Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Israel, gives us a sad example of a leader who failed to take responsibility. When Jesus appeared before him for judgment, he could find nothing wrong with Him. Yet instead of judging Him as innocent, he succumbed to the pressure of the crowd. Sensing they wanted to punish an innocent man, he gave them a choice: Barabbas or Jesus? When they wrongly chose Jesus as the more guilty man, Pilate walked over to a basin of water and tried to wash his hands of any responsibility for his decision. He pretended he could evade ownership of the consequences. Pilate committed the sin of omission and tried to get off on a legal technicality.

None of this surprised the Jews, since Pilate had a history of such behavior. He tended to withdraw whenever things heated up. Once he put the Roman eagle in the temple, prompting 5,000 Jews to march to his vacation home to demand he remove it. He called in the army and demanded that they leave. When they refused, he threatened to cut off their heads. The Jews got down on their knees, in essence saying, “Go ahead!” Shocked by their moral conviction, he backed down. From that point on, the Jews knew this man lacked a backbone and would run from responsibility. He illustrates moral and political compromise.

Just why did Pilate “wash his hands” of responsibility?

1. He had a problem with foundations (v. 22). Pilate never forged the character to withstand adversity. Conflict paralyzed him.
2. He had a problem with futility (vv. 23, 24). He perceived that no good would come from a right decision, so why waste time? Apathy proliferates when we sense that action seems useless.
3. He had a problem with fear (v. 24). Pilate felt preoccupied with survival. If he fought the Jews, he feared the loss of control, image, or position. His wife’s warning added fuel to his fear.
4. He had a problem with failure (v. 24). Pilate knew a riot was brewing. The last time it happened, he failed to rise to the occasion, and the Jews called his bluff. They knew he worried more about failure than they did.
5. He had a problem with focus (v. 24). Leaders cannot be neutral or passive over crucial decisions. Pilate picked up a basin and tried to wash his hands of the whole mess. No good leader does this.

Devotional by John Maxwell. Matthew 27:11-31 teaches how you can learn from these leaders to be stronger in your responsibility.

Jesus Before Pilate

¹¹ Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. ¹³ Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” ¹⁴ But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^[a] Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” ¹⁸ For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³ “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴ 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!”

²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. ³⁰ They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. ³¹ After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to be crucified.

Responsibility – “the ability to meet obligations; the act of being accountable; a duty of trust” – is one of the 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. It’s the ability to make and keep commitments.

When Jehoshaphat became king of Judah, he assumed a trust. Like all kings, he was to lead, protect, and manage the nation’s resources. Second Chronicles 20 records his greatest challenge to that point in his leadership. An army from three countries laid plans to attack Judah. Reports of their activity frightened the king (2 Chr. 20:3). No doubt, he faced the same options we all face in a crisis: give up, back up, or stand up. At such times, we find out the quality of our leadership:

1. The dropouts: leaders who give up and fail to take responsibility.
2. The cop-outs: leaders who make excuses for why they aren’t responsible.
3. The hold-outs: leaders who waver too long to take responsibility.
4. The all-outs: leaders who own the responsibility and take action.

What Steps Did Jehoshaphat Take?

Second Chronicles 20 provides us with a beautiful story of a human leader who did what was right. Consider the appropriate steps he took:

1. He fought his fear (vv. 2,3). Jehoshaphat was terrified, but he didn’t let it paralyze him. He stayed calm enough to think.
2. He sought the Lord (vv. 3, 6-13). Before he did anything else, he sought perspective by praying and seeking wisdom from God.
3. He brought the synergy (vv. 3,4). He didn’t act alone, but gathered the people to inform them of the issue.
4. He caught the vision (vv. 14-17). He listened to the voice of the Lord until he knew what to do.
5. He bought the idea (vv. 18,19). He bowed his head and began to embrace the steps he and his nation had to take.
6. He taught the plan (vv. 20-23). He assembled the key players and gave them instructions on what each had to do.
7. He secured the victory (vv. 24, 25). He followed through with precision and succeeded, just as God predicted.

What quality of a leader are you?

It takes steps to be impactful for others. How can you apply this lesson of responsibility in your life?