Pilate's surrender - Luke 23:34-25

"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." Luke 23:24-25 ESV

In the week leading up to Easter, I reread the gospel accounts of the events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. As I do, I try to see myself in all the characters. (Not too hard to do, sadly!) I'm the person in the crowd yelling at Pilate, "Crucify Him!" I'm Mary and the other women weeping, distraught over what has transpired. I'm Peter denying Jesus in both word and deed. I'm Judas as I kiss Christ with betrayal. I'm the soldier healed by His hand. And I'm Pilate, not sure how far I should go in standing up for Jesus.

Pilate has always been a perplexing character to me. History characterizes Pilate's leadership as being headstrong, strict, and authoritarian. And yet in the gospel accounts of his interactions with Jesus, we see a reluctant Pilate vacillating in his decision. He is not quick to condemn Jesus though his position would've allowed him to be.

His hesitancy and delay in condemning Jesus signals that Pilate sensed something was different about Jesus. Upon questioning Jesus, he could find no guilt in the man (Luke 23:4, 14), but this conclusion did not please the crowd. So, he sent Jesus to Herod for questioning, but Herod pardoned Jesus and returned him to Pilate. Pilate again tried to release Jesus, but encountered more opposition from the chief priests and rulers. Yet again, Pilate addresses the crowd, with concern, confusion, and hesitation in his words for he was "desiring to release Jesus," (Luke 23:20) finding in him no guilt deserving death.

But, the pressure from the crowd and the mounting political tension caused Pilate to capitulate. He delivered Jesus over to their will. The NIV 1984 version translates this verse as Pilate "surrendered Jesus to their will."

This wording got my attention: "surrendered Jesus to their will." How many times have I allowed the "crowds" to win? How many times have I acquiesced and surrendered Jesus to the pressures surrounding me? Countless!!

How many times have I surrendered Jesus to my will?

Ouch.

All too often I am like Pilate and succumb to the pressures of the crowd, the desires of this world, or to my own will despite the fact that I yearn to surrender to Jesus and His will. Always. It's hard to do, but as we approach Easter, join me in considering how you relate to the characters of these biblical accounts. Specifically, are you, like Pilate, surrendering Jesus to the crowd, to this world, to your will?

Or... are you surrendering to His will?

I pray it's the latter. If it's not, just remember that apart from Jesus you can do nothing (John 15:5), not even surrender to Him. So, ask Jesus today to help you surrender rightly to His will, in big and small things, in big and small moments. Only then can we be less like Pilate, for with Christ and in Him, we can do all things, even rightly surrender.

In the process of surrendering,
Jessica