Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” [Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.]
But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. Luke 23:13-25
There is some speculation that Pilate's reluctance to convict and condemn Jesus was because the Jewish leadership wanted it done. He had a reputation for non-cooperation with their agendas. So it could be that he was not really trying to be fair to Jesus, but that he'd rather not comply with the demands of the Sanhedrin. Pilate was not a nice man. Notice, he didn't just tell them he'd release this apparently innocent man, but that he'd "punish (scourge) and release him." (?) Why punish, then, except for gratuitous cruelty, having been given the opportunity.
Pilate had many prisoners awaiting the death penalty, some of whom may have also said they were the Christ. He wasn't offering to let them go, but there was something different about this Jesus. Pilate was uneasy with the prospect of sending this highly popular miracle-worker to His death. Maybe the steady gaze of a man confident of His mission; a man who did not plead for His life or protest His innocence, gave the governor pause. Jesus didn't argue His own case, or overstate the few answers He gave. He seemed content to allow the process to run its course. This demeanor may have been unsettling to the one in authority. Well, there is another possibility: I'll offer them a Jewish prisoner's release in honor of the Passover.
They wanted Barabbas! A convicted insurrectionist and murderer. There was no doubt of this man's guilt. Barabbas really was what the Jews tried to portray Jesus to be. And they really did prefer Barabbas to Jesus. His objectives were the same as theirs: undercut Roman authority in every possible way. Pilate found this situation hard to believe. Barabbas was by far the more dangerous of the two. So, he asked the third time: "what has he done that is deserving of death?" Clearly, Pilate knew this whole charge against Jesus was a setup. Their reply: CRUCIFY HIM! Many in this same crowd had been cheering, shouting hosannas as He entered Jerusalem on the colt just a few days before (Luke 19:36-38, Matthew 21:1-11). They had misunderstood His mission, not because He had not made His mission clear, but because it was not what they wanted. Pilate pronounced the sentence upon Jesus that they were demanding. And he released the murderer back into society.
Barabbas stands as an individual, historical representative of mankind. You and me. Guilty sinner. Insurrectionist. Murderer. Anti-authoritarian rebel. There was nothing Barabbas could have done to save himself. The Lamb of God took Barabbas' place upon that cross, and yours and mine and Pilate's and the chief priests' and Herod's....and the sinner went free.
But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!” And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. Luke 23:13-25
There is some speculation that Pilate's reluctance to convict and condemn Jesus was because the Jewish leadership wanted it done. He had a reputation for non-cooperation with their agendas. So it could be that he was not really trying to be fair to Jesus, but that he'd rather not comply with the demands of the Sanhedrin. Pilate was not a nice man. Notice, he didn't just tell them he'd release this apparently innocent man, but that he'd "punish (scourge) and release him." (?) Why punish, then, except for gratuitous cruelty, having been given the opportunity.
Pilate had many prisoners awaiting the death penalty, some of whom may have also said they were the Christ. He wasn't offering to let them go, but there was something different about this Jesus. Pilate was uneasy with the prospect of sending this highly popular miracle-worker to His death. Maybe the steady gaze of a man confident of His mission; a man who did not plead for His life or protest His innocence, gave the governor pause. Jesus didn't argue His own case, or overstate the few answers He gave. He seemed content to allow the process to run its course. This demeanor may have been unsettling to the one in authority. Well, there is another possibility: I'll offer them a Jewish prisoner's release in honor of the Passover.
They wanted Barabbas! A convicted insurrectionist and murderer. There was no doubt of this man's guilt. Barabbas really was what the Jews tried to portray Jesus to be. And they really did prefer Barabbas to Jesus. His objectives were the same as theirs: undercut Roman authority in every possible way. Pilate found this situation hard to believe. Barabbas was by far the more dangerous of the two. So, he asked the third time: "what has he done that is deserving of death?" Clearly, Pilate knew this whole charge against Jesus was a setup. Their reply: CRUCIFY HIM! Many in this same crowd had been cheering, shouting hosannas as He entered Jerusalem on the colt just a few days before (Luke 19:36-38, Matthew 21:1-11). They had misunderstood His mission, not because He had not made His mission clear, but because it was not what they wanted. Pilate pronounced the sentence upon Jesus that they were demanding. And he released the murderer back into society.
Barabbas stands as an individual, historical representative of mankind. You and me. Guilty sinner. Insurrectionist. Murderer. Anti-authoritarian rebel. There was nothing Barabbas could have done to save himself. The Lamb of God took Barabbas' place upon that cross, and yours and mine and Pilate's and the chief priests' and Herod's....and the sinner went free.
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