.com/EXFILES.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome back to The Exorcist Files, the podcast, which encourages you to hold fast, to what is good. I'm your co-host Ryan Bethay, but today you get a gift, a reprieve. We are excited to bring you a special Lenton audio retreat provided by the one and the only Father Carlos Martins. It's part of a series we will be rolling out over the next few weeks. But fear not, we will have more dramatic case files for you in the coming months. Don't you worry. I also want to say, before we start the show, that I know we will be a lot of the show that I know we have listeners from all walks and all backgrounds. Not everyone observes Lent, but from my own

experience, I have found that setting aside time to pray, committing to do something intentional for a period of time to seek God, has always, I mean always led to fruit and unexpected blessings in my life. In fact, each time I wrap up a week of prayer or fasting or a period of intentional study or seeking, I always end with, why don't I do that more often? That was amazing. So with that, Father Martins and I hope you'll consider joining Hallow's annual prayer challenge, Prayer 40, The Return. You can join Jonathan Rumi, or Jesus, as many of you know him from The Chosen, Father Mike Schmits, Chris Pratt, and Mark Wahlberg. It starts today and it continues through Easter. So download Hallow and join Lent Prayer 40 by going to hallow.com slash X files. That's EX files.

Hallow.com slash X files. I don't know what will happen after the 40 days, but it'll probably be big blessing. And with that, here's Father Martins. Welcome, friends, to our Lenton reflection, our Lenton retreat, Day 1, Jesus and Pontius Pilate. And I want to begin this reflection, which this is the first in a series that is meant to draw us deeper into the Christian message. Lent is a time for us to begin again, to start over again, and to reflect. And to reflect. And I know that many people who listen to the show are not Christians. And I wanted to do this series to give people a chance to enter into a spiritual dimension of Christianity. And I thought the season of Lent, there's no better time to do this.

So more than a teaching, this is a reflection, a meditation on what I believe is the heart of the Christian message and it reveals itself during Jesus' what I call his Lenton conversations. And the first one is with Jesus in Pontius Pilate. And I want to begin this episode, kind of like from left field. I want to talk about prisons. In the start of my priesthood, I did a lot of prison ministry and I visited, well, essentially, maximum security prisons. I did that because they get so few priests coming in and they never turn down an opportunity, at least in my experience.

And so a prison is a brutal place where law is kept by might. The men in a prison are there because they've done terrible things. They're there for a reason. And although new two prisons are exactly alike, there are common characteristics. So there is always an intense discipline exerted on the inmates in order to keep order. So those who are in a prison, especially a maximum security prison, they're under a constant tension. And you see that in them.

And I mean, in one sense, how could they not, right? They're grossly understimulated. They're bored to death. They have virtually nothing to look forward to. They do the same routine every day after day. And to manage that tension, the warden oversees an exacting management. So, for example, most prisons I've been to in the corridors, they have three lanes. So you have essentially a corridor, there are three walking lanes.

So on the far right, that's your lane. When you're walking, you stick to the right side of the corridor. The left side of the corridor, the far lane, the farthest from you, is for traffic going in the opposite direction. And then the lane in the middle, which is much wider than the other two, it's essentially twice as wide as the other two lanes. those are for prison guards, guests, the warden, visitors, chaplains, priests, etc. No inmate is ever permitted in that lane. And if you step your foot even on the line, there's an immediate retribution by a guard. And your life will be very difficult for, at least for the rest of that day.

And so the prison authorities have this uncompromising and severe discipline. And you immediately sense that when you go into the prison. I remember the first prison I went to when I pulled into the parking lot and I pulled off the highway and I drove through a very long packed dirt road. And then, you know, the first thing you see is the tower with the tower guard there. And when he saw me pull up, he came out with a machine gun in his hands. And he held it up to make sure that I saw what he had. In other words, you're not going to try anything. He didn't know who I was or what I was from his desk.

But he wanted me to know that this is what we've got here. And so when you first go to a prison, you see that authority. And who wields it is that. the warden. You know, when you, the warden rules with the power of a king. Within the prison, there's no higher authority. When he exercises his authority, it is followed by all. So the first time I went to a death row prison, the warden pulled me aside and, and he, and he said to me, Father, we're glad that you hear, we're grateful that you hear, but I don't want you to go any closer than six feet to a pod. Now, a pod. Now, a pod. A pod.

is what they call a cell for an inmate on death row. So an average prisoner, he's in a cell. A death row inmate, he's in a pod. A pod has no windows. There's a slit from which he can observe, whether it's daytime or nighttime, that's his only exposure to the outside. He can't actually see anything outside.

The door is a solid door, and there's a graded slit, maybe two inches by eight inches from which he can peer out into the corridor. So the warden told me, father, I don't want you to go any closer than six feet to the pod door. And in fact, I'm going to have you wear a flak jacket. So a flack jacket is a heavy protective jacket so that if a projectile is thrown at you or kind of like a, if there's anything that you're stabbed with, it will protect you. And of course, you're thinking the way.

I was thinking at the time, I'm sure, why in heaven's name would I need a flackjackjacket in the main corridor of a prison? Well, the inmates, they managed to get things that they shouldn't have inside themselves even in a death row. And so this warden told me this story, because he saw the puzzled look on my face, he told me the story of why they have these kinds of policies. And so he told me that within his prison, so this is, this is Polonski unit in Livingston, Texas. He told me the story of a volunteer who was with the Salvation Army Church, and he had over the course of months, and in fact, I think it was a couple of years. He had built up this relationship with one of the inmates who was on death row. And one day that, that inmate called him over and said that he

had made a bracelet for the man, for the volunteer. And, you know, the man was touched and thankful and he reached out for it. But the emmaid said, you know, it would mean a lot to me if I could put it on your wrist myself. And so the man put his wrist through the small, narrow opening behind the door. So in most death row prisons, most prisons for that matter, the cell doors or the paw doors, they don't swing. They're not on hinges. They move left to right or right to left. They swing. They're controlled electronically so that there's no swinging motion. They just proceed back and forth. And so the only way that this bracelet could be put on, there's no room through the slit in the door, the man had to put his arm, he had to wiggle it through the very narrow openings,

that his arm was now inside the cell. Well, what the inmate did, he had a rope, he had tied the rope into a noose and he put it around the wrist of that volunteer. And the other end of the rope, he tied it to the sink in his pod. And then he grabbed a piece of steel and he started to hack away at the guy's arm. And, of course, there's screaming and there's commotion and the guards come. And, of course, they're trying to open up this door to stop this for. happening. But because the door doesn't swing, because the door just moves on a track back and

forth, the volunteer's very body was stopping that movement from happening. His own body was blocking the movement of the door. So it took a while. It took some minutes to get that door open. By the time that got it open, his arm was almost hacked right off his body. So inmates, They're in prison for a reason. And if they're in a maximum security prison, if they're on a death row, they have done some pretty horrible stuff. Pontius Pilate, you could say, was a warden. His job as the Roman governor was to keep order in Roman-occupied Israel, to keep order in a place that was under tremendous tension.

The people of Israel, the Jews, were enormously passionate about their religion, and they greatly resented the Romans who had conquered them. Of all the nations and peoples conquered by Roman, there was a great many of them, the Jews were easily the people who most resented their Roman overlords, the Roman occupiers. The Jews believed that only one ruler was over them, and that is God. They also believed that one day God would send his Messiah, the Christ, to establish and rule a divine kingdom. So Jerusalem today, the old city of Jerusalem, is roughly one-third of a square mile.

One-third of a square mile. That's it. During the time of Jesus, it was half the area it is today. So one-sixth of a square mile. So this is, we're not talking about a very big area. In fact, when you, even today, when you travel to Jerusalem, it is very possible to walk up and down every street in an afternoon. No problem. And the population of Jerusalem were somewhere around 25,000 to 50,000 people during the time of Jesus.

But during Passover, the city of Jerusalem could swell to over half a million or even one million people. So that is just an incredible amount of people in a small place, in the confines of a small surface area. So this is the background that I think is going to allow us to understand the kind of mindset that Pontius Pilate had to kind of get inside his head during that conversation that Jesus had with Pontius Pilate, otherwise known as the trial of Jesus before Pilate. And the biblical account of that trial is long. In the gospel of John gives the fullest account, and John devotes 28 verses to it. And that's lengthy. It crosses over two chapters. And it makes the trial of Jesus, among the central issues within John's Gospel.

So I'm going to read that for you right now. And of course, if you've got your Bibles, and I certainly recommend if you don't, get it in front of you. I'm going to read from the translation of the New American Bible, revised edition. But really, any edition is fine. And I'm beginning at John, chapter 18, verse 28.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was mourning. And they themselves did not enter the Praetorium in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and said, What charge do you bring against this man? They answered and said to him, if he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you. At this, Pilate said to them, take him yourselves and judge him according to your law. The Jews answered him, We do not have the right to execute anyone in order that the word of Jesus

might be fulfilled that he said indicating the kind of death he would die. So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus answered, Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?

Pilate answered, I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done? Jesus answered, My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendance would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here. So Pilate said to him, then you are a king. Jesus answered, You say I'm a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world.

To testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice. Recently, I've been going through my Bible and reading 1st Samuel, studying up on Old King David. In chapter 26, we read of a deep sleep that fell over King Saul in his camp, a sleep that was so deep. it allowed David and his companion to enter into the camp and steal away with Saul's jug of water and his spear, signifying the end of his reign. While this was a win for David, I did find myself

envying King Saul, who apparently was having a great night's sleep, and he didn't even have blissy silk pillowcases to help him, but we do. Look, sleep is so important. You hear it all the time, and honestly, the older I get, the more grateful I am for a good night's sleep. It affects so much of your health, your mind, and shockingly, even your skin. You've heard the phrase silky smooth. I don't know who came up with that, but they were absolutely right. Silk is the best. It's beyond comfortable, and it keeps you cool. And just like the kids said to me on the playground all those years ago, Ryan, you want to be cool, right? Yes, yes, I do want to be cool. They also make an awesome sleep mask. It's comfortable, and I bring it with me on all my travels. I fly a lot. And while we

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and use our code to get an additional 30% off. Your skin and your hair will thank you. Sleep well, y'all. Pilots said to him, what is truth? When he had said this, he again went out to the Jews and said them, I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I released one prisoner for you at Passover. Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews? They cried out again, not this one, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a revolutionary. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged, and the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak. And they came to him and said, hail king of the Jews. And they struck him

repeatedly. Once more, Pilate went out and said to them, look, I am bringing him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in him. So Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he said to them, behold the man. When the chief priests and the guards saw him, they cried out, crucify him. Pilate said to them, take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him. The Jews answered, we have a law, and according to that law, he ought to die, because he made himself the son of God. Now when Pilate heard this statement, he became even more afraid, and went back to the Praetorium and said to Jesus, where are you from? Jesus did not answer him. So Pilate said to him,

Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you? Jesus answered him, You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason, the one who handed me over to you

has the greater sin. Consequently, Pilate tried to release him but the Jews cried out if you release him, you are not a friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar. When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and seated him on the judge's bench in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabatha. It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.

And he said to the Jews, behold your king. They cried out, take him away, take him away, crucify him. Pilots said to them, shall I crucify your king? The chief priest answered, we have no king but Caesar. Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So Pilots first question to Jesus, are you the king of the Jews? So it's interesting. He doesn't ask if Jesus,

is a king, but whether he is the king of the Jews. You see, if Pilate were asking him, if Jesus was merely a king, it would be the same as asking, are you seeking land, money, power, the kind of stuff that earthly kings seek. But it is significant that he asked Jesus if he is the king of the Jews, because that king, the king of the Jews is the one who the scriptures say lives in glory. So that king is defined. And that occurs, that definition is in Daniel chapter 7 verses 13 and 14. As the visions during the night continued, I saw coming with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man. When he reached the ancient of days and was presented before him, he received dominion, splendor, and kingship.

All nations, peoples, and tongues will serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away. His kingship won that shall not be destroyed. If you already live in glory, then you lack nothing. and you have no need of the stuff that the kings of this world are worried about, money, land, power, etc. Pilate asks Jesus if he is this second king, this king for whom the Jews have been waiting. By this, Pilate reveals that Jesus isn't a political threat to him. His kingdom is not of this world.

But then again, maybe Jesus is a threat, a different kind of threat. We know that everyone whom Jesus encountered, their lives changed. They became disciples and they began to live in a different manner. But Pilate merely poses this question to Jesus and adds nothing else. are you the king of the Jews. But Jesus calls his bluff and raises him. He says to him, do you say this on your own,

or have others told you about me? Jesus answers the question by asking a question. Pilate, have others told you about me being the Messiah or have my words and actions reached your heart and unlocked part of it. Did you merely hear from others that I'm the Messiah, or is that a conclusion that you've already made for yourself? Have you heard about me and liked what you heard?

Pilate had to know that many believed Jesus to be the Messiah. It was the news that had swept all of Judea. As the warden, it's his job to know the details, to know what people were thinking and doing, right? This is the time of Passover. There's going to be half a million to one million people in Jerusalem. It's packed. And the tension is through the roof.

And if there's a rebellion, the Romans do not have anywhere near the amount of officers and soldiers to quell it. So Pilate wants to head off any trouble at the pass and nip it right in the bud. So Pilate would have had briefings on everything that is going on, right? He's got to know everything that's happening, and then he's got to decide on a course of action to meet whatever needs have arisen, right? So recall, for example, in Luke 7, that's where Jesus healed the servant of the centurion. The Roman centurion servant was healed in the Lord. Luke 7. So centurion is of course a Roman and we know the story. He goes up to Jesus and he asks him

to heal his servant. But he famously says, Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Only say the word and I know my servant will be healed. And so incidently, it was this centurion who built the Jewish temple, the synagogue, in Copernum. Jesus's hometown when he inaugurated his ministry. He made Copernum his hometown. And in fact, you can go there today to Copernum and see that very synagogue. You can see the ruins of it. Many of the walls are not there anymore. They're eroded, but certainly the floor is there. You can stand on the same floor that Jesus stood on. And 2,000 years later, friends, if we're talking about this Roman centurion and his synagogue,

if 2,000 years later we're talking about this guy and what he gifted to the Jewish people of Copernum, do you think it's likely that the news of that stuff didn't make it back to Pilate? I don't think it's very likely. But it's interesting the manner in which Jesus addresses the issue with Pilate. Jesus says, do you say this on your own or have others told you about me? In other words, this question about my kingship, is that coming from you, Pilot, or from others?

You see, Pilate didn't include that part in this question. He didn't say something like, I've heard a lot about you, Jesus. He remained silent, maybe coy, about what he knows regarding you. Jesus about what he believes regarding Jesus. But how he phrases the question, are you the king of the Jews? And this phrasing shows that he has knowledge both of the prophesied Messiah and of Jesus. It shows he has an education in the Jewish religion. He knows exactly where to put his finger. He knows exactly what the Jews are expecting. He knows exactly the characteristics of the prophesied king. And he poses the question to Jesus, are you this guy about whom it is written? Of course,

Jesus knows that Pilate has heard about him. Jesus is God. He knows everything. He can't fail to know. But note how Jesus does not come right out and say to Pilate, you do know about me. Testimony about me has reached your ears. I know it has. What do you think about what you've heard, Pilate? Jesus doesn't do that. He is gentle with Pilot.

But make no mistake. In his response, Jesus asks, indirectly, Jesus asks Pilot the question that he asks everybody. Who do you say that I am. Jesus's reply is a subtle asking of who am I, Pilot, without asking it at all. Jesus is supremely gentle with Pilot. He leaves Pilot to make a judgment himself about what he

hears and gives them room to answer it. But he invites Pilot to do that very thing, to answer it, to share it. Pilate then asked Jesus a second question. What Jesus asks of Pilate hits home. It hits Pilot right in the soft spot. We know this because of that very response. I'm not a Jew, am I? You're not a Jew.

What does that have to do with anything, Pilot? All Jesus asked you was whether you arrived at the conclusion that Jesus is the king of the Jews on your own. or through the claims of others. Why are you all of a sudden so defensive pilot? Have you ever been to someone's house and you open a cupboard and it resembles a pharmacy? Like you open a cabinet and set before you is this cornucopia of vitamins, supplements, and compounds? You didn't even know we're legal except back in the Soviet Union in the 80s.

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have increased leg strength and reduced bone resorption first just taking weight protein when combined with resistance training. Now, none of this is guaranteed and the evidence is still very preliminary. But for me, I take it every day and I feel it makes a big difference. And seriously, like we always say on this show, go to your homework, research it and decide if you think colostrum's right for you. Now, I like cowboy colostrum because it's 100% made in America from 100% American grass-fed cows to get you the best colostrum. Unlike other colostrum brands, cowboy colostrums, Cholostrum is true first-day, whole colostrum, rich in bioactives like immunoglobulins and growth factors, same ones I mentioned earlier, and it comes in a variety of great flavors, so you can have lots of

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Remy crafts and ships you your custom fit night guard. You get it back and you start protecting your teeth. I went through the process and it's really simple. And they send you this like Play-Doh stuff you get to bite into to make your impression. It's really cool. It gives new meaning to the phrase make a good impression. So protect your teeth with Remy by using code X-Files. That's X-Files to get 50% off your new night guard. That's 50% off at shop remi.com. slash X-Files and use our code X-Files. Thank you, Remy, for sponsoring this episode. Jesus's answer to Pilot is more than what Pilot was expecting.

It was a challenge to him. And his response is equivalent to him saying, I shouldn't be expecting a Messiah. Should I? That's a Jewish expectation. And so it doesn't apply to me, a Roman. Does it, Jesus? that am I on the end.

I'm not a Jew, am I? Changes everything. It shows Pilot is not very confident in his position. It betrays his poker hand by revealing some of the cards he's holding. Jesus has shaken him somewhat. We know that the news of Jesus, the good news, had reached Pirate,

in his head. But what Jesus is asking, what he's probing, is whether it's reached his heart as well. Pilate knows Jesus. He knows who he is, but he continues to sit on the fence regarding Jesus's identity by reminding Jesus that the Jews themselves have rejected him. And if your own people reject you Jesus. If they're outside right now barking for your death, how can I be expected to follow you? How can I be expected to accept you as my king? Pilot is searching. You see it. He's not rejected Jesus. He knows that Jesus is different. He already knows that Jesus is not a political enemy. He knows Jesus has not been violent. He's not willfully caused any trouble. but what worries Pilate is that Jesus' own people are rejecting him.

It's as if he's saying to Jesus that the very blood that prophesied your coming and spoke about your greatness is now screaming for your blood. Maybe it's even more than that. Maybe it's also the fact that if Jesus is a king, Pilate knows that he's going to have to change. He will have to define himself by this new king. So Pilate asks the third question. He's processing. And in that processing comes out this, what have you done? In other words, what have you done to make your own people turn against you so much? This is really the same as Pilate asking Jesus, if you are a king, why don't I see more evidence of your kingdom?

If the salvation you preach is for everyone, even for me, why is this world still the crummy mess that it is? Why is Judea? Why is Jerusalem? The same god-awful place that it's always been since I've arrived here. Even among your own people, you are being rejected. In other words, I want more proof, Jesus, that you have. You are for real. But Jesus has provided the proof. The fact that Pilate, the warden, is talking to a common criminal, is already proof that he believes that Jesus is profoundly different.

He believes he must speak to Jesus. A warden is not going to talk to a common inmate. He's not going to do that. If a warden were to do that, then there would be an effort among the inmates to try to get in front of the warden because that then becomes the badge of honor. The warden called me into his office today because he needed to consult with me. So a warden isn't going to play those games. He's just not going to play those games. So, Pilot is clearly not behaving like a warden.

Why is he wasting his time with a common criminal? He's the Roman governor. He's the warden of Judea. Send the prisoner away and be done with it. So now Jesus responds, My kingdom does not belong to this world. In other words, yes, Pilate, I've preached a kingdom, a kingdom of good news where the blind sea, the deaf here,

the paralyzed walk, the prisoners are set free, eternal life is promised. That kind of kingdom I have preached and I have inaugurated it, and the proof is in the miracles I have performed. And you have heard much about it. Pilate then asks his fourth question. Then you are king. In other words, Pilate is saying, just show me Jesus. Usher your rome. now. Usher it in. Give me a sign. Remove my remaining doubts. Show me your kingship by assuming it now and bring an end to this madness and confusion in which I live. The madness and confusion that is my life. So Jesus then responds, you say I'm a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the

world to testify to the truth. Jesus now refused. to let Pilate hide. You say that I'm a king, he says. But nowhere has Pilots said this. He's merely asked him, so you are a king. So Jesus is now reading Pilots' soul. Yes, Pilate, I came into the world, but I belong to another world. I didn't come to topple your world, but to point out another. If you want my world, my kingdom, you can have it, but you must surrender yours. I didn't come to take your kingdom away, but to offer you another, one that requires you to submit to it by surrendering yours. You must live in the truth that you already believe about me. it means that the mob

outside that you're afraid of that it means that you must stand up to them even if it means you will lose your governorship by Caesar and maybe even your life that's the cost pilot I've come to take nothing away from you or from Caesar but you must decide what you want because you cannot live in two kingdoms

you yourself must freely surrender what is temporary to what is eternal, what is ultimately false to what is true. I offer you admittance into my kingdom, but you must decide to enter it. When Jesus says, for this I was born and for this I came into the world to testify to the truth, the line is drawn. And all of this gets compounded enormously when Pilate's wife now sends, word at the very moment when Pilate is sitting on the judgment seat. So the judgment seat is the, every governor had one. When he sat on the seat, this is where he heard testimonies, he heard

trials, he was, he was the tribunal. And when he rendered a decision, when he enacted a law, when he gave an order while sitting on the judgment seat, it was irreformable. Only Caesar himself could alter it. So Pilate gets, seats himself on the seat and he's about to render the judgment on Jesus. And then all of a sudden it says, and so this is from Matthew, it's not from John. So John really doesn't include it. This is from Matthew chapter 27 verse 19. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him. Have nothing to do with that innocent man. For today, I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him. Pilate knew who Jesus was.

Luke tells us in his gospel that Pilate not only wanted to release him, but to acquit him altogether. This is in chapter 23, verse 16. Therefore, I shall have him flogged and then release him. Why? Why would Pilate want to acquit Jesus? Because he knows Jesus is the truth. Pilate declares three times in John that Jesus is innocent. Chapter 18 verse 38, chapter 19 verse 4, chapter 19 verse 6.

And he seeks to release him instead of Barabbas, chapter 18 verse 39. Pilate knows who and what Jesus is. He knows. But he is doing everything to keep from making a decision here. He's doing everything he can to avoid choosing that to which the evidence is pointing. And it is pointing to that he ought to make a complete surrender to the total lordship of Jesus. Make no mistake, friends, about what's going on here. This is not the trial of Jesus before Pilate.

This is the trial of Pilate before Jesus. If you are not convinced by this point, just look at the actions on Pilate. Right? So it begins in John 18, verse 28, Pilate receives Jesus as the prisoner. In the very next verse, he leaves to hear the charges of the Jews outside. Four verses later, he comes back to the Praetorium and questions Jesus the first time. Five verses later, Pilate goes out to the Jesus, and declares he finds Jesus guilty of nothing. He comes back in and has Jesus scourged.

Three verses later, he brings Jesus out to show the Jews that very thing that he's been scourged, he's been crowned with thorns, and he's got a purple cloak mocking him on him. The whole scene is a mockery of kingship. Five verses later, he takes Jesus back inside and questions him a second time. and then three verses later he goes back out to the Jews and tries to obtain Jesus's release. The very next verse, he goes inside to bring out Jesus and he does so, presenting him to the Jews and saying, behold your king. So in fact, at a certain point, right, and it's at this point that Pilate does something absolutely extraordinary.

So this is John 19 verse 13. This is now, this is where we're at. We're almost at the point where Pilate renders him to be crucified. And this is what John says. When Pilate heard these

words, and the words are, we have no king but Caesar. He brought Jesus out and seated him on the judge's bench in the place called the stone pavement in Hebrew Gabatha.

He took Jesus and put him on the bench reserve for the governor. That's like a prison warden, taking a prisoner, putting him in his chair and giving him his authority. It's like a judge at a murder trial,

taking the accused and putting him on the bench and saying, render your own judgment. I mean, it's absurd. But this is what Pilate has done. he is so avoiding he's so desperately trying to avoid making a decision that he takes the accused and puts him in the governor's seat when pilot sat in that judgment seat in the governor's seat he ceased to be just plain old ponscious pilot he now represented the power and the authority of the roman empire itself. Any judgments he made from that sea would be binding. And as I said, only Caesar himself

could override such a judgment. Pilot doesn't want to make the decision. He wants Jesus to. And Pilate, of course, topples. He just cannot surrender himself to the identity of Jesus. So, what does he do? He orders the death, the execution of the eternal word of God. The one he believes is the king prophesied in Daniel, the one who has brought in an ushering of the divine kingdom with evidence and goods, right? Jesus, if he's done nothing else, he's shown everybody the money, right he's shown everybody the proof that he is who he says he is that he is the long-awaited one right so friends the question pilot tried to avoid is the question that lent will not let us avoid jesus stands before every heart and asks gently but unmistakably will you live in the

truth that you already know, the truth about me. Because many Christians, most Christians, actually don't. Pilot wanted neutrality. He wanted to keep his kingdom and sample Christ's. He wanted to be an observer of it. He wanted to control it, but not give up anything. Make it easy for me, Jesus, remove the cost. But there is no safe place between two thrones. There is no lasting peace in a divided heart. And that's what Jesus revealed to Pilate himself. Every time Pilate walked in and out of the Praetium, he was rehearsing what we do when we stole. One step towards Jesus, one step back to the crowd, one step towards conscience, one step back towards comfort

one step towards obedience one step towards disobedience and that image of pilot walking in and out of the portarium to the crowd that wrestle that you see that he's undergoing with this conscience the image that I have

when I look at that is if you remember the old cartoons like Tom and Jerry where you had the mouse running away from the cat The mouse running one way and the cat heads him off. Then he runs the other way, the cat heads him off again. And you see this kind of cat and mouse split. This is what is happening in Pilate's own soul. In the end, Pilots surrendered, but not to Christ.

He surrendered to fear, falsehood, and failure. Lent is Christ bringing us to the judgment seat, not to condemn us, but to free us. And so his question to you is, who do you say that I am? The one who looks powerless in chains is the only king who can set prisoners free.