Fear of Pilate

Pilate’s Fear of the Mob

Pilate had declared that Jesus was not guilty of punishment by death. The Jews began to riot, so Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. He thought that if he mistreated Jesus and humiliated him the people would relinquish their cry to have him crucified.

Pilate had the Roman soldiers flog Jesus. This was a form of punishment where a person was beaten with a cord of leather straps with glass and metal attached to the end of each leather strap. It was designed for maximum damage. Pilate believed that the scourging of Jesus would be enough to satisfy the punishment the Jews wanted.

After the scourging, Pilate presented the mangled body of Jesus to the crowd of the Jews to show how badly he had been beaten. His hopes were that they would not want to go any further with the punishment. However, his presentation of Jesus beaten body did the opposite. When the Jews saw the beaten body of Jesus they wanted more. They began to cry out “crucify!”

So we must ask ourselves the question, if Pilate found Jesus innocent then why did he punish him with flogging? The answer is that Pilate feared the Jews. He knew that his job was to keep the peace in Jerusalem. Any uprising would draw attention from Rome and would cause Pilate’s ability to lead to be in question. Pilate wanted to squash the uprising by punishing Jesus because he believed that they would calm down after the beating. Pilate caved to his fear of the Jews and made a poor decision.

Fear of the Social Mob Today

Today many fear the mob of public opinion and compromise biblical values. We live in a society today where people will demand that we cater to their “pronouns”. The transgender movement is posing a threat to biblical values. God does not make mistakes. HE makes male and female. We do not decide. Genesis 5:2

Genesis 5:2 NASB95

He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.

When a person says that we must respect their right to choose if they are male and female, they violate the fact that God made them who they are biologically. We must resist enabling them to continue to walk in error. We must not mistreat them, but we must guide them in truth.

Another area that is a hot topic today is the subject of abortion. Some will say a woman has the right to choose what she does with her body. I can agree with that unless it involves killing a baby. The choice a woman makes regarding her pregnancy does not only affect her. We must stand against abortion and educate men and women the biblical standard for making a child. Any legislation that prohibits the killing of babies is good legislation. We must not come up with excuses as to why abortions are right. They are not! Exodus 20:13

Exodus 20:13 NASB95

“You shall not murder.

Homosexuality is another area that our society has inoculated many. They don’t see anything wrong with it. Society will want us to embrace it as a form of love that God approves. He does not. Leviticus 18:22

Leviticus 18:22 NASB95

‘You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.

Romans 1:24–27 NASB95

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 NASB95

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

As one can see, God does not approve of homosexuality. We must not hate homosexuals, but guide them into the truth that intimate relationships are between a man and a woman.

Fear of the Personal Mob Today

We have seen three of the social fears that people may have today, but there are personal fears that cause us to compromise Biblical values. Peer pressure, family pressure, and church pressure are three area’s of fear that may cause us to disobey God.

Peer pressure usually comes from our friends or colleagues at work. This will happen when they ask us to join them in an activity that violates what the word of God says. There were many times I was invited to events where I knew that heavy drinking would be involved. I knew that I didn’t need to be in that environment, but felt ostracized when I didn’t participate. Many of you here this morning have faced a form of peer pressure in your own life. We must stand up for our biblical convictions.

Family pressure is the pressure your family puts on you to do what they want you to do, rather than what God desires for you to do. I have been guilty of this. Tell Tatum story.

Church pressure is when a church manipulates you with guilt to serve and give time to meet its need rather than what God calls you to do. When you give in, you do not serve in joy but out of obligation.

We must be a people that understand the Word of God and his call on our lives so that we do not cave in fear to the mob pressures that we feel today.

Pilate’s Fear of Caesar

When the people threatened Pilate of being one who opposes Caesar, he realized that his comfortable position and even his life could be in danger if he did not crucify Jesus. As the Jews proclaimed in John 19:12

John 19:12 NASB95

As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”

If word got out to Caesar that Pilate did not kill someone who claimed the sovereignty that Caesar had, then Pilate would be charged with treason. This would remove him from his comfortable political office and cost him his life. As a result of this fear of Caesar, he handed Jesus over to be crucified.

Fear of Harm or loss of convenience.

Tell story about Tatum going to China. “Why are you here?” People in the west value their comfort over the lost souls dying and going to hell! There will be times where we have to sacrifice our conveniences for the purpose of Christ. There may even be times where we have to risk our lives for the cause of Christ.

Pilate’s Fear of Jesus

When the Jews told Pilate that Jesus made himself out to be the Son of God, the Bible says he was even more afraid of Jesus. Pilate was a religious man that had pagan gods. He was fearful that Jesus may be who he claimed to be. If that was the case then his eternal being would be in danger.

He took Jesus and questioned Him, but Jesus would not answer him. Pilate threatened Jesus and told him that he had the authority to kill him or spare him. Jesus told Pilate that he had no authority except that which was given to him from above. Jesus told him that it was God who had the authority and had given it to Pilate to execute God’s plan.

Jesus did not fear death by crucifixion because he knew that is the reason he was put here on this earth. Pilate could not threaten Jesus because Jesus already knew that he was going to die on the cross for the sins of man.

Pilate did everything he could to get Jesus released, but he feared the mob and Caesar more than he did God.

Fear if God this morning

Every one of us this morning are face with the same decision that Pilate faced. That decision is what are we going to do with Jesus? We can either side with Him through faith and believe that He is the Son of God that gave his life on Calvary for you or you can cave to fear of the world that will reject you because of your faith and stance for Christ.