Pontius Pilate was the fifth prefect of Judaea, and governed during the reign of Roman emperor, Tiberius. The four Christian Gospels all agree Pilate did not want to have Jesus Christ executed, but relented to the crowds who demanded it. The Gospels tell:
Matthew: Pilate symbolically washes his hands to show he didn’t want to be held responsible for the execution of Jesus and was only doing what was demanded of him.
Mark: Jesus was innocent of plotting against the Roman Empire and Pilate agreed and didn’t want to condemn him.
Luke: Not only did Pilate find Jesus innocent of plotting against the Empire, but Herod Antipas of Galilee agreed.
John: Quotes Pilate as saying “I find no guilt in Him [Jesus]” and asks the Jews if he should be freed.
Matthew 22:15-22 Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Mark 12:41-44 The Widow’s Mite
41 And Jesus sat opposite the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury. And many who were rich cast in much.
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 And He called unto Him His disciples and said unto them, “Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they that have cast into the treasury;
44 for they all cast in of their abundance, but she of her want cast in all that she had, even all her living.”
