Pontious Pilate

 

So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. (Matthew 27:17–26 ESV).

 

Pilate is a puzzling character in the story of Jesus’ death. He was the Roman governor of Judea, and he directly oversaw Jesus’ trial and handed him over to be crucified. But it seems that he also tried to do what he could to avoid sentencing Jesus. He asked several times what crime Jesus was actually accused of, and he tried to make use of a custom in which the governor would release a prisoner of the people’s choice during the Passover festival. But the people wanted another prisoner released and they wanted Jesus crucified. Pilate’s wife even warned him to have nothing to do with Jesus because of a dream she had had. In the end Pilate tried symbolically to wash his hands of the whole thing and proclaim his own innocence in the matter.

 

Still, Pilate was responsible for his actions. He knew that Jesus wasn’t guilty and that he shouldn’t be crucified, but he let it happen anyway. In the face of pressure, he did what the crowd wanted, not what he knew was right. I wonder how often we do the same thing? We know what we need to do, even if it isn’t the culturally acceptable thing. All too often we merely go along with the crowd, giving in to pressure, and we do what we know is wrong. Since we have the presence of the Holy Spirit residing within our hearts, and because of all that Jesus has done for us, we can make a different choice. We can stand up for what is right, even if it isn’t the common wisdom of our day.