Pilate sneered, “What is truth?” when Jesus stood trial before him.
But then Pilate went on to speak truth, time after time. Indeed, Pilate, like Caiaphas in John 11, unwittingly preached the gospel. Consider the words of Pilate in John 18-19:
“Are you the King of the Jews?” Yes, he is the King of the Jews!
“So you are a king?” Again, yes, he is a king – indeed, he is King of kings, the kingliest king of all kings.
“I find no guilt in him.” This is true – Jesus is innocent. In fact, he is sinless, which qualifies him to be a sacrificial substitute for sinners.
“See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” Again, Pilate is right – there is no guilt in Jesus. The guiltless will die for the guilty. All the charges against him were false, and Pilate admits it.
“Behold the man!” Yes, Jesus is man – he a true man and in fact THE true man. He is exactly what God made man to be. He is the perfect man – the perfect human, the perfectly male human. He is the New Adam, come to crush the serpent’s head. In him, we behold true humanness.
“Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” For a third time, Pilate declares Jesus is righteous. Even as Peter denies Jesus three times, Pilate declares Jesus’ innocence three times.
“Where are you from?” Pilate knows better than the Jews what questions to ask. Jesus doesn’t answer because there is no need. He has already explained that he came from above, from his Father. Jesus is heaven come to earth.
“You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” According to Roman law, Pilate is right. But he only has power that God has granted him. The Jews thought their plans were unfolding in Jesus’ death; in reality, it was God’s plan being fulfilled. Pilate believed he had authority and Jesus was on trial before him; in reality, Jesus is in charge and Pilate is the one on trial.
“Behold your King!…Shall I crucify your King!” Pilate speaks truth once more: Jesus is indeed king. The Jews answer with blasphemy, “Crucify him!…We have no king but Caesar!” Pilate, like so many politicians, comprised truth and justice to give the people what they wanted. He said much that was true — but he also allowed Jesus to be murdered on trumped up, obviously false charges. Pilate stands as a witness against himself, against the Roman system of which he was a part, against the Jews who orchestrated the crucifixion and pressured him into it, indeed, against all of humanity since it was the sin of the human race that necessitated Jesus’ death. Pilate spoke better than he knew — and knowingly participated in the injustice of Jesus’ death. But in God’s grand plan of salvation, the wickedness of the Jewish leadership and the spinelessness of Pilate brought about the redemption of the world.
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