Why Did Pontius Pilate Become Fearful?

Pontius Pilate was a cunning politician and often treacherous but not usually a fearful ruler.Why then did he become fearful when hearing the charge that Jesus had made himself God's Son?  For two good reasons.


Although they tolerated their Roman rulers within  Israel there was always some group, such as in the infamous Dagger Men, who often assassinated  Roman officials in broad daylight, seeking the opportune moment to instigate rebellion against Rome.


 Exactly how much this threat affected Pilate when passing sentence on Jesus is not clear  but it is no secret that  Roman rulers  had tried to appease the Jewish people by leaving much of the day to day government, including religious matter up to the Jews themselves and did not want to become entangled in religious problems unless it was something that threatened Rome.


So Pilate likely was concerned about alienating the Jewish religious leaders as well as most of the general Jewish population who had so much hatred for Jesus.


On top of this there was the Roman emperor himself.  By the time of Pilate and Jesus Roman emperors had become regarded as gods, successors to Julius Caesar who had been posthumously declared a god.  So all  of his successors were declared  divi filius  or "Son of a Divine One."


Thus when the Jewish High Priest alleged  Jesus was trying to establish him as a God and King in opposition to Caesar and that Pilate would be an accomplice to him if he did not execute Jesus Pilate caved in to their demands out of fear.  


And he was afraid of more than just getting the Jewish people mad.  The Roman emperor at this time was Tiberius Caesar, a man who demanded complete loyalty. He executed anybody he considered an enemy -- without hesitation.


So when the Jews started claiming the Pilate would be disloyal to Caesar if he did not order the execution of Jesus he fearfully ordered Jesus" scourging and execution on a stake.


He ordered Jesus execution although he knew that Jesus was innocent of the Jewish charges as described in John 19: 8, 12-16.