Pilate Presents Jesus and Barabbas to the CrowdBible World
23:20Luke 23:20
Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
Pilate was still determined to set Jesus free and spoke out again to the crowd to gain His release, because he was convinced He was innocent and found no fault in Him. To move them to pity he had Jesus scourged and set Him bloodied before them, and he seized on the custom of freeing a prisoner to set the innocent Christ side by side with Barabbas so the contrast would lead them to choose Jesus. Instead the people, pressed on by the priests and rulers and stirred by Satan working to destroy the champion of truth, demanded Barabbas and cried for Jesus to be crucified and for His blood to be upon them. So the holy Son of God, the Life and Light of the world, pale and blood-stained yet still noble, stood against Barabbas, a hardened robber, murderer and pretender who claimed by theft and violence what was not his own. That choice was watched with intense interest by the heavenly universe, and it is still being made now, for every person shows whom they choose and to choose Barabbas is to say crucify Christ.
Pilate's Repeated Appeal
Pilate remained willing to release Jesus and spoke again to the crowd to secure His release. He addressed the people a second time because he wanted to set Jesus free, even as they pressed for His death. He was unwilling to condemn Him without a charge that could be proved.
He was convinced Jesus was innocent, impressed by His goodness and dignity. He declared to the maddened throng that he found no fault in Christ. He knew Jesus had been brought to the judgment hall for envy. He knew His power, even while bound and under accusation, was the power of no common man but of God.
His soul was in terrible conflict because he dared not give Jesus up to a maddened power, yet he sought another way to save Him instead of acting firmly on his judgment. He tried to appease the accusers rather than stand decidedly upon what he knew to be right. He washed his hands and claimed to be innocent of His blood, and tried to put the responsibility on the Jews by telling them to take Him and crucify Him. Yet he himself delivered Christ into their hands to be crucified.
To gain the release he vainly hoped to excite pity so the people would decide the punishment already inflicted was sufficient. To that end he proposed and carried out having Jesus scourged, hoping that punishment would satisfy the crowd. He had Jesus scourged in the presence of the multitude and then displayed Him side by side with Barabbas, pale, exhausted and stained with blood. He seized on a pagan invention without one particle of justice in it, the custom that at the great national festival one prisoner condemned to death should be set at liberty, to bring about by subterfuge what he desired. He presented the true and innocent Christ side by side with the notable Barabbas, flattering himself that the contrast between innocence and guilt would be so convincing that the people would choose Jesus of Nazareth and consent to His release.
The Crowd's Fateful Choice
Pilate spoke again because he wanted to release Jesus, yet when given the choice between Jesus and Barabbas the people demanded Barabbas and pressed for Jesus' death. They answered, release Barabbas, and to the question what should be done with Jesus they cried, crucify Him, crucify Him. They chose Barabbas the robber and murderer rather than the Son of God, crying crucify Him and calling for His blood to be upon them and upon their children. This rejection of Jesus for speaking truths they did not want to hear is repeated when people persecute His saints, showing how those who reject grace can be led by the same hostile spirit across generations.
The demand was driven by the Jewish priests and rulers pressuring the Roman governor to do their will despite his wish to release Jesus. Herod, stirred up by the chief priests and acting in union with Pilate, joined in killing the just and holy Son of God while a murderer was released in His place. Behind the trial Satan with his band worked with fierce determination to destroy the champion of God and of truth and by one desperate act to cut off all communication between heaven and earth, confederating with the priests and rulers to kill Christ. Satan stood at the head of those who reviled and crucified Jesus, leading the cruel mob in its abuse, while the people's cry was raised by men inspired by Satan and shows what humanity will do when not under the control of the Spirit of God.
Barabbas stood in the place of Satan personified, so that choosing Barabbas before Christ the Son of God exalted Satan. The choice set Jesus, the One who made the world and all things in it, the innocent holy Prince of heaven, the Son of God, against Barabbas, a base thief and murderer. Jesus was placed side by side with Barabbas pale, exhausted and stained with blood, stripped and revealing long cruel stripes flowing with blood, with a crown of thorns on His head, yet His noble character still visible through suffering in marked contrast to Barabbas as a debased and hardened robber chief. He was the just and holy Son of God, the Life and Light of the world, put against a notorious pretender to be Christ who claimed whatever he could obtain by theft and robbery and murder was his own, who had done great wickedness and did wonderful things through satanic agencies, claiming religious power and a right to establish a different order of things and to set the world right.
Wider Meaning and Application
The choice Pilate set before the maddened throng was watched from the heavenly courts with intense interest as a sight for the whole heavenly universe. While Satan stood at the head of the revilers leading the cruel mob in abuse, angels witnessed men putting Christ to open shame. Behind the trial Satan with his band worked with fierce determination to destroy the champion of God and of truth and by one desperate act to cut off all communication between heaven and earth.
The same voices that cried out against Jesus and demanded His crucifixion could readily be turned afterward to praise Herod. Jesus had prepared His disciples beforehand for the rejection and humiliation He would face, yet the full details of cruelty were not told them because they could not have comprehended them. When the events came — Jesus mocked and scourged, Barabbas chosen instead of Him, Jesus condemned to die and delivered into the hands of wicked men while His nation clamored for His blood — they brought the disciples deep grief and tested their faith and hope. That test reached also to their courage as they faced His approaching the cross.
His pure life and holy teaching convicted His accusers of sin, and their demand for His death shows the hostility that leads people to resist God's word. The crowd that demanded Barabbas and called for Jesus to be crucified shows how people who reject God's grace can be led by the same hostile spirit across generations. That rejection of Jesus for speaking truths they did not want to hear is repeated when people persecute His saints.
That same choice between Barabbas and Christ the Son of God, the One who made the world and all things in it, is being made now in the world. Every person individually demonstrates whom they choose, so that to choose Barabbas before Christ is to exalt Satan and to say crucify Christ. The cry, Release unto us Barabbas, and to the question what to do with Jesus, Crucify Him, crucify Him, was raised by men inspired by Satan and shows what humanity will do when not under the control of the Spirit of God. This scene is a representation of what those will do who stand under the black banner of the powers of darkness and of the spirit to be met in the great crisis, test and trial before us, so greater faith is needed now and prayer for the Lord to increase faith in order to stand.
Pilate was still determined to set Jesus free and spoke out again to the crowd to gain His release, because he was convinced He was innocent and found no fault in Him. To move them to pity he had Jesus scourged and set Him bloodied before them, and he seized on the custom of freeing a prisoner to set the innocent Christ side by side with Barabbas so the contrast would lead them to choose Jesus. Instead the people, pressed on by the priests and rulers and stirred by Satan working to destroy the champion of truth, demanded Barabbas and cried for Jesus to be crucified and for His blood to be upon them. So the holy Son of God, the Life and Light of the world, pale and blood-stained yet still noble, stood against Barabbas, a hardened robber, murderer and pretender who claimed by theft and violence what was not his own. That choice was watched with intense interest by the heavenly universe, and it is still being made now, for every person shows whom they choose and to choose Barabbas is to say crucify Christ.
Pilate's Repeated Appeal
Pilate remained willing to release Jesus and spoke again to the crowd to secure His release. He addressed the people a second time because he wanted to set Jesus free, even as they pressed for His death. He was unwilling to condemn Him without a charge that could be proved.
He was convinced Jesus was innocent, impressed by His goodness and dignity. He declared to the maddened throng that he found no fault in Christ. He knew Jesus had been brought to the judgment hall for envy. He knew His power, even while bound and under accusation, was the power of no common man but of God.
His soul was in terrible conflict because he dared not give Jesus up to a maddened power, yet he sought another way to save Him instead of acting firmly on his judgment. He tried to appease the accusers rather than stand decidedly upon what he knew to be right. He washed his hands and claimed to be innocent of His blood, and tried to put the responsibility on the Jews by telling them to take Him and crucify Him. Yet he himself delivered Christ into their hands to be crucified.
To gain the release he vainly hoped to excite pity so the people would decide the punishment already inflicted was sufficient. To that end he proposed and carried out having Jesus scourged, hoping that punishment would satisfy the crowd. He had Jesus scourged in the presence of the multitude and then displayed Him side by side with Barabbas, pale, exhausted and stained with blood. He seized on a pagan invention without one particle of justice in it, the custom that at the great national festival one prisoner condemned to death should be set at liberty, to bring about by subterfuge what he desired. He presented the true and innocent Christ side by side with the notable Barabbas, flattering himself that the contrast between innocence and guilt would be so convincing that the people would choose Jesus of Nazareth and consent to His release.
The Crowd's Fateful Choice
Pilate spoke again because he wanted to release Jesus, yet when given the choice between Jesus and Barabbas the people demanded Barabbas and pressed for Jesus' death. They answered, release Barabbas, and to the question what should be done with Jesus they cried, crucify Him, crucify Him. They chose Barabbas the robber and murderer rather than the Son of God, crying crucify Him and calling for His blood to be upon them and upon their children. This rejection of Jesus for speaking truths they did not want to hear is repeated when people persecute His saints, showing how those who reject grace can be led by the same hostile spirit across generations.
The demand was driven by the Jewish priests and rulers pressuring the Roman governor to do their will despite his wish to release Jesus. Herod, stirred up by the chief priests and acting in union with Pilate, joined in killing the just and holy Son of God while a murderer was released in His place. Behind the trial Satan with his band worked with fierce determination to destroy the champion of God and of truth and by one desperate act to cut off all communication between heaven and earth, confederating with the priests and rulers to kill Christ. Satan stood at the head of those who reviled and crucified Jesus, leading the cruel mob in its abuse, while the people's cry was raised by men inspired by Satan and shows what humanity will do when not under the control of the Spirit of God.
Barabbas stood in the place of Satan personified, so that choosing Barabbas before Christ the Son of God exalted Satan. The choice set Jesus, the One who made the world and all things in it, the innocent holy Prince of heaven, the Son of God, against Barabbas, a base thief and murderer. Jesus was placed side by side with Barabbas pale, exhausted and stained with blood, stripped and revealing long cruel stripes flowing with blood, with a crown of thorns on His head, yet His noble character still visible through suffering in marked contrast to Barabbas as a debased and hardened robber chief. He was the just and holy Son of God, the Life and Light of the world, put against a notorious pretender to be Christ who claimed whatever he could obtain by theft and robbery and murder was his own, who had done great wickedness and did wonderful things through satanic agencies, claiming religious power and a right to establish a different order of things and to set the world right.
Wider Meaning and Application
The choice Pilate set before the maddened throng was watched from the heavenly courts with intense interest as a sight for the whole heavenly universe. While Satan stood at the head of the revilers leading the cruel mob in abuse, angels witnessed men putting Christ to open shame. Behind the trial Satan with his band worked with fierce determination to destroy the champion of God and of truth and by one desperate act to cut off all communication between heaven and earth.
The same voices that cried out against Jesus and demanded His crucifixion could readily be turned afterward to praise Herod. Jesus had prepared His disciples beforehand for the rejection and humiliation He would face, yet the full details of cruelty were not told them because they could not have comprehended them. When the events came — Jesus mocked and scourged, Barabbas chosen instead of Him, Jesus condemned to die and delivered into the hands of wicked men while His nation clamored for His blood — they brought the disciples deep grief and tested their faith and hope. That test reached also to their courage as they faced His approaching the cross.
His pure life and holy teaching convicted His accusers of sin, and their demand for His death shows the hostility that leads people to resist God's word. The crowd that demanded Barabbas and called for Jesus to be crucified shows how people who reject God's grace can be led by the same hostile spirit across generations. That rejection of Jesus for speaking truths they did not want to hear is repeated when people persecute His saints.
That same choice between Barabbas and Christ the Son of God, the One who made the world and all things in it, is being made now in the world. Every person individually demonstrates whom they choose, so that to choose Barabbas before Christ is to exalt Satan and to say crucify Christ. The cry, Release unto us Barabbas, and to the question what to do with Jesus, Crucify Him, crucify Him, was raised by men inspired by Satan and shows what humanity will do when not under the control of the Spirit of God. This scene is a representation of what those will do who stand under the black banner of the powers of darkness and of the spirit to be met in the great crisis, test and trial before us, so greater faith is needed now and prayer for the Lord to increase faith in order to stand.