The Creed makes a turn here. Pontius Pilate is there to remind us that God acted at a particular moment in human history. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea from A.D. 26 to 36. While the mention of Pilate in the Apostles’ Creed may seem odd, it highlights Christ’s suffering as a historical event.
The eternal Son entered our world, and a human court convicted Him of crimes He didn’t commit. This event really happened. Jesus, fully human, experienced real suffering at a specific point in history.
The words of the creed, “crucified, died, and buried,” serve as essential pillars of the Christian truth and point to the centrality of the cross as the symbol of the Christian faith.
The death of Christ is one of two central and essential dimensions to the work of Christ for our salvation. The cross and the empty tomb represent these two dimensions clearly.
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