
Mark 15:15
And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
Of all the conversations surrounding the Crucifixion of Jesus, Pilate’s is one of the most jarring. It is clear that Pilate had no personal vendetta or hatred against Christ. Yet, he also had no faith or love toward Him. For a moment in time, Pilate stood face to face with the Son of God and was forced to make a decision.
Millions have found themselves in that same scenario—not harboring hatred for Jesus, but lacking faith or love for Him. In a moment, they are faced with the same question: Who is this Jesus? What will I do with Him? Perhaps in a church service, while reading the Bible, or through an article or tract, Jesus is set before them. Like Pilate, they realize that this is no ordinary man.
Our verse from Mark captures what ultimately led Pilate to his decision to deliver Jesus to be crucified and attempt to wash his hands of His blood. It was a willingness to please men rather than God. Pilate bent to the influence of the crowd rather than heeding his own conscience—or even the warnings of his wife.
In John’s Gospel, we see two pivotal statements that framed Pilate’s inner conflict. The Jews declared, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” This caused Pilate to bring Jesus back to the judgment hall for further questioning. During their conversation, Jesus reminded Pilate, “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.” Convicted, Pilate sought to release Jesus.
But the devil had another argument waiting to sway Pilate. The Jews warned, “If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.” When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus forth to be crucified.
This was Pilate’s inward struggle: to please God and make a decision based on good judgment and a burdened conscience, or to appease the crowd at the cost of sinning against his own soul and the Son of God. Mark tells us why Pilate ultimately betrayed Jesus: “Willing to content the people.”
Many today find themselves in the same place as Pilate. Jesus is set before them, their conscience is pricked, and they feel the weight of conviction. Yet they hesitate, knowing that taking sides with Christ would mean standing against friends, family, bosses, or cultural pressures. Like Pilate, they choose to please men and walk away from the Lord. They dismiss Him and, like Pilate, try to excuse their decision, attempting to wash away the guilt in their hearts. But seldom does this ever work.
One tradition states that Pilate went on to take his own life, unable to bear the weight of condemnation. If true, he would not be alone. Judas, overwhelmed by guilt, sought to make things right but found it was too late. Many others have realized too late that the One they rejected was their only hope. Unable to bear the weight of life or the thought of eternity, they, too, succumbed to despair.
Rest assured, all of us will face this decision, at least to some degree, multiple times throughout our lives. When those moments come, will you be willing to please God, or will you seek to content men?
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