"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!' All the people answered, 'Let His blood be on us and on our children!' Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified." Matthew 27:24-26 (NIV)
After he heard what Jesus said, Pilate washed his hands of the matter because he found no fault with Jesus. However, he ordered that Jesus be flogged before he turned Him over to the solders to be crucified.
Pilate gave in and went along with the request of the crowd, even though in his heart he knew that Jesus was not guilty of any crime. Washing his hands did not absolve Pilate of the sin of condeming an innocent man. He also had Jesus flogged before he handed Him over to the solders. Pilate was trying to please the crowd. It is hard to stand alone and go against the crowd, even when we know that what the crowd wants is wrong. In order to be popular, to fit in, or to be accepted by the group, we frequently cave in to peer pressure. As Christians, we are not to conform to the ways of the worldly. (Romans 12:2) We are in this world, but we are not of this world. We are to be like Christ who said that He was not of this world. (John 8:23 & 18:36) We are not to yield to the temptation of the world or of the crowd, for yielding is sin.
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