Pilate: Choosing Inaction

This week is a glorious week for Christians for we celebrate everything that our lives revolve around.

Our crucified and risen Lord!

Our propitiation for our sins!

The new covenant!

For me, since I grew up in the church, I have heard about the saving of our sins since I was little.  I have heard the story told many times.  I have participated in choir programs that have told the story and worshiped our Lord.  But it never gets old.

On Friday and Saturday, I will be posting scripture quotes on the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord, mostly with little commentary.  However, today I wanted to look at what lead up to the crucifixion, mostly concerning Pilate.

You could view Pilate in many different ways.  You could see him as a horrible person who “could” have saved Jesus from crucifixion, or you could just see him as a weak person who didn’t want to be bothered with the repercussions of standing up to the crowd.  Or just as one of the multitude who fulfilled prophecy and lead to the inevitable.

But I think as Christians, we should take Pilate’s story much more seriously.  After all, there is more in the Bible than, “Pilate turned him over to be crucified.”  You can find the story in Matthew (27:15-26), Mark (15:6-15), Luke (23:18-25), and John (18:38b-19:16).

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 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 27:15-26)

In Pilate’s story, I see five actions that he did after he decided that Jesus was not guilty of the charges the Jewish leaders, but it all boils down to inaction.  And that, I think is an important lesson for all Christians.  But before I get ahead of myself, let’s look at what Pilate does.

The first thing Pilate does is he tries to get out of it by appealing to normal sensibilities.  Would you release someone who has committed murder, or someone who goes around saying things you don’t believe are true?  That was what Pilate was counting on, and clearly the people would have chosen Barabbas, but the leaders created a mob mentality to get them to choose Jesus.

Second, his wife comes to him to tell him to have nothing to do with Jesus.  There is no recorded response of Pilate’s to his wife’s statement, but the way that it is presented makes it seem as though he was already trying not to have anything to do with Jesus and his wife just confirms it.

He then leaves the sentencing up for the crowd to decide.  First, he asks an open-ended question of what punishment Jesus should receive.  When he hears how blood-thirsty the crowd is, he then asks “really?”

Next, he makes a public display to show he wants nothing to do with Jesus.  “You’re all crazy, but I won’t stop you from whatever you want…”

Lastly, he releases Jesus to the crowd to do whatever they so wish to do to him.

All of his choices boil down to him not wanting to be involved in any way.  He doesn’t do anything to help Jesus.  I think that this can be applied to all of us.  How many times have we not done something that we think God wants us to do?  How many times have we not told others about Christ?  How many times have we not stood up for the truth?  How many times have we folded to peer pressure on certain issues because then we would be labeled as unloving, bigoted, legalistic, or Pharisaical?

Pilate was up against a group of societal leaders, an angry mob, and his wife.  Yet he is remembered for the one who let Jesus be crucified.  He was the last person to be in the position to stand up for Christ, but instead he chose to not be involved.

Nowadays, people use the argument of “Jesus is love and Christians are not to judge, so just shut up and sit down and let me live however I want while giving lip service to God.”  Yes, Jesus does love everyone and Christians are not to be judgmental (do not confuse with rebuking), but let me remind those that stick to the above mantra of two other things Jesus said:

“For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” (John 18:37b-38a)

“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:51-53)

To me, that doesn’t sound like an impotent, flower-chain weaving, weakling who died just so that we could do whatever we wanted.  So let us not be silenced by the mob.  Let us not be like Pilate, who wanted nothing to do with controversy.  But let us also remember the rest of the story.  Jesus died and rose again so that we might be saved through his righteousness, to tell others about Him, to rebuke our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and to one day reign with Him forever!

through His grace alone!

Sarah