“But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. 25 As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.” v. 23-25 (NLT)
Have you ever listened to the crowd? Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but the crowd loudly demanded his death; so Pilate sentenced Jesus to die. No doubt Pilate did not want to take the risk losing his position, which may already have been shaky, by allowing a riot to occur in his Provence. As a career politician, he knew the importance of compromise, and he saw Jesus more as a political threat than as a human being with rights and dignity.
When the stakes are high, it is difficult to stand up for what is right, and it is easy to see our opponents as problems to be solved rather than people to be respected. Had Pilate been a man of real courage, he would have released Jesus no matter what the consequences. But the crowd roared, and Pilate buckled. Often times I find myself like Pilate, knowing what is right but deciding not to do it. When we have difficult decisions to make, don’t discount the effects of peer pressure. Realize beforehand that the right decision could have unpleasant consequences: social rejection, career derailment, and or public ridicule. Then think of Pilate and resolve to stand up for what is right no matter what other people pressure us to do.
Today, who will you listen to, the crowd or Christ?
Dan Gould 
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