Pilate, the Roman governor of the Imperial Province of Judea ... who declares here for the third time that he finds Jesus innocent ... who with one word could command the release of Jesus ... is reduced to plea bargaining.
And he is losing. He had hoped that the sight of a bloody and beaten Jesus would evoke sympathy from the leaders. It didn't. It brought on a chilling cry: "Crucify him!"
Jesus, who stands there looking death in the eye, is sovereign and silent, utterly free.
Pilate, who stands there on behalf of the mightiest power on earth, is afraid. He is now a prisoner of the web he has spun by going back and forth to avoid the truth.
It can be difficult to face the truth. And there's never a "good time" to face a difficult truth. So, you put it off for a better time, and become a prisoner of your own fear.
It's the middle of Lent. There couldn't be a better time to face whatever truth you've been avoiding.
- Little Black Book, Diocese of Saginaw