Pilate - Pressure Cooker

When we face issues, or road blocks in life, how do we react? Is it really as simple as fight or flight? Do we head straight into the issue, or do we simply run or avoid the issue? While the root of our reaction can often be placed into one of those two actions, the journey and outcome of those actions can often surprise us. As we look at Pilate, we should ask ourselves what can we gleam from him and a pivotal decision that he was faced with as governor.

First Impressions

• Matthew 27: 11-14
  • His first question was asking if He was the King of the Jews.
    • This had implications politically if he claimed to be an Earthly King
  • His second question was asking Him to respond the Religious leaders accusations
    • Jesus's silence to them and his question amazed him.
      • Why?

A way out

• Matthew 27: 15-21
  • He sets up the leads with a simply choice to free Jesus or a murder
    • One he thought they would free Jesus and not the murder
  • While waiting on their decision, Pilot gets the message from his wife
    • She told him to have nothing to do with the man named Jesus due to a dream
  • The religious leaders persuaded the crowd to ask for the murder to be released
    • This was not what Pilot had expected
    • What was he expecting, and what do you think his internal reaction was to the question?

Your choice not mine

• Matthew 27: 22-25
  • He asks them what to do YOU want me to do about Jesus
    • He is attempting to distance himself from the actual decision
  • The crowd cries out Crucify him
  • He responses by asking a simple question, Why?
  • At seeing the impending riot, he gives into the crowd
  • As his final act, he washes his hands of the decision to crucify him.
  • Was this what he thought was going to be the outcome when he first saw Jesus before him?

When he tried to avoid the tough decision, he was finally push into a corner. The end result was him washing his hands of the choice. He was still his choice to make, but he gave into the crowd to keep the peace. We will most certainly face many issues and trials in life. But when we face the issues, will we give in to the crowd or popular choice, or will we do what we know is right? Choosing the right answer is not always the easiest of choices, but we are never alone in our journey.