Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Who has influence over you? Who or what can sway your good judgment?

That was really the heart of the issue here. For the crowd, the Jewish leaders held significant influence over their lives. They knew it was wrong to kill an innocent man, but they allowed themselves to be swept up in the “mob-mentality”, which invariably seeks blood.

Pilate was also influenced by something. He did not want a riot. It would look bad to his superiors if he could not keep the peace. So he tortured and persecuted an innocent man to satisfy the crowd. His wife even warned him not to have anything to do with Jesus.

What is crazy is how he thought that a simple act of “washing his hands” would wipe the slate clean in God’s eyes. He still tortured him and handed him over to be brutally murdered. He was complicit in this injustice.

This brings me to the thought: What is the value of a life? Is it something to be toyed with, or to play games with, or with which to appease groups of people with?

Life is incredibly valuable to God and it should be to us too. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭13‬-‭16‬)

Lord, thank you that you value my life and the lives of those around me. This “violence for a sport”, and playing around with life and death to appease people, is horrible. You detest it. Help me to understand that you have a great plan for everyone on earth. Help me to fight for their lives, for justice, and for their eternity in heaven with you.