Few people in the Bible are more interesting (enigmatic?) than Pontius Pilate. He was the Roman governor of Judea during Jesus’ time. History tells us that Pilate was, in many ways, a standard Roman politician on the outskirts of the empire: corrupt, domineering, and pleasure-loving.

Historians tell us he was well-known for his cruel behavior and overall disregard for Jewish customs. He was tasked with the unenviable job of making sure a revolution wasn’t fomented in the political tinderbox that was Jerusalem in the time of Jesus.
Before Jesus’ arrest, he had already had several run-ins with the Jews, which he handled poorly. These indiscretions led to him being on thin ice with Rome. He was likely one bad decision away from political death (with an exile to boot).1
In this context, our Lord and Savior appeared before Pilate, accused by the high priests of “perverting the nation, forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be Christ, a King” (Luke 23:2 NKJV).
But Pilate is more than an interesting historical figure. He’s more than a tragic tale. His story is something we can (and should) learn from. Pilate’s decisions instruct us in the way not to go. He provides us with a school of moral failure, and we better pay attention.
Pilate shows us that one decision can change your life and the world. But that one decision is made by a person who is the product of a lifetime of decisions. We shouldn’t just want to avoid making Pilate’s mistakes, we should want to avoid becoming the type of person Pilate was.
Looking into the Gospels, we see important lessons from the Pontius Pilate School of Moral Failure™️. If we can be unlike Pilate in these three areas, we will avoid becoming the person Pilate became.
Lesson #1: Stand Firm on Your Convictions
In his heart of hearts, Pilate knew better than to allow the crucifixion of Jesus. Three times2 in one passage, Pilate is adamant that Jesus is innocent:
Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.” (John 18:38)
Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.” (John 19:4)
Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.” (John 19:6)
Pilate knew that the Jews wanted to crucify Jesus merely out of envy, and his wife even told him to leave Jesus alone because of a dream she had (Matt. 27:15-20). But Pilate still delivered Jesus to be crucified.
The facts convinced Pilate that Jesus was guiltless and it would be wrong for Him to be crucified. But he did it anyway.
As Christians, if we have a conviction informed by God’s Word and our conscience, we must refuse to compromise. How often do you do something you know you shouldn’t do? How often do you fail to do what you know you should do?
In my life, most of my sin has been doing things I knew I shouldn’t do, and that’s probably true for you as well.
Christians must pray for the courage and resolve to stand firm on their convictions, no matter the pressure to cave in. Sometimes we are not that different from Pilate, just our sins are seemingly less consequential.
We need God’s help to do this. If we humble ourselves under His mighty hand, He will lift us up and strengthen us to have the resolve necessary to do what we know is right, no matter the cost.
Lesson #2: Boldly Fulfill Your God-Given Responsibilities
In God’s providence, Jesus’ life was in Pilate’s hands. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but felt the pressure of the Jewish leadership to crucify Him. So, Pilate tried to avoid being the one to crucify Jesus by outsourcing his responsibility to make a judgment to others.
Though Pilate was a hardened Roman statesman, in this instance he was a coward. He was too scared of the consequences of making the decision himself, so he wanted other people to make the decision for him.
Once Pilate learned that Jesus was originally from Galilee, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas in hopes that Herod would decide for him (Luke 23:5-12).
Likewise, Pilate called on the crowd in hopes they would choose to release Jesus rather than Barabbas. He wanted the crowd to decide for him (Luke 23:13-25).
Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but shied away from his responsibility to make the decision himself:
Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” (Luke 23:20-21)
Out of fear, Pilate failed to steward his God-given responsibility to do what was right and just. He allowed the sinless Son of God to be crucified even when He knew it wasn’t right.3
We have God-given responsibilities that we cannot pawn off to other people. As a family member, as a spouse, as a parent, as a child, as a church member, as a citizen, as an employee—we have God-given responsibilities:
Husbands and fathers have the responsibility to take care of their families, love and lead their wives, and train and discipline their children (1 Tim. 5:8; Eph. 5:23-28; 6:4).
Wives and mothers have the responsibility to submit to and love their husbands, love their children, and manage the household (Eph. 5:22-24; 1 Tim. 5:14; Titus 2:4-5).
Children have the responsibility to honor and obey their parents in the Lord (Eph. 6:1-3).
Elders have the responsibility to be willing and Christlike shepherds over God’s people (1 Pet. 5:1-3).
Church members have the responsibility to submit to and honor their shepherds (1 Thess. 5:12-13; Heb. 13:17).
Citizens have the responsibility to submit to the authorities and pay what is due (Rom. 13:1-7).
Employees have a responsibility to be diligent and work as to the Lord (Col. 3:23-24).
God forbid we outsource our responsibilities to be completed by others. I can’t go out and try to find other men to lead my wife and discipline my children because it’s too challenging or time-consuming. An eldership can’t leave every decision up to a congregational vote because they don’t want to be the bad guys. A wife and mother cannot pawn off her responsibility to love her husband and children to another woman.
God gave us our responsibilities for a reason. We were created to do hard things, exercise stewardship, and not dump our duties on others. We cannot be afraid to exercise responsibility for the things God has made us responsible for.
People usually punt their responsibilities to others because they are scared to make mistakes. I want to let you in on a secret: you will make mistakes. But there’s something worse than making a mistake: doing nothing.
We might be tempted to call doing nothing “playing it safe,” but it’s dangerous. The one-talent man didn’t get a pat on the back for “playing it safe” and burying his talent in the ground. He was condemned to outer darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 25:30).
We must learn from Pilate’s sin and refuse to be too timid to take responsibility and do what is right. If God gave us the responsibility, he wants us to do it, not somebody else. Trust God, take action, and be who God made you to be.
Lesson #3: Obey God, Not the Crowd
Pilate’s downfall was also fueled by his willingness to follow the crowd. Once the fate of Jesus was in the hands of the crowd, Pilate decided that he was willing to follow what other people had to say instead of what he knew was right.
Once the chief priests stirred the crowd to reject Jesus and release Barabbas, there was nothing else he could do. At that moment, Pilate was voluntarily beholden to the crowd:
Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!” Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!” So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. (Mark 15:6-15)
God help us to have the resolve to not be swayed by the crowd. Crowds often possess the lethal combination of being both wrong and influential. Whether it’s moral issues like abortion and homosexuality, or general lifestyle and values, Christians cannot just go along with the crowd.
The Law of Moses commanded God’s people, “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice” (Exod. 23:2). The temptation of mob rule is real, and it must be rejected.
In order to be pleasing to God, Christians must be swayed by Him and His Word, not by “the majority.” Jesus teaches us, “What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:14).
Pilate feared men more than God, but “we ought to obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29).
More Like Pilate or More Like Jesus?
Every day we make hundreds of choices. These choices turn us into the people we will be in this life and eternity. God help us to learn from Pilate’s sins and make choices that will make us more like Jesus.
The exile eventually came anyway. I heard Spain is great this time of year.
The significance of repeating something three times is an important theme at the end of John’s Gospel. Peter denied the Lord three times before His death, then Jesus urged Peter to affirm his love three times after His resurrection (John 18:17-27; 21:15-17).
Though Jesus’ crucifixion was part of God’s sovereign plan, those who used their free will to do the deed would still be held accountable for their evil if they didn’t repent (Acts 2:23; 3:19).