And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
The cry went up in the judgment-hall of Pilate the Roman governor, where Christ stood bound as a prisoner with a guard of soldiers around Him while the hall filled with spectators and the judges of the Sanhedrim, the priests, rulers, elders, and the mob waited outside. The Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus and had come to Pilate to have the sentence confirmed and executed. The Jewish officials would not enter the Roman hall, lest ceremonial defilement keep them from the Passover, yet murderous hatred had already defiled their hearts. Their rejection of Christ, the real Passover lamb, had emptied the feast of meaning for them.
What the multitude began to desire was Pilate's customary festival practice of releasing one condemned prisoner at the Passover. Pilate tried to use that custom to secure Jesus' release. He hoped that setting the innocent Jesus beside the notorious Barabbas would lead the crowd to choose Jesus. But the crowd's demand frustrated his attempt to spare Him.
The crowd loudly asked Pilate to follow that custom after being stirred up and inflamed against Jesus by the priests, rulers, and leaders. In doing so the mob called for Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus. That demand rejected the innocent Jesus and chose a criminal in His place.
It was the same crowd that had hailed Jesus as king, now turned against Him, reviling Him and calling for His crucifixion, showing how quickly popular favor could change. The scene shows Satan represented and chosen before the Son of God. That choice is repeated whenever people choose against Christ, with each person demonstrating whom they choose.
The cry went up in the judgment-hall of Pilate the Roman governor, where Christ stood bound as a prisoner with a guard of soldiers around Him while the hall filled with spectators and the judges of the Sanhedrim, the priests, rulers, elders, and the mob waited outside. The Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus and had come to Pilate to have the sentence confirmed and executed. The Jewish officials would not enter the Roman hall, lest ceremonial defilement keep them from the Passover, yet murderous hatred had already defiled their hearts. Their rejection of Christ, the real Passover lamb, had emptied the feast of meaning for them.
What the multitude began to desire was Pilate's customary festival practice of releasing one condemned prisoner at the Passover. Pilate tried to use that custom to secure Jesus' release. He hoped that setting the innocent Jesus beside the notorious Barabbas would lead the crowd to choose Jesus. But the crowd's demand frustrated his attempt to spare Him.
The crowd loudly asked Pilate to follow that custom after being stirred up and inflamed against Jesus by the priests, rulers, and leaders. In doing so the mob called for Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus. That demand rejected the innocent Jesus and chose a criminal in His place.
It was the same crowd that had hailed Jesus as king, now turned against Him, reviling Him and calling for His crucifixion, showing how quickly popular favor could change. The scene shows Satan represented and chosen before the Son of God. That choice is repeated whenever people choose against Christ, with each person demonstrating whom they choose.