The Apostles Creed | Jesus Christ Suffered Under Pontius Pilate
I believe in Jesus Christ, who suffered under Pontius Pilate.
There have been numerous attempts to turn the person of Jesus Christ into sheer mythology of made up morality stories to keep people in line. This attempt, though, remains highly misguided and denies a fair amount of history. While this work is not intended to prove or review the massive amount of documentation that speaks to a historical figure of Jesus Christ, the Apostles’ Creed does place Jesus in a specific place in historical time. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6, ESV) The Apostles’ Creed affirms the words of scripture as true and that the works of Jesus Christ are not just a story for people to learn morality but actual events that occurred at the time intended by God. Thus, the stories, however much we may be against them or want to interpret them differently, must be understood for what they are; historical truth. Jesus Christ, a verifiable historical figured, suffered under Pontius Pilate, similarly a verifiable historical figure.
Our reaction should be a mixture of hope and humility. First, if the stories of Jesus are mere mythology and morality tales, then our hope is stripped from us. Jesus’ existence brings hope of the forgiveness of our sins. The event of Jesus’ crucifixion is not to control our behavior in this world but rather to establish our life in the next. Yet, we should also find humility. If Jesus Christ is an historical figure, then the suffering that Jesus faced actually occurred. He faced a brutal suffering that led up to His death in both a physical and spiritual sense all while being completely innocent of any sin. The hope and humility we approach the cross of Jesus Christ permits us to love Jesus as our Lord and Savior as He loved us first.
The Suffering of Jesus Christ
As you learn of the physical suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross, the details almost become too much to bear. From the time of His arrest until his death on the cross, the physical suffering of Jesus would be more than most could bear. Specifically, the Roman punishment would keep the victim alive so that they felt every excruciating moment. The flogging would tear into his flesh. The crown of thorns would press into his face. People insulted Him, spat upon Him, and continued to beat Him. Jesus was treated as a common criminal. Yet, Jesus remained without sin. He experienced the punishments reserved for criminals and those of the worst of society. The basis of crucifixion intended to cause great harm to the recipient. Knowing all of this, Jesus walked knowingly to His death, knowing He would experience this real and true suffering for the sake of His people.
We focus on the physical suffering of Christ often as we discuss the crucifixion. Yet, there is a profound spiritual suffering that far exceeds the pain of the physical suffering. For all the whippings, the brutality of suffering under the strong arm of Rome, the weight of the sin of the world fell upon Jesus. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV) The innocent took the punishment of the guilty to justify the unrighteous and bring us home to Him for His glory. God poured out His wrath upon His own Son as a payment for the sins of mankind. Jesus embodied the weight and consequences of sin in His being, suffering greatly. When we consider the suffering of Jesus and understand that He willingly took walked toward the cross to bear our guilt and shame, we should long and yearn to be in the presence of God suffer for our sake.
Those Who Did Not Suffer
No one can rightfully argue that the suffering of Jesus Christ was not brutal. During the time of Rome’s oppressive rule, they used physical pain and public execution as a means of keeping the people across the Roman Empire in line. Furthermore, with the expectation of suffering a norm of Roman rule, the releasing of a prisoner from the consequences of suffering came to be seen as a mercy of a benevolent ruler. Thus, Pilate offered Barabbas the murdered to be released in place of Jesus in order to quiet the anger of the people.
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:15-18,20-23, ESV)
For all of our criticism of the Pharisees for releasing Barabbas, a known murderer rather than releasing Jesus Christ, we cannot overlook the implications of what is occurring. Jesus being innocent takes the punishment that the guilty, Barabbas, rightfully deserves and Barabbas walks free because of Jesus Christ. Barabbas represents all of us as Jesus acts as the propitiation of our sins. Jesus suffered so that we would not have to and took the burden of our sin upon Himself where we could not.
By the grace of God, those who are in Jesus Christ will not experience the same suffering that Jesus Christ did. The cry of Jesus on the cross of “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) is a cry that those who are in Christ will never need to yell. That cost of the fullness of the wrath of God is poured out on Christ on our behalf. When we submit to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we have faith that the work of Jesus Christ counted for us as we bow before Him. The payment has been made and our suffered has been placed on the person of Jesus Christ. For all the suffering that Jesus takes on our behalf, our goal is not to avoid suffering. Instead, there is a fullness of life lived as God intended it that comes with our identification with Him.
