Stained Glass Windows of Trinity Lutheran Church

Story: Trial with Pontius Pilate
Text: Matthew 27:1-26
“So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them,
“Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas,
or Jesus who is called Christ?” Matthew 27:17
Description:
After Jesus is arrested He is bounced among the
Jewish High Priest, the Roman governor Pontius
Pilate, and the Jewish King Herod. Ultimately it was
only Pontius Pilate that had the authority to execute
criminals and that is exactly what the leaders wanted.
The only problem was that Pilate spent time talking
with Jesus and could find nothing that Jesus had done
wrong that was worthy of being convicted, let alone
being executed. He devised a plan that he thought
would ensure Jesus’ freedom. He brought a criminal
named Barabbas to stand next to Jesus. He then gave
the crowd a choice between the two “criminals”. They
could select which prisoner went free. He was sure
that because Jesus had done nothing wrong the crowd
would pick him to go free. Instead, the leaders stirred
up the crowd which eventually chose Barabbas to go
free. When Pilate asked them what he should do with
Jesus, they cried out that Jesus should be crucified.
Pilate washed his hands of the situation and sentenced
Jesus to death. It is from here that Jesus would carry
His cross to Golgotha and be crucified.
61