The Voices of the crowd Don’t always Represent the Voice of God
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!”
Matthew 27:20-24, NIV
Pilate is one of the best examples of those people who chose to listen to the voices of the crowd rather than listening to God. When Jesus was brought to him, he judged Him not according to his own understanding but according to the voices he heard from others. The chief priest and the elders knew about Pilate’s weakness. That’s why they convinced the crowd to ask for Barabbas rather than setting Jesus free. And because the governor was afraid of what other people might say, he let Jesus be crucified and failed to do what was right. Deep within, Pilate thought that He couldn’t do anything about it because the crowd demanded Barabbas. But the truth is, he was just afraid of what might people think of him if he followed his own conscience. He considered them as god and chose to protect his image instead of giving the right judgment.
From the scripture above, we can conclude that a person who chooses to follow the crowd will fail to hear the voice of God. Pilate is so concerned about his own image in the eyes of people. It seems like he was afraid that they might not respect or obey him if he won’t listen to them, and because of this, he failed to follow the heart of God. He didn’t do the right thing.
Even though he claimed that he was innocent of Jesus’ blood, but the truth is, He was not. Because during this time. He has the authority to save Him, but he didn’t do it because deep inside, he is protecting his throne. This is a great reminder for us to stop listening to what other people are saying, especially when they are not true followers of God. Those people will just lead you to deeper brokenness. You may think that you are just doing what’s best, but doing the will of God will always lead you to true happiness.
Stop treating other people as idols. Pilate may fail to notice it, but he is considering the crowd as the master of his life. Whatever they say, he followed them. They are Pilate’s idols. How about you? Who are your idols? Who controls your decisions? May you treat Jesus as your King and let Him reign. May you listen to His voice and stop following the standards of this world. Honor Him and stop putting other things first. Let Jesus be the center of your life and choose to only glorify His name. The crowd can never lead you to a better place. But Jesus can take you to eternity. He can lead you to the future that He prepared. So have faith in Him and abide in His ways.
Choose to listen to the voice of God and follow Him even in the midst of suffering. Pilate was not yet ready to take some risk and set Jesus free. He allowed His own weaknesses and fears to consume Him. And just like Pilate, you also have so many fears inside, but you need to surrender them all to God and allow Him to reign in your heart. Let His love take away all your fears, and only then will you have the courage to follow Him. Sometimes, it’s not easy. You will go through pain and obstacles, but keep in mind that choosing God is always the best thing to do.
