Suffered under Pontius Pilate

In the Creed the words, “Suffered under Pontius Pilate” mean “Suffered in the time of Pontius Pilate”.  That is to say, they give us an idea of when all this happened. 

Pontius Pilate was appointed prefect in 26 AD and he held that position until AD 36. (4)  He had very wide powers; for example, he issued local coins (bearing pagan symbols) some of which have survived. (5) Caiaphas was high priest in Jerusalem from 18-36 A.D or 37 A.D. (6) (7) In 1990, an ossuary (container for bones) was found in a tomb.  Inside were the bones of a man of about 60.  This ossuary is intricately decorated and is one of the most beautiful ever found.  The name of Caiaphas is etched on the side. (8)

These dates tell us that Jesus died somewhere between 26 and 36 A.D., and between 18 to 36 or 37 A.D., possibly around 30 A.D.(9) (10)

Besides being recorded in the New Testament, the death of Jesus was recorded by early Roman and Jewish writers.  Josephus was a first century Jewish historian and he stated that Jesus was accused by the Jewish leaders and condemned to the cross by Pilate.  The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that “Christ… suffered the death penalty during the reign of Tiberius, by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilate”. (11)

Responsibility for the death of Jesus

It is very important to understand that Jesus was condemned to death as a result of the actions of a very small number of influential Jewish rulers.  He was not condemned by the Jewish people as a whole and they should not be blamed for the death of Jesus.  Looking at this from another point of view, Jesus died to save human beings from their sins, and as we are all sinners, then in that sense we all sent him to the Cross. (12)