Forming Faith Blog

Jesus before Pilate (John 18b)

Posted on March 3 2026 by Gregory Rawn
  • Date: March 15, 2026
  • Bible Reading: John 18:28-40
  • The Point: Unlike the powers of oppression in our world, Jesus’ kingdom proclaims the truth.
  • Unit Theme (March 15—April 3): God’s Kingdom Revealed

Pontius Pilate, the cruel and powerful Roman governor, is reduced to a fool as he confronts Jesus’ true kingship. What do we do when we face God’s truth?

Note: For Lent, I’m trying something new with this blog. Let me know what you think!

Cutout letters for the word Truth. Jesus and Pontius Pilate discussed truth.
Photo by Magda Ehlers
About the Story

The Passion narrative continues in today’s reading. Jesus has been arrested by the Jewish authorities with the help of Roman soldiers. After his arrest, Jesus was brought to the home of the high priest and interrogated there. During this time, Simon Peter waited outside, but he denied knowing Jesus three times, as Jesus had predicted. 

Now, Jesus has been brought to the highest authority in the area, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. The Jewish authorities demand that Pilate take over the case from here, and accuse Jesus of claiming a kingship that would oppose Roman rule. Pilate, however, seems aware that he is being drawn into an internal Jewish struggle, and he tries to push the decision-making back onto the Jewish authorities. 

Throughout the scene that we read today, Pilate shuttles back and forth between Jesus and the Jewish authorities waiting outside. Pilate’s worldly authority seems to be completely useless to him in the face of the events that are unfolding. All those who appear to have the most power and authority find themselves unable to force Jesus to say or do anything that is not within God’s plan. Meanwhile, Jesus, who is bound and held prisoner, appears to be completely calm and in control of everything that is happening. (Adapted from Living the Word: Small Groups)

Important Note: 

The phrase “the Jews” or “Jew” is used many times throughout John’s Gospel and six times in this passage. It has been erroneously understood to mean all Jewish people and has been tragically used to support anti-Semitism for thousands of years. When used in the narration in John 18:31, 36, and 38, it describes Jesus’ religious antagonists and not the Jewish people as a whole. Pilate appears to use the phrase in a more general sense in John 18:33, 35, and 39 (which illustrates his derogatory view of the Jewish people). The Jewish author Josephus also uses the phrase “the Jews” to refer to specific groups of Jewish leaders. The author of the Gospel did not consider all Jewish people to be culpable. Instead, the phrase reflects the theological conflict between Christians and non-Christian Jews in the author’s context. (from Living the Word: Contexts & Connections)

Context Insights

The following are a few insights found in our background resource Living the Word: Contexts & Connections.

  • History: Pontius Pilate served as the Roman prefect of Judea from 26 CE to 36 CE. The prefect governed a Roman province under the direct control of the emperor. Pilate’s title and rule have been confirmed by a Latin inscription found in the city of Caesarea Maritima in 1961. As prefect of Judea, Pilate spent most of his time in Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast, which was the center of Roman rule of the province. He only journeyed to Jerusalem for times of potential social unrest such as Passover when large crowds were filled with hopes of Jewish liberation. Pilate is portrayed very negatively by Jewish authors such as Josephus and Philo, who depict his rule as greedy, insensitive, and cruel.
  • Literature/Genre: Pilate, supposedly the most powerful individual in the whole story, must shuttle back and forth between the religious leaders outside of his headquarters and Jesus who is inside. This makes him appear to be weak and even foolish. 
  • Audience: The early church believed that the Gospel of John was composed in the city of Ephesus, in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). The original audience of John’s Gospel probably heard this story in its present form at least sixty years after the events it described. They were not acquainted with the political or legal details of Roman rule in Judea at the time of Jesus.
Connections and Suggestions

We have Narrative Lectionary curriculum resources for all age groups. Here are a few activity summaries you can use. The full activity descriptions and much more are available in the product noted.

  • Kids: As large or small groups, students create a mural on mural paper depicting things that remind them of God’s kingdom, either drawing or creating a collage from magazine images. (From Living the Word: Kids (3rd-6th))
  • Youth: Create a list of keywords and phrases from the passage (King of the Jews, law, palace, etc.), and challenge small groups to take photos within designated boundaries to illustrate each of the words or phrases. (From Living the Word: Youth)
  • Intergenerational education: Provide paper and markers or crayons to participants, and invite them to illustrate something about the Bible story. However, they should include a “lie” (something that does not belong).  (From Living the Word: Cross+Gen Education)

I hope you find this useful! If you have any questions or feedback on this blog post (or anything else), comment on this post below or on Facebook, or send me a message.

In Christ,

Gregory Rawn (Publisher)

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Lent, VBS, and More!

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Learning Together is a series of five-lesson units on a variety of topics. Our faith formation resources are easy to use, theologically sound, and inclusive. Each unit can be used at any time in many different settings, but here are a few suggestions:

+ Lent: The I AM Statements of Jesus (free!), Travelers (Immigrants and Refugees), Do Justice
+ VBS: Paul’s Adventures (NEW!), Celebrations, Created to Care, God’s Gift of Water, Heroes of the Bible
+ Education/Events: Women of the Old Testament, Bible 101

Our unit Celebrations is a recommended VBS curriculum by Building Faith (and the only curriculum they reviewed from a small, independent publisher)!!! You can read outside reviews on both our Do Justice and Created to Care units!

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