I Am Pontius Pilate

 

 

I am Pontius Pilate

The Roman Governor of Judea,

I serve under Emperor Tiberius

The ruler of all Roman people.

 

The high point of my life

Was when they brought Jesus to me,

I was the adjudicator

I had to say what was to be.

 

Theirs were religious grievances

That did not concern Rome

So they brought three charges

All of them of a political tone.

 

He was a revolutionary

That was the first they said,

He posed a threat to the empire

It seems they wanted him dead.

 

In the second charge he urged

People not to pay their tax,

This threatened the empire’s prosperity

On this I could not relax.

 

 

The third was aimed at Caesar

The emperor of all of Rome,

This was a threat to his position

And I dare say not his alone.

 

I examined these three matters

In light of the evidence presented

And when I declared him not guilty

It was a verdict they all resented.

 

I had a conversation with Jesus

And I was particularly impressed

And regarding the death penalty

I found the charges baseless.

 

I asked him if he was a king

And his response was its own proof,

In it he seemed to suggest

That he actually represented the truth.

 

“To this end was I born,” he said,

This was why he came into the world,

To bear witness unto the truth

This was the essence of his words.

 

 

 

I asked Jesus what is truth

But I did not wait for his reply,

I simply went back out to the people

But on my verdict they did not rely.

 

I was unsettled in my spirit

So I tried a different approach

And though this was a Roman court

On their religion I encroached.

 

“You have a custom,” I said to them

“That at your Passover one is released.”

I suggested to them their king

But with that they were not pleased.

 

Instead they opted for Barabbas

An insurrectionist, a robber and thief,

They wanted me to crucify Jesus

But a criminal they wanted released.

 

I could not believe my ears

What an envious group they were!

I had already sent him to Herod

So now I could no longer defer.

 

I tried one final idea

For his release was my bent,

I had hoped he would say a bit more

But silence was his intent.

 

I told him of my power

To release him or have him crucified

But even that he rejected

And this is how he replied.

 

Except it came from above

I could have no power against him

So he that delivered him to me

Has the greater sin.

 

Still I sought to release him

But the Jews just would not bend,

They shouted if I release him

I would not be Caesar’s friend.

 

Crucify him they cried

This man Jesus deserves to die,

He said he is the Son of God

And again I heard, “Crucify!”

 

I was forced to make a judgment

I had to make a choice

And in my fear of these people

I listened to their voice.

 

They had no king but Caesar

And the truth was neither did I

So with the wishes of this people

I was forced to comply.

 

 

 

My wife had had a dream

As a result she was in torment,

She had sent a warning to me

But I had refused to repent.

 

I was feeling a load of guilt

Which I tried to wash away

But the basin and water I used

Only mocked me on that day.

 

When I saw I could not prevail

To Jesus a scourging I applied

And then delivered him to the people

For him to be crucified.

 

Stewart Russell © March 2019

 

Three Kings

 

 

Three Kings are mentioned

Two in the book of Luke,

No doubt in your mind

Emerges a certain dispute.

 

Whether there were three

Or whether more

So, let me hasten very quickly

To close that door.

 

The kings bearing gifts

Are not what I am about,

You have gone into Matthew

Without any doubt.

 

So, back to Historian Luke

Two are recorded there:

Not the kings mentioned in Matthew

But the two right here.

 

In Luke chapter 2

Let us take note of the first,

At this juncture of world history

This one is immersed.

 

 

And it came to pass

Meaning this is no fairy tale,

Since Caesar Augustus was the King

We know this account is real.

 

Rome was the world power

The Fourth one up to this time,

And as we consider these Kings

We must bear this in mind.

 

The Emperor Caesar Augustus

Ruled over the earth

And this was the time in History

Of another king’s birth.

 

Jesus the King of all kings

Came forth in the fulness of time

Born of a royal family;

King David comes to mind.

 

 

 

Caesar was deluded!

There was one greater than he,

This being was around

For as long as eternity.

 

He was omnipotent, omniscient

And all-knowing as well

And he was the reason

Why all the other kings fell.

 

He sets up kingdoms

And he takes them down,

You could ask many former kings

But they are no longer around.

 

That’s King #1 and King #2

And off we go to King #3

Who is not mentioned in Luke

But in Matthew we see.

 

 

That is King Herod

And he was a vassal of Rome

And hence, certain policy decisions

He dared not make on his own.

 

He was a puppet king,

Just like in Sesame Street

And he reigned over Jerusalem

But at Caesar’s feet.

 

Three kings at this time

But two were greatly deluded

Yet history has recorded

The greatest was excluded.

 

Jesus, the King of kings

In Bethlehem’s manger lay

But neither Caesar nor Herod knew

That he was the only way.

 

 

Seek him while he may be found

Call upon him now he is near,

There is a Christmas coming

When he will again appear.

  

This time to judge the world

Over which he is King

And not a king then or before

Will be able to do a thing.

 

With whom do you stand?

You will be standing in vain

If you are not standing with Jesus

When he comes again.

 

Stewart Russell © December 26, 2021

 

Just Once

There is no such star today

In the east or in the west

To guide the seeking traveller

In pursuit of his quest.

No angel song announcement

To shepherds in the field

Or light resplendent in the heavens

To guide wise men in their zeal.

No Simeon in the temple

To indicate the Lord has come,

No Anna, the aging prophetess

To confirm this revelation.

No inn in Judea’s Bethlehem

No Joseph and no Mary,

No decree from Caesar Augustus

No need to make that journey.

No baby in a manger

Surrounded by smelly animals,

No nativity scene in a stable

With just a few unimportant people.

No star standing watch above

Having led to Bethlehem,

No angry King Herod on his throne

Startled by the visit of wise men.

Though rehearsed and recounted

Up to and on Christmas day,

None of these events still happen

In this very same way.

No repeating of the history

Of that wonderful incarnation,

Once Christ came and once he died

To bring to us salvation.

However, wise men still seek

To be shepherded by the Christ,

Both the high and the low

Are saved through his sacrifice.
  

One price, once and for all time

One price for a soul’s redemption,

Paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ

God’s only begotten Son.

Once he suffered without the wall

Just once his precious blood did flow,

Once, he purchased our salvation

The Bible tells me so.

Let this Christmas time find you

Immersed in his wonderful love,

The Love that came down at Christmas

The Love that came from above.

To be covered for time and eternity

Just once is all you need,

Like the shepherds and the wise men

Haste to the Saviour, with speed!

Stewart Russell © December 2019

A Welcomed Sound

 

He’d been with them a while

But said he must go away,

They became apprehensive

And had had much to say.

He had promised much

And had only partly delivered,

That’s why at his crucifixion

They not only coward but shivered.

Their hopes were raised again

When he came back from the dead,

They hoped he would remain

But he left again instead.

 

But this time he left a promise

To send the Comforter soon

And instructed them to tarry

In the upper room.

In the upper room, they waited

For the fulfilment of that promise,

Certain in their obedience

That nothing they would miss.

Unlike the Jews of old

They believed the word they heard,

Unlike the Jews of old

They knew Jesus kept his word.

 

He had risen from the dead,

Before then they hadn’t believe

But since then they were sure

The Spirit they would receive.

They waited as instructed

For the Holy Spirit’s coming,

Together in one accord

Together in faith believing.

Seven days after Jesus ascended

There was a peculiar sound,

It filled the room where they were

In that room, it was all around.

  

It was not a sound of victory

Or the cry of the vanquished,

Rather, it was like a rushing wind

Bearing the news they all wished.

 

O this was the sound of Pentecost

The coming of the Holy Ghost,

And soon the sound would spread

Beyond Judea’s coasts.

The Holy Spirit had come

And He filled the room therein

And later in Jerusalem,

There would be a tremendous din.

This was not the golden calf

That the Jews before had worshipped,

This was the return of Jesus Christ

In the person of the Holy Spirit.

This was the sound of promise

The sound of the Comforter,

The sound that one like Jesus

Had come as our Deliverer.

What a sound of distinction!

The sound of a soul set free,

The sound that speaks to the victory

Over our archenemy.

Not a sound of rebellion,

Where thousands upon thousands died

But a sound of glorious triumph

For all who in Jesus abide.

This sound can fill our hearts

Just like it filled the room back then

When God on that Pentecost

The Holy Spirit did send.

 

Promised in the Old Testament

It was delivered in the New,

The glorious sound of the redeemed

Not only for me but for you.

Stewart Russell © May 2018