Pilate was the supreme Judge of Israel, but he did not recognise truth even when Jesus talked to him. Jesus was not guilty, Pilate knew that; but he had no courage to release the prisoner. Pilate feared another riot by the Jews who were insistent that Jesus should die. Another riot would demonstrate Pilate’s inability to keep order in Israel: not only would he lose his job, he might also lose his head.
 
So Pilate decided to use the ‘Passover Amnesty’ – releasing one prisoner chosen by the people as a gesture of good will. But the religious leaders manipulated the crowd to demand a riot leader instead of Jesus. Jesus and peace were bad, they declared, Barabbas and riots were good. And Pilate gave in to their perverted logic.
 
When people reject Jesus, it is not out of logic and truth but out of prejudice and lies. They want to throw Jesus away, even though He is the only true peace giver, so that they can continue their war with God. War with God? Yes, whenever anybody rejects God’s truth they are in rebellion against Him. Like Pilate they want to preserve their own authority to rule their own lives, and hate Jesus getting in the way as a superior King. The symptoms of that heart attitude are seen in anger, irrational choices which replace God’s peace by human aggression. Let us cooperate with the Lord instead of asserting our own right to define truth.