The Pilate Question: Who is this Man?
In 1961, Italian archaeologists made a discovery that would send ripples through both historical and biblical scholarship. While excavating a Roman theater in Caesarea, they unearthed a limestone block bearing a Latin inscription that mentioned Pontius Pilate, the prefect of Judea. This wasn't just another ancient artifact—it was physical, tangible evidence of a man who played a pivotal role in the most significant event in human history.
The "Pilate Stone," as it came to be known, now sits in a museum in Israel, a silent witness to history. But more importantly, it confirms something crucial: the Gospel accounts aren't religious fairy tales or philosophical abstractions. They describe real people, real places, and real events that actually happened.
When Pilate interrogated Jesus and asked, "Are you the king of the Jews?" he was questioning an actual person standing before him. When he famously washed his hands, attempting to distance himself from the decision about Jesus' fate, he was dealing with a flesh-and-blood human being. Pilate could wash his hands, but he couldn't wash away the central question that has confronted humanity ever since: Who is this man?
A Question That Demands an Answer
This isn't a question we can avoid or postpone. If you're a believer, you need clarity on this answer—not just for your own faith, but because you must be ready to give a defense for the hope within you. Other religious movements aren't shy about providing their answers. Islam, Mormonism, and Jehovah's Witnesses actively proclaim their versions of Jesus to the world. But their answers contradict what Scripture declares.
Some say Jesus was merely a prophet. Others claim he was a created being who became divine. Still others suggest he's just one god among many. These aren't minor theological disagreements—they strike at the very foundation of Christianity itself.
The Prophetic Answer
Seven centuries before Pilate ever asked his question, the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah provided the answer. Their prophecies reveal something that should be impossible: God becoming flesh.
Isaiah 9:6-7 declares: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Jeremiah 23:5-6 adds: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land."
These passages reveal two essential truths about the Messiah's identity that we must hold together.
Fully Human
The Messiah would enter the world through natural human birth. Isaiah emphasizes this deliberately: "a child is born...a son is given." This isn't metaphorical language. The Messiah would be genuinely, completely human—born of a woman, descended from King David's royal line, qualified by bloodline to sit on Israel's throne.
This continues the first messianic promise given in Genesis 3:15, where God told the serpent that the solution to sin would come through "the offspring of the woman"—a human being born into the very race that had rebelled against God.
Without true humanity, the Messiah cannot be our Redeemer. Without David's bloodline, he has no legitimate claim to be Israel's king. He must be one of us to represent us.
Fully Divine
But here's where the prophecy explodes beyond anything a mere human king could fulfill. Isaiah doesn't just call this child a good leader or a righteous king. He calls him Mighty God and Everlasting Father.
Think about that for a moment. Isaiah, a faithful Jew who would never assign divine titles to any human being, declares that this child will be called "Mighty God"—the same title he uses elsewhere in his book to refer to Yahweh himself. This isn't hyperbole or poetic exaggeration. Isaiah is declaring that the one to come is God.
Jeremiah confirms this by giving the Messiah the covenant name of God: "The Lord our righteousness." He's saying this descendant of David is Yahweh—God in the flesh.
Consider the stunning paradox: A child is born, yet called Mighty God. A son is given, yet named Everlasting Father. A descendant arises from David's line, yet bears the name Yahweh.
The prophets aren't confused. They're revealing that the coming Messiah must be unprecedented in human history: fully human and fully divine simultaneously.
Why It Must Be Both
This dual nature isn't a theological puzzle to solve—it's essential to the mission. A merely human Messiah, no matter how righteous, cannot break the power of sin. But a divine being who isn't fully human cannot represent us or identify with our struggles.
Hebrews 2:17-18 explains it perfectly: "Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
The solution to humanity's desperate condition isn't another human leader or shepherd. It's the Good Shepherd taking on human flesh, being born as one of us, so he can rule as the King who never fails, the Shepherd who never scatters, the Righteous One whose righteousness becomes ours.
Why This Matters Eternally
Your eternal destiny hinges on knowing Jesus rightly. This isn't about mastering theological vocabulary—it's about the object of your faith. Jesus himself said in John 3:17-18 that whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Notice that belief must be in Him—the true Jesus, not a version we prefer or find more comfortable. First John 4:2-3 makes it clear: "Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God."
The Islamic Example
Consider Islam's view of Jesus. Muslims venerate Jesus as a great prophet, believe in his virgin birth, acknowledge his miracles, and even call him Messiah. But they adamantly reject his deity and sonship. The Quran explicitly states that God has no son.
When Isaiah prophesies that a child will be called Mighty God, Islam responds: impossible. When Jeremiah names him "the Lord our righteousness," Islam counters that Jesus was merely a messenger.
The Islamic Jesus is impressive—born of a virgin, a great prophet, a miracle worker. But he isn't divine. He teaches true things, but he can't save you. He points to God, but he isn't God himself. This Jesus might inspire, but he cannot save. Islam's Jesus is too small, too limited to deal with our desperate need.
The Answer That Changes Everything
So we return to Pilate's question: Who is this man?
The archaeological stone in the museum cannot answer it. Only Scripture can. And Isaiah and Jeremiah answered it seven centuries before Pilate ever asked.
He is the Mighty God in human flesh. He is the Lord our righteousness. He is the child born to bear the government on his shoulders. He is fully God and fully man—the only one sufficient to bridge the gap between holy God and sinful humanity.
This isn't just information to admire. It's a person to trust. Your eternity depends on getting this answer right.
Pilate washed his hands, but we cannot. We must answer: Who is Jesus? And in that answer lies everything.
The "Pilate Stone," as it came to be known, now sits in a museum in Israel, a silent witness to history. But more importantly, it confirms something crucial: the Gospel accounts aren't religious fairy tales or philosophical abstractions. They describe real people, real places, and real events that actually happened.
When Pilate interrogated Jesus and asked, "Are you the king of the Jews?" he was questioning an actual person standing before him. When he famously washed his hands, attempting to distance himself from the decision about Jesus' fate, he was dealing with a flesh-and-blood human being. Pilate could wash his hands, but he couldn't wash away the central question that has confronted humanity ever since: Who is this man?
A Question That Demands an Answer
This isn't a question we can avoid or postpone. If you're a believer, you need clarity on this answer—not just for your own faith, but because you must be ready to give a defense for the hope within you. Other religious movements aren't shy about providing their answers. Islam, Mormonism, and Jehovah's Witnesses actively proclaim their versions of Jesus to the world. But their answers contradict what Scripture declares.
Some say Jesus was merely a prophet. Others claim he was a created being who became divine. Still others suggest he's just one god among many. These aren't minor theological disagreements—they strike at the very foundation of Christianity itself.
The Prophetic Answer
Seven centuries before Pilate ever asked his question, the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah provided the answer. Their prophecies reveal something that should be impossible: God becoming flesh.
Isaiah 9:6-7 declares: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Jeremiah 23:5-6 adds: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land."
These passages reveal two essential truths about the Messiah's identity that we must hold together.
Fully Human
The Messiah would enter the world through natural human birth. Isaiah emphasizes this deliberately: "a child is born...a son is given." This isn't metaphorical language. The Messiah would be genuinely, completely human—born of a woman, descended from King David's royal line, qualified by bloodline to sit on Israel's throne.
This continues the first messianic promise given in Genesis 3:15, where God told the serpent that the solution to sin would come through "the offspring of the woman"—a human being born into the very race that had rebelled against God.
Without true humanity, the Messiah cannot be our Redeemer. Without David's bloodline, he has no legitimate claim to be Israel's king. He must be one of us to represent us.
Fully Divine
But here's where the prophecy explodes beyond anything a mere human king could fulfill. Isaiah doesn't just call this child a good leader or a righteous king. He calls him Mighty God and Everlasting Father.
Think about that for a moment. Isaiah, a faithful Jew who would never assign divine titles to any human being, declares that this child will be called "Mighty God"—the same title he uses elsewhere in his book to refer to Yahweh himself. This isn't hyperbole or poetic exaggeration. Isaiah is declaring that the one to come is God.
Jeremiah confirms this by giving the Messiah the covenant name of God: "The Lord our righteousness." He's saying this descendant of David is Yahweh—God in the flesh.
Consider the stunning paradox: A child is born, yet called Mighty God. A son is given, yet named Everlasting Father. A descendant arises from David's line, yet bears the name Yahweh.
The prophets aren't confused. They're revealing that the coming Messiah must be unprecedented in human history: fully human and fully divine simultaneously.
Why It Must Be Both
This dual nature isn't a theological puzzle to solve—it's essential to the mission. A merely human Messiah, no matter how righteous, cannot break the power of sin. But a divine being who isn't fully human cannot represent us or identify with our struggles.
Hebrews 2:17-18 explains it perfectly: "Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
The solution to humanity's desperate condition isn't another human leader or shepherd. It's the Good Shepherd taking on human flesh, being born as one of us, so he can rule as the King who never fails, the Shepherd who never scatters, the Righteous One whose righteousness becomes ours.
Why This Matters Eternally
Your eternal destiny hinges on knowing Jesus rightly. This isn't about mastering theological vocabulary—it's about the object of your faith. Jesus himself said in John 3:17-18 that whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Notice that belief must be in Him—the true Jesus, not a version we prefer or find more comfortable. First John 4:2-3 makes it clear: "Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God."
The Islamic Example
Consider Islam's view of Jesus. Muslims venerate Jesus as a great prophet, believe in his virgin birth, acknowledge his miracles, and even call him Messiah. But they adamantly reject his deity and sonship. The Quran explicitly states that God has no son.
When Isaiah prophesies that a child will be called Mighty God, Islam responds: impossible. When Jeremiah names him "the Lord our righteousness," Islam counters that Jesus was merely a messenger.
The Islamic Jesus is impressive—born of a virgin, a great prophet, a miracle worker. But he isn't divine. He teaches true things, but he can't save you. He points to God, but he isn't God himself. This Jesus might inspire, but he cannot save. Islam's Jesus is too small, too limited to deal with our desperate need.
The Answer That Changes Everything
So we return to Pilate's question: Who is this man?
The archaeological stone in the museum cannot answer it. Only Scripture can. And Isaiah and Jeremiah answered it seven centuries before Pilate ever asked.
He is the Mighty God in human flesh. He is the Lord our righteousness. He is the child born to bear the government on his shoulders. He is fully God and fully man—the only one sufficient to bridge the gap between holy God and sinful humanity.
This isn't just information to admire. It's a person to trust. Your eternity depends on getting this answer right.
Pilate washed his hands, but we cannot. We must answer: Who is Jesus? And in that answer lies everything.
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