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In 1996, a Mississippi River freighter lost control and crashed into a mall injuring 116 people. Investigators found that it crashed because the engine shut down; the engine stopped because of low oil pressure; the oil pressure was low because of a clogged filter; the filter clogged because the crew had not maintained it. Evading responsibility can be disastrous. Pilate made the same mistake. He tried to evade the inconvenient truth about Jesus’ innocence. When the Jewish leaders first brought Jesus to Pilate, he told them to try him. That did not work, so he sent him to Herod for Herod to try him. That didn’t work. So, he offered to release Jesus in place of Barabbas, a murderer. The leaders refused the offer. He flogged Jesus and appealed to their pity. That didn’t work. So, he appealed to the crowd by asking, “Shall I crucify your king?” That did not work. They responded, “We have no king but Caesar.” “Crucify him!” Finally, Pilate tried to evade responsibility for Jesus death by washing his hands and declaring that he found no fault in Him. Still, for political reasons, he ordered him to die by crucifixion. Like Pilate, many people try to evade a decision about Jesus. But He will not go away. He is a part of our history. Ultimately, each of us must decide what we will do with Jesus. The best choice is to accept Him as God’s Son and our Savior.
