What do you do when you want to zoom in on an image on a touchscreen? You pinch out to zoom in. Perhaps that is a useful analogy for the texts the Narrative Lectionary presents to us these last few weeks of Lent: pinching out so we can really zoom in and focus on the story of Jesus’ final days on earth. That trend continues this week as we explore Jesus on trial before Pilate (John 19:1-16).

Whichever version of the bible you read, Pilate seems bemused and nonplussed. That is until he is informed that Jesus “claimed to be the Son of God.” One simple revelation and suddenly Pilate is terrified. Why?

• What is so scary about claiming to be the Son of God?
• Why did the Jewish religious leaders emphasis this to Pilate?
• What did that title mean to Pilate?
• What did that title mean to Jesus?
• What could all this have to do with how we think of Jesus today?