“Famous or Infamous?”

Matthew 27: 65: “Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard; go, make [the grave] as secure as you know how.’” Pilate was probably thinking, “This will make me famous! I have averted a bloody riot. Caesar will love me for this!” Well, handing Jesus over to the Jews for crucifixion did make Pilate famous. In fact, he and Mary are the only non-Deity mentioned in the Creed. Thousands of time a day it is said in any of the many Creeds of the Church, “Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate.” As with the Pharisees, Judas, and the detractors of Jeremiah or Paul, when he thought he had achieved his aims, he had, in fact, achieved infamy. Again we see: The Lord is near to those who fear Him, who walk in His ways.