Perhaps one of the easiest ways to tell if someone is lying is if their story keeps changing. In an effort to hide the truth, a person may come up with all sorts of creative stories but the more stories they tell the harder it gets to keep them straight. Eventually, putting the stories together creates an impossible, nonsensical narrative that doesn’t pass the sniff test.
We see just such a situation when Jesus is judged by Pilate.
Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him.”
Luke 23:13-16
In this, you see how cunning the religious leaders have been. They are upset that Jesus is speaking against their religious system but, knowing Rome wouldn’t care about that, they accused him of “misleading the people”. It seems they were hoping that he would be treated as an insurrectionist. However, Pilate had not survived as long as he did in politics without being cunning as well, and he was quickly able to discover Jesus intended no such thing (his kingdom was not of this world).
Pilate puts up for release Jesus and Barabbas. Now the thing about Barabbas is that he was in prison for the very thing the leaders were accusing Jesus!
But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder.
Luke 23:19 (emphasis mine)
I find it extremely unlikely that Pilate was in the habit of releasing violent enemies of Caesar when he offered up prisoners to be pardoned. He knew Jesus was innocent, and had even been told by his wife that she’d had a terrible dream because of Jesus’s innocence. He’d asked the priests to give up the foolishness, but they insisted that Jesus should be killed.
Now the leaders, if they are at all concerned with keeping their story straight, would certainly have to ask for his release. While they may be claiming Jesus is teaching things which could lead to rebellion against Rome, Barabbas had already killed in an attempt to resist! Still, the leaders demand Jesus be killed instead!
At this point, they’ve exposed that they are well aware that Jesus is innocent of crimes against Rome and that their interest in this matter has literally nothing to do with Roman justice at all. Pilate takes one last attempt to sway them anyway.
From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
John 19:12-16
As you can see, even then they’re still layering lies upon lies trying to get the outcome they want. They claim again that the real issue is ultimately that Jesus is stirring up the Jews against Caesar. Pilate takes one last shot at their obvious dishonesty when he says “Behold your King!” at which point the priests respond that they have no king but Caesar.
If they were truly loyal subjects to Caesar, they would never have had Barabbas released. If Jesus was attempting to set himself up as King of the Jewish people in place of Caesar, then they certainly wouldn’t have responded the way they did in that verse!
Pilate was not a godly man, but he was shrewd. Not really surprising. You can’t kid a kidder. In other words:
For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
Luke 16:8b
We are likewise called to be shrewd. Pay attention to people making claims. When it seems they’re happy with one “reality” just as much as another so long as whatever is claimed would lead to their desired goal, do not trust that person. On the other hand, if you are a person caught in a web of lies, there is no time like the present to start unwinding them.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
James 5:16
It can be painful to come clean, even to brothers and sisters in Christ, but the damage is done even when you’re not feeling it. To truly heal, you must confess and pray together!
