MAT27:11 says, And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. When the governor asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews, Jesus simply replied that that was what the governor said. Ultimately, everyone has to decide this for them self. Jesus isn't going to force anyone to believe that He is the Son of God, the only Savior there is. Verse twelve adds, And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. When the chief priests and elders made their accusations, Jesus remained silent. God does not always silence nor dispute those who lie about Him. Verse thirteen asks, Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? When Jesus remained silent, Pilate asked if He did not hear what the religious leaders were saying about Him. Sometimes today we may question if God hears all that is being said, but but we can be certain that even if there is no response that He does. Verse fourteen declares, And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. When Jesus didn't say a word, the governor marveled. Verse fifteen says, Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. There was a custom at the feast for the governor to release a prisoner, and Pilate saw this as an opportunity to not make a decision about Jesus. We may not want to, but even if we decide to not make a decision about Who Jesus really is, we have already made a decision. Just ignoring or attempting to get around the question will not exempt us from the result Verse sixteen adds, And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. There was a notable prisoner there named Barabbas. Verse seventeen declares, Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? When the people were gathered together, Pilate offered them a choice of having either Barabbas or Jesus released. Pilate likely felt that he was going to be spared making a decision about Jesus, feeling that the Jews, God's people, would chose Jesus over Barabbas. Verse eighteen adds, For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. Pilate knew that Jesus was there because the Jews had delivered Him out of envy. Verse nineteen states, When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. Pilate's wife told him to have nothing to do with Jesus, because she had suffered many things in a dream because of Jesus, but she really could not keep Pilate from making a decision, just as no one today can keep anyone else from making a decision about Jesus. Every one will decide that Jesus either is or is not the Savior. Verse twenty declares, But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The chief priests and elders, the religious leaders of the day, persuaded the people to choose Barabbas. It is sad when anyone rejects Jesus, but it is even sadder when those who profess to be His people do so. Verse twenty-one states, The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. When the governor gave those who were supposed to be the people of God a choice, they chose Barabbas over Jesus. Verse twenty-two asks, Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. After the people chose to have Barabbas released, Pilate then asked what they wanted him to do with Jesus, and they said crucify Him. The choice of what to do with Jesus is one that each individual must ultimately make. Verse twenty-three says, And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. Pilate then asked the people what Jesus had done, and they responded by simply saying to crucify Jesus. Verse twenty-four declares, When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. When Pilate saw that he could not change the mind of the crowd, he attempted to remove the responsibility for the fate of Jesus from himself by symbolically washing his hands, but it is not that simple. Pilate was still the one who made the decision, even if he attempted to pass off the responsibility, just as every person is personally responsible for whether or not he or she accepts Jesus today. Verse twenty-five says, Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. The people answered correctly that the blood of Jesus would be on their hands, but that did not make Pilate free from his responsibility. Verse twenty-six concludes, Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Pilate released Barabbas and had Jesus scourged and delivered Him to the Jews to be crucified. Doing what the crowd wanted did not release Pilate from the fact that it was still his choice, and we will all be held accountable for our decision about Jesus.
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