Pilate was punctilious. However else you might evaluate him, give him that. The Jewish historian Josephus reports him being removed from office for excessive violence against Jewish insurgents, but Pontius Pilate’s relatively long rule suggests a capable administrator. ...
Despite Pilate’s surprise, Jesus was indeed dead. But the Roman governor is not alone in struggling to comprehend the sheer reality of death. As a pastor of a small parish, I am almost always around when someone dies. In my experience, almost everyone has difficulty taking in the fact of death. This is certainly understandable when the death is sudden and unexpected, but it happens even at the close of long hospice care. Loved ones shift their attention from care of the dying to preparation for the funeral. They just keep working; they will take it in later.
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