Brothers and sisters, have you ever been in a situation where you were at a crossroad, or fork in the road, not knowing which way to go?
It’s hard to make that decision that could possibly change things for good or bad. It’s a stressful situation. It brings with it a decision of the right or the wrong course. It brings on that thing we call pressure.
Now, this decision you have to make causes you to hesitate, it causes you to waiver, and it causes you to be open to the whispers of the Devil. However, we mustn’t be ashamed of our decisions, because we are not perfect and we may make decisions that are not what God intended. Life brings you pressure!
So what is pressure and why does it sometimes cause us so much stress?
Well, it’s like this. Pressure is a force, a force from within or a force from your surroundings. Whether it’s mental force or physical force, it usually involves “pressure”.
If you have kids, or watch the news, or the latest television shows, it’s quite clear that our young adults have a lot of peer pressure.
But we can’t always think of pressure as bad or hard. Sometimes it’s just what we need to see the light. Sometimes we need a little positive pressure to get us over that hill.
Brothers and sisters, there are many things that cause negative pressure as opposed to positive pressure. And guess what, sometimes you want know what’s negative or positive. What you might wanna believe is positive pressure, could actually be negative pressure. AMEN
• This might be a persuasion to do something wrong,
• This could be someone trying to influence you to do something wrong,
• This could be someone trying to intimidate you into doing something wrong,
• This can very well be harassment causing you to do something wrong,
• Or perhaps you’re tempted to just go ahead and do this wrong thing this one time.
Whatever the case: persuasion, influence, intimidation or harassment, and even temptation can sometimes make it hard to “just say no”. It’s hard now, and it was hard back then. Why, because we lack understanding. There have been many tempted, and twisted, and confused, under this thing called pressure. AMEN
Mark 15: 1 says: and straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
The Elders, the Chief priest, the Scribes and the whole Sanhedrin council would deliver a bound Jesus to one man, Pilate. Quite frankly, this force of leaders would say to Pilate, “Hey, you need to get this done”. The handwriting was literally on the wall. If that wasn’t pressure, I don’t know what is. AMEN
My message today is “Pilate Under Pressure”.
Now back in the bible days, every year there was a feast held. During this feast there would be prisoners presented by the governor, to the people to be chosen for release, and given their freedom. Pilate was in fact the Governor and usually he was a man that got his job done. He was Pontius Pilate. AMEN
Mark 15: 6 states: Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
What normally took place would be that “all selected” by the governor would actually be criminals.
Let me say those key words one more time.
• “all Selected”
• “by the Governor”
• “Criminals”
But this year it would be different. The deceit had begun long before the day of the event. The signs of pressure were all around Pontius Pilate. His wife would even try to warn him to not take part in what she felt was going to happen. Pilate's wife had dreamed of events that somehow troubled her so much that she would send him a message.
Matthew 27: 19 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.
Now, I don’t know about you, but when my wife taps my hand, she’s normally picked up on something I may have missed. AMEN
Along with Jesus, there would be another person in this web of deceit. That person’s name was Barabbas. Barabbas was actually a criminal; a known criminal. He was the logical choice to be crucified. Everyone was familiar with Barabbas, as he was both a thief and a murderer. My Lord!!
Mark 15: 7 states: And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
In other words, Barabbas had committed murder in some uprising that had occurred.
Pilate knew that the chief Priest wanted to destroy Jesus. He was a threat to them. A confused Pilate asked, but what do we do with Jesus?
He knew that Jesus was just an avenue for love. His gut and all that he was said, “This is wrong”. The governor asked what he had done. He knew Jesus was not an evil person but the pressure from the Chief Priest would make him falter at a job he normally did well.
Imagine this. If you were a judge, and someone just came into your courtroom where an innocent person was sitting, and told you to convict them for no logical reason. Wouldn’t you ask why? Not only would you ask why, you’d probably ask that person to say something. AMEN
Mark 15:3 says: And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
But instead of Pontius Pilate standing up to deceitful pressure , he tried to make Jesus do his job for him. He wanted Jesus to tell them why they were wrong, but Jesus couldn’t help him. AMEN
Mark 15: 2 says: And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayestit.
This was sort of a hearing, and Jesus remained silent. But in his silence he would be condemned. Pilate couldn’t have understood. But Jesus did. Jesus knew that this was his day. He knew that he had to die.
Yeah, Pilate wouldn’t be able to stand up to the pressure of the powerful bosses.
• He would bow to the pressure of the Priest,
• Bend over to the pressure of the Elders
• And, succumb to the pressure of the Sanhedrin council.
He may never have forgiven himself because he knew that this was wrong.
Brothers and sisters, have you ever done something that you knew was wrong and you did it anyway? It eats at your soul in some way form or fashion. If it doesn’t' you have another problem. AMEN.
That’s why we repent and ask for forgiveness. God knows that we’re not perfect and we’re subject to the temptations of the devil. Through his wisdom, he forgives. But on this day Jesus’ fate was engraved in stone. He had to die. And no circumstances would have changed that fate. AMEN
Well Pilate had one more thing that he was sure would relieve him of having to go against the Chief Priest, the Elders, and the entire council. He was sure the crowd would choose the right person. But little did he know, the seed of deceit was already fed to the crowd. My Lord!
Pilate was under pressure. The pressure was great and his will was weak. Now, he didn’t have to be under pressure. He was granted the power of a supreme judge, which basically meant that he had the power to make the decision. He could or could not order a prisoner’s execution. But yet he would bring Jesus and Barabbas to the people. My My!
Mark 15:8-11 states : And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
The crowd had already been manipulated. They agreed with the Chief priest and elders and would say crucify him. Pilate in his emotions would ask time and time again that they do the right thing, the thing that he knew was right, but he would be overruled and pressured by the crowd.
Mark 15:12-15 states: And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
He would ask again and again and the people would still answer the same. Crucify him.
Still in his belief he would wash his hands in an effort to say to the people that it’s their choice, he is just doing his job, but did not believe they were justified to crucify a man simply because he claimed to be Christ.
Brothers and sisters, Pilate knew the chief priest envied Jesus. He also knew that the chief priest had controlling effects on the people. He knew the Sanhedrin council had ulterior motives. Yet, he would release Barabbas who he knew was bad, than face the people. He would fail to stand up for what he knew in his soul was wrong. My Lord!
Pilate would ask the people what in the world had Jesus done so evil, but the people riddled with insanity still would say crucify him.
We can only fathom from our studies that at any point Pilate could have said enough is enough. Let’s understand what we’re doing here. We have a man that only claims to be somebody, and we have another that has actually committed crimes, offensive crimes.
But the pressure was too much for him and he would break under that pressure and deliver Jesus, the Christ, to a crowd that was momentarily insane and blindly set on going along with the rest of the crowd. Does this sound familiar? I bet it does.
People do it all the time. We’ve always done it. Now, with the world wide web, face book, twitter, snap chat, and the like, the crowd is massive. And I’m here to tell you, the damage to someone’s life can be just as massive. AMEN
Luke 23:18-21 states: And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.
Pilate wanted to release Jesus. But yet he failed at stepping up, or making a sincere effort to convince anyone else in the crowd. He kept asking them why, when in his soul he knew why.
Luke 23:22-23 states: And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
Brothers and sisters, sometimes we see things that are wrong and we never say a thing. We follow the crowd, even though in our core, we want something else. We remain silent to our own feelings and beliefs to the detriment of what’s right.
Just punish him and let him go. That’s what Pilate would say. He’s not an evil man. I don’t see why we should kill him. The noise was too great. The power was too immense. Pilate would cave under pressure.
Luke 23:24-25 states: And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
The pressure from Chief priest that obviously had ulterior motives was too great for Pilate. The Chief Priest wanted to maintain control over the people, and Jesus was a threat. If they let this person live, who claimed to be Christ, they just might not be the powerful force they so loved to be.
John 18: 39-40 states: But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
The crowd knew, the Priest Knew, The Council knew, The Scribes knew, and Pilate knew. They all knew that Barabbas was a murderer, and a robber, and yet they would rally to let him live and crucify the man that was Christ. Lord Lord…
Brothers and sisters there are righteous people today that are still procrastinating. There are people that are faithful and truly believe in what’s right, but are sometimes shunned and beat down because they believe in what’s right. They go against the crowd. AMEN!
The pressure Pilate felt back then is a pressure that still exists today. The masses have fallen prey to the deals of the devil and it doesn’t matter that it’s wrong if it’s exciting or simply just popular. It doesn’t matter that what they do will hurt the innocent, as long as they win the votes of the crowd. AMEN
So why would Pilate even ask the crowd. I would say just as corruption, corrupts today, it did back then. He was under pressure, to please for the wrong reasons. AMEN
But while Pilate was under pressure, Jesus was not. Jesus knew his destiny. While the people shouted crucify him, he would ask God to forgive us all of our sins. Jesus was there, in pain, and unmoved by the voices of the crowd. Jesus would be persecuted for being King of the Jews. The Jews were a people which were under the dislike of the Roman Empire. No, Jesus would not praise Caesar, for he knew of God and knew that he was the Christ Child.
Luke 23:22 states: And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
Jesus would say I am a King. Not as you believe, but as the chief priest has proclaimed. Jesus was not ashamed to own himself as a King. And yes, Jesus was not afraid. He didn’t have to prove himself. But the noise and violence, and the accusations, and the chants over and over again would forge a belief of insane injustice to a Christ that would save them all.
Brothers and sisters, it didn’t matter what the people said, Jesus knew it was his time. It was time to submit to his father’s will. He would submit to his father even though at the moment, what the people were doing was just what his father was angry about. But Jesus still believed. My My…
Do you hear what they are saying about you, Pilate would ask Jesus? Why want you defend yourself? Pilate might have been saying “I can’t help you, if you want help me, help you”.
Little did Pilate know that Jesus was helping them all? Jesus knew what Pilate didn’t. He knew he had to die. Pilate knew Jesus was not an evil man, yet he knew he had not the strength or inner power or voice to save him. The pressure of the high priest, the scribes, the council, and the crowd would win, and Jesus would die. Oh My Lord…
Barabbas was guilty of Treason, Murder and felony charges. He had committed the three worst crimes. In my mind Pilate could have given the people similar criminals since he knew that the Justice system was unjustly against Jesus. But he would place Jesus in front of them anyway. He may have said, I wash my hands of this, but the stains would forever remain. My My..
Matthew 27:25 states: Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
Brothers and sisters, the scriptures state that this was the feast of the Governor; the criminals were already selected for the people to choose from. By failing to do what his inner soul spoke, Pilate opened the door to deception, and the Chief Priest walked right in to deceive a crowd that would ultimately say that a good man should die.
Pilate, well Pilate, as ashamed as he might have been, followed right along. Pilate knew it was not Jesus’ guilt that had condemned him, but his righteousness that the Chief Priest has despised. It was their intent to remove him from the radar of the people. Pilate could have handled things differently but because he himself was under pressure of the power of the Chief Priest, and others, he would ask the people. But to his demise, the devilish trickery of the Priest had also gotten to the people. He brought on more pressure assuming the people would make the decision that he knew was right. My Lord!
Even before he got to the people, his wife had sent him a message and added to his pressure. She told him to leave it alone. Don’t have anything to do with it. But did he really listen. I don’t think so.
His wife had dreamed a scary dream. She had warned him not to participate in the actions .Now, I'm not sure, if she was dreaming about Christ unjust punishment or the punishment of all those that participated in his punishment. But it would seem that this dream had scared her, so much she spoke out to her husband to not participate.
Remember Nebuchadnezzar, he dreamed about things that troubled him.
Daniel 2:1says: And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
Brothers and sisters, Pilate was not a weak man. He was known by the Romans to be rough, willful, spirited, relentless, and oppressive, and the Jews were weary of his government. Yet on this day he would be used like a puppet on a string. He would cave under the pressure of the chief priest as though they themselves held those strings.
Have you ever realized you’ve been used? Well Pilate was in that situation. He had been used by the trickery of the Chief Priest and council for their own intentions, because he knew in his heart and soul Jesus was not an evil man. Yet he found himself in the situation his wife warned him of. He found himself participating in an unjust crucifixion. He was the tool that would strike the senseless blow.
Both Jews and Gentiles were there, either in the streets or in the crowd, and it would be both Jews and Gentiles that would sentence Jesus to death. Even back then, Priest weren’t as they should be. The Chief priest in this story as told by Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John, were in actuality led by the devilish intent of evil.
Isaiah 10:1states: Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
What did they accuse Jesus of? He had made himself God. Now what did this matter to them except it would somehow lessen their power?
John 19:7 states: The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
• Jesus was accused of being King of the Jews. Maybe it was the word King that worried the Chief Priest.
• Jesus was accused of teaching people. Maybe it was the word teaches that would cause him harm.
• The world has a history of persecuting great teachers. Maybe it’s because we still gravitate towards the unjust.
Brothers and sisters, even today there are those that don’t want you to learn, and they know that there are those that are capable of teaching you right, but they are afraid if you learn, then you may understand. If you understand, you might change. If you change, they might not be able to have that hold on you. So they manipulate the teachers and somehow make you believe that studying Gods word is not needed. My Lord..
Luke 23:5 states: And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
Brothers and sisters,
• Pilate thought the people would be sensible, but that didn’t happen,
• He thought Jesus would speak up for himself, but that didn’t work.
• He thought because Barabbas had committed the three most hanish crimes, the courts wouldn’t possible choose him over Jesus. But guess what, that didn’t work either.
Jesus had to die so that we could live. He had seen the pressure in Pilate's eyes and felt the anguish in his heart. He loved him even though he was predestined to condemn him. The pressure was all around and yet it seemed Jesus was calm in his fate of ultimate death
John 19:11 states: Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
Brothers and sisters there will be things that will happen in our lives that we may not understand for years to come. What we first believe is bad or unfair, could ultimately be what saves us, or turns our life around.
Count it all Joy brothers and sisters, just count it all Joy….
James 1:2-4 says: consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, Let perseverance finish its works so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Now, as I bring this message to a close
Let’s imagine Pilate standing there, knowing that Jesus was innocent, yet he watched as this good man who had to carry that old rugged cross to his ultimate demise.
• He must have thought about his lack of action as he watched Jesus’ face as he wore that crown of thorns.
• He must have felt the disgust as they spit upon him.
• His heart must have skipped a beat as the nails were driven into Jesus’ hands.
As he would watch Jesus die on that cross that day, he must have asked himself:
• If I would have,
• If I could have,
• If I should have,
Brothers and sisters, we all know the words. We’ve all probably sang that song at one point or another. But even as we read the stories of Pilate and ask those same questions, there was nothing he could have done to change the fate of what had to happen. AMEN
The deck was stacked, the way it was destined, and Jesus knew. He never said a mumbling word. All the things that had happened up to the moment of death were known by Jesus. It was the only way to save us all, because he loves us all.
Yes, Pilate was under pressure because he knew in his heart and soul that this wasn’t right, but Jesus wasn’t under any pressure. He had already accepted his faith, because he loves us all.
Brothers and sisters we all have felt or will feel pressure at some time or another.
• Pressure to do the wrong thing.
• Pressure from our so called friends,
• Pressure from our siblings,
• Pressure from our bosses,
• Pressure to take away the pain,
• Pressure to act unsympathetic,
• Pressure to take,
• Pressure to look away,
• Pressure to pretend we didn’t see what happened,
• And, pressure to pretend we didn’t hear anything.
All these kinds of pressure are simply the pressure of sin. Jesus died for our sin, in order to take away the pressure, yet we remain under the grips of temptation, and we sometimes let it consume us.
Brothers and sisters, this sinful pressure does not have to rule us. God provided us salvation when his son died on the cross for our sins. The pressure we need is the perseverance to press on in the right direction. That’s what we need, is to “press on”. AMEN
We don’t have to sit back like Pilate to only wonder if you would have, or could have, or should have. We should know better if only we would be open to the words of understanding written in the book that has the greatest stories ever told, and the most powerful movies ever imagined. It’s a guide book. It’s a good book. AMEN
Brothers and sisters we have to continue to study in order to win amongst the sinful pressures around us.
• We can win brothers and sisters.
• We can step up and show out.
• And, we can flip the script of sin.
And if we just happen to slip and fall down, remember God is waiting for us as we get back up and dust ourselves off. He’s waiting to give us a helping hand and relieve that “pressure” if only we let him. AMEN
Someone once said: “True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure - the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation”
References:
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