Priests Cry Out for Crucifixion Before PilateBible World
23:19Luke 23:19
( Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)
The verse identifies Barabbas as a prisoner held for taking part in a seditious uprising in the city and for murder, a notorious robber chief and hardened, murderous criminal. By the feast custom of releasing whatever prisoner the people desired, Pilate set the innocent Jesus who is called Christ against Barabbas, even having Jesus scourged in the vain hope of rousing pity and a sense of justice. Inflamed by the priests and rulers, the maddened multitude with one voice demanded that Barabbas be released and that Jesus be crucified and put to open shame. In that choice a guilty murderer was released in His stead while the just and holy Son of God, declared innocent by Pilate, was scourged as the worst of criminals and lifted up to die as a malefactor. That decision was Satan's fierce determination to destroy the champion of God and cut off communication between heaven and earth, and Barabbas stands for Satan, so the crowd's choice for Barabbas before Christ is repeated whenever people choose against Christ.
Barabbas and His Crimes
Barabbas was a prisoner cast into prison for a sedition made in the city and for murder, held for taking part in a city revolt, rebellion, or uprising. His crimes stand in contrast to Jesus, whom the authorities sought to have condemned while Pilate declared Him innocent and His release was set aside for Barabbas. He was a robber and murderer, a notable robber and robber chief and murderous criminal, repulsive in appearance with every feature proclaiming him a debased and hardened desperado. Set in direct contrast with Christ the Son of God, he was the robber and murderer the maddened throng demanded to have released while demanding Christ's death and putting Him to open shame.
Barabbas had pretended to be Christ and, under satanic delusion, claimed religious power and a right to establish a different order of things. He used theft, robbery, and murder to pursue what he claimed was his and to set the world right. A cross had already been prepared for his execution, and that cross was laid on the bruised and bleeding shoulders of Jesus as He passed out of the gate of Pilate's house. The two men who were to suffer death at the same time with Jesus were companions of Barabbas, and crosses were also laid upon them.
Jesus Trial Before Pilate
Luke 23:19 belongs to the account of Jesus' trial before Pilate and His journey from Pilate's judgment hall to Calvary, and that account stands connected with the death of Judas, whose lifeless body was a sign that retribution was already falling on those guilty of Jesus' blood.
By the feast custom of releasing one prisoner whomsoever the people desired, Pilate placed the innocent Saviour, Jesus who is called Christ, against Barabbas. He had Jesus scourged in the vain hope of exciting pity, hoping the contrast would rouse the crowd to a sense of justice so they would decide that punishment was sufficient and save Jesus. When Jesus and Barabbas stood together before Pilate in the judgment hall, the priests and rulers and the people who took active part in the death of Christ mingled their voices with the rabble throng.
Jesus stood side by side with Barabbas before the multitude with a crown of thorns on His head and stripped to the waist, revealing long cruel stripes from which blood flowed freely. His face was stained with blood and marked by exhaustion and pain, yet His noble character could not be hidden but stood out in marked contrast with Barabbas.
The Jewish priests and rulers forced the Roman governor to do their will, while Jesus was condemned to the cross. They had inflamed the people to insane fury and started the cry for Jesus to be taken away and for Barabbas to be released, and the mob took it up. The crowd, stirred up by the priests and rulers and trusting human leaders, rejected Christ and chose a robber and murderer in His place, joining the frenzied demand to crucify Jesus. When Pilate asked whom to release they shouted for Barabbas to be released, and when he asked what to do with Jesus they shouted for Him to be crucified, while Pilate declared he found no fault in Jesus, washed his hands as innocent of His blood, and delivered Christ to be crucified, and the people answered that His blood be on them and on their children.
The multitude who had hailed Jesus as their king turned fickle, hissed at Him and reviled Him, and cried for Him to be crucified in the great trial of His betrayal and condemnation in the judgment hall, His humiliation, and His death on the cross. Jesus knew this ordeal beforehand and knew the unbelieving and weak in faith among His followers, and He let an earlier testing sift them while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen. So the faithful few would be prepared for His betrayal and death and would not be overwhelmed with surprise at the insult to their Master. They would remember the inconstant favor of the world they had already seen, would not hang their faith on the opinions of others, and would not be carried away when professed friends turned from Him in His trouble and faint-hearted ones sank beneath fear and disappointment.
The Choice and Its Meaning
With one voice and hearts filled with frenzy the maddened throng chose Barabbas for release instead of Jesus and clamored for Jesus to be crucified and put to open shame. Stirred up by the priests and rulers and trusting human leaders, priests and rulers and people mingled their voices with the rabble throng, the priests starting the cry, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas, which the mob took up shouting Release unto us Barabbas, and when asked what to do with Jesus shouting Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate declared he found no fault in Jesus yet washed his hands as innocent of His blood and delivered Christ to be crucified, while the people answered His blood be on us and on our children. The choice set a murderer, a robber and murderer held for sedition and murder in a city revolt, in place of the just and holy Son of God, the innocent and holy Prince of heaven and beloved Teacher, whom Herod and Pilate killed. While the guilty Barabbas was released in His stead, Jesus whom Pilate declared innocent was scourged as the worst of criminals and lifted up on the cross to die as a malefactor.
The choice was the work of Satan with fierce determination to destroy the champion of God and of truth and by one desperate act to cut off all communication between the world and heaven. Confederating with the priests and rulers of the Jewish nation to kill Christ, Satan was at the head of those who reviled and crucified Christ and led the cruel mob in its abuse of the Saviour. Angels witnessed these cruel deeds, and the decision was a sight for the heavenly universe, watched with intense interest from the heavenly courts. Barabbas represents Satan, whom the crowd chose before Christ the Son of God, and that choice is repeated in the world whenever people choose against Christ, each person's choices showing whom they choose. That repeated choosing is seen in persecuting Christ in the person of His saints, in trusting human leaders, and in the world's rejection of Christ the Life and Light it did not know.
The crowd's choosing of this criminal instead of Jesus shows what people do when they are not under God's Spirit, and represents the spirit of those who will oppose God's people in the coming crisis. His pure life and holy teaching convicted them of sin, and their rejection of Him illustrates why hearts that love sin may hate the Bible and resist its truth. Seeing their beloved Teacher so humiliated and rejected in place of murderous Barabbas, with their hope that He would take His place on David's throne shattered, the disciples had cause to mourn and fast. Their grief was deepened and their faith tried, with hope and courage failing.
The verse identifies Barabbas as a prisoner held for taking part in a seditious uprising in the city and for murder, a notorious robber chief and hardened, murderous criminal.
By the feast custom of releasing whatever prisoner the people desired, Pilate set the innocent Jesus who is called Christ against Barabbas, even having Jesus scourged in the vain hope of rousing pity and a sense of justice.
Inflamed by the priests and rulers, the maddened multitude with one voice demanded that Barabbas be released and that Jesus be crucified and put to open shame.
In that choice a guilty murderer was released in His stead while the just and holy Son of God, declared innocent by Pilate, was scourged as the worst of criminals and lifted up to die as a malefactor.
That decision was Satan's fierce determination to destroy the champion of God and cut off communication between heaven and earth, and Barabbas stands for Satan, so the crowd's choice for Barabbas before Christ is repeated whenever people choose against Christ.
Barabbas and His Crimes
Barabbas was a prisoner cast into prison for a sedition made in the city and for murder, held for taking part in a city revolt, rebellion, or uprising. His crimes stand in contrast to Jesus, whom the authorities sought to have condemned while Pilate declared Him innocent and His release was set aside for Barabbas. He was a robber and murderer, a notable robber and robber chief and murderous criminal, repulsive in appearance with every feature proclaiming him a debased and hardened desperado. Set in direct contrast with Christ the Son of God, he was the robber and murderer the maddened throng demanded to have released while demanding Christ's death and putting Him to open shame.
Barabbas had pretended to be Christ and, under satanic delusion, claimed religious power and a right to establish a different order of things. He used theft, robbery, and murder to pursue what he claimed was his and to set the world right. A cross had already been prepared for his execution, and that cross was laid on the bruised and bleeding shoulders of Jesus as He passed out of the gate of Pilate's house. The two men who were to suffer death at the same time with Jesus were companions of Barabbas, and crosses were also laid upon them.
Jesus Trial Before Pilate
Luke 23:19 belongs to the account of Jesus' trial before Pilate and His journey from Pilate's judgment hall to Calvary, and that account stands connected with the death of Judas, whose lifeless body was a sign that retribution was already falling on those guilty of Jesus' blood.
By the feast custom of releasing one prisoner whomsoever the people desired, Pilate placed the innocent Saviour, Jesus who is called Christ, against Barabbas. He had Jesus scourged in the vain hope of exciting pity, hoping the contrast would rouse the crowd to a sense of justice so they would decide that punishment was sufficient and save Jesus. When Jesus and Barabbas stood together before Pilate in the judgment hall, the priests and rulers and the people who took active part in the death of Christ mingled their voices with the rabble throng.
Jesus stood side by side with Barabbas before the multitude with a crown of thorns on His head and stripped to the waist, revealing long cruel stripes from which blood flowed freely. His face was stained with blood and marked by exhaustion and pain, yet His noble character could not be hidden but stood out in marked contrast with Barabbas.
The Jewish priests and rulers forced the Roman governor to do their will, while Jesus was condemned to the cross. They had inflamed the people to insane fury and started the cry for Jesus to be taken away and for Barabbas to be released, and the mob took it up. The crowd, stirred up by the priests and rulers and trusting human leaders, rejected Christ and chose a robber and murderer in His place, joining the frenzied demand to crucify Jesus. When Pilate asked whom to release they shouted for Barabbas to be released, and when he asked what to do with Jesus they shouted for Him to be crucified, while Pilate declared he found no fault in Jesus, washed his hands as innocent of His blood, and delivered Christ to be crucified, and the people answered that His blood be on them and on their children.
The multitude who had hailed Jesus as their king turned fickle, hissed at Him and reviled Him, and cried for Him to be crucified in the great trial of His betrayal and condemnation in the judgment hall, His humiliation, and His death on the cross. Jesus knew this ordeal beforehand and knew the unbelieving and weak in faith among His followers, and He let an earlier testing sift them while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen. So the faithful few would be prepared for His betrayal and death and would not be overwhelmed with surprise at the insult to their Master. They would remember the inconstant favor of the world they had already seen, would not hang their faith on the opinions of others, and would not be carried away when professed friends turned from Him in His trouble and faint-hearted ones sank beneath fear and disappointment.
The Choice and Its Meaning
With one voice and hearts filled with frenzy the maddened throng chose Barabbas for release instead of Jesus and clamored for Jesus to be crucified and put to open shame. Stirred up by the priests and rulers and trusting human leaders, priests and rulers and people mingled their voices with the rabble throng, the priests starting the cry, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas, which the mob took up shouting Release unto us Barabbas, and when asked what to do with Jesus shouting Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate declared he found no fault in Jesus yet washed his hands as innocent of His blood and delivered Christ to be crucified, while the people answered His blood be on us and on our children. The choice set a murderer, a robber and murderer held for sedition and murder in a city revolt, in place of the just and holy Son of God, the innocent and holy Prince of heaven and beloved Teacher, whom Herod and Pilate killed. While the guilty Barabbas was released in His stead, Jesus whom Pilate declared innocent was scourged as the worst of criminals and lifted up on the cross to die as a malefactor.
The choice was the work of Satan with fierce determination to destroy the champion of God and of truth and by one desperate act to cut off all communication between the world and heaven. Confederating with the priests and rulers of the Jewish nation to kill Christ, Satan was at the head of those who reviled and crucified Christ and led the cruel mob in its abuse of the Saviour. Angels witnessed these cruel deeds, and the decision was a sight for the heavenly universe, watched with intense interest from the heavenly courts. Barabbas represents Satan, whom the crowd chose before Christ the Son of God, and that choice is repeated in the world whenever people choose against Christ, each person's choices showing whom they choose. That repeated choosing is seen in persecuting Christ in the person of His saints, in trusting human leaders, and in the world's rejection of Christ the Life and Light it did not know.
The crowd's choosing of this criminal instead of Jesus shows what people do when they are not under God's Spirit, and represents the spirit of those who will oppose God's people in the coming crisis. His pure life and holy teaching convicted them of sin, and their rejection of Him illustrates why hearts that love sin may hate the Bible and resist its truth. Seeing their beloved Teacher so humiliated and rejected in place of murderous Barabbas, with their hope that He would take His place on David's throne shattered, the disciples had cause to mourn and fast. Their grief was deepened and their faith tried, with hope and courage failing.