Pilate is one of those figures adversely mentioned in the story of Jesus’ resurrection. His wife appears just once and in a dramatic way. She sneaked in a note advising her husband not to “have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” Every man needs such a wife.
Earlier, the chief priests had failed to change the inscription on the cross, and now, the very next day following Jesus’ death they went to Pilate with a new concern. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive, that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate answered, “Take a guard. Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So, they went and sealed the stone and posted the guard.
Pilate, by now, had seemingly mastered the art of keeping himself out of petty issues as we saw him wash his hands the previous day. He placed the responsibility of securing the tomb on the complainants. I think the chief priests knew Jesus might resurrect and wanted to make it as difficult as possible. What an irony! that a resurrected person would have the power to rise from the dead but lack the capacity to open a tomb.
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled back the stone, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel told the women not to be afraid, confirmed that Jesus had risen just as he said, and sent them to quickly tell the disciples and on their way, Jesus himself met them, greeted them, and echoed the same message.
While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. The chief priests met with the elders, devised a plan, and gave the soldiers a large sum of money, instructing them to say, “His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep. If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So, the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
I wonder what was going through the chief priests’ minds, because the very thing they feared had happened. Two thousand years later, we all know the truth. We even know how money exchanged hands to try to alter the redemption story. The truth, we know.
And like Pilate asked, “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Do you want him crucified all over again or do you want to accept what he already did on that rugged cross? I ask, what shall you do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?