Daily Devotional | A Lack of Courage

We are used to confessing our sins to God, asking Him to forgive the things we have done wrong. But what about the things we did not do? James 4:17 explains: “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” From God’s perspective, “sins of omission” are real and should be confessed like any others.

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. As a just judge, he should have set Him free. Instead, he was tempted to condemn an innocent man. Why? He lacked courage to do the right thing. What if the mob got out of control? What if the Jewish leaders sent a negative report about him to Rome? What would happen to his career? He offered the crowd Barabbas, and their response confirmed his fears (18:39–40).

As with Abram and Jonah, Pilate hadn’t misunderstood. He comprehended the situation quite well. Though he was not a worshiper of the one true God, justice was his official responsibility. To fail to do it was sinful. He had an extra warning from the Lord, in the form of a dream given to his wife (Matt. 27:19).

Pilate sought to escape responsibility in several ways: He tried to hand Jesus’ case back to the Jews (18:31). He twice interrogated Jesus, perhaps to get Him to say something incriminating or to see if He would offer a bribe. He tried to use the custom of the prisoner release at Passover to set Jesus free. And he tried to satisfy the mob by “merely” flogging and torturing Jesus (19:1–5). Three times in today’s reading Pilate affirmed Jesus’ innocence (18:38; 19:4, 6). He “tried to set Jesus free” (19:12), but in the end he gave in and made the sinful choice. God, of course, remained in control (19:11).