Going With The Crowd

Going with the Crowd

Matthew 27:22-23, NLT

Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 23“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

Mark 15:12-15, NLT

Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” 13They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!” 15So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

Luke 23:18-22, NLT

Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” 19(Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) 20Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 22For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”

Setting the Scene

Pilate was losing ground; the huge crowd seemed ready to riot. No doubt he did not want to risk losing his position, which may have been shaky, by allowing a riot to occur in his province. As a career politician, he knew the importance of compromise, and Pilate saw Jesus more as a political threat than as a human being. So he tried again, this time offering to release Jesus in an act of Passover mercy. But the leaders wouldn’t relent, and they whipped up the crowd, calling for the release of Barabbas. Then, when Pilate simply asked, “What should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” they screamed, “Crucify him!”

The people made their choice, stated their preference, and confirmed their sin. This was just what the Jewish religious leaders wanted. If Jesus were crucified, he would die the death of a rebel and slave, not of the king he claimed to be. Crucifixion would also put the responsibility for killing Jesus on the Romans, so the crowds would not blame the religious leaders. Pilate gave in, and “to pacify the crowd, [he] released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.”

The object of flogging was to cause as much pain and suffering as possible. The soldiers would bare the upper half of the victim’s body and tie his hands to a pillar. Then they would lash him with a three-pronged whip made of leather thongs that connected pieces of bone and metal like a chain. Flogging before crucifixion was a way to weaken the prisoner so he would die more quickly on the cross.

Getting Personal

What recent examples have you seen or heard reported of mob action?

When have you experienced group pressure? What was the group pressuring you to do? How did you respond?

What might be the cost to you for taking a stand for truth against a lie or for morality versus sin—for Christ?

Pilate had little conviction and even less courage. He gave in to the pressure of the angry crowd, releasing a murderer while ordering the execution of an innocent man.

Talking to God

Ask the Lord to strengthen your mind and spirit as you open yourself to his influence and close yourself against the insistent messages of cultural norms or society’s pressure. Ask him to bring you alongside believers who live wholeheartedly for him and will help you stand for truth.