Pilate was the most powerful man in Israel in the days of Jesus.    But he was strangely helpless in carrying out his own desire to let Jesus go free, though he said “I find no guilt in this man,” (Luke 23 v.4) adding, “nothing deserving of death has been done by him” (v.15) “I will release him” (v.16 and again v.22) After all these declarations, it ...

Today we read the familiar account of Jesus on ‘trial’ before Herod and Pilate and the determination of the Jewish leaders to have him crucified – and “they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.” [Luke 23 v.23]    Today and in recent years the voices and published words of so many ...