Harrison Woodard

About 2,000 years ago in a lonely, dusty outpost of the Roman Empire, three men were put to death by crucifixion. Two of the men were criminals and earned their punishment. The third, named Jesus, was completely innocent of all charges against him. The Roman Prefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, wanted no part of the affair, telling the priests to judge him according to their laws. When they demanded that his crimes were worthy of the death penalty, Pilate confessed, “I find no fault in him.” (John 19:4) He further publicly washed his hands of the matter. Pilate was no saint. When the Jewish leaders suggested that he was no friend of Caesar if he released Jesus, the execution was allowed.