Luke 23:18-25
…So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.
Pilate is a perfect example of a people pleaser. He had examined Jesus and found nothing in Him warranting death, but he still decided to grant the demand of the Jews. For him, justice didn’t really matter. What mattered was that he looked good in the eyes of the people. What mattered to him was that there that his status quo remained – an uprising would have landed him in problems with Rome. The end result was that he gave over an innocent man to be crucified and released a criminal, Barabbas.
Beware of the demands of the crowd. They will have you condemn the innocent and acquit the guilty. This is especially true in our time when issues of morality and justice have been relegated to the realm of subjectivity. What used to be abomination is now celebrated, and madness is hailed as progress. The believer must stand firm even when the crowd shouts its demands. For Pilate, he ended up participating in the fulfilment of prophecy regarding the Messiah. However, he was still culpable for his actions even as the Scriptures declare:
Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! (Luke 17:1 – KJV)
Reflections
1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how are your people pleasing tendencies?
