But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
At the Passover feast a custom allowed release of whatever prisoner the people chose, and Pilate, knowing Jesus innocent and delivered for envy, tried to use it to save Him while the chief priests and elders persuaded and stirred the multitude to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The choice set Jesus, the innocent, holy Prince of Life and Son of God, full of goodness and truth, beside Barabbas, a notable and notorious thief, robber and murderer who claimed by satanic delusion whatever he could get by violence as his own, so all could see light against darkness and innocence against guilt. The multitude took active part with their own voices, roaring like wild beasts for Barabbas and crying crucify Him, choosing a robber and murderer rather than the Son of God, with blood guilt resting on priests, rulers and people. The leaders acted from envy and hatred because He exposed their error, from blind cruel prejudice, and Satan stood at their head leading priests, rulers and mob, showing what professed followers of God do when not controlled by His Spirit. That judgment-hall scene is a symbol of the closing scenes of earth's history, when every person individually demonstrates by action whether to choose Christ the Truth as King or Barabbas who stands as Satan personified, the robber, liar and murderer.
The Trial Choice
At the Passover feast a custom allowed the release of whatever condemned prisoner the people chose. Pilate was in terrible conflict to save Jesus, whom he knew to be innocent and to have been delivered for envy, and whose power even bound and accused he knew was the power of God and not of a common man. To save Him without directly opposing the maddened power demanding Him, he tried to use this pagan invention without justice in it, failing to do the justice his office required in the unjust trial of the innocent Saviour. He flattered himself that presenting the true and innocent Christ side by side with the guilty Barabbas would make the contrast between innocence and guilt so convincing that the multitude would choose Jesus of Nazareth.
The verse sets Jesus beside Barabbas so that all could see the contrast between light and darkness, sin and righteousness, truth and falsehood, innocence and guilt. Jesus is the innocent, holy, pure and undefiled Prince of Heaven and Prince of Life, the Son of God who made the world and all things therein, still clothed in divinity in humanity, bearing the seal of heaven, sinless and full of goodness, mercy and truth. Barabbas opposite Him was a notable and notorious prisoner, a thief, robber and murderer, a hardened and notorious character who had done great wickedness. Under satanic delusion he claimed that whatever he could obtain by theft and robbery and murder was his own, did wonderful things through satanic agencies, pretended to be Christ, and claimed religious power and a right to establish a different order of things and to set the world right.
The Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus and brought Him to Pilate to have the sentence confirmed and carried out. The chief priests and elders, including Caiaphas with the other priests, and the Jewish priests and rulers as professedly pious leaders, persuaded, stirred up and instructed the multitude to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The priests began the cry themselves which the mob then took up, turning the people against the innocent prisoner. They pressed the Roman governor to carry out their will against Jesus even as He went to the cross.
The people took active part with their own voices in the rejection. When asked whom to release they shouted, Release unto us Barabbas, like bellowing wild beasts, and when asked what to do with Jesus they cried the more, Crucify him, crucify him, even when asked what evil He had done. Thus they chose a robber and murderer rather than the Son of God, against whom no charge was proved, refusing the Lord of glory and showing they preferred the society of a murderer. Pilate declared he found no fault in Him, told them to take Him and crucify Him, and washed his hands as innocent of His blood, the crowd answering His blood be on us and on our children, and the deed was done with blood guilt on priests, rulers and people.
Motives, Guilt, and Aftermath
The guides and instructors of the people claimed to be the most pious people on earth and ought to have pointed them to Jesus as the Lamb of God and led them in right paths, yet they led them to reject the Son of God, the Light of the world, the Way, the Truth and the Life. The multitude they persuaded were poor and ignorant, not knowing the Scriptures that testify of Christ, and because they trusted human leaders they were stirred to reject Christ and choose a robber and murderer instead. Against Jesus no charge was proved and no crime was convicted, yet he was given up by the ruler to a shameful death.
They acted from envy and jealousy of His influence and authority, and from hatred because He exposed their darkness and error. It was blind, unreasonable, vindictive and cruel prejudice and bigotry, which maddens people and renders them insane. Satan worked through the religious element and stood at the head of those reviling Christ, leading the cruel mob with the priests and rulers, and those who rejected light and grieved God's Spirit were led by him. This reveals what people do when not controlled by God's Spirit and when God's love does not rule the heart, and reveals the murderous spirit that can control professed followers of God whose profession of piety and love for God and knowledge of Scripture did not make them God's children or reflect His character.
Despite Pilate's efforts to show Jesus innocent and to stir sympathy for Him, their influence turned the people against the innocent, pure and undefiled prisoner and helped bring about His condemnation and crucifixion. They sought to stop Jesus from becoming king, but His death made Him Redeemer and ruler. By submitting with perfect calmness to insult and outrage without retaliation and without using divine power to release Himself, Christ under this unjust demand gave the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world and proved false Satan's charges against God, vindicating God before the angels in heaven as willing to make the greatest sacrifice for man, yet God's overruling did not lessen their guilt.
The consequences followed at once and afterward, for Judas's death was followed by signs of remorse among witnesses and thoughts of retribution for those guilty of Jesus' blood. The priests' malice and the people's rage were followed by events so terrifying to the Romans that crucifixion soon fell out of use in Judea, and when later revived at Jerusalem's destruction the Jews themselves became its victims and multitudes suffered the doom they had pronounced on Christ. With the act of instructing the people to choose Barabbas and crying for Christ's crucifixion the Jewish high priesthood with Caiaphas ended, for proud, overbearing and wicked, tyrannous, deceptive and ambitious, wearing priestly robes with no vital connection with God and uncircumcised in heart, with neither capacity nor heavenly authority nor light to show what the priest's work was, its ministration was utterly corrupt and could make nothing perfect. As representatives of the nation the priests placed themselves under the despised Roman jurisdiction and unchurched themselves. Yet those same priests, rulers and listeners were present at Pentecost and, hearing the disciples in the Spirit's courage declare that the humiliated, spit-upon, thorn-crowned and crucified man is the Prince of Life and Son of God at God's right hand, trembled while the people were seized with conviction and anguish for having crucified Him.
The public rejection tested the disciples, for the fickle crowd that had hailed Jesus as king turned against Him. Seeing their own nation call for His blood and choose the murderous Barabbas instead of their beloved Teacher disappointed their worldly hopes and caused them to mourn and fast. But their earlier experience of changing favor prepared them not to be surprised or base faith on the crowd's opinions when He was betrayed, condemned and crucified, and Jesus had prepared His true followers for the ordeal and His presence strengthened their faith.
Those responsible will suffer punishment in the day of God before the assembled universe. When sinners are compelled at the final judgment to look upon Him whom they slighted, their confusion is indescribable as they remember choosing a murderer and robber in His stead, followed by Jesus crowned with thorns, scourged and crucified, with every insult as fresh as when done, making them realize what they might have been had they received Christ and improved their opportunities.
Choosing Christ or Barabbas
The judgment-hall scene is a symbol of the closing scenes of earth's history, when mankind is given the choice between Barabbas and Jesus. It is the choice between Christ the Truth and Satan the first rebel, liar, robber and murderer. Barabbas stands as Satan personified, while Jesus is the innocent and holy Prince of Heaven, the Son of God who made the world and all things therein. The roar of voices like wild beasts crying for Barabbas was the choosing of Satan before Christ and the exaltation of Satan. Choosing Satan's falsehoods means rejecting the message of mercy about God's commandments and the faith of Jesus, and aligning with the disloyal rather than the Son of God. That cry to demand Jesus' death came from people inspired by Satan, revealing what people will do when they are not controlled by God's Spirit and foreshadowing the conduct of those aligned with darkness in a future crisis.
Choosing Barabbas represents rejecting Christ, for rejecting the light of truth is rejecting Christ and the only means of cleansing from sin. The choice to cast Christ out is repeated whenever people reject him and choose another leader. Refusing light brings deception, false witness and rebellion. Those who give loyalty to anyone but Christ can be controlled by that deception until their actions amount to choosing Barabbas and rejecting Christ. The cross scene also shows what human nature can do when God's love does not rule the heart.
That choice becomes a pattern for the end of time, when people deceived by Satan will reject Christ and call for His followers to be treated as He was. Christ is betrayed again when His saints are betrayed. As the leaders then stirred the people against Jesus, so religious leaders will incite bitterness and prejudice against present truth. They will prompt people to oppose it violently in ways they otherwise would not have considered.
The same choice is being made today, when each person individually demonstrates by action whether to choose Barabbas and crucify Christ. Each must decide whether to give the will to God and choose Christ as King rather than a robber and murderer as king. A person's conduct reveals which one is chosen. Choosing Christ means living as Christ lived, turning from restless disposition, vain thoughts and cravings for lesser things. Filling the mind with Scripture and meditating on its truths leads to pursuing virtue, holiness and growth in the divine life.
The scene sets the crowd influenced by its leaders against Christ and calls everyone to decide whether to stand with Christ or against Him. Anyone whose example encourages transgression is accountable to God. Rejecting present light can place a person under the prince of darkness, for Satan led those who rejected light and grieved God's Spirit. Obeying the light received is the test of whether one would have joined those who cried for Jesus to be crucified. The repeated casting out of Christ brings accountability before God at the final judgment.
At the Passover feast a custom allowed release of whatever prisoner the people chose, and Pilate, knowing Jesus innocent and delivered for envy, tried to use it to save Him while the chief priests and elders persuaded and stirred the multitude to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The choice set Jesus, the innocent, holy Prince of Life and Son of God, full of goodness and truth, beside Barabbas, a notable and notorious thief, robber and murderer who claimed by satanic delusion whatever he could get by violence as his own, so all could see light against darkness and innocence against guilt. The multitude took active part with their own voices, roaring like wild beasts for Barabbas and crying crucify Him, choosing a robber and murderer rather than the Son of God, with blood guilt resting on priests, rulers and people. The leaders acted from envy and hatred because He exposed their error, from blind cruel prejudice, and Satan stood at their head leading priests, rulers and mob, showing what professed followers of God do when not controlled by His Spirit. That judgment-hall scene is a symbol of the closing scenes of earth's history, when every person individually demonstrates by action whether to choose Christ the Truth as King or Barabbas who stands as Satan personified, the robber, liar and murderer.
The Trial Choice
At the Passover feast a custom allowed the release of whatever condemned prisoner the people chose. Pilate was in terrible conflict to save Jesus, whom he knew to be innocent and to have been delivered for envy, and whose power even bound and accused he knew was the power of God and not of a common man. To save Him without directly opposing the maddened power demanding Him, he tried to use this pagan invention without justice in it, failing to do the justice his office required in the unjust trial of the innocent Saviour. He flattered himself that presenting the true and innocent Christ side by side with the guilty Barabbas would make the contrast between innocence and guilt so convincing that the multitude would choose Jesus of Nazareth.
The verse sets Jesus beside Barabbas so that all could see the contrast between light and darkness, sin and righteousness, truth and falsehood, innocence and guilt. Jesus is the innocent, holy, pure and undefiled Prince of Heaven and Prince of Life, the Son of God who made the world and all things therein, still clothed in divinity in humanity, bearing the seal of heaven, sinless and full of goodness, mercy and truth. Barabbas opposite Him was a notable and notorious prisoner, a thief, robber and murderer, a hardened and notorious character who had done great wickedness. Under satanic delusion he claimed that whatever he could obtain by theft and robbery and murder was his own, did wonderful things through satanic agencies, pretended to be Christ, and claimed religious power and a right to establish a different order of things and to set the world right.
The Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus and brought Him to Pilate to have the sentence confirmed and carried out. The chief priests and elders, including Caiaphas with the other priests, and the Jewish priests and rulers as professedly pious leaders, persuaded, stirred up and instructed the multitude to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The priests began the cry themselves which the mob then took up, turning the people against the innocent prisoner. They pressed the Roman governor to carry out their will against Jesus even as He went to the cross.
The people took active part with their own voices in the rejection. When asked whom to release they shouted, Release unto us Barabbas, like bellowing wild beasts, and when asked what to do with Jesus they cried the more, Crucify him, crucify him, even when asked what evil He had done. Thus they chose a robber and murderer rather than the Son of God, against whom no charge was proved, refusing the Lord of glory and showing they preferred the society of a murderer. Pilate declared he found no fault in Him, told them to take Him and crucify Him, and washed his hands as innocent of His blood, the crowd answering His blood be on us and on our children, and the deed was done with blood guilt on priests, rulers and people.
Motives, Guilt, and Aftermath
The guides and instructors of the people claimed to be the most pious people on earth and ought to have pointed them to Jesus as the Lamb of God and led them in right paths, yet they led them to reject the Son of God, the Light of the world, the Way, the Truth and the Life. The multitude they persuaded were poor and ignorant, not knowing the Scriptures that testify of Christ, and because they trusted human leaders they were stirred to reject Christ and choose a robber and murderer instead. Against Jesus no charge was proved and no crime was convicted, yet he was given up by the ruler to a shameful death.
They acted from envy and jealousy of His influence and authority, and from hatred because He exposed their darkness and error. It was blind, unreasonable, vindictive and cruel prejudice and bigotry, which maddens people and renders them insane. Satan worked through the religious element and stood at the head of those reviling Christ, leading the cruel mob with the priests and rulers, and those who rejected light and grieved God's Spirit were led by him. This reveals what people do when not controlled by God's Spirit and when God's love does not rule the heart, and reveals the murderous spirit that can control professed followers of God whose profession of piety and love for God and knowledge of Scripture did not make them God's children or reflect His character.
Despite Pilate's efforts to show Jesus innocent and to stir sympathy for Him, their influence turned the people against the innocent, pure and undefiled prisoner and helped bring about His condemnation and crucifixion. They sought to stop Jesus from becoming king, but His death made Him Redeemer and ruler. By submitting with perfect calmness to insult and outrage without retaliation and without using divine power to release Himself, Christ under this unjust demand gave the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world and proved false Satan's charges against God, vindicating God before the angels in heaven as willing to make the greatest sacrifice for man, yet God's overruling did not lessen their guilt.
The consequences followed at once and afterward, for Judas's death was followed by signs of remorse among witnesses and thoughts of retribution for those guilty of Jesus' blood. The priests' malice and the people's rage were followed by events so terrifying to the Romans that crucifixion soon fell out of use in Judea, and when later revived at Jerusalem's destruction the Jews themselves became its victims and multitudes suffered the doom they had pronounced on Christ. With the act of instructing the people to choose Barabbas and crying for Christ's crucifixion the Jewish high priesthood with Caiaphas ended, for proud, overbearing and wicked, tyrannous, deceptive and ambitious, wearing priestly robes with no vital connection with God and uncircumcised in heart, with neither capacity nor heavenly authority nor light to show what the priest's work was, its ministration was utterly corrupt and could make nothing perfect. As representatives of the nation the priests placed themselves under the despised Roman jurisdiction and unchurched themselves. Yet those same priests, rulers and listeners were present at Pentecost and, hearing the disciples in the Spirit's courage declare that the humiliated, spit-upon, thorn-crowned and crucified man is the Prince of Life and Son of God at God's right hand, trembled while the people were seized with conviction and anguish for having crucified Him.
The public rejection tested the disciples, for the fickle crowd that had hailed Jesus as king turned against Him. Seeing their own nation call for His blood and choose the murderous Barabbas instead of their beloved Teacher disappointed their worldly hopes and caused them to mourn and fast. But their earlier experience of changing favor prepared them not to be surprised or base faith on the crowd's opinions when He was betrayed, condemned and crucified, and Jesus had prepared His true followers for the ordeal and His presence strengthened their faith.
Those responsible will suffer punishment in the day of God before the assembled universe. When sinners are compelled at the final judgment to look upon Him whom they slighted, their confusion is indescribable as they remember choosing a murderer and robber in His stead, followed by Jesus crowned with thorns, scourged and crucified, with every insult as fresh as when done, making them realize what they might have been had they received Christ and improved their opportunities.
Choosing Christ or Barabbas
The judgment-hall scene is a symbol of the closing scenes of earth's history, when mankind is given the choice between Barabbas and Jesus. It is the choice between Christ the Truth and Satan the first rebel, liar, robber and murderer. Barabbas stands as Satan personified, while Jesus is the innocent and holy Prince of Heaven, the Son of God who made the world and all things therein. The roar of voices like wild beasts crying for Barabbas was the choosing of Satan before Christ and the exaltation of Satan. Choosing Satan's falsehoods means rejecting the message of mercy about God's commandments and the faith of Jesus, and aligning with the disloyal rather than the Son of God. That cry to demand Jesus' death came from people inspired by Satan, revealing what people will do when they are not controlled by God's Spirit and foreshadowing the conduct of those aligned with darkness in a future crisis.
Choosing Barabbas represents rejecting Christ, for rejecting the light of truth is rejecting Christ and the only means of cleansing from sin. The choice to cast Christ out is repeated whenever people reject him and choose another leader. Refusing light brings deception, false witness and rebellion. Those who give loyalty to anyone but Christ can be controlled by that deception until their actions amount to choosing Barabbas and rejecting Christ. The cross scene also shows what human nature can do when God's love does not rule the heart.
That choice becomes a pattern for the end of time, when people deceived by Satan will reject Christ and call for His followers to be treated as He was. Christ is betrayed again when His saints are betrayed. As the leaders then stirred the people against Jesus, so religious leaders will incite bitterness and prejudice against present truth. They will prompt people to oppose it violently in ways they otherwise would not have considered.
The same choice is being made today, when each person individually demonstrates by action whether to choose Barabbas and crucify Christ. Each must decide whether to give the will to God and choose Christ as King rather than a robber and murderer as king. A person's conduct reveals which one is chosen. Choosing Christ means living as Christ lived, turning from restless disposition, vain thoughts and cravings for lesser things. Filling the mind with Scripture and meditating on its truths leads to pursuing virtue, holiness and growth in the divine life.
The scene sets the crowd influenced by its leaders against Christ and calls everyone to decide whether to stand with Christ or against Him. Anyone whose example encourages transgression is accountable to God. Rejecting present light can place a person under the prince of darkness, for Satan led those who rejected light and grieved God's Spirit. Obeying the light received is the test of whether one would have joined those who cried for Jesus to be crucified. The repeated casting out of Christ brings accountability before God at the final judgment.