Who is Pontius Pilate from Life of Christ and what is their importance?

Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea. He presided over Jesus' trial, since the Jews did not have the legal power to put Christ to death. Pilate was guided purely by political concerns, and he wanted to avoid putting Christ to death. As a result, he caved to the demands of the Jewish leaders and sentenced Christ to death by crucifixion.